Reeves, William

Summary

Father: Charles REEVES
Mother: Ann RUSSELL

Birth: c 1816, Kings Somborne, Hampshire
Birth Source: Baptism and census

Death:
Death Source: see below

Spouse1: Harriet FORD, marr 1847

Narrative

William was the fifth known child of Charles REEVES and his wife Ann (nee RUSSELL), who was baptised in March 1816 at the Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul, Kings Somborne.

On the 1841 census taken on 6 June, William has yet to be positively identified.

William Reeves married Harriet FORD at the Parish Church of St Peter, Stockbridge in April 1847. He was aged 31 and Harriet was 30.¹

The known children of William REEVES and Harriet (nee FORD) are

1. Mary Ann REEVES, born 1847
2. Charles Sims REEVES, born 1849
3. Russell REEVES, born 1851
4. Tom REEVES, born 1855
5. Lewis REEVES, born 1857
6. William REEVES, born 1860

All the above births were registered in the Stockbridge Registration District and the children were all baptised at the Parish Church of St Peter, Stockbridge.²

At the time of the 1851 census, on 30 March, William was head of household living on High Street, Stockbridge along with his wife Harriet (age 36), daughter Mary Ann (3) and son C Sims Reeves (14 months). William is 35 years old and claims birth in Kings Somborne, Hampshire. He is working as a Tailor.

A decade later and the 1861 census shows William still living on High Street, Stockbridge and still working as a Tailor. In addition to William, the household comprises Harriet(now aged 44) and their six children noted above with son William being shown as just six months old. William is recorded as 45 years old and again claims birth in Kings Somborne.

On the 1871 census, William is shown as a widower, aged 55. Again he is living on High Street, Stockbridge and the household comprises sons Russell (age 19), Tom (15), Lewis (15) and William (10). Tom Cook, a 16 year old domestic servant completes the household. William's claimed birth place and his occupation are unchanged.

It is probable wife Harriet is the individual whose death was recorded in the Stockbridge Registration District during the third quarter of 1869, aged 52. On the 1871 census, daughter Mary Ann as working away in Kent and son Charles has yet to be identified.

At the time of the 1881 census, William (now aged 65) is still living on High Street, Stockbridge. His birth place and occupation are unchanged. The only other member of the household is a boarder by the name of John COTTON, aged 72, a Barber who was born in Southampton. John is found in Stockbridge on both 1861 & 71 census returns. There is no known family connection.

William has not been identified on the 1891 census and it is probable he is the individual whose death was recorded in the Stockbridge Registration District during the fourth quarter of 1885, aged 69.

Research Notes

¹   William and Harriet's marriage appears twice in FamilySearch as a result of separate indexing activities based on the same Batch (M13943-1) and Source Film (1041367). One gives an exact date for the event, the other the ages of bride & groom.

²   FamilySearch records only seven Reeves baptisms in the period 1840-1870 at Stockbridge, Hampshire, with Mary Ann's appearing twice. William & Harriet were the only Reeves family baptising children at this church during this period.

Sources

Birth:       
Baptism:   HGS Index of Baptisms
Marriage: FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NK8Z-RPL with marriage date
                 FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N6D8-9F9 with ages
Death:     probably FreeBMD 4q1885 Stockbridge Reg. Dist.
                 
1841 Census:
1851 Census: HO107, Piece 1672, Folio 185 reverse, Page 35
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 0688, Folio 86 face, Page 15
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1206, Folio 87 reverse, Page 16
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 1228, Folio 85 reverse, Page 16
1891 Census: