Some Descendants of
John and Sarah Reynolds of Watertown MA and
Wethersfield and Stamford CT
by Glenn G. Reynolds, M.D.
Because Shubal Reynolds (not Shubael my ancestor, of my Lorena Reynolds and wife of my Levi) is in this material, and is the older brother of my Levi Reynolds, you will find his name and his progeny here as well. His RFA Offspring is Jane Reynolds Harris, of Tallahassee, FL. Hence she and her father, Thurlow Weed Reynolds etc are in this line up. Emma-Jo "Jody" Davis also comes from that line; and Sandra Lundy is also of Shubael Reynolds. Other RFA members of this line are Dean Phillips of CT (John Hinckley Reynolds); Athella King and Bob Maheny of Michigan of Aa Douglas Reynolds (named from Aa Douglas, father of Stephen A. Douglas, the opponent of Abraham Lincoln, who emigrated with my Levi J. Reynolds to Stephenson County Illinois, from New York. Aa Douglas was a friend of Jeremiah Reynolds).
Generation No. 1
1. JOHN1 REYNOLDS was born abt. 1612 in Boxford, Suffolk, England, and died aft. 1651 in Stamford, Connecticut. He married SARAH CHESERTON Abt. 1630 in Boxford, Suffolk, England.
Notes for JOHN* REYNOLDS:
John's name is noted on the monument to the original settlers of Watertown, Mass., to have arrived in 1630 with Governor Saltonstall. His name is included with the original 60 other settlers listed on that monument. Included on that monument, is also the name of Thomas Doggett, a progenitor of Elizabeth Daggett, who married Jeremiah Reynolds about 1772 or 3. Other historical records reveal them to be part of the Winthrop fleet, many of which emigrated from the area around Grafton and Boxford, in Suffolk, England. He married in England, before he came to Massachusetts, as Sarah his wife is known as Reynolds, on the ship passenger list, when they departed Ipswich on May 06, 1634.
He was admitted as a "Freeman", of Watertown, suggesting he may have been indentured. In 1636, he removed with several other settlers, including Robert Reynolds (probably his brother [whose name is NOT on the monument of the original settlers]), to Weathersfield, Connecticut. The site of his home is noted on the early maps of that town. He is not to be confused with another John Reynolds, who arrived some time later, and was married to a Naomi Latimer.
In 1641, He and Sarah removed to Stamford, Connecticut, with some other Weathersfield men, and they established the town of Stamford. He is noted to have received 11 acres of land from the original division of land.
The place and date of his death is not known, but in 1651 the Stamford town records (p. 51) Deed: "the housing and lands of John Holly.... more or less bounded by ye lot which was John Renoles..." His name is not mentioned in 1657 when the death of Sarah Reynolds his wife is recorded. There is some speculation that he was a seaman, crew or officer, and perchance one of the Captains of one of the Winthrop fleet ships and that he made several trips back and forth to England, while at Watertown. This may explain why his name is not listed on the passenger manifest of any of these ships, but that later his wife Sarah's name is so listed. He may have also died in England on a trip back to the land of his birth. The gravestone of Joseph, grandson of Robert Reynolds who is also noted to have come from Boxford, suggests that the family were of some stature in England, as the tombstone with this Reynolds Family coat of Arms, carries the helmet of a Squire.
There has been some suggestion of a relationship to Governor Winthrop, and or the Gray family (Lady Jane Gray) also of the same area of Suffolk, and related to the Duke of Clarence. A home of the Dukes of Clarence is still standing in the New World in Antigua. They were in residence there before Lord Horatio Nelson made the harbor below their home his dockyard.
More About SARAH CHESERTON:
April 1634, arrived at Watertown, Mass, as "Sarah Reynolds", on board the ship, Elizabeth, from Ipswich, Suffolk county, England. This implies she was married before leaving Boxford, to John, before he left England. She was reported at that time to be 20 years of age. Their daughter Elizabeth, may have been named after this ship.
December 1640, They sold their Wethersfield property.
1651, Stamford town records, p. 51: Deed "the housing and lands of John Holly.... more or less bounded by ye lot which was John Renoles..." August 21, 1657, Stamford town meeting records [p. 25-26], record of Sarah Reynolds death. No similar records of John's death have been found. Did he die before this? Did he make a trip back to England to visit his family, and die while he was there?
Children of JOHN* REYNOLDS and SARAH CHESERTON are:
i. ELIZABETH2 REYNOLDS, b. abt. 1635, Watertown, Mass.
2. ii. JOHN* REYNOLDS, b. abt. 1636, Wethersfield, Connecticut; d. December 1701, Greenwich, Connecticut.
iii. JONOTHAN REYNOLDS, b. abt. 1638.
