Thomas Reese
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Bef 1707 - Virginia Christening: Death: Abt 1775 - Dinwiddie Co., Virginia Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Roger Reese (Abt 1680-Bef 1739) Mother: Mary Anderson (Abt 1685- )
Spouses and Children
1. *Mary ( - ) Marriage: Children: 1. Francis Reese (1727- ) 2. Thomas Reese (1729- ) 3. John Reese (1731-Bef 1790) 4. Mary Reese (1733- ) 5. Henry Reese ( -Abt 1817) 6. Mason Reese (1740- ) 7. Lucy Reese ( - )
Notes
General:
BIRTH YEAR:
Just a guess based on the birth date of his oldest known child.
Thomas was probably 20 or older when his child Francis was born in 1727. Francis may or may not have been his first child.
BRISTOL PARISH in VIRGINIA:
The residual Prince George area and the area which became Dinwiddie in 1752 were parts of the Bristol Parish. The area which became Amelia was not. The Bristol Parish Register is extant from 1720 to 1792. In 1742, the part that became Dinwiddie was transferred to Bath Parish, for which no records are extant. (page 5, "Hugh Rees (20 Dec 1742-12 Dec 1825)" by Davis R. Reese (2005, unpublished))
At a Vestry held at the Ferry Chapple April 18th 1736, ordered that Thomas Reese be exempted from paying Parish Levy until Such time he shall be able & not longer (Bristol Parish Vestry Book, page 83 https://archive.org/details/vestrybookregist00bris/page/n185/mode/2up).
CHILDREN:
"Births from the Bristol Parish Register of Henrico, Prince George, and Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia, 1720-1798" at Ancestry.com, Bristol Parish Register, pages 82-86, images 85-89/137:
Francis Son of Thos & Mary Reese born 5th of Decemr 1727.
Tho: Son of Thomas and Mary Rees Born 2d novmr Bapt 22d febr 1729.
John Son of Thomas Reese Born 30th Septr 1731 Bapt 20th may 1733.
Mary D. of Thomas & Mary Reese Born 8th Octobr 1733.
Mason D of Thomas & Mary Reess B July 10th 1740.
PRESENCE in PRINCE GEORGE CO., VIRGINIA:
Prince George Co., Virginia Court Records at FamilySearch, "County Court minute book 1737-1740", film # 007895942, page 326, image 334/359:
August 15, 1739 -- At a court held for Prince George Co. at Fitzgerralds an Action of Trespass brought by John West against Thomas Reess was dismissed.
The above case is abstracted in Prince George County Records 1733-1792 compiled by Benjamin B. Weisiger III (1975).
LAND in PRINCE GEORGE CO., VIRGINIA:
In August 1734 and in July 1745 Thomas Reece received 2 patents on a total of 400 acres in Prince George Co., Virginia. The details can be seen at the website of the Library of Virginia (https://lva-virginia.libguides.com/land-grants as of March 2022). Highlight "Virginia Land Office patent and grants volumes" below the search box and search for a name.
Prince George Co., Thomas Reece, 1 Aug 1734 --- 150 acres on the north side of White Oak Swamp
Prince George Co., Thomas Reece, 10 Jul 1745 --- 250 acres on the north side of White Oak Swamp first adjoining his old line and then later adjoining his father's line
On a modern map the headwaters of White Oak Creek are in the westernmost part of Dinwiddie Co. about 2 miles east of where Namozine Creek (northeastern boundary of Nottoway Co.) meets the north-south straight line boundary of Nottoway Co. The creek runs mostly east and slightly south roughly 15 miles before it flows into Butterwood Creek, which flows into Stony Creek, which flows into the Nottoway River. Dinwiddie Co. was formed in 1752 from Prince George Co.
