Rives, Timothy

Summary

Father: Timothy Rives
Mother:

Birth: c1670, Virginia
Birth Source: Reliques of the Rives

Death: 1716, Surry County, Virginia
Death Source: Reliques of the Rives (Estate inventory)

Spouse1: Judith Moore

Narrative

Children of Timothy Rives and Judith Moore:

1. Rebecca Rives, b. c1692, m. John Hicks
2. George Rives, b. c1698
3. Timothy Rives, b. c1704
4. William Rives, b. c1706

From Reliques of the Rives:
of Surry county, Virginia, who was born about 1670, and who died in 1716, was presumably named for his grandfather, Timothy Ryves, of Oxford City.
Such meagre information as is had of him is that gained from an examination of the inventory of his personal estate, which was presented to the Surry county court on December 15, 1716, by his widow, Judith, and which shows a personal estate of about the average of that possessed by the Virginian of the time. Besides 200 acres of land, he was the possessor of a not inconsiderable number of live stock for his day, no fewer than 70 head of hogs appearing in the statement of his belongings, besides 17 cattle, 8 sheep and 4 horses.

That his landed possessions included no more than 200 acres is not a surprising fact. The average Virginia plantation throughout the 17th century, and at the beginning of the 18th century, was comparatively small in extent. As Wertenbaker has observed, the development of large estates in Virginia was narrowly limited during such a period by factors which made it impossible to obtain an adequate labor supply, such as the restrictions upon the slave trade, the insufficient number of indentured servants and the shortness of their terms, and the unwillingness of freedmen to work for wages.

Of pewter, of which the tableware of the time was generally made, Timothy Rives owned at least two dozen plates, nineteen dishes, and twenty spoons. Polished with care, these pewter utensils shone with a brightness approaching that of silver; to the casual glance, the cupboard of the colonial dining room seemed to be filled with utensils of the more precious metal.

Even in 1716 some of the furniture of Timothy Rives was considered old ; at any rate, it was so described in the inventory. It may be presumed that he derived pleasure from reading: for a "parcell of Books" is enumerated. Finally, it may be observed that he was a member of the mounted Surry county militia for his personal estate included a set of "Troopers Arms & boots" and a "Gunn & Cutrements & Muskit." The fact that he was a member of the Surry horse indicates a station in life superior to that of the ordinary militiaman who made up the troop of foot soldiers.

Southwarke Parish, in which he resided, embraced roughly two thirds of Surry county, being described a few years later, in 1724, as twenty miles wide along the James river and one hundred miles long from the James river to the Carolina line. The only other parish in Surry county was that of Lawn's Creek.

An inventory and appraisement of "ye good and chattles of Timothy Ryeves Deced." was presented to the Surry county court held at Southwarke, "December The 15th Day 1716," as follows:
[[omitted]]

That Timothy and Judith Rives had issue is proved by the reference in the foregoing account to "ye children of ye deed." In 1746 George Rives died in Surry county, naming in his will his brothers Timothy and William. Each of these three brothers named a son, Timothy, while two are known to have named a daughter, Judith. The evidence is quite unmistakable that Timothy and Judith Rives had issue: (see above)

This deed is not referenced in Reliques of the Rives:
28 April 1708....James Mathews and wife, Jeane Mathews, of Surry County to Timothy Rives of Prince George County......100 acres adjoining John Mitchell and Freemans Branch. Land is part of a tract marked out by Thomas Busby for William Cobbett. Witnesses to the deed were William Rives and Robert Blight.
(Surry County Deeds, Wills, Etc. #5, 1694-1709, p. 390, as abstracted by William Hopkins.....Surry County Virginia Deeds and other Court Papers, 1684- 1733, p. 72)

The William Rives who witnessed the deed is likely William Rives (c1683 - ) son of Rives, George (c1660 - ).

At the bottom of the Estate inventory is recorded:

At a Court held at Southwark for the County of Surry Janry ye 16th 1716
The within mentioned Inventory & Appraisement of the Estate of Timothy Reives Deced, thus presented by Judith Rieves Administrx of the Goods & Chattels of the said Deced were ordered to be recorded & are recorded by J. Allen

Timothy's wife's surname is identified through the will of her father Richard Moore:

p. 1030 Will of Richard Moore of Bristol Parish, Prince. Georges. Co. Feb.13, 1726/27 To son John, lower part of tract I now live on, the whole tract containing 200 acres, the road from my plantation to the main road at Spring Garden to be the upper bounds, and also a tract adjoining the lower part of land which I purchased of William Whittington, containing 50 acres.To son Benjamin, upper part of land which my dwelling house stand containing part of the 200 acres mentioned To son William, land out of the tract I bought of Willaim Whittington called"Spring Garden", next to William Grigg, Baleys Creek.To grandson Thomas Moore, son of my son Thomas, deceased, a tract called "Spring Garden" bought of William Whitington, next to son John Moore and William Moore To son John 1 shilling To son William 1 shilling To daughter Mary Lewis, a warming pan To Daughter Elizabeth Baugh, 10 shillings To Son Samuel, a cow, calf and my wearing clothes To Son Roger , 1 shilling To Grandson George Rives, 1 shilling Rest of estate to be divided between wife Elizabeth & son Benjamin Son Roger,to be executor. Wit: John Fitzgerald Thomas (x) Sturdivant Richard (x) Moore John (x) Lewis, Jr.Recorded Aug. 8, 1727.

Sources

Childs, James Rives. Reliques of the Rives, p425
Surry County, Virginia Will and Deeds Book 7, p43 (Estate Inventory), p69 (Account)