FACTS
1. Reuben Mabe was born between 1792 and1795 in North Carolina. (1850, 1860, 1870, census records)
2. Reuben Mabe served, with Abner Mabe who is the son of Reuben Mabe, in the War of 1812 in North Carolina (pension application of Polly Mabe, pension application of Abner Mabe).
Who are the likely fathers? Census records of 1800 and 1810 of North Carolina. In this time-frame no Mabe families were found in North Carolina, except in Stokes County. According to these census records these Mabe families were the only ones that had a son born in the same time-frame as the Hawkins County Reuben Mabe.
1800 John Mabe, Jr., Nancy Mabe, Phillip Mabe, Robert Mabe, Sr., Reuben Mabe
1810 John Mabe, Jr., Phillip Mabe, Reuben Mabe, Robert Mabe, Sr.
John Mabe, Jr.'s family was listed in a will written by him in 1836. No mention of a son named Reuben.
Nancy Mabe's family is not listed in any other census after 1800. It is possible that she married and she and her family are listed with her new husband.
Phillip Mabe moved his family to Cabell County, Virginia in the 1810s. Later most of his children moved to Clay County, Missouri in the mid 1820s. They changed their name to Maib. The members of their family were later documented by William Bayer. He had a son named Reuben who stayed in Virginia and married.
Robert Mabe, Sr's family was listed in a law suit filed against them by the Moore family. No mention of a son named Reuben. That does not discount any grandson that might have been living with him that could be named Reuben. His family was slow moving out of the house. A number of his children did not marry until their mid-thirties and one or two did not move out until after his death in the mid 1820s.
Reuben Mabe filed a will in 1852 listing his children. One son was named Reuben. This means that in 1852 Reuben's son, Reuben, was alive a kicking (check the 1850 census for all Reuben Mabe(s)). Also Reuben listed a son named Abner. He is the one that served in the same War of 1812 company as the Hawkins County Reuben Mabe.
Conclusion: The likely fathers are Reuben Mabe, husband/boy friend of Nancy Mabe, or possible grandson of Robert Mabe.
Review of 1850 census records. Since the Stokes County Reuben Mabe's son, Reuben, was alive in 1852, he should be mentioned somewhere in the 1850 census. Since the 1850 census was the first to list the names of the family and their ages we can use that information and slot the Stokes County Reuben Mabe's children to their approximate ages in his 1800, 1810, 1820, and 1830 census records.
CENSUS YR: 1850 STATE or TERRITORY: NC COUNTY: Stokes DIVISION: Meadows District REEL NO: M432-645 PAGE NO: 152a REFERENCE: Enumerated on the 20th of November 1850 by Sam M Hughes
16 1149 1183 Mabe Reuben 84 M Farmer 168 Va X , Mabe Rhody 78 F NC X, Mabe Nancy 42 F, NC X, Duggans Marian 14 M NC Family of Reuben Mabe (1766-1856) This is the Stokes County Reuben.
CENSUS YR: 1850 STATE or TERRITORY: NC COUNTY: Stokes DIVISION: Snow Creek District REEL NO: M432-645 PAGE NO: 127b REFERENCE: Enumerated on the 17th of Oct 1850 by Sam M Hughes
3 824 837 Mabe Reuben 45 M Farmer NC X, Mabe Ruth 30 F NC X, Mabe Nancy 7 F NC, Mabe Harriett 11 F NC REMARKS: First name hard to read. His given name might not be Reuben. Detherage Nancy 36 F NC X Mother of Ruth Deatherage Cannot find this Reuben's father or mother. He is not listed in any subsequent censuses.
CENSUS YR: 1850 STATE or TERRITORY: NC COUNTY: Stokes DIVISION: Snow Creek District REEL NO: M432-645 PAGE NO: 128a REFERENCE: Enumerated on the 28th of Oct 1850 by Sam M Hughes
36 845 858 Mabe Reuben 20 M Farmer NC, Mabe Nancy 23 F NC X, Mabe Mariah 1 F NC. This Reuben is too young to be the Stokes County Reuben's son.
CENSUS YR: 1850 STATE or TERRITORY: VA COUNTY: Henry County
Mabis, Reubin (52, Va) and Nancy (55, Va), Sanford Carter 22 living with Reubin Family of Reuben Mabe (1798----) This Reuben's father is named Phillip Mabe, the brother of Stokes County Reuben.
CENSUS YR: 1850 STATE or TERRITORY: TN COUNTY: Hawkins
62-621 Mabe, Reuben M 58 NC, Sarah F 55 NC , Samuel M 17 , Larkin M 13, Sarah F 12 Family of Reuben Mabe (1793-1871) This is the Hawkins County Reuben.
