Reeves, William Henry

Summary

Father: Israel James REEVES
Mother: Caroline Beavis REEVES (née Riddett)

Birth: 1858
Birth Source: GRO Index

Death: 1948
Death Source: GRO Index

Spouse1:  Elvina Jane MARTIN
Spouse2: Elizabeth Mary BUCKINGHAM (née BLACKMAN)

Narrative

William Henry Reeves is the sixth known child of Israel Reeves and his wife Caroline (née RIDDETT).

His birth registration on FreeBMD has not been uniquely identified. (See Research Note 1 below).
His birth was registered during the fourth quarter of 1858 in the Southampton Registration District in the name William Henry REEVES. His mother's maiden name is recorded as RIDDETT. He was baptise as William Henry Reeves during October 1858 at the Parish Church of St Mary, Southampton.

At the time of the 1861 census William is living on the south side of Bevois Street in the St Mary's District of Southampton with his parents plus five older siblings and his one week old sister, who at that time had not been given a name (see Research Note 2 below). He is two years of age and his place of birth is recorded as Southampton.

On the 1871 census, William is again to be found with his parents on Bevois Street, although the house number is now different. He is now 12 years of age and again is shown as being born in Southampton.

The marriage of William Henry REEVES and Elvina Jane MARTIN took place during the first quarter of 1878 in the New Forest Registration District.
The known children of William Henry REEVES and his wife Elvina (née MARTIN) are

1. William James Reeves, b.reg. 3q1882
2. Elvina Jane Reeves,  b.reg. 3q1884
3. George Richard Reeves, b.reg. 1q1887
4. Mabel Emily Reeves, b.reg. 1q1889

All four birth registrations are recorded with their mother's maiden name as MARTIN, with the first two recorded in South Stoneham Registration District in Hampshire and the latter two in Kingston RD in Surrey.

At the time of the 1881 census, William H Reeves and his wife Eliner (sic) were living at 11 Coleman Street in the St Mary district of Southampton. See Research Note 3 below. William is now 22 years old and working as a Labourer in an Engine Shed. Elvina is 21 years old (so born around 1860) and also from Southampton.

On the 1891 census, William, his wife Elvina and their four children are living in East Molesey in Surrey. He is being economical with his age, claiming to be only 29 years of age, but still claims birth in Southampton. He is working as a "Washer Out", probably washing ash out of steam engines/boilers. His wife Elvina J (age 28, born Southampton), son William J (8, Southampton), daughter Elvina J (6, Southampton), son George R (4, East Molesey, Surrey) and daughter Mable (sic) E (2, E Molesey, Surrey) complete the household.

By the time of the 1901 census, William has aged only an additional nine years and now claims to be 38 years old (42 expected), again born in Southampton. Along with his two sons William J Reeves (18, born Southampton) and George Reeves (15, Molesey) he is living as a Boarder in the household of Mrs Ellen SEWELL (no family connection presently known). He claims he is a widow and neither Elvina nor his two daughters are listed in the household. He is now employed as a Boiler Attendant. William's wife and daughters have been yet to be identified on the 1901 census for England and Wales under the surname REEVES. They have been tentatively identified under the surname SPRATLEY, see Research Note 4.

FreeBMD notes the marriage of William H REEVES to Mary E BUCKINGHAM (sic Elizabeth M expected) during the second quarter of 1920 in the Kingston Registration District. However their relationship commenced many years earlier, probably around 1905, but the precise date is not known. See Research Note 5 below.
The known children of William Henry REEVES and Elizabeth Mary BUCKINGHAM (née BLACKMAN) are

1. Elizabeth Mary BUCKINGHAM, b.reg. 2q 1905
2. Henry James BUCKINGHAM, b.reg. 3q 1906
3. Evelyn Reeves BUCKINGHAM, b.reg. 1q 1908
4. Caroline Reeves BUCKINGHAM, b.reg. 2q 1909
5. James Reeves BUCKINGHAM, b.reg. 4q 1910

The births of all five children are registered in the Kingston (on Thames) Registration District and in all cases their mother's maiden name is shown as "--".

