Reeves, William Adey

Summary

Father: Stephen REEVES
Mother: Sarah (nee FLIGHT)

Birth: c1832
Birth Source: Baptism & Census

Death: 1904
Death Source: GRO Index

Spouse1: Mary Elizabeth ADEY

Narrative

William Adey Reeves is the third known child of Stephen REEVES and his wife Sarah (nee FLIGHT). He was baptised in October 1832 at the Parish Church of St John, Portsea, Hampshire.

On the 1841 census taken on 6 June, William appears in the household of his parents Stephen and Sarah. They are living on Queen Street in Portsea. He is 9 years of age and was born in county (Hampshire).

At the time of the 1851 census, on 30 March, William is again to be found in his parent's household, at 32 Queen Street, Portsea. He is 18 years old, unmarried and was born at Portsea, Hampshire. We is employed as a Banker's Clerk.

William Adey REEVES and Mary Elizabeth ADEY were married by Licence on 23 December 1856 at the Parish Church of St James in Poole, Dorset. William was living in Gosport, Hampshire and his rank/profession is noted as Bank Manager, the same as is given for his father Stephen Reeves. See Research Note 1 below. Mary was living on West Street, Poole and is just 19 years of age. Her father Stephen ADEY is described as a Ship Owner.

The known children of William Adey REEVES and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee ADEY) are

1. William Henry REEVES, b.reg. 4q1857 Alverstoke Registration District
2. Herbert Adey REEVES, b.reg. 4q1859 Alverstoke RD
3. Mary Florence REEVES, b.reg. 4q1861 Alverstoke RD
4. Jessie Josephine REEVES, b.reg. 1q1864 Portsea RD
5. Ernest Stanworth REEVES, b.reg. 1q1868 Bristol RD
6. Alfred William REEVES, b.reg. 2q1868 Birkenhead RD
7. Arthur Flight REEVES, b.reg. 3q1870 Birkenhead RD, d.reg. 2q1872 Birkenhead RD, age 1.

The birth registration of each child notes the mother's maiden name as ADEY.

A decade later and the 1861 census shows William now with his Mary living at 41 High Street, Alverstoke, Hampshire. William is 28 years old, claims birth in Portsea and is working as a Cashier for South Hants Bank. In addition to his wife Mary E REEVES (age 24, born Poole, Dorset), sons William H REEVES (age 3, born Gosport, Hampshire), Herbert A REEVES (1, Gosport, Hampshire), there is a visitor Amy R BLOOMFIELD (age 25, unmarried, born Poole, Dorset) and two female servants.

Based on locations where the births of their younger children were registered, it would see the family moved at least three time in the decade 1861-1871, firstly from Alverstoke to Portsea, then Bristol, Gloucestershire and finally to Cheshire.

On the 1871 census, William and Mary are living at 3 Greenway Road, Tranmere, Cheshire. William's age and place of birth remain consistent. He is now working as a Commercial Clerk for a Wine (or perhaps Mine) Merchant. In addition to his wife Mary (age 34, born Poole, Dorset), there are their five children; daughters Florence M (9, Gosport, Hampshire) & Jessie J (7, Landport, Hampshire), sons Ernest S (5, Bristol, Gloucestershire), Alfred W (3, Tranmere, Cheshire) & Arthur F (8 months, Tranmere, Cheshire) and a general servant. Their two eldest sons William H REEVES and Herbert A REEVES are absent from their parent's household and has been found at a boarding school in Sussex. See also Research Note 2 below.

