From Robert on 12/1/2012
Beverly, I am not in the Reeves DNA project. I actually didnt know where I fit until I did the new ancestry DNA. I don't have a trail back to Henry. I only go back to my GGgrandfather who was of mixed race and born in 1823 in Virginia, his name was Ryland Reeves. My family never knew about him, only his son Loren who was born in Canada. Based on my research I had figured Henry Reeves might be the original ancestor and had done some research on him, so when the DNA matches started hitting on Bagnall's I knew I had my ancestor, but I don't know the downward lineage yet. Based on names and places I am getting, I suspect Henry, Henry Jr. and Thomas Sr. are my line but then I still need about three more generations to get to my Reeves. I did see Burtons and Terrells in my ancestry DNA matches which is why I thought the George of Grayson really was the same George as Thomas Sr.'s son. I've also had numerous DNA hits on Spotsylvania families in the 1700s.

I tried to respond in the chat area but couldn't, am I posting where I should be? Thanks, Robert

That's really interesting about the matches to Terrells and Burtons. Of course the Burtons were all over Virginia so there are probably countless possibilities for a connection to them.

Please keep us posted as you find links thru your Ancestry DNA to your Reeves' family and the other intermarried lines.

It's OK to post here for now, until the forums are activated and the forum for research discussions is created.

I'm going to go thru these messages and put links to these Reeves' individuals wiki pages to help you find your way around and read what we do have for them.
Beverly

From Robert on 12/1/2012
There is much more information now on ancestry.com about the early settling of Isle of Wight County Va. I do not believe Henry (1635/40-1687) was an immigrant. In 1635 John Updike filed for Headrights for 33 people, they included Roger Bagnall and Thomas Reeves (also a Jon Parker).

In Lancaster county in 1657 Thomas Reeves is again listed as a Headright, this time by Thomas Goodrich, later next door neighbor of Henry Reeves!

In 1665, Henry Reeves of Isle of Wight is listed as the administrator of the will of Robert Sharp(e) Jr. in Lancaster.

The Bagnalls and Reeves were clearly close families in Isle of Wight for many years along with Parkers and Powells and many others. All of these families had people who moved up to the Rappahannock later in the 1600s.

My new DNA on ancestry shows matches several times with the Bagnalls, as well as with Parkers, Powells and Bracewells.

I have also found a Thomas Reeves born in Symondsbury Dorset in 1607 to a Roger Ryves/Reeves who had children Henry, Thomas, Robert, Mary and William (at least).

There is also a Thomas Reeves in Isle of Wight, partners with Thomas Parker and buying land in the South of the county, then marrying Elizabeth, the widow of Michael MacQuinney (numerous spellings). This Thomas who I assume to be Henry's brother is born 1649 and moves to North Caroline in the 1700s where he remains alive until at least 1724. I do not find a prior marriage for Thomas or any other siblings but I once found ( and cannot find again) a page from someone who believed this Thomas and Henry and two other brothers James and George were the sons of the immigrant Thomas in Isle of Wight. I believe it is descendants of these other brothers who settle in NC and therefore provide blood matches to the George Reeves of Indepence Grayson County and prove they are all descendants of Thomas and thus related to the Henry Reeves line afterall.

Actually the DNA of descendants of George Reeves of Grayson County's sons Jesse and John are not a match to the DNA of individuals with a paper trail to Henry Reeves.

There are two other participants in the DNA project who appear to descend from George Reeves of Grayson but do not match those who descend from Jesse and John mentioned above. The sons of Jesse and John match 36 of 37 markers with two descendants of William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina and 34 of 37 with another of his descendants and all of these individuals were placed in DNA Group 6 of the Reeves DNA Project.

The two descendants who do not match other descendants of George Reeves are DNA Group 15 but neither has a valid paper trail to Henry Reeves and they do not match any other participants in the Reeves DNA Project.

Have you participated in the Y Chromosome Reeves DNA Project?

The other interesting thing about this family is they are almost always listed as Reeves except for some occasionial misspellings, unlike the Ryves of Surry County and the Rives of the Northern Neck.

Since you observe signatures, you might find it of interest that George Reeves of Grayson County and all of his sons, signed their name REVES as did William Reeves of Wake County and his sons. I've started saving signatures that I find in any original documents as a way to differentiate between all the George Reeves and William Reeves, etc.

As a follow up to my earlier comment I think the new ancestry DNA test which does not do 23 or 46 markers, but 700,000, is leading me closer and closer to my full Reeves family tree. I currently have 100s of matches and the largest line by far that I match on is my Reeves Virginia line, I assume this is due to the constant Y chromosone.

I now have a theory on the mother of Henry based on my numerous matches with early Isle of Wight settlers William Parker and William Powell and son William Powell, as well as a Thomas Parker. The trees of these people are so entirely messed up with many different dates and different parentage abounding. However, this is how I think they relate to Henry Reeves.

The early William Powell and his wife Elizabeth Wyllys(Welles) had a daughter Ann(e) born ca.1600. Ann married William Parker and they had a son Thomas Parker ca.1618. Thomas Parker married the widow Elizabeth Sharp(e).

Ann's husband William Parker died ca. 1620. I find no evidence of her after this. I suggest she married Thomas Reeves after 1635 and was the father of Henry, Thomas and perhaps others. This would explain the constant Parker connection as well as the numerous mentions of Elizabeth Parker, as that would have been Thomas Parkers wife and daughter, as well as Henry's sister in law and niece. Also it would provide Henry with a connection to the administration of the will of Robert Sharp in Lancaster county. Since Thomas Parker (Henry's half-brother) was the step father of the Sharp children.

