Hi Megg Great to hear from you.
Ellen Reeves was my gggrandmother, Charlotte’s sister, and daughter of James & Mary Reeves. James was born in Kemsing. The Malthouse in Kemsing, where they were living in 1841 was home to many families. My best bet is that William was either James’ brother or cousin.
Research is difficult because some of the parish records from Kemsing were destroyed and therefore information is patchy. From 1561 to 1803 there are no Kemsing parish records for Reeves’ baptisms! A former curator of St Mary's parish in Kemsing transcribed some remaining records, which show:
William was baptised on 29 July 1804 - son of John & Charlotte.
Harriot was baptised 10 Oct 1819 - daughter of John and Charlotte.
There are more, let me know if you want more sibling research.
James was born in Kemsing, baptised in 1807, and listed as son of John and Sarah, and although I have traced John & Sarah and their family to the local village of Shoreham on 1841 census, I am not convinced that James was not descended from John & Charlotte.
John Reeves & Charlotte Russell were married on 9 Jan 1804 in Kemsing. John is on the 1851 census with son Thomas, living in Kemsing, birth <1780-1> place - Otford, Kent. Otford is the next village west of Kemsing. Charlotte was born in Kemsing <1781-2>, and died in 1837. John died in 1867 in Plumstead; Harriet’s son John was present.
Ellen Reeves, James & Mary’s daughter, married George Sears. Two daughters, Anne (Annie) and Eleanor, born in 1859 and 1861 in Sundridge, Kent, were said to have emigrated to Australia and to have started a water company, called Yates. They do not appear on or after the 1881 UK census, so I rather assume that they would have left England around 1880 when Anne would have been 21. As far as I know neither were married when they left he UK. I have not been successful in locating any further information about them. Any help you can give would be wonderful.
skybird, UK