George Reeves (1780 - 1827)

Born 1780 in Wake, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Wilkerson — married 5 Jan 1802 in Madison, KY

Descendants

Died 1827 at about age 47 in Warren, Kentucky, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Beth Reeves [send private message], Stephen Gunn [send private message], and Maude Gunn [send private message]

Biography

George Reeves married Elizabeth Wilkerson on January 1, 1802 in Madison, Kentucky.^[1]

Will of George Reves (historical family spelling) written 20 Oct 1826, probated July 1827 in Warren County, Kentucky (Warren County, Kentucky, Will Book D, Pg. 3); names his wife Elizabeth and all ten of his children including daughters' married names. ^[2] Children listed: (in the order mentioned in the will) Susan, Polly, Nancy, Walter A., Curtis F., Jesse B., Peter M., William H., Sidney Preston. and George H. Reeves.

• 1. Susan (Reeves) Heard (1803–1886)^[3]
• 2. Walter Alvis Reeves (1806–1891)
• 3. Curtis F Reeves (1808–1845)
• 4. Jesse Britt Reeves (1810–Deceased)
• 5. Peter M Reeves (1810–1882)
• 6. Mary M. "Polly" (Reeves) Turner (1812–1836)
• 7. William Harrison Reeves (1814–1889)
• 8. Nancy Reeves (abt 1816– aft 1860)
• 9. Sidney Preston Reeves I (1817–1882)
• 10. George H. Reeves (1818–Deceased)

Name

Name: George /Reeves/

Given Name: George

Surname: Reeves^[4]

Birth

Birth:

Date: WFT Est 1759-1788

Place: VA^[5]

Death

Death:

Date: WFT Est 1813-1873^[6]

Marriage

Husband: George Reeves

Wife: Elizabeth Unknown

Marriage:

Date: WFT Est 1800-1832^[7]

Child: Peter M Reeves

Father: William Reeves Mother: Anne

Birth: c1780, Wake County, North Carolina Birth Source: William Reeves Probate & age approximate from 1810 U.S. Federal Census for Madison County, Kentucky

Death: 1827, Warren County, Kentucky Death Source: Will probated July 1827

Spouse1: Elizabeth Wilkerson, 5 Jan 1802, Madison County, Kentucky

Narrative

Children of George Reeves and Elizabeth Wilkerson: Reeves, Walter Alvis Reeves, Susan Reeves, Curtis F. Reeves, Jesse Britt Reeves, Peter M. Reeves, Mary M. "Polly" Reeves, William Harrison Reeves, Nancy Reeves, Sidney Preston Reeves, George H. George Reeves can be found listed as "George William Reeves" on some internet sites; however, there is NO documentation of any middle name, every historical document lists his name as simply George Reeves i.e. all census records, probate of his father William Reeves' estate, his own will, etc. Additionally, his brother born about 1770 was named William Reeves, Jr. so it is extremely unlikely that the name would have been given to another son.

George Reeves apparently left Wake County, North Carolina as soon as he became an adult and along his younger brother, Jeremiah, migrated to Madison County, Kentucky around 1800 for his marriage to Elizabeth Wilkerson is recorded there in January of 1802. A 1786 Granville County, NC deed to Elizabeth Wilkerson's father, Wyatt, for land on the north side of the Neuse River at the mouth of Knap of Reeds Creek suggests that George may have known Betsy and the Wilkerson family before moving to Kentucky. This tract of land on Knap of Reeds Creek would be in close proximity to William Reeves' land on the south side of the Neuse. Within a few years of their arrival in Kentucky, George and Jeremiah were followed by their father and older brother William, Jr..

George is listed in Madison County, Kentucky in the 1810 census but by 1820 he had migrated farther westward to Warren County and is recorded there in that census. His wife, Betsy Wilkerson Reeves' parents Wyatt and Mary Wilkerson also moved from Madison to Warren County as well as Betsy's sister Polly with her husband John Thompson and family.