However, it is also possible that the Parker and Powell DNA matches are a result of the families that moved to Lancaster/Rappahannock/Essex/Spotsylvania and are wives of the Reeves, particularly the Sarah Unknowns. I actually found one tree that lists Henry Reeves Jrs. wife as Sarah Parker and there is a Sarah Powell the same age as Thomas Reeves Sr. However, this would not explain the early Elizabeth Parker connection or the Sharp connection. Food for thought for Henry Reeves descendants. Also, if you do the new ancestry DNA and are Henry Reeves line you will get dozens of matches.

Robert,
Thanks so much for your comments and information. There is a tremendous amount of interest in this family but so much misinformation has been broadcast across the web about them that it's great to see someone searching the historical records for documentation and the truth of the family.

This is very interesting about the Parker family. You're probably already aware of it, but I notice you didn't mention the connection between Elizabeth Reeves, wife of Henry Reeves, Sr. and the Parke(r) family of Essex County. The will of George Parke(r) of Essex County (November 15, 1697), named Elizabeth Reeves and provided legacies to James, Joseph, Mathew (sic Martha?) and Mary Reeves. Robert Coleman, Joseph Reeves and Henry Reeves witnessed the will. The relationship between Parke(r) and the Reeves family was not stated.

Please keep us posted on your research and your autosomal DNA Results thru Ancestry DNA as well. For a long time we've been requesting a forum in this wiki for Reeves' Research and are promised that it will be forthcoming so in future we should all be able to share information like this in that forum.

I descend from William Reeves, Sr. of Wake County and I'm currently waiting for my Ancestry DNA results and anxious to see the results.

Keep commenting.


Beverly

From Clifford on 11/29/2012

Confusion - Several sources going cite Henry resident of old Rappahannock as being the son of George and Elizabeth Ryves Devon and Ranston England. Including Burkes pgs 52. I am not so sure any more since he reportedly was living in 1695 having inheritance from a brother Charles. A deceased relation of mine stated in his research that Henry of Rappohannock came to the Virginia colony in 1652 with a James Reeves from Glousester Eng. My relative states his DOB was 5/16/1629 Bracon, Lincoln England, m 1669 d 1687 VA. His parents were Augustine Reeves b 1601, m 10/9/1625 in Haddiscox to Elizabeth Bayspoole b 1603Taft, Monks, Norfolk England, her father was Named John.
Augustine Reeves father listed as Christopher Reeves b1558 Alysham d 7/4/1620 His wife listed as Martha Grimstone b 1562 Oxburgh Norfolk Eng . My concern is I do not ave any refernce or source of this data..Is there anything in your larger files? I am really confused since my haplotype came back with I2b1. Another DNA (R1B1)relative (paper)gggrandfather were the same William Reeves 1807-1851 Harrisonburg VA. he is in group 9

Clifford,

Because there is so much incorrect, undocumented Reeves' information on the internet and in family histories, at The Reeves Project, we have agreed that we will only enter data that is cited in some primary source document. For that reason, we don't have any information for Henry Reeves prior to his arrival in the US. If at some time, a historical record linking Henry to a Reeves' family in the United Kingdom comes to light, we'll enter that information.

The UK has parish records and other historical information that you should probably search to find a valid citation connecting Henry Reeves to a family there.

As for the information regarding a George Reeves who immigrated to Virginia circa 1652 and died there circa 1687, it appears that someone has confused the George Reeves who lived in Middlesex, Virginia and died there in 1689. This George Reeves' brother and heir was Charles Reeves. Follow these links to the wiki pages that include all the available information regarding George and Charles Reeves. Please note that there is no record that either of them or their brothers Frances and George, Jr. Thomas left heirs in Virginia.

As for the different haplogroups for your DNA and that of the other participant who descends from William Reeves of Augusta/Rockingham, it would probably be best if both of your go back through all your lineage verifying each parent and see what that yields. Have you entered any of your family into this wiki?

11/30/2012 - Afterthought
I've been looking over records for Peachy and Robert F. Reeves and it's obvious that they were the same family and they even served together in the same company of a Maryland regiment in the civil war. I have no idea why the DNA is a different haplogroup. I have to wonder if Family Tree DNA sometimes makes mistakes?

It would be a great help to you and all of the others who appear to descend from Henry Reeves if more people would participate in the Reeves DNA Project. I know there are some descendants of Brewer Reeves of Kentucky that are members of TRP and possibly from other lines as well.

Beverly

11/30/2012
Beverly your afterthought on Peachy and Robert Reeves is correct, expanding on that; they were both in the 52 Virginia Infantry, which became a CSA force, Peachy was wounded & captured at Gettysburg as part of Gen Earlys force to take Culps Hill. Robert was captured in MD during the CSA retreat from PA. Both sent to Union POW camp at ft Delaware. (Details in Drivers book on 52nd VA *Infantry/ and 3rd Md Calvary "Bradfords Dragoons" individual records are included). I do not think DNA is wrong but also not infallible. Reading research on DNA I find DNA is destroyed by chemicals and radiation, But I cannot find any evidence that is or how permanent. Could not find research on or if chemo agent cytoxan as an alkylating agent designed to detroy cancel dna that allows cancer cells to multiply. Unfortionately it also destroy other cells/dna. " It also allows intrastand/interstrand crosslings" ?? I had both chemo and radiations treatments in 1992. Result today "no clinical evidence of cancer" so that DNA must be gone. So did if alter my DNA/ how much The point is I suggest more research on this area and caution people that DNA may not be valid (if research supports) if they have exposure to chemo agents designed to destroy cell and supporting DNA. Also as as I read tobacco smoke (heavy users) alters DNA by allowing formation of lung cancer. By that I mean Alters strands. Alkylating agents impacts are??? Definate linkage between me kit 251599 and kit 81847 as having 2 generations each from Peachy and Robert F.
Clifford