On the 1911 census William is head of household at Alexander Road in Thames Ditton, Surrey. He indicates he is 52 years old and that he is married (which is contrary to the 1901 census where he was widowed). He noted he had been married for 30 years, had four children and that they were all still alive (but this was subsequently struck through in red ink), He was born at Southampton, Hampshire and is employed as a Stationary Engine Man by LSW (London and South Western) Railway (Company). Living at the same address are his partner (who is described as a Lodger on the census) Mary BUCKINGHAM (Elizabeth Mary BUCKINGHAM, née BLACKMAN, age 38, a widow, born Sheerness, Kent), her children Florie BUCKINGHAM (Florence Mary, age 8), Hildia BUCKINGHAM (sic Hilda, 7) plus their children Queenie BUCKINGHAM (Elizabeth Mary, 5), Henry BUKINGHAM (Henry James, 4), Evelin BUCKINGHAM (sic Evelyn Reeves BUCKINGHAM, 4), Caroline BUCKINGHAM (Caroline Reeves BUCKINGHAM, 1) and James BUCKINGHAM (James Reeves BUCKINGHAM, 5 months) along with Elizabeth BLACKMAN (a visitor, age 61 - who is actually Mary's mother) and William DODSON (a boarder, age 30).

As noted earlier during the second quarter of 1920 William & Mary were married in the Kingston Registration District.

On the 1921 census William is head of household at Dean in Thames Ditton, Surrey. He now claims to be 59 years and 8 months old, that he was born in Southampton and again claims that he is married. Living in the same household are his wife Mary REEVES (48y 8m, married, born Sheerness, Kent), step daughters Florence BUCKINGHAM (19y ?2m, single, born Thames Ditton, Surrey) & Hilda BUCKINGHAM (17y 9m, single, born Surrey), daughter Queenie REEVES (née Elizabeth Mary BUCKINGHAM) (15y 11m, single, born Surrey), son Henry REEVES (né Henry James BUCKINGHAM (14y 10m, born Surrey), daughter Evelyn REEVES (née Evelyn Reeves BUCKINGHAM) (13y 7m, born Surrey), Carrie Reeves (née Caroline Reeves BUCKINGHAM) (12y 2m, born Surrey) and James REEVES (né James Reeves BUCKINGHAM) (10y 8m, born Surrey). The three youngest children are in full time education, son Henry works as an Errand Boy for a local shop and the three oldest children are all working as Book Binders for James Burns & Company at Royal Mills, Esher.

The GRO Index notes the death during the fourth quarter of 1936 of Elizabeth Mary REEVES in Surrey North Eastern Registration District, age 63 (so born around 1873). This a very strong match for William's second wife.

On the 1939 Register, William is still living on Alexandra Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey. He gives his date of birth as 02 October 1858 and he is a Pensioner. Living with him are his son-in-law Robert BONNER, his daughter Caroline BONNER (née Caroline Reeves BUCKINGHAM) and Elizabeth R BONNER (Robert's mother). There are also two redacted entries (as of September 2023) which would correspond to the two known sons of Robert & Caroline born in 1934 & 1938).

It is likely that William's death is that recorded in the GRO Index for William Henry REEVES during the second quarter of 1948 in Surrey North Eastern Registration District. He was 89 years of age, placing his birth around 1859.

Research Notes

(1) The FreeBMD Index shows four individuals named William Henry REEVES whose birth was registered in the southern part of Hampshire in the 18 month period 4q1857 through 1q1859. Prior to the availability of the GRO Index to Births it was impossible to differentiate them via the index alone. The inclusion of the mother's maiden name in the GRO Index makes it possible.

(2) William's younger sister, who at one week old on the 1861 census was unnamed, was subsequently named Frances Agnes REEVES.

(3) On the 1881 census William and Eliner (sic Elvina) are the second household listed living at 11 Coleman Street. The first couple named are Thomas BROUGHTON and his wife Lucy. FreeBMD notes the marriage of Thomas BROUGHTON and Lucy MARTIN during 3q1878 in Southampton Registration District. Lucy and Elvina were sisters, appearing together on the 1861 census in the household of parents George MARTIN & Jane (née WRIGHT).