According to the 1850 census, the ages of Stokes County Reuben's other sons:
Stokes County
26 384 385 Mabe Abner 54 M Farmer 280 No Caro X
13 389 390 Mabe James 56 M Farmer 100 No Caro
4 121 121 Mabe Saml 37 M Mechanic No Carolina
Sullivan County, Tennessee
1192-188 Mayabb, Edward M 41 NC I assume this is Reuben's son. Eddy, that is mentioned in his will. There is only one other known Edward Mabe in this time frame and he died in 1848.
George is not listed in the 1850 census. I used the 1830 census to establish his birth date as between 1800-1809.
Review of the males in the Stokes County Reuben's census records:
1800
584 9 492 Mabee Reubin pg00575 30011-10010-00
Adult male age over 45 born before 1755 - Is this John Mabe, Reuben's father?
Adult male age born 26 to 45 born (1755-1774) Reubin, son of John Mabe
3 Boys age 0 to 9 born (1791-1800) brothers Abner, James , Reuben Could this be Hawkins County Reuben?
1810
123 10 558 Maile Reubin 3010-21010
Adult male age born 26 to 45 born (1765-1784) Reubin, son of John Mabe
3 Boys age 10 to 15 born (1795-1800) brothers Abner, James, Reuben Could this be Hawkins County Reuben?
Boy: age 0 to 9 born (1801-1810) Edman or George
1820
357 39 Maab Reubin 41101-41301
Adult male age over 45 born before 1775 Reubin
Male: age 16 to 26 born (1794-1804) Reuben Could this be Hawkins County Reuben?
Boy: age 10 to 15 born (1805-1810) George
4 Boys: age 0 to 9 born (1811-1820) Brothers Edman and Samuel, two unknowns. Could they be Hawkins County Reuben's possible sons William and Alexander?
Changes since the last census: Abner married Bettye Unknown before 1812. James married Kiziah Wood in 1815.
1830
Stokes County
227 14 Maabe Reubin Sr 000110001-00101001
Adult male age 60 to 69 born between (1761-1770) Reubin
Male: age 20 to 29 born (1801-1810) Edman
Boy: age 15 to 19 born (1811-1815) Samuel
Reuben and George moved out.
269 12 Maab George 00000100-0000010
Adult male age 20 to 29 born (1801-1810) George
Adult Females age (20 to 29) born (1801-1810) Unknown
I included George here to establish that he married and moved out by 1830 and since he wasn't in the 1850 census to establish his estimated age.
Hawkins County
Mabe, Reuben 310001-221001
Translation:
Males: 3 (under 5), 1 (5 to 9), 1 (30 to 40)
Females: 2 (under 5), 2 (5 to 9), 1 (10 to 15), 1 (30 to 40)
Possible names for the males: 3 (under 5) John born 1828, two unknown, one is possible Samuel (he has various dates of birth, could the other be Robert, the son of Hannah?)
1 (5 to 9) David born 1824
1 (30 to 40) Reuben born 1793
NOTE: Where are William and Alexander? Are the unknowns children that died before the next census or relatives that were living with them? Or could Alexander and William have been indentured to learn a trade? Remember Alexander was shoemaker in the Lee County, Virginia 1850 census.
Possible names for the females: 2 (under 5) Rhoda born 1825, Martha born about 1825
2 (5 to 9) Franky born 1820-1822, 1 unknown possible Margaret
1 (10 to 15) Hannah born 1815
1 (30 to 40) Sarah born 1795
This is my analysis of the possible children of Hawkins County Reuben Mabe which I will address in a separate analysis of Reuben's children.
Conclusion: In 1830 there were only two Reuben Mabes in the census records, one in Hawkins County, Tennessee and the other in Stokes County, North Carolina. Also the Hawkins County Reuben could easily fit into the census records as a son of the Stokes County Reuben. Even in 1820 when we know that the Hawkins County Reuben married and bore a son, Alexander, in 1817 he still fits into the Stokes County Reuben's census' records. That would include Reuben's wife and his daughter who also was born before 1820. Remember, Alexander is the only known early proven son of Reuben. That was proven by a debt Reuben assumed for him.
Analysis of Reuben's will:
I copied this from Genealogy.com which I think might useful in analyzing Reuben's will:
'A more typical will gives the name of the spouse and at least some of the children. Usually the sons are listed in order of birth, followed by the daughters. '
The birth order of the Reuben's sons in his will are:
'Item 3rd I give my son Jamie one horse which he has rec'd.
Item 4th I give my son Reuben one horse which he has rec'd.
Item 5th I give my son Abner one horse which he has rec'd.
Item 6th I give my son George one horse which he has rec'd.
Item 7th I give my son Eddy one horse which he has rec'd.
Item 8th I give my son Samuel one horse, bed, and furniture all of which he has
rec'd.'
If Reuben's will followed the example as out-lined above then his son Reuben would have been the second oldest son and even using any combination of the ages of James and Abner in the later census records he would have been born no later than the mid 1790s.
Over-all Analysis of Hawkins County Reuben Mabe's parent:
Even though it is not 100% conclusive a very strong circumstantial case can be made that Hawkins County Reuben is the son of Stokes County Reuben.
