Reeves, Brewer

Summary

Narrative

Clifford,
Answer to your questions regarding information in The Reeves Project regarding Brewer Reeves, son of Thomas Reeves, Sr. who died in Spotsylvania VA circa 1760 are as follows.

Reeves project revision group 9 line:
I believe revisions are/ is warranted starting with Thomas Reeves Sr #3254 b1700 d1760 and Sarah nfi had children ;Thomas Jr, b 1735, I agree he married Sarah Attwood moved to Ky the question is when? Records show he was still in Spotsylvania co in 1769 and a Woodford co KY survey for presumably him in 1792

Response: 1792 Tax list of Woodford County KY listing Thomas Reves (sic) with 700 acres.

George who died in 1753 left property to Thomas Sr son Henry, which was to go to John if Henry died, However Henry sold that property in 1759 and died the same year as his father Thomas Sr in 1760. Son John moved to Augusta Co VA and married M. Dunkerson 1764.

Brewer b 1745. The Reeves project show that this Brewer and Thomas went to Augusta Va with John. Revision; From records it appears all group 9 Reeves project records that mention Brewer or Thomas Reeves in Augusta Co and Rockingham (1777) should be reflected as John Reeves and Margaret Dunkerson sons.

Response: NO. The case Valentine Sevier vs. Thomas Reeves states that Brewer Reeves was the brother of Thomas Reeves. See first page of plaintiff petition - https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/full_case_detail.asp?CFN=015-1780-004#img.
LVA Index Number: 1780-04
Locality: AUGUSTA CO
Plaintiff(s)
Valentine Sevior
Defendant(s)
Thomas Reeves

The 1780 deposition of Brewer Reeves in the case of Valentine Sevier vs. Thomas Reeves also mentions Thomas Reeves' wife Sarah which establishes this was Thomas Reeves, Jr.. See https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/full_case_detail.asp?CFN=015-1780-004#img

Not Thomas SR. Note nowhere in any records can be found two Brewers and two Thomas’s during this era in Augusta Co/ Rockinham. The Reeves Project does show under Henry Reeves D 1745 a Brewer who died before 1771. His birth was shown in another source as 1738. All in Essex co and his listed inheritance was sold by his sisters in 1771.

Response: This is a different Brewer Reeves. Brewer, the child of Reeves_Henry_3256 and Jochebed is proven to have been deceased before 1771 and has no bearing on the identity of Brewer Reeves, brother of Thomas, Jr.

The revision necessary is to delete that and show Thomas and Brewer was by circumstances sons of John and grandsons of Thomas Sr of Spotslyvania.

Response: NO Thomas, John and Brewer Reeves are all listed as adults in the 1777 tithables of Augusta County VA https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4C-SJG3?i=18&cat=282893

Brewer Reeves listed on the 1782 Land Tax of Rockingham VA. By 1795, he has migrated to Kentucky and is listed on the 1795 tax list of Woodford County with his brother Thomas. See attached copies.

One of the circumstances is the name Brewer, no one on the previous Reeves line was named Brewer. Joceabed and Henry are the first. Karrenhappuch is another biblical female name which could imply a connection to Joceabed as a daughter or sister perhaps. (LDS Ancestry file 2b98h records spell the name as Jachebed and Brewer #1 birth as 1738)

Response: Answered several times above.

Everything below is ridiculous and not deserving of a response. The above links to documents proving Brewer Reeves was the brother of Thomas Reeves, Jr. negate all this drivel.

My confusion started with the will of John (death 1799) not listing Brewer as a beneficiary until realizing from his daughter court action both died in 1799. Brewer being her sibling and John her father was pointed out by Sarah (Reeves) Loker in 1823 court hearing “Looker vs Dunkinson”
Question that in Thomas Sr list of children is if Brewer was his child or possibly John’s . John married Margaret Dunkanson in 1764 and Brewer was born in1745. This rules out Margaret as the mother but could account for not seeing Brewer in any 1780 tilth records in Rockingham Co. since he would be 19 at the time of John marrying M.Dunkanson and he himself married Martha Davis in 1782. The fact is In 1745 John was 20 and Karrenhappuch Reeves age in 1745 was mature enough to be a court witness in 1744. Nfi. Child naming custom applies. Being Johns child would explain why Brewer never appeared in Thomas and Georges will. In fact we see in the Reeves project a Tomas born in 1749 which could also be attributed to being John as the father as well. The Thomas Jr who was the administer to Thomas Sr. will and inherited his property had to be an adult.(born c1735). The list of court actions the Reeves Project has under Thomas Reeves Jr. should be reviewed and attributed to the appropriate Thomas. Also this should clear up which Thomas went to Woodfort Ky and Christian Ky. Reviewing Margaret Dunkenson family tree it show Thomas Dunkenson birth as May 20 1763 and her becoming a widow the same year. Her marriage to John in 1764 would explain his close ties to the Reeves family including marriage and executor in court actions.
The other Thomas Reeves Sr child was George who recently in the Reeves Project as shown moving to NC and having a son named John and a descendants today that fits into group 9 DNA code.
Also I found a LDS source that shows Thomas SR spouse as; 1. Grace Parker d. 1740 ; 2 Sarah Cyr d. 1782.
Unfortunately unlike Native Americans who thought land ownership was a foreign concept and territory was open/available to all tribal members the usurping colonials governing bodies keep records/ surveys on who had what land. Marriages, births and deaths were not governing duties but spiritual matters and they were maintained by the church district where landowners lived. These record had a shorter shelf life. Tithe record were maintained by militia districts and every male 18-60 was obligated to be a member, horses too with regularly scheduled drills. These drills were defensive types and a standing national army was not allowed by England. The militia was very busy keeping native off “their” land.