At the time of the 1881 census, William and Mary are again to be found at 3 Greenway Road, Tranmere. William is now 48 years old and still claiming birth at Portsea, Hampshire. He is working as a Commercial Clerk for a Wine (or perhaps Mine) Merchant. As well as his wife Mary E Reeves (age 44, born Poole, Dorset), all six surviving children are still living at home, namely Wm Henry REEVES (23, unmarried, born Gosport, Hampshire, occupation Banker's Commercial Clerk), Herbert A REEVES (21, unmarried, Gosport, Hampshire, Ship Builder's Commercial Clerk), Florence M Reeves (19, unmarried, Gosport, Hampshire), Jessie J Reeves (17, unmarried, Landport, Hampshire), Ernest S Reeves (15, Bristol, Gloucestershire, a Scholar) and Alfred W Reeves (13, Tranmere, Chestershire, also a Scholar)

On the 1891 census, William and his wife Mary are living at 14 Rose Mount, Oxton, Birkenhead. William is 58 years old and now claims birth at Portsmouth, Hampshire. He is employed as an Accountant. In addition to his wife Mary (age 54, born Poole, Dorset), the household includes their sons Herbert A REEVES (31, single, Gosport, Hampshire, a Cashier), Ernest S Reeves (25, single, Bristol, Gloucestershire, a Merchant's Clerk), Alfred W Reeves (23, single, Birkenhead, Cheshire, a Banker's Clerk), son-in-law Frederick ARCHER (31, married, Liverpool, Lancashire, a Dyewood Merchant), daughter Florence M ARCHER (29. married, Gosport, Hampshire) and Agnes M Davies, a General Domestic Servant.

By the time of the 1901 census William Adey Reeves and Mary E Reeves were still living at 14 Rose Mount, Oxton in Birkenhead. William is now 68 years of age, born at Portsea, Hampshire and living on his own means. Mary is 64 and claims birth at Poole, Dorset. All of the children has left their parent's household and a household is completed by a single General Domestic Servant.

On the 1911 census William's wife Mary is living with their son Ernest Reeves and indicates she is now a widow. The GRO Index to Deaths has an entry for William Adey REEVES during the first quarter of 1904 in the Birkenhead Registration District who was aged 71, a very good match for our subject.

William's sons William Henry REEVES and Herbert Adey REEVES were granted probate of their late father's estate in early April 1904.

Research Notes

(1) William may have over stated both his and his father's profession when he married. On the 1851 census Stephen Reeves is described as a "Registrar of Births, Deaths &c" and a decade later as a Stamp Distributor, although it is known he was also still a Registrar. It is likely, but currently unproven, that William's paternal grandmother was born ADEY, sharing the surname with William's wife.

(2) On the 1871 census, living at 9 Greenway Road is the household of Stanworth ADEY (age 36, so born about 1835), who was born in Poole, Dorset. (RG10, Piece 3750, Folio 125 reverse, Page 8, Schedule 49).     This is is most probably Stephen Stanworth ADEY who was the older brother of William's wife Mary Elizabeth ADEY. Stephen & Mary appear along side their parents Stephen and Sarah ADEY on the 1851 census on West Street, Poole. (HO107, Piece 1655, Folio 186 reverse, Page 17, Schedule 62 and continues Folio 187 face, Page 18)

Sources

Birth:       
Baptism:   FamilySearch   -   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6NF3-5C15
Marriage: FreeBMD   -   1856, December quarter, Poole Registration District
                  1856 Marriage Parish Register, St James, Poole, Dorset, Page 177, Entry 353 (Ancestry)
Death:      GRO Index   -   1904, March quarter, Birkenhead Registration District
                 
1841 Census: HO107, Piece 0415, Book 1, Folio 77 face, Page 6, last household & continues
            HO107, Piece 0415, Book 1, Folio 77 reverse, Page 7
1851 Census: HO107, Piece 1658, Folio 101 face, Page 8, Schedule 27
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 0648, Folio 104 reverse, Page 26, Schedule 136
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 3750, Folio 125 reverse, Page 8, Schedule 47
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 3586, Folio 73 reverse, Page 30, Schedule 142
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 2892, Folio 53 reverse, Page 42, Schedule 207
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 3399, Folio 34 reverse, Page 2, Schedule 7

1904 Probate Register: page 285