Reeves, William
Summary
Father:Mother:
Birth: 5 Dec 1802, Staplehurst, Kent
Birth Source: Biography
Death: 20 Apr 1871, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Death Source: Death Record
Spouse1: Hannah Pearce, m. 5 Jul 1831, Muskingum County, Ohio
Spouse2: Mrs. Arabella Gill, m. Sep 1870
Narrative
The book The Methodist Protestant Church contains the following biography:
REV. WILLIAM REEVES, D. D.
1802—1871
"And He gave some apostles and some prophets: and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers." Eph. IV:11
The Church of Christ is compared to a building. And as a variety of workmen are necessary to construct a house, so a diversity of talents and skill are requisite "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Rev. William Reeves, D. D. was a master workman, one that "needed not be to ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth."
He was born in Staplehurst, Kent, England, on the 5th of December, 1802. His parents were pious, but being poor, his early education was limited.
He was early convicted of sin and the necessity of conversion, but he lingered in the plain of conviction, until the twenty-third year of his age, when he gave his heart to Christ and united with the Church. Like the great Apostle, he conferred not with flesh and blood, but immediately began to call sinners to repentance. He was at once recommended by his pastor — a dissenting minister — to the Missionary College to prepare for the Missionary work in the East Indies. But owing to a want of funds, the College was unable to take anymore students at that time; hence, the East India scheme was abandoned with deep regret.
Being informed of "the open door," and "the field white to the harvest," in the Western world: and being an ardent admirer of the United States Government and of Republican principles in both Church and State, he turned his course toward the setting, instead of the rising sun, and landed-in this country in 1829, just about the time of the organization of the Methodist Protestant Church. He united at the first session of the Ohio Conference in 1829, where he labored successfully until 1833, when the Pittsburgh District was set off, with which he united and where he spent the remaining part of his ministerial life.
As a preacher, he was intellectual and philosophical, and, as a theologian, a master in Israel. He was no revivalist. Like Paul, Luther and Shinn, he appealed to the mind rather than to the emotions, and was a defender of the faith rather than a recruiting officer in the Christian army. He possessed the full confidence of his brethren, as was proved by his being elected to a number of the General Conferences and Conventions of the Church, and frequently President of the Pittsburgh Conference. He was a life long student, and in recognition of his theological attainments, received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Adrian College in June, 1865.
On the 5th of July, 1831, he was united in marriage with Miss Hannah Pearce, an itinerant female preacher, who proved to be "a help meet" indeed, as she often preached the Gospel very acceptably, as well as her gifted husband. She died in peace at New Brighton, Pa., on the 13th of November, 1868. A life of this energetic Christian woman, was written and published in 1870, by Rev. George Brown D. D., entitled, "The Lady Preacher."
In September, 1870, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Arabella Gill, an excellent Christian lady who survives him and is his only relative in this country. Soon after his second marriage, he was prostrated with rheumatism and neuralgia, and on the 20th of April, 1871 having faithfully served his day. and generation on earth, he "entered into the joy of his Lord" in heaven!
After impressive funeral services, his remains were laid down to rest by the side of those of his first wife in the New Brighton Cemetery, where a suitable monument marks the place of their repose.
The Pittsburgh Conference at its ensuing session, at Eldersville, Pa., in September, 1871 held a memorial service, when the venerable Dr. George Brown, delivered a most touching funeral sermon on the life and character of this great and good man — his worthy compeer in the great work of Reform.
The following list of positions which William held is from Pastoral Records:
REEVES, WILLIAM
Conference Relations: Admitted on Trial Methodist Protestant Ohio Conference 1829; Deacon 1830, President Asa Shinn; Elder 1832, President
George Brown; Member Methodist Protestant Pittsburgh Conference at Organization in 1833; Retired 1866; Deceased: April 20, 1871 in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Buried in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Born: December 5, 1802 in Kent, England.
Appointment Records: Zanesville Assistant 1829-1830; Muskingum Circuit 1830-1831; Youngstown 1831-1833; Warrensville Circuit 1833-
1834; Wheeling Station 1834-1835; Newark Circuit 1835-1837; Zanesville Circuit 1837-1838; Youngstown 1838-1840; Conference Missionary
1840-1841; Left without appointment to visit England 1841-1844; Ohio Circuit: Eldersville/Bethel 1844-1846; Pittsburgh Station 1846-1848;
Pittsburgh: Allegheny Station 1848-1849; Conference Missionary 1849-1851; New Brighton Mission 1851-1852; WV: Fairmont Station 1852-
1853; Agent: Madison College 1853-1854; President: Pittsburgh Conference 1854-1856; New Brighton: Fifth
Research Notes
This appears to be the William who was baptized at Staplehurst, Kent, on 23 Jan 1803. He was the son of William Reeves and Elizabeth Bailey who married 20 Aug 1800 in Staplehurst.Sources
Marriage1: Familysearch - Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016Death: FamilySearch - Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh City Deaths, 1870-1905
1850 Census: Hancock County, Virginia
1860 Census: Beaver County, Pennsylvania
1870 Census: Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Colhouer, T. H. The Methodist Protestant Church (1880), p437
Pastoral Records 2010: Western Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church 1784-2010 (2010), p592
Zanesville, 1829 - Extracts From the Journal of the Ohio Annual Conference, 1829
1830, Muskingum Circuit - Extracts From the Journal of the Ohio Annual Conference, 1830