William Reeves, Sr. (c1720-c1765)

The presence of William Reeves, Sr. in the area of Wake County, North Carolina is noted in Durham County - A History of Durham County, North Carolina by Jean Bradley Anderson, on page 19, “Among the first to take up land in present Durham County were William Reeves, who received 400 acres where Ellerbee Creek runs into Neuse River (1746)." This deed was recorded in Granville County Deed Book A at page 18 on 5 Nov 1746.

As this land south of the Neuse and east of Ellerbys Creek changed county designations, throughout the 1750's, William Reeves, Sr. is found primarily in the records of Orange County serving on juries and in other misc. court records. When the area became part of Johnston County in the early 1760's he is found in numerous deeds of that county.

William Reeves, Sr. is listed as William Reves with 1 white male tithe in "A List of Tythables for the Year 1755", Orange County, North Carolina.

On 10 October 1763 the land between the Neuse and Ellerbe Creek is conveyed by William Reeves, Sr. to William Reeves, Jr. by deed as follows: William Reeves Sr., Johnston County to Wm. Reeves Jr. Orange County, £140 Va money, 400 Acres beginning at a White Oak on southside Neuse River running S25 W 254p to a persimmon tree: S65 E254p to a pine on east side of Ellowbys creek: N25 E104p to the river: up the river courses to 1st sta., buildings, orchards &c Wit: John Bullard, Wm. Downs +, recorded in Deed Book D-1 Pg 63, Johnston County, North Carolina.

This same land remained in this particular Reeves' family for 52 years until it is conveyed by the second William Reeves to Nathaniel Jones, Sr. on October 16, 1798.

William Reeves Sr. does not appear in the records of Orange, Johnston or Wake Counties after October of 1763. The majority of the early records of Johnston County as well as some of Wake County's have been destroyed in courthouse fires so it is unknown whether he died about this time or moved to another location.

The Markham Maps which have 1800 of the earliest land grants in the Neuse River basin platted on maps of Orange and Wake counties show four tracts for William Reeves in Orange County. Section 5 of the Fish Dam Road website listing William Reeves' land grant as shown on the Markham maps - http://enoriver.org/fishdam/markham5.htm