Reeves Family of Linden, Stillorgan
The Reeves family originally came from Dorset.
Boles D’Arcy Reeves married Mary Roberts
born circa 1781 16.04.1814 born circa 1784
Ballyhay Ballyhay, Cork
died circa 1857 died September 1832
Dublin
Boles Reeves born circa 1781. He was an attorney and the son of John Boles Reeves and Arabella
Bourchier. He married Mary Roberts daughter of Captain Jonathan Bruce Roberts on 16 Apr 1814.
Captain Roberts served in the War of Independence in America and fought at Bunkers Hill in 1775.
Arabella was grandmother to William Reeves, Bishop of Down. Mary died in September 1832 at
Leeson Street from cholera. Boles was a member of the RDS and died circa 1856.
1 Rev William Reeves, Rector of Ballymena born 16.03.1815 at Charleville, Cork married his
cousin Emma Reeves 3rd daughter of Captain Thomas Reeves of Carlisle on 23.01.1838 at
St Cuthbert’s Church, Carlisle and they had 9 children, the youngest being 2 weeks old when
Emma died in 1855 aged 40 years. Hers was the first funeral entry of the new Church in
Ballymena. William then of Conway House shortly before his death married Charlotte
Augusta Katherine Townley daughter of Charles Townley on 26.12.1891 at St Ann’s Church,
Dublin. William died on 12.01.1892 aged 76 years at 19 Molesworth Street, Dublin.
2 Mary Reeves eldest daughter born circa 1818 married Charles Haig a barrister 3rd son of
Robert Haig and Mary Caroline Wolseley of Roebuck and nephew of Sir Charles Wolseley on
23.08.1842 at Stillorgan Church. Charles died on 01.02.1847 aged 38 years at Lower
Gardiner Street and is buried at Donnybrook. Mary went to live in Fulham with her family.
1 Charles Robert Haig born on 13.02.1844 at Gardiner Street.
2 Mary Reeves Haig born on 20.07.1845 at Linden, Stillorgan and died on 16.01.1918
late of 13 Askew Road, London.
3 Reeves Haig born on 08.11.1846 at Gardiner Street.
3 Rev Boles Reeves born circa 1821 attended Trinity College 1838 and died unmarried on
24.01.1891 at Rosbercon Rectory, Kilkenny.
4 Catherine Reeves youngest daughter born circa 23.07.1823 married Persee Rainsford a
solicitor of 11 Upper Rutland Street the eldest son of late Rev John Salisbury Rainsford on
06.10.1846 at St George’s Church. The Rainsford family went to Sydney in July 1865.
1 Charles Rainsford born 26.06.1848 at 11 Rutland Street, baptised at St George’s
Church.
2 Persee Rainsford born 22.04.1850 at 38 Kildare Street.
3 John Rainsford born 22.05.1852 at 34 Lower Gloucester Street
4 Infant son born prematurely on 23.07.1854 and only survived a few hours at 34
Lower Gloucester Street.
5 Mary Reeves Rainsford born 31.08.1855 at 34 Lower Gloucester Street.
6 Boles Reeves Rainsford born 19.12.1857 at 34 Lower Gloucester Street.
Valuable Paintings - And a question of ownership 1840
In December 1840 a case was taken by Boles Reeves of Linden, Stillorgan against Philip Morris.
Mr Reeves was described as a gentleman of some property and a retired solicitor. Mr Morris
dealt in pictures and represented himself as an officer of the British army, though born in
America. He said he had been struck by the same ball that killed General Ross and now when
he now took wine, it went to his head! This caused an outburst of laughter in the courtroom.
The case was about some paintings that had been seized by the sheriff from Mr Morris's
premises and Mr Boles was claiming ownership of them.
One of the pictures in this dispute was "Mercury instructing Cupid" by Corregio and was
thought to be quite valuable as even Mr Seagrave from the National Gallery had called to
Stillorgan to see it. According to a witness (the son of Mr Reeves) this painting had been
one of forty two paintings given to Mr Morris to clean and it was alleged that Mr Morris
had sold on one of the Corregios for 50 pounds. In total eighty paintings had been seized
from Mr Morris's premises. It turned out that Mr Reeves and Mr Morris were friends, who
'supped and dined together' and there was even a possibility that they bought paintings
together, but the case has some great one liners and some wonderful repartee.
Various people were called as witnesses to identify the paintings and declare that they had
originally sold them to Mr Reeves.
One of the witnesses when asked had he ever seen an original painting replied. 'I would not
swear it was an original unless I saw the man painting it'. It seems that Mr Reeves may not
have been a very good judge of paintings and when an expert who when asked by the judge
to value this collection of paintings replied, 'My Lord, if I had plenty of money, I would not
buy them at all'.
Maybe not so valuable after all!