In more detail with metes and bounds:
Thomas Reece, August 1, 1734, page 250, 15 shillings; unto Thomas Reece of Prince George County a tract of 250 acres lying and being in the county aforesaid on the north side of White Oak Swamp -- beginning at a white oak corner upon the said swamp,
thence N23E 116 poles to a corner,
thence E23S 216 poles to a corner,
thence S23W 96 poles to White Oak Swamp,
thence up the same as it meanders to the first station.
Thomas Reece, July 10, 1745, pages 313-14, 25 shillings; unto Thomas Reece a tract of 250 acres lying and being in the county of Prince George on the north side of White Oak Swamp -- beginning at his own old lower corner,
thence N23E 96 poles along his own old line to his corner,
thence E30N 92 poles to a corner white oak by the road,
thence E19S 248 poles to the Cabin Branch,
thence down the Cabin Branch as it meanders "to his Fathers line",
thence W22N 270 poles along his line to his corner,
thence S22W 132 poles to his corner white and Spanish oaks on White Oak Swamp,
thence up the said swamp as it meanders to the beginning.
Both the 1734 grant (250 acres) to Thomas Rees and the 1727 grant (300 acres) to Roger Reese are on the north side of White Oak Swamp (more like a creek than a swamp). Thomas's land is somewhat west of Roger's. Thomas's 1745 grant contains the land between the two earlier grants.
These 3 grants provide the valuable genealogical information that Roger is Thomas's father. Additionally, a 1739 grant of 321 acres to William Featherstone, Jr. which adjoins the 1727 grant on the east side indicates that in 1739 the owner of the 1727 grant is Hugh Reece. This might mean that by 1739 Roger has died and his son Hugh has inherited the 300 acres granted to Roger in 1727.
WILL:
Dinwiddie Co., Virginia, created from Prince George Co. in 1752, is a so-called burned county or lost records locality. Almost all early records have been destroyed by fire or some other calamity. A few have survived. The following will of Thomas Resse, or more specifically 3/4 of it, has survived. It can be seen at Familysearch.org, Dinwiddie Co., Virginia Probate Records, "Loose wills, ca. 1758-1869", film # 1929708, Item 2, images 190, 191, 194-196.
The sheet of paper on which the will was written was folded mutiple times and has broken at the folds. The piece of paper on which the middle of the will was written is missing. The lefthand side of the will (two fourths) is on image 190, and the righthand side (one fourth) is on image 196. The middle part (one fourth) is a guess based on the ordinary verbiage of wills of the period. The underscores represent white space. John is a witness and a son; Francis is a witness and is probably also a son.
I Thomas Reece of Ba........ th Parish and Coun.. ty of Dinwiddie
being weak of Body but of p. erfect understan ... ding and memory
do Constitute this my Las... t will and testa ... ment in form and
manner following . . .
I give and bequeath my wh... ole estate real an . d Personal to my
son Thomas Reece during..... his life and afte .. rwards to decend
to his son Thomas and....... to his heirs for ... ever provided
my said son xxxx Thomas..... maintain and take .. Care of my Daugh
ter Mason Reece _____ a..... nd also provided ... that my said Son
Thomas Reece do pay to each.... of my sons
Henry Reece, John Ree....... ce, Francis Reece .. and Lucy Reece
my Daughter the sum of...... ?????????? pounds... respectively
I appoint David Donna....... n and Thomas R ..... eece Executors
of this my last Will and ... Testament revoki ... ng all other wills
by me made before th........ is one _____ In .... Witness whereof
I have hereunto set my...... hand and seal ...... this Twenty eighth
Day of February one tho..... usand seven hun .... dred and seventy five
Thom .... as Rees Seal
Signd, Seald & deliverd
in presence of
John Reese Reese his + mark
Francis Rees
David Donnan
Two statements appear on image 191. One is "The Last Will & Testament of Thomas Rees presd by Rees". The other in different handwriting is
Thomas Rees's
case about his
father's estate.
July 1775.
Thomas Rees's
Will
Two statements appear on image 194. One is "Thos: Rees Will presd by Jno Rees Rees one of the Wits". The other is partial. " __oved by Jno Rees one the Witnesses".
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