All of the proof that you were off track was available to you either at The Reeves Project, Family Search records or the Library of Virginia but you have chosen to waste our time with internet misinformation.
Beverly
11 May 2021

Research, Analysis & Discussion

1. Summery Many members of the Reeves families seemed to have died around 1745. The exception appears to be subject Brewer who was born in 1745. Henry Reeves (III) son of Henry Jr who died 1728, had died in 1745. His Will probated in 1745 left property to 3 sons, daughter, wife Jochebed and made provisions for a child not yet born which turned out to be a daughter Elizabeth. While Henry did not bequeth land to daughters the land sale records show they were the owners around 1770. The point made here is Brewer was of an age to legally own property and a source indicates a Brewer Reeves of Essex Co was born in 1722. No facts were recorded of his family but he would have been my choice as the father of the Brewer Reeves born in 1745. Maybe the mysterious Karrenhappuch Reeves who was a witness in a Coleman VA land dispute in 1744 was his wife. Of coincidence is the Reeves were intermarried with the Coleman family and the elder Thomas Reeves link to Karrenhappuch was a family tie and possibly his wife Sarah (another biblical name) became the foster parents of Brewer. No further record were found on Henry III, His sons, wife, daughters in law. Just the sale of land and reference to property that belonged to late Henry Reeves

2. Do we know who the parents of Brewer Reeves 17??-1799 were?
Henry Reeves (II) 1665-1728 and Sarah (M 1690) of Rappahannock Co VA was shown as having 6 male and 3 female children. They owned 400 acres in Essex co and other land in Spotsylvania co. Henrys’ Spotsylvania land was inherited in 1731 by son Thomas 1699-1760.
Henrys’ Sons, George 1686-1753 never married and left his Essex property to Thomas’s son Henry 1730-1760. Son John d 1736 without issue. Son Samuel died around 1730. Son Henry 1691-1745 (here after referred to as III) was born and raised in Essex co VA. His wife’s name was recorded as Jochebed. Henry III made his will 14 July 1745 and it was presented to court on 19 Nov 1745. (see note ) His wife Jochebed received the house and plantation where they lived and portions of other property. Their children were Henry not yet 18 years old was to receive plantation and land after Jochebed’s death. To Brewer went plantation at the Church where Mr John Corrie lived. John received the plantation and rents where John Demillo lived. The Two girls, Elizabeth was not born when the will was drawn but was to receive 80 pounds British sterling when reaching the age 18, she m William Porter in 1759. To Mary went 3 slaves, she m 2 Thomas Hadden. A land transaction in Essex 1781 showed Hadden selling property that used to be Henrys for Mary and identified it as joining property of Elizabeth also previously owned by Henry. THE QUESTION HERE IS DID THE SONS AND OBTAIN DEEDS TO INHERITED PROPERTY OR WERE THEY ALSO DECEASED AROUND 1745 AND, did Brewer b 1722 have a son named Brewer born around 1745.
Interestingly enough a Brewer 1745?-1799 was shown in some records as an issue of Henry’s brother Thomas and his wife Sarah. But many references do not and only list Thomas sons as George 1735-1811, Henry 1730-1760 who inherited his Uncle George property in Essex 1753, John 1741-1799 who married Margaret Dunkerson his death occurred in 1799 in Rockingham VA (our line) and Thomas Jr 1737-1799.
The observation here was that Brewer since he was of legal age for inheritance purposes had to be 18 in 1745. But when was he and other brothers actually born? Records of Spotsylvania in 1744 indicate that a Karrenhappuch Reeves was a court witness in a Coleman land suit. Possibly Karenhappuch was Henry III sons’ Brewer b 1722 spouse. Also records indicate that the only Reeves land holders in Spotslyvania in 1744 were George and Thomas. George never married leaving only Thomas as a possible connection and some speculate that Karenhappuch was Thomas’s spouse but no evidence is found.
Two biblical names Jochabed and Karrenhappuch. What are the odds, and in the same county. Would it be possible that Brewer III became part great Uncle Thomas family following some epidemic that caused the death of Brewers’ family. Again no reference was found to support this.
When Thomas Sr Died in 1760 his property went to his 25 year old son George b 1735, instead of Henry (d 1760) there was no record of Thomas SR spouse name at the time, however 15 year old ( guessing) Brewer b 1745, 20 year old John, and 23 year old Thomas Jr and wife Sarah Atwood moved to Augusta Co VA. The remaining brother Henry died in 1760 on Essex Co property left to him by his Uncle George who died in 1753. The Essex property was supposed to pass to his brother John according to his uncle George will. Instead it was inherited by his children.
Realistically what was the age of Brewer when he died in KY 1799 72 or 54? The answer to that question would settle who the Brewer Reeves father really was.
As seen from this narrative in terms of his inheritance Brewer Reeves had nothing willed to him by Thomas Sr or by any of his Uncles, George or John. George did remember Joseph Reeves daughter Patience in his will but not Brewer. The unborn child mentioned in Henry III will was Elizabeth B 1745?. She and her sister Mary actually inherited Henry III property as evidenced by sale in 1781 by Elizabeth husband T. Hadden of said property and mentioned it joined with property of Mary daughter of late Henry Reeves. Henry III will only mentioned sons as inheriting plantations not daughters.
When Brewer moved to Rockingham VA following Thomas Sr. death with Thomas Jr he never married until 1782. He receives 800 acres bounty for service in the revolutionary war either in KY or VA. Around 1790 he moved to KY where He died in 1799, Christian co KY. He acknowledged in court that Thomas Jr as his brother as well he should having spent their childhood life together and his role as a surrogate father when they moved to Rockingham VA.
I put forth a new theory on Brewer, he may have been Brewer Jr, his grandfather being Henry III and quite possibly his mother was Karrenhappuch. So far there is no record of the Henry II will being fulfilled in Deeds. What happened to the male children and wife of Henry III

