Rives, George
Summary
Father: Timothy RivesMother: Judith Moore
Birth: c1698, probably Virginia
Birth Source: Reliques of the Rives
Death: 1 June 1746, Albermarle Parish, Surry County, Virginia
Death Source: Reliques of the Rives
Spouse1: Unknown
Spouse2: Frances Tatum
Narrative
Children of George Rives and Unknown:- John Rives, b. c1722
- Judith Rives
Children of George Rives and Frances Tatum:
- George Rives, b. c1737
- Christopher Rives, b. 30 Dec 1739
- Timothy Rives, b. 2 or 21 Jan 1742
- Frances Rives, b. 2 Apr 1745
From Reliques of the Rives:
George Rives, born about 1698, was a resident throughout his life of Albemarle Parish, Surry county, Virginia, where he died June 1, 1746. He accumulated during his lifetime a very considerable estate for his day, his landed possessions extending into the adjoining counties of Prince George and Brunswick, and included more than 2,000 acres. In 1746 his slaves numbered no less than 26 which was a very considerable number for the first half of the 18th century in Virginia. That he was a member, like his father, of the Surry mounted militia is proved by the reference in his will to his Trooper's Arms which he bequeathed to his son, Christopher. Albemarle Parish, in which he resided, had been formed in 1738 from that part of Surry county south of the Blackwater river which was constituted into Sussex county in 1754, shortly after his death.
The first appearance of George Rives in the records is in 1720 when he witnessed the will of John Hawthorne in Surry county. There followed a succession of land grants to him: on February 18, 1722, he patented upon payment of 25 shillings, 235 acres in Surry county on the southside of the Nottoway river; on August 1, 1724 [TRP Note: Actually 1734], for 30 shillings, 300 acres in Prince George county on the branches of the Cherry Orchard Branch; on August 4 [TRP Note: actually 17th Aug], 1725, for 25 shillings, 225 acres on the forks of the Cherry Orchard Branch of Jones Hole in Prince George county; and on October 15, 1741, for 35 shillings, 350 acres on the lower side of Cherry Orchard Branch of Jones Hole Swamp adjoining the county lines of Prince George and Surry.
In 1729 he had been made co-executor, with his sister, Rebecca Hicks, of the estate of his brother-in-law, John Hicks. On December 16, 1739, he purchased for £73 from Theoderick Bland two tracts on the southside of the main Blackwater in Surry county, the one of 800 and the other of 200 acres. In this deed, in which his wife Frances was named, he is styled "Planter." In 1744, with Christopher Tatum and Richard Rives, his first cousin, he witnessed the will of William x Moor in Surry county.
George Rives evidently married twice but only the name of his second wife is known, i. e., Frances, who was almost certainly a daughter of Christopher Tatum, of Surry county.
George Rives made his will in Surry’ county in 1746, as follows:
In the name of God, Amen, I George Rives of the Parish of Albemarle in the county of Surry in the Colony of Virginia, Planter,’ being somewhat indisposed in health of body but of sound, perfect and disposing mind and memory (blessed be God) do this the fourteenth day of May in the yr of Our Lord Christ, one thousand seven hundred and forty-six make and publish this my last will and testament in manner following, vizt: Imprimis, I give unto my loving wife, Frances Rives, the use and labor of one negro man slave called Andrew and one negro woman slave called Hannah during her widowhood and in case she marries or dies then the interest and property of the said slaves shall remain to my son George Rives and as his proper slaves forever. Item, I devise unto my son John Rives and unto the heirs of his body lawfully begotten a parcel or tract of land lying on the north side of Jones Hole Swamp, beginning at the county line at Thweate’s Branch, thence along the county line to the south fork of the Cherry Orchard Branch, thence down the said Branch to a corner tree, thence down Jones Hole Swamp to the mouth of Thweate’s Branch, thence up Thweate’s Branch to the beginning and from the mouth of Thweate’s Branch down Jones Hole southwest to Pasmore’s line, hence along Pasmore’s line to a corner road oak, from thence a straight course to the corner line. I likewise give to my son John Rives one negro man slave named Tom and my negro woman slave named Fanny, one negro boy named Robin and one negro girl named Dina and one feather bed and furniture and four pewter dishes and six plates and six spoons and one iron pot and twenty head of cattle and one large hogshead, twenty smaller and my whipsaw and two iron wedges and my sorrel mare’s colt and twenty pounds current money. Item, I devise unto my son George Rives and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten the land and plantation where I now live containing two hundred acres more or less with all buildings and appurtenances thereto belonging and two hundred and seventy-five acres of land in Prince George county and one negro man slave named Mingo and negro woman slave named Jenny and a negro boy named Mat and a negro girl named Dot and my gun and twenty pounds current