John Wesley Reed

Notes:

Source: "Reed and Related Families of Tazewell County, Virginia and McDowell County, West Virginia", by Juanita S Halstead.

In a hillside cemetery overlooking the site of the old Reed homestead on Crane Creek in McDowell Co., WVA are the graves of John Wesley Reed, Sr and his wife Nancy (nee Christian) Reed. The tomstones at these graves are still legible and reveal the following vital data: "J. W. Reed, Sr., born at Rogersville, Tennessee, July 25, 1804, died June 18, 1888; Nancy, wife of J. W. Reed, born October 18, 1812, died December 2, 1887." Avondale, WVA is now the post office address at this location; Amanuel Reed, the youngest
son of J. W. and Nancy Reed, was the first postmaster there.

A search for additional data pertaining to John Wesley's birth in Rogersville, Hawkins County, TN proved to be fruitless. Apparently many of the early records for that county had been lost some years ago. Every source searched in Hawkins County failed to be helpful. Family lore says
that John Wesley Reed was raised by a Hoover family in Kentucky---one cousin said that he was told that this was near Lexington. There were several Hoovers in Jessamine County, KY, a county contiguous to Fayette County in which Lexington is located, about the time that John Wesley was
growing from infancy to boyhood, but no connection could be established with these families.

A search of the Floyd County, KY records located some court minutes in re John Wesley Reed. In 1816, when John Wesley was twelve (12) years of age, Abraham Beavers was ordered by the court to show cause why he should not take John Reed into his care as an apprentice to learn the shoe making trade. Later, minutes show that Abraham did take him in. This blends in with family lore in that Amanuel Reed, aforementioned son of John Wesley, used to make the shoes for members of his family. Apparently this knowledge was
handed down from John Wesley to his sons. Another record in the Floyd County minutes in 1821 indicates that John Wesley has left Abraham Beavers, and an order was issued for his return. At that time, he was referred to as "John Reed "alias "Hoover." This certainly proves he was using the name
"Hoover" part of the time; and it also indicates that family lore was correct in saying that he was "raised by Hoovers in Kentucky." We must remember, at this point, that in 1816 he was a 12-year old boy and ready to begin to learn a trade. But where was he during the first 12 years of his life? No additional court minutes could be found with reference to his leaving Abraham Beavers. Those of us in the family had been told through the years that he left where he was living in KY because of ill-treatment, and he would not return to KY even though he had told some of the family that he probably had an inheritance due him in that state. So far, no further records have been found for him in KY. Additional research is in process now to see if we can pick up his trail in KY after 1821.

He did make his way to Tazewell County, VA where, on 30 June 1830, he married Nancy Christian, a daughter of Thomas Christian and Louisa (nee Harman) Christian---this ceremony was performed by William McGuire. There is one John Reed found in Tazewell County records in 1805 when a litigation
is filed between this John Reed and Canfield Taylor. Since we know that our John Reed was born in 1804 in Rogersville, TN, this had to have been another John Reed---and, there were other Reeds in Tazewell County who were related to Lyles Dolsberry. When Hannah Harrison's property was sold on 17 July 1830, our John Reed made two purchases from this estate. One can easily surmise from this that he bought items which he and Nancy needed to set up housekeeping. In December 1834, John Reed was chosen as a magistrate for Tazewell County, VA. This seems to indicate that he was respected by county residents because in those days the position of magistrate was held in higher esteem than what it is today. He had accumulated fairly large holdings in real estate---records of land grants have been found to
substantiate this fact. While this land, at that time, was in Tazewell County, in 1858 when McDowell became a county, John Wesley and his family, for the most part, were now residents of this (McDowell) new county. Before he died in 1888, he found himself in a new state because WVA became a state in 1863. He and Nancy had several children and their history will be covered in the "Reed Family History" now being compiled by this writer. The parentage of John Wesley is still lost in the pages of time, but it is the hope of this writer that the right page will be turned one of these days to reveal the answer to this puzzle.

John married Nancy Jane CHRISTIAN 13 Jun 1830, Tazewell Co. VA. Nancy (daughter of Thomas Bailey CHRISTIAN and Louisa HARMAN) was born 3 Oct 1812, Sinking Waters, Tazewell Co. VA; died 2 Dec 1887, Avondale, McDowell Co., WV; was buried , In a hillside cemetery overlooking the site of the old Reed homestead on Crane Creek in McDowell Co., WVA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married:
U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
Name: Nancy Christian, born in VA in 1812.
Spouse Name: John Wesley Reed, born in TN in 1804.
Marriage
Year: 1830
Marriage State: VA

Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940
Name: John Reed
Spouse's Name: Nancy Christian
Event Date: 13 Jun 1830
Event Place: Tazewell, Virginia
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M01695-4
System Origin: Virginia-EASy
GS Film number: 34214
Reference ID: Page 103

1. Jackson Reed was born 29 May 1831, Tazewell Co. VA.
2. Nancy Jane Reed was born 04 Dec 1832, Tazewell Co. VA; died 11 Jan 1911, Avondale, McDowell Co. WV.
3. John Lindsey Reed was born 17 Mar 1834, Tazewell Co. VA; died 1850, Victor, Iowa Co. IA.
4. Daniel Reed was born 02 Oct 1835, Tazewell Co. VA; died 1850.
5. Wesley Reed was born 10 Jun 1837, Tazewell Co. VA.
6. Mathias Harman Reed was born 01 Mar 1839, Tazewell Co. VA; died 1843, Tazewell Co. VA.
7. Thomas Mastin Reed was born 13 Feb 1841, Tazewell Co. VA; died 1843, Tazewell Co. VA.
8. Elias Friendly Reed was born 19 Jun 1843, Tazewell Co. VA; died 14 Jan 1844, Tazewell Co. VA.
9. Louisa Reed was born 30 Dec 1844, Tazewell Co. VA.
10. Amanuel REED was born 09 Nov 1849, Tazewell Co. VA; died 08 Jul 1923, McClure, Dickenson Co. VA.
11. Henry James Reed was born 11 Aug 1847, Tazewell Co. VA.
12. Moses David Reed was born 31 Mar 1852, Tazewell Co. VA; died 05 Jul 1854, Tazewell Co. VA.