NOTE: 1. Thank to Dr. David P. LeRoux for providing excerpts on “ANCESTRY of Frank Marion Swanson” references compiled by Marion Swanson Wattenbarger dated 1999. Henry III will was included.
2.According to a Essex Co ,1 Oct 1781 Deed book 32 pp 240-243. In this record Mary (Reeves) Hadden, husband sold 98 acres to Edmondson, her half which was given to her by her late father Henry.
#. A great deal of that compilation was based upon Ruth and Sam Sparacico publications on Va. County Records

Clifford,

1. I haven't seen a copy or transcription of the probate documents of Henry Reeves III and if you have them, it would be great to add them to this wiki. If you don't want to attempt wiki syntax yet, I'll be glad to add the documents if you send a transcription.

Additionally, I have never seen a document prior to 1760 that names "Sarah" as the wife of Thomas Reeves, Sr. All documents that I have been able to find are post 1760 and Thomas Sr.'s death and refer to Thomas Reeves, Jr. whose wife was known to be Sarah and is documented accordingly. Regarding Kerenhappuch Reeves, unless there are documents that name the wife of Thomas Reeves, Sr. as Sarah, it seems far more likely that Kerenhappuch was his wife, and the Sarah repeatedly listed as the wife of Thomas Reeves was, in fact, the wife of Thomas, Jr..

2. The parentage of Brewer Reeves of Augusta/Rockingham and later Christian County, Kentucky is clear from the Augusta County VA Chancery Case - Valentine Sevoir v. Thomas Reeves. See attached pdf of petition where on the second page in the second column, the petition states "Thomas or his brother Brewer Reeves". This is the Thomas Reeves with wife Sarah formerly of Spotsylvania County and identified in another Augusta County Chancery Case - John Herndon v. Thomas Reeves as being the Thomas Reeves of Spotsylvania County. A copy of a segment with this specific passage highlighted is also attached in addition to a statement by Brewer Reeves. In his statement Brewer states that he was living in the home of Thomas Reeves and also mentions Thomas' wife Sarah.

Finally, if you have transcriptions of any or all of the documents you referred to for the extended family of Henry Reeves of Essex, it would be wonderful if they could be added to this wiki.

Beverly
10/22/2012

•  Thomas Reeves brother segment.jpg
•  Brewer Reeves stmt 1774.pdf
•  Valentine Sevior vs Thomas Reeves.pdf