money. Item, I devise unto my son Christopher Rives and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten four hundred acres of land more or less bounded as follows, beginning at the old road on Henry Mitchell's line, thence down Bigsby’s line to the back meadow thence along my line to the fork of the road, thence along the old road to the beginning and two hundred and thirty five acres of land which I have in Brunswick county on the south side of Nottoway River. I likewise give my son Christopher Rives a negro man named Roger and a negro woman named Betty and a negro boy named Toney and a negro girl named Kate and one feather bed and furniture and four pewter dishes and six plates and one iron pot and my Trooper’s Arms and twenty pounds current money. Item, I devise unto my son Timothy Rives and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten four hundred acres of land more or less bounded as follows: beginning at the fork of the road in the county line and running along the road to my son John’s line at Pasmore's corner tree and down Pasmore’s line to Cotashura Branch, thence along Henry Mitchell's line to the old road and along the old road to the beginning. I likewise give my son Timothy Rives one negro man named Peter and my negro boy named Dick and my negro girl Nan and girl Sue and thirty pounds current money. Item, I give unto my daughter Judith Rives two negro boys named Andrew and Jack and two negro girls Sarah and Phyllis and one feather bed and furniture and four dishes and six plates and one iron pot and twenty pounds current money. Item, I give unto my daughter Frances Rives two negro boys named Little Tom and Ned and two negro girls named Pat and Fanny and one feather bed and furniture and four dishes and six plates and an iron pot and twenty pounds current money. Item, I devise unto my loving brother Timothy Rives and his heirs forever one parcel, and tract of land containing two hundred and twenty-five acres more or less in the main fork of the Cherry Orchard Branch where he now lives. Item, I devise unto my loving brother William Rives and his heirs forever one parcel or tract of land containing fifty acres more or less where he now lives. I give unto my loving wife Frances Rives the use and profits of all the rest of my estate during her widowhood and if she marries then that part of my estate to be equally divided between her three sons George, Christopher and Timothy and if she dies, between her three sons aforesaid. I likewise give her the use and profit of her children's estate for the bringing them up until she marries or they come to the age of eighteen years at which time my will and devise is that they shall be put in full possession of their estate and if she dies or marries again my devise is my son John Rives shall take care of them and their estates until they come to the age aforesaid and I do appoint my son John Rives sole executor of this my last will and testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the day and year above written.
Signed sealed published and
declared by the said George Rives as George Rives (seal).
and for his last will and testament in
presence thereof of us:
his
Thomas x Davis
mark
his
Peter x Hawthorn
mark
Christopher Tatum
The will was probated on August 20, 1746, and on the same date the personal estate of the testator was appraised at .£ 1,048, as appears from the following “Inventory and Appraisement of the Estate of Mr. George Rives, deced” recorded in Surry county:
In obedience to an Order of the Court of Surry County dated the 20th Day of August 1746 We the Subscribers being first Sworn before John Mason, Gent: one of his Majesty's (Justices) of peace for the said County have Appraised the sd Est: as followeth: [omitted]
Frances Rives, widow of George Rives, survived her husband more than twenty years, making her will in Sussex county, October 14, 1769, which was probated April 19, 1770, making her son George Rives the beneficiary of her entire estate. The will, witnessed by Martha Binns and Margaret Hay, was subscribed to by the mark of the maker. The death of Mrs. Frances Rives is recorded in the Albemarle Register as of November 6, 1769.
Research Notes
The transcription of the will that Childs included in Reliques contains slight wording changes from the original found in the Surry County Will Book. See here for a corrected transcription.Sources
Childs, James Rives. Reliques of the Rives, p429FamilySearch - 1722 Patent to George Rieves of Surry County - 235 acres in Surry County - Virginia Land Patents Vol. 11, p192
FamilySearch - 1725 Patent to George Rives of Surry County - 225 acres in Prince George County - Virginia Land Patents Vol. 12, p281
FamilySearch - 1734 Patent to George Rives of Surry County - 300 acres in Prince George County - Virginia Land Patents Vol. 15, p248
FamilySearch - 1741 Patent to George Rives - 350 acres in Prince George County - Virginia Land Patents Vol. 20, p61
1746 Will - George Rives - Surry County, Virginia Will and Deed Book 9, p535
1746 Inventory - Surry County, Virginia Will and Deed Book 9, p544
1769 Will - Frances Rives - Sussex County, Virginia Will Book B, p229