(4) On the 1901 census William claims to be a widower, but a death record for his wife Elvina REEVES has not been found in England in the decade 1891-1901. That his wife and both daughters had died during the same decade seems highly improbable. It is suspected that his wife Elvina and daughters Elvina and Mabel appear in the household of Alfred E SPRATLEY as Alfred's wife and daughters using the surname SPRATLEY. On the 1901 census they are to be found living on High Road, Chiswick, Middlesex (RG13,Piece 1200, Folio 106 reverse, Page 16, Schedule 95) The same SPRATLEY family groups appears on the 1911 census at Stonehill Road, Gunnersbury, Middlesex (RG14, Piece 6940, Registration District 128 (Brentford), Sub District 5 (Chiswick), Enumeration District 13, Schedule 172)

FreeBMD does not appear to have a marriage registration for Alfred SPRATLEY and Elvina and neither have birth registrations of their SPRATLEY daughters been identified.

On the 1891 census Alfred SPRATLEY (age 22, born Molesey, Surrey) is the second of three sons living in his widowed mother's Jane SPRATLEY's household on the same road as William and Elvina REEVES are found. The Reeves family are listed on Schedule 117 and the Spratley family on Schedule 124 (RG12, Piece 0615, Folio 83 face, Page 21 Schedule 124 and continued on Folio 83 reverse, Page 22.)

The GRO Index has a death registration for Elvina Jane SPRATLEY in Brentford Registration District during 4q1926, aged 60, so born around 1866, which is consistent with the age she claimed on the 1901 & 1911 census returns, so a reasonable match for William's wife Elvina Jane REEVES (née MARTIN)

(5) The following information is somewhat more wide ranging than is usually found on a typical TRP Person Page. It is included only to provide contextual information for William's partner Elizabeth Mary BUCKINGHAM (née BLACKMAN), who subsequently became his second wife, and her children from her first marriage.It is only available to TRP Community Members.

Sources

Birth:           GRO Index   -   1858, December quarter, Southampton Registration District
Baptism:   FamilySearch   -   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBJP-RPJ
Marriage1: FreeBMD   -   1878, March quarter, New Forest Registration District
Marriage2: FreeBMD   -   1920, June quarter, Kingston Registration District
Death:         FreeBMD   -   1948, June quarter,Surrey North Eastern Registration District
                 
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 0674, Folio 146 reverse, Page 14, Schedule 108 and continues Folio 147f, Page 15
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1188, Folio 110 reverse, Page 34, Schedule 195
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 1209, Folio 82 reverse, Page 8, Schedule 47
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 0615, Folio 82 reverse, Page 20, Schedule 117 and continued Folio 83 face, Page 21
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 0699, Folio 77 face, Page 5, Schedule 28
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 3552, Registration District 40 (Kingston), Sub Dist. 4 (Esher), Enumeration District 4, Schedule 108
1921 Census: RG15, Piece 3683, Registration District 40 (Kingston), Sub Dist. 4 (Esher), Enumeration District 4, Schedule 166
1939 Register: RG101, Piece 1341, Enumeration District Code CMPI, Page 23, Schedule 363

1911 Census: RG14, Piece 3506, Reg.Dist. 0040 (Kingston), Sub Dist. 05 (Hampton), Enum.Dist. 09, Schedule 352 - Annie
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 3506, Reg.Dist. 0040 (Kingston), Sub Dist. 02 (Kingston), Enum.Dist. 09, Schedule 001 - Agnes
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 3282, Reg.Dist. 0039 (Croydon), Sub Dist. 02 (South Croydon), Enum.Dist. 01, Schedule 036, Row 40 - Rosina
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 3575, Reg.Dist. 0040 (Kingston), Sub Dist. 05 (Hampton), Enum.Dist. 15, Schedule 241 - Clementina

1916 Death - Edwin Buckingham - CWGC - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2875962/edwin-buckingham/
                      Memorials & Monuments In Portsmouth - https://www.memorialsinportsmouth.co.uk/pnm-panels/panel22.jpg

1926 Death Registration - Elvina Jane SPRATLEY (formerly Reeves, née MARTIN) - December quarter, Brentford Reg.Dist.
1936 Death Registration - Elizabeth Mary REEVES (formerly Buckingham, née BLACKMAN) - December quarter, Surrey North Eastern Reg.Dist.