© June Bow & Karen Poff – October 2017
The Reeves family originally came from Dorset.
Boles D’Arcy Reeves married Mary Roberts
born circa 1781 16.04.1814 born circa 1784
Ballyhay Ballyhay, Cork
died circa 1857 died September 1832
Dublin
Boles Reeves born circa 1781. He was an attorney and the son of John Boles Reeves and Arabella
Bourchier. He married Mary Roberts daughter of Captain Jonathan Bruce Roberts on 16 Apr 1814.
Captain Roberts served in the War of Independence in America and fought at Bunkers Hill in 1775.
Arabella was grandmother to William Reeves, Bishop of Down. Mary died in September 1832 at
Leeson Street from cholera. Boles was a member of the RDS and died circa 1856.
1 Rev William Reeves, Rector of Ballymena born 16.03.1815 at Charleville, Cork married his
cousin Emma Reeves 3rd daughter of Captain Thomas Reeves of Carlisle on 23.01.1838 at
St Cuthbert’s Church, Carlisle and they had 9 children, the youngest being 2 weeks old when
Emma died in 1855 aged 40 years. Hers was the first funeral entry of the new Church in
Ballymena. William then of Conway House shortly before his death married Charlotte
Augusta Katherine Townley daughter of Charles Townley on 26.12.1891 at St Ann’s Church,
Dublin. William died on 12.01.1892 aged 76 years at 19 Molesworth Street, Dublin.
2 Mary Reeves eldest daughter born circa 1818 married Charles Haig a barrister 3rd son of
Robert Haig and Mary Caroline Wolseley of Roebuck and nephew of Sir Charles Wolseley on
23.08.1842 at Stillorgan Church. Charles died on 01.02.1847 aged 38 years at Lower
Gardiner Street and is buried at Donnybrook. Mary went to live in Fulham with her family.
1 Charles Robert Haig born on 13.02.1844 at Gardiner Street.
2 Mary Reeves Haig born on 20.07.1845 at Linden, Stillorgan and died on 16.01.1918
late of 13 Askew Road, London.
3 Reeves Haig born on 08.11.1846 at Gardiner Street.
3 Rev Boles Reeves born circa 1821 attended Trinity College 1838 and died unmarried on
24.01.1891 at Rosbercon Rectory, Kilkenny.
4 Catherine Reeves youngest daughter born circa 23.07.1823 married Persee Rainsford a
solicitor of 11 Upper Rutland Street the eldest son of late Rev John Salisbury Rainsford on
06.10.1846 at St George’s Church. The Rainsford family went to Sydney in July 1865.
1 Charles Rainsford born 26.06.1848 at 11 Rutland Street, baptised at St George’s
Church.
2 Persee Rainsford born 22.04.1850 at 38 Kildare Street.
3 John Rainsford born 22.05.1852 at 34 Lower Gloucester Street
4 Infant son born prematurely on 23.07.1854 and only survived a few hours at 34
Lower Gloucester Street.
5 Mary Reeves Rainsford born 31.08.1855 at 34 Lower Gloucester Street.
6 Boles Reeves Rainsford born 19.12.1857 at 34 Lower Gloucester Street.
Valuable Paintings - And a question of ownership 1840
In December 1840 a case was taken by Boles Reeves of Linden, Stillorgan against Philip Morris.
Mr Reeves was described as a gentleman of some property and a retired solicitor. Mr Morris
dealt in pictures and represented himself as an officer of the British army, though born in
America. He said he had been struck by the same ball that killed General Ross and now when
he now took wine, it went to his head! This caused an outburst of laughter in the courtroom.
The case was about some paintings that had been seized by the sheriff from Mr Morris's
premises and Mr Boles was claiming ownership of them.
One of the pictures in this dispute was "Mercury instructing Cupid" by Corregio and was
thought to be quite valuable as even Mr Seagrave from the National Gallery had called to
Stillorgan to see it. According to a witness (the son of Mr Reeves) this painting had been
one of forty two paintings given to Mr Morris to clean and it was alleged that Mr Morris
had sold on one of the Corregios for 50 pounds. In total eighty paintings had been seized
from Mr Morris's premises. It turned out that Mr Reeves and Mr Morris were friends, who
'supped and dined together' and there was even a possibility that they bought paintings
together, but the case has some great one liners and some wonderful repartee.
Various people were called as witnesses to identify the paintings and declare that they had
originally sold them to Mr Reeves.
One of the witnesses when asked had he ever seen an original painting replied. 'I would not
swear it was an original unless I saw the man painting it'. It seems that Mr Reeves may not
have been a very good judge of paintings and when an expert who when asked by the judge
to value this collection of paintings replied, 'My Lord, if I had plenty of money, I would not
buy them at all'.
Maybe not so valuable after all!
© June Bow & Karen Poff – October 2017