When William Reeves died in 1821, George Reeves was granted letters of administration on the estate of William Reeves, deceased, in November of 1821 in Madison County.

George Reeves only survived his father by six years for his will was probated in Warren County in July 1827. The will of George Reves was written on 20 Oct 1826 and recorded in Will Book D at page 3. In it he names the above listed children along with his wife, Elizabeth.

Note:

A biography of George's son William Harrison Reeves as published in Battle, Perrin & Kniffen's "Kentucky - A History of the State" states that the origin of George Reeves is Halifax, Virginia, but there is no record of this family ever having lived in Halifax until 1800 when Peter, followed by Charles in 1801, left Wake County and located there. In the 1850 census of Halifax, the birthplace of Peter Reves, age 81, is stated as North Carolina. Additionally, the only other sibling of George Reeves' who was living in 1850 when the census adding place of birth was recorded, was the youngest brother Jeremiah who also gave his birthplace as North Carolina. It is noteworthy that George Reeves' children were very young when he died in 1827 and would have had very few years to interact with him and gain an idea of the family's history. Knowing that they had an uncle in Halifax County may have led the children to believe that the family had originated there. Additionally, their mother Betsy Wilkerson descended from Wilkerson and Britt families of Virginia.

Even after a thorough search of colonial tax records of Halifax no record of this family can be found there. There are, however, 60 years of records of this family living on one particular tract of land south of the Neuse River and east of Ellobey's Creek which was located in Orange County, Johnston County, and then Wake County, North Carolina as the county designations changed through the years. Land owned by this Reeves' family is now located within five miles of the northern boundary of the city of Durham, North Carolina. The pilings of the bridge crossing the Falls of the Neuse Lake on I-85 to the northeast of the Durham city limits, stand on land once owned by this family. Two other tracts owned by George's father, William Reeves, are located within the city of Durham.

Copyright © 2010-2013 The Reeves Project & Contributing Authors - All Rights Reserved thanks to Beverly & Martin & TRP (TheReevesProject.org)

Sources

1. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5ZC-RHK : 16 January 2021), George Reeves and Elizabeth Wilkerson, 1 Jan 1802; citing Marriage, Madison, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 183,304.
2. ↑ http://files.usgwarchives.net/ky/warren/wills/revesree454gwl.txt
3. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJS-ZCZM : 16 January 2021), George Reves in entry for John Heard and Susan Reves, 8 May 1824; citing Marriage, Warren, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 164,006.
4. ↑ Source: #S5 Page: Tree #4407
5. ↑ Source: #S5 Page: Tree #4407
6. ↑ Source: #S5 Page: Tree #4407
7. ↑ Source: #S5 Page: Tree #4407

• WikiTree profile Reeves-659 created through the import of RamageRice102011.ged on Oct 12, 2011 by Molly Rice. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Molly and others.

• Source: S5 Abbreviation: World Family Tree Vol. 2, Ed. 1 Title: World Family Tree Vol. 2, Ed. 1 Author: Brøderbund Software, Inc. Publication: Release date: November 29, 1995 Note: ABBR World Family Tree Vol. 2, Ed. 1 CONT Customer pedigree. CONT CONT Source Media Type: Family Archive CD

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZ5R-K19 Copyright © 2010-2013 The Reeves Project & Contributing Authors - All Rights Reserved thanks to Beverly & Martin & TRP (TheReevesProject.org)

Birth: c1780, Wake County, North Carolina Birth Source: William Reeves Probate & age approximate from 1810 U.S. Federal Census for Madison County, Kentucky

Death: 1827, Warren County, Kentucky Death Source: Will probated July 1827

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Maude Gunn for creating WikiTree profile Reeves-1501 through the import of reeves.GED on Nov 17, 2013.

and for all the Biographical information & Sources from TRP & Beverly & Martin at TRP.