Rives (Rieves) George Washington

Summary

Father: Joel Rieves
Mother: Sarah MNU

Birth: 17 Jan 1811, probably Maury County, Tennessee
Birth Source: Probate of Joel Rieves estate and census records

Death: 28 Aug 1874, Benton County, Missouri
Death Source: Gravestone photo

Spouse1: Elizabeth Caroline Smith

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Narrative

Children of George Washington Rives and Elizabeth Caroline Smith:

1. Joel R. Rives, b. 31 Mar 1834
2. Harriet J. Rives, b. 1836
3. S R Rives, b. 1837
4. Thomas B. Rives, b. 1839
5. William P. Rives, b. 9 July 1841
6. Alfred M. Rives, b. 18 Mar 1844
7. Josephine Rives, b. 1846
8. Isaac Rives, b. 29 Jun 1850

Washington Reaves first appears in the tax lists of Maury County in 1826 right after Elijah Reaves. The previous year, "Joel Reeves heirs" was listed.

He seems to have moved to Lincoln County for a while, since in 1833, he sold land in Maury County as George W Rives of Lincoln County. This appears to be when he moved to Giles County as he then bought land from Daniel Letterman in Giles County soon after that in that same year. In 1834, he sold 202 acres of land to William F. Thurp.

In 1834, a Deed from Lincoln County contains the division of the land from the estate of Richard Smith. The deed assigns a specific lot "full to George W Reeves & C. Elizabeth Caroline Reeves as their distributed share and portion."

In 1835, George bought a "negro woman Mary about Twenty two years of age" from a John Smith for $700.

The deed in 1837 from George and his wife to James Carithers & Gardner Harwell appears to indicate that his wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Richard Smith. The deed mentions "two lots having descended to them from the Devision of the lands of Richard Smith Decd "

On 10 Apr 1843, George W Rives of Benton County, Missouri received 79.40 acres in Green County, Missouri as patent #1888. On 15 Aug 1850 he received a patent for 169.16 acres in Benton County as assignee of Joshua W. West, the assignee of William F Cook, a Civil War soldier.

On 6 Jan 1851, George W. Rives was appointed as the U. S. Postmaster in Benton County, Missouri.

Research Notes

Reliques of the Rives incorrectly surmises that George Washington Rives was a son of Christopher Rives of Dinwiddie County, Virginia and grandson of Christopher Rives of Sussex County, Virginia. Reliques lists his children as Joseph Rives, William Patrick Rives, Thomas Rives, Alfred Moore Rives, Josephine Rives (m. Fayette Daniels), and Isaac Winfield Rives, with some details on further generations. Childs states, "A daughter-in-law of the latter, Mrs. Isaac Winfield Rives, has written that Judge Rives was related to General Winfield Scott [who was born in Dinwiddie county], and that “as well as I remember,” Judge Rives was a son of Christopher Rives and his wife, Miss Moore." This is a rather curious mis-identification as a descendant of George has taken the YDNA test and placed in Group 10, proving he is not related through the Rives line to the Dinwiddie/Sussex County Rives families.

Sources

Census:      1850 Census - Fristoe, Benton County, Missouri
                   1860 Census - Township 38 Range 21, Benton County, Missouri
                   1870 Census - Precinct 2, Dallas, Texas
History:      1821 Division of Negroes - George W. Reeves and William P. Smith - Maury County, Tennessee Deed Book P, p380
                   1824 Deed - Reuben Reeves Heirs to Elijah Reeves - Maury County, Tennessee Deed Book L, p384
                   1833 Deed - Daniel Leatherman to George W. Rives - Giles County, Tennessee Deed Book K, p166
                   1834 Deed - George W. Rives to William F. Thurp - Giles County, Tennessee Deed Book L, p185
                   1834 Deed - Heirs of Richard Smith, Lincoln County, Tennessee Deed Book J, p284
                   1835 Deed - John Smith to George W. Rives - Giles County, Tennessee Deed Book L, p327
                   1837 Deed - George W. Rives et al to James Carithers et al - Giles County, Tennessee Deed Book N, p87
                   1825-1827 Tax Lists - Maury County, Tennessee
                   1836 Tax List - Giles County, Tennessee (Land - 176 acres)
                   General Land Office Records, Greene County, Missouri Patent #1888
                   General Land Office Records, Benton County, Missouri Patent #10774
                   Childs, James Rives. Reliques of the Rives, p484