Rives, William

Summary

Father: George Rives
Mother: Sarah Cook

Birth: c. 1751, Brunswick Co., Virginia
Birth Source: Reliques of the Rives

Death: c. 1816, Chester Co., South Carolina
Death: by Dec 1813, Chester Co., South Carolina
Death Source: Chester County Probate Records

Spouse1: Mary Young
Spouse2: Rebecca

Narrative

Probable Children of William Rives and Mary Young:

1. William Cook Rieves, born c. 1775
2. Mary Young Rives, d. 1818-1819
3. Elizabeth Young Rives
4. Unknown daughter, married Benjamin Booth.
5. Jane Rives, who married Middleton Ford.
6. Sarah Rives, who married Henry Ferguson.
7. James Rives
8. Rebecca Rives
9. Nancy Reeves, who married John Carter.

Probable Children of William Rives and Rebecca:

1. George P Rives, born c. 1800

From Reliques of the Rives:
William was born about 1751 in Brunswick county, Virginia, and died about 1816 in Chester county, South Carolina, whither he had removed with his mother Sarah Rives, his brother Benjamin Rives, and his sister Frances (Rives) Jordan.
As "William Rives, son of George Rives deceased, of the Parish of Meherrin in the County of Brunswick," he purchased on May 13, 1773, from Thomas Poythress, of Martin Brandon Parish, Prince George county, Virginia, 275 acres of land on Beaver Pond in Brunswick county, Virginia. The same year, on October 21, he bought for £90 from Benjamin and Mary Rives (his brother and sister-inlaw) 200 acres on the southside of Beaver Creek. He had married by November 2, 1775, for on that date "William and Mary Rives of Meherrin Parish" deeded for £55 to Sterling Harris, of Northampton county, North Carolina, I 55 acres on Beaver Pond Corner in Brunswick, the deed being witnessed by Benjamin Rives (his brother), William Avent, and Nathaniel Rives, his first cousin. The signatures to the deed show that all the parties were literate with the exception of Mary Rives who made her mark. His neighbors in Brunswick included his brother, Benjamin Rives, and his father-in-law, James Young. On January 17, 1777, William Rives purchased for £100 from Joseph Gurley of Brunswick 200 acres "by John Tomlinson’s line * * * James Young’s line * * * on Benjamin Rives’ line," the witnesses thereto being James Young, Nicholas Prince, and Benjamin Rives.
The will of his father George Rives had made him one of the executors of his father’s estate, and had made him a legatee specifically of "one negro man Roger and one negro girl Winney," as well as £110. The names of these two slaves and one other, Willow, are found, together with those belonging to his brother Benjamin Rives, and his sister Frances Rives, in the "lists of Slaves being returned into Court by the Proprietors who removed into this Commonwealth (Virginia) from the Neighboring States for Protection" and which were ordered in 1780 to be recorded in Brunswick county.
William Rives married before November 2, 1775, Mary, daughter of James Young, of Brunswick county, and later of Greensville, for on April 16, 1781, James Young made his will which was probated in Greensville county, Virginia, March 24, 1782, making bequests "to my daughter Mary Rives one Negro Boy named Willow (the negro Willow included in the list of her husband William Rives’ slaves noted above), also one Feather Bed and furniture which she has now in her possession * * * to my son William Young all my lands * * * to my beloved wife Anne my plantation * * * during her life or widowhood." The executor, William Fox, refusing to take upon himself the burden of execution when the will was offered for probate, William Rives was appointed administrator, Littlebury Robinson and John Jeter offering themselves as bondsmen in the amount of £3,000.
In 1790 William Rives had returned to South Carolina, where he was residing in that year in Chester county, the head of a family of six daughters, and one son under sixteen years of age, and the owner of two slaves. In 1797 "William Rives and wife Mary of the State of South Carolina and Chester District" sold for £80 to David Hyatt "land on both sides of Fishing Creek," Mary Rives making her mark as she had done on similar occasions in Virginia. Mary (Young) Rives had died before September 24, 1799, when William Rives sold, for $600 to Alexander Carter, 139 acres on the east side of Fishing Creek, a deed which he alone acknowledged. William Rives was included in the 1810 census from Chester county with seven slaves, two sons and two daughters. He evidently married, 2nd, about 1800, Rebecca -, and died about 1816; for, in 1817, there is recorded in Chester county a return by Joseph Gaston, administrator of his estate. His second wife, Rebecca, apparently died in 1817 for on October 4th of that year letters of administration were granted on her estate to Henry Ferguson and Middleton Ford in Chester county.

William Rives is believed to have moved to Chester Co., SC, from Brunswick Co., VA. He married Mary Young, daughter of James Young, and died in Chester County about 1816.

In December of 1813, Joseph Gaston, John Rosborough, and John Caston gained administration for the goods and chattles of William Reeves, deceased (Prob. E, p262).

On 4 August 1817, Henry Ferguson and Middleton Ford applied for the letters of administration for the estate of Rebecca Rieves (Prob. G, p34).

Research Notes

Reliques of the Rives mentions only William Cook Rives, Mary Rives, Elizabeth Young Rives, and the daughter who married Benjamin Booth as children of William's first marriage and George Rives as the child of his second marriage. Descendants indicate that there were five other children not named in Reliques, namely Jane, Sarah, James, Rebecca, and Nancy. Sally, Mary, Rebecca, and Nancy are mentioned as probable children in the estate record.

There was a William Reaves was elected to the SC House of Representatives from the District Between the Broad and Catawba Rivers on 1 Feb 1780. It's unclear who this was but may be William Rives.

Sources

Will of William Cook Rieves - Chester County, South Carolina Will Book G, p118
Will of Mary Rives - Chester County, South Carolina Will Book G, p187
Will of John Rieves - Chester County, South Carolina Will Book P, p108
1797 Deed - William and Mary Rives to David Hyatt - Chester County, SC Deed Book E, p274
1799 Deed - William Reives to Alexander Carter - Chester County, SC Deed Book G, p194
Childs, James Rives. Reliques of the Rives, p298
1790 Census - Chester County, South Carolina
1800 Census - Chester County, South Carolina
Chester County, South Carolina Probate Book E, p262
Chester County, South Carolina Probate Book G, p34
SC Journal of the General Assembly and House of Representatives 1776-1780, Hemphill, Wates, & Olgsberg, p323