Rives, William McGuffey

Summary

Father: Thomas Henry Rives
Mother: Eleanor Neal

Birth: 24 Dec 1767, Dinwiddie County, Virginia
Birth Source: Letter of 3 Oct 1839 by Mary C. Turner Rives to son Robert Rives with all family birthdates

Death: bef May 1837, Warren County, North Carolina
Death Source: Warren County Probate Records

Spouse1: Mary Catherine Turner, m. (bond dated) 5 Jan 1788, Warren County, North Carolina

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Narrative

Children of William McGuffey Rives and Mary Catherine Turner:

1. Stephen Turner Rives, b. 10 Nov 1788
2. Thomas Rives, b. 4 Nov 1790
3. Anne (Nancy) Rives, b. 14 Oct 1792, m. James Mabry
4. William Rives, b. 4 Mar 1795
5. Sarah Ann "Sally" Rives, b. 13 Aug 1799, d. 21 Aug 1893, m. William Moss, Christian Co., KY
6. Mary "Polly" Rives, b. 1 Dec 1801, d. bef Nov 1836, m1. Watkins, m2 James Hart
7. Robert Rives, b. 16 Dec 1803, d. 9 Sep 1885, Christian Co., KY
8. James Rives, b. 13 Sep 1807
9. Rebecca Rives, b. 17 Jan 1810, d. 1870, m. Holman Southall
10. Susan T. Rives, b. 7 Aug 1817, m. Cunningham

From Reliques of the Rives:
William McGuffey Rives was born in Dinwiddie county, Virginia, December 24, 1767, and was brought up on the plantation of his grandfather William Rives, settling eventually in Warren county, North Carolina, where he died about 1839. At the age of nineteen, while residing with his father in Mecklenburg county, Virginia, he received the bequest made him in 1768 by his maternal grandfather, David Neal, for in 1786 there was recorded in Mecklenburg an account of the "division of the estate of William Reaves," viz.:

In the hands of Thomas Rives belonging to William and Joanna Rives. Subscribers, John Kendrick and Parmenas Williams have divided the said estate and have given to William Rives Phillis and Murriah, and to Joanna, Tiller and her child Milley, Doll and her two children Adam and George * * * and are of the opinion that the difference between the legacies is £80 for which we have paid to William Rives account the cash in hand received for the hire of the said negroes and the balance of the money together with the bonds we have equally divided between the two parties.

William McGuffy Rives married January 5, 1788, Mary, daugh ter of Stephen Reuben Turner (son of Terisha Turner) of Amherst county, Va., and his wife, Susan Hamner, daughter of William Hamner, of Albemarle county, Va., and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Hendley.

Mary Turner Rives has left an interesting account of these family relationships, which breathes the breath of life into names which otherwise might never have been more than names, in a letter written to her son Robert Rives in 1839:

Warren County
North Carolina,
Oct. 3, 1839.

I take this opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I and family are well. Hoping this letter will find you and family in good health.
Your brothers and sisters are well. Mary Mabry (Mary Rives who m. Jones Mabry) has chills and fever. John Turner has the bilious fever and is very sick at this time. Our neighbors are well on this side of Nutbush Creek. The people on the other side are very sickly. Howel Clardy lies very low with the billious fever and is very dangerous. Polly Bowdens died about the 15th of September, and the Doctors said she died of the glands of the neck being swelled; she was confined to her bed more than three months, she died a devout christian.
Rebecca, your mother's brother Jack Vaughan and the Edwards family were all well at Mrs. Bowdens' funeral.
We have fine crops in this county of every description, except potatoes and turnips. New corn will start from the stack at two dollars, tobacco at Petersburg is from $3. to $10., wheat one dollar, cotton below par, bacon 15 cents per pound.
You requested me to send you all your ages also your Father's and my age. Your Father was born December 24, 1767. I was born March 13, 1771. We were married the 5th. day of January, 1788. Stephen Rives was born the 10th. of November 1788. Thomas Rives was born the 4th. of Nov. 1790. Nancy Mabry was born the 14th. of Oct. 1792. William Rives was born the 24th. of March, 1795. Sally Moss was born the 13th. of August, 1799. Polly Watkins was born the 1st. of Dec. 1801. Robert Rives was born the 16th. of Dec. 1803. James Rives was born the 13th. of Sept. 1807. Rebecca Southall was born the 27th. of Jan. 1810. Susan Cunningham was born August 8th. 1817.
Your father (William McGuffy Rives) was born and raised in Dinwiddie County, 25 miles this side of Petersburg, at your great grand-father's, William Rives. Also your grand-father, Thomas Rives was raised there and moved here and lived here, Nutbush, and then moved to Chatham and died there.
Your grand-mother Rives was a Neal. Your grand-father married her in Amelia County, Va.
My father was born and reared in Amherst County, Va., on the other side of James River. My father was named Stephen Turner, son of Old Terisha Turner of said County and State. My mother was named Susan Hamner in Albemarle county Va., daughter of Wm. Hamner of said City and State.
Robert, Uncle John Turner and family moved from Amherst to that State (Kentucky) and I heard of them in Wilson Co. Aunt Sallie Stovall and her family went there. Aunt Molly London's children went there. They moved out of Amherst near Lynchburg. Some of Uncle Henry Turner's children moved to that state also, but I do not know what County.
The sale of your father's property will be between the 15th. and 20th. of December. All the perishable property and five negroes, visible, Cely, Sims, Granderson, Hinton, and Henry, all of which you may call nearly men.
I desire to be remembered to Rebecca and the children, Stephen Y. Moss, Len H. Johnson and Old Mrs. Collins.
So I conclude, remaining your loving mother until death.
(Signed) Mary Rives
(Addressed)
Robert Rives and wife
Montgomery County
Tenn.

Sources

Marriage1:  FamilySearch - North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979

1790 Census:  Warren County, North Carolina
1800 Census:  Warren County, North Carolina
1810 Census:  Warren County, North Carolina
1820 Census:  Warren County, North Carolina
1830 Census:  Warren County, North Carolina
1840 Census:  Warren County, North Carolina (Mary Reeves HOH)

Childs, James Rives. Reliques of the Rives, p157
1839 Letter written by Mary Turner Rives to her son Robert Rives
US Census 1790 thru 1830 of Warren County, North Carolina (usually listed as "Reeves" or "Reaves")