Hi and thank you for checking the records for me. Yes, I suspect you found the obit which I posted for Anna Maria on my Ancestry.com Family Tree (Nelson Family Tree). Her death certificate does not list her parents, her DOB or place of birth, other than England. Age is as per certificate, so I approximated 1828. It noted her as a New York City resident for approximately 5 years (c. 1869), which seems consistent with City Directory entries for Isaac 1869-1888. (He was a butcher and had a shop in Brooklyn, NY for years.)
Isaac's death certificate also puts his immigration in this period. (Other than finding an Isaac Reeves in an Naturalization Index, I have had no success in finding naturalization records for him). I have he, his second wife Susan E. and daughter Georgiana on the 1880 US Census. Between the census info, his marriage certificate, (which does not list his actual birthday), and his death certificate, I have established the range of his birth c. 1830-1837, since they all record different ages!? So, it is certainly possible that he is even older, based upon the age of his 1st wife. (Same problems with his daughter, Georgiana, but that's another story, as per family oral history.)
I was also hoping that I could get a link to, or through, his parents, George Reeves and Isabella Daw, but no luck so far. Lots of George Reeves' to sort through, and no luck with Isabella Daw. It generally seems difficult tracking female relatives mid - 19th Century and back. Again, his parents names and his place of birth are coming form his marriage certificate in 1875. I would guess his parents were born c. 1810, and have tried running a variety of search parameters through Ancestry.com, without any luck.
The only other clue I have is a possible son, (or brother) named George, based upon a notation written on the reverse of a period family photograph. Again, I've tried every search variable and database I could, but still no luck. As a final aside, family tradition holds that they are related ot a Reeves, (or Peter Reeves) chain of stores in England, but I cannot find any record or reference to such a store or chain online. Can anyone provide any info regarding the store/chain?
I appreciate everyones help and interest and welcome any tips or references that might help with research, especially in the UK. We have lots to keep researching in England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland, and (understandably and regretfully), a lot of the records seem to have been lost or destroyed over the years.
Thanks again,
Dave