Generation No. 2
2. JOHN*2 REYNOLDS (JOHN*1) was born abt. 1636 in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and died December 1701 in Greenwich, Connecticut. He married JUDAH PALMER abt. 1668 in Greenwich, Connecticut, daughter of WILLIAM PALMER and JUDITH PEAKE.
Children of JOHN* REYNOLDS and JUDAH PALMER are:
i. JOHN3 REYNOLDS, b. 1670.
ii. JUDITH REYNOLDS, b. 1672.
3. iii. JAMES* REYNOLDS, ESQ., b. 1674, Horseneck, Greenwich township, Connecticut; d. February 14, 1767, Amenia, Dutchess county, New York.
iv. MARY REYNOLDS, b. 1679.
v. JONOTHAN REYNOLDS, b. 1682.
vi. JOSHUA REYNOLDS, b. 1685.
vii. DAVID REYNOLDS, b. 1687.
Generation No. 3
3. JAMES*3 REYNOLDS, ESQ. (JOHN*2, JOHN*1) was born 1674 in Horseneck, Greenwich township, Connecticut, and died February 14, 1767 in Amenia, Dutchess county, New York. He married (1) UNKNOWN abt. 1697 in Greenwich, Connecticut. He married (2) SARAH HOLMES 1705 in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Children of JAMES* REYNOLDS and UNKNOWN are:
i. SARAH4 REYNOLDS.
ii. JOHN REYNOLDS, b. 1699.
iii. JAMES REYNOLDS, b. July 06, 1700.
iv. NATHANIEL REYNOLDS, b. February 20, 1703/04.
v. MARY REYNOLDS, b. February 20, 1703/04.
Children of JAMES* REYNOLDS and SARAH HOLMES are:
vi. GIDEON4 REYNOLDS, b. 1706.
vii. JUSTUS REYNOLDS, b. 1708.
4. viii. JEREMIAH* REYNOLDS, b. 1711, Greenwich, Connecticut; d. abt. 1768, Greenwich, Connecticut.
Generation No. 4
4. JEREMIAH*4 REYNOLDS (JAMES*3, JOHN*2, JOHN*1) was born 1711 in Greenwich, Connecticut, and died abt. 1768 in Greenwich, Connecticut. He married JEMIMA BROWN in Greenwich, Connecticut, daughter of PETER BROWN.
Notes for JEREMIAH* REYNOLDS:
Jeremiah and family lived for some time in Greenwich, Conn.; and later in Dutchess county., N.Y. On 24 September 1748, Jeremiah's father, James, gave him 50 acres of land next to his brother, Nathaniel. On February 19, 1750/51, Jeremiah sold land to his brother James [Greenwich deeds, vol. vii]. In March of 1751, Jeremiah "of Greenwich, Fairfield Co., CT", buys land in Lot 19, great Nine Partners, Dutchess Co. N.Y. This seems to be noted again or recorded in 1755. It appears that this may be the same property, noted in 1754, where he is noted to be on the tax list, at Crum Elbow (Charlotte], Dutchess Co., N.Y. This same notation is noted in each year from 1754-1760. In that year, the term "farm" is used. Some have suggested that this might have implied a move.
In 1761, a Jeremiah Reynolds of Connecticut is recorded as serving in the French and Indian War.
1768 - Jeremiah deceased.
I have personally visited the Dutchess County Court, Record Office, and have copies of the above land records. I have also visited the gravesite and tombstone of "James Reynolds, Esq., of Greenwich, son of John"; at the Smithfield burying ground, Amenia precinct, Dutchess County. N.Y.
Acknowledgements:
I am indebted to:
1. Emma Jo Davis, descendent of this Jeremiah's son, Shubael. Who working for the Department of the Army, Graves registration division, has also garnered some of the same and other records.
2. Sandra Lundy. Descendent also of this Jeremiah's son Shubael (Sylvanius. Chapin]. has shared with me her Grandfather Chapin Reynolds' birth, and other dated records. This has clarified many of the dates in question.
3. Jane Harris. Florida Legislative Attorney and Wife of John Harris, of Tallahassee, Fl.; and daughter of T.W. Reynolds. She accompanied her father when she was about 13 years of age, as they roamed the Hudson and Mohawk valleys in search of family material. T.W., thereafter, wrote an extensive monograph (about 130 pages, more or less) on this branch of the Reynolds family.
4. Robert Mahaney, M.D. Descendent of Asa Douglas Reynolds, the 3rd son of this Jeremiah's son, Jeremiah.
5. Athella King. Of West Seattle. Also of the Asa Douglas Reynolds line. Athella generously shared her collections and letters of family, with me; which has greatly facilitated my research.
One must also give credit to Sue Clement, Executive Secretary and Archivist, of the Reynolds Family Association who having worked with Dorothy Jellinghouse, has preserved, studied, collated, and published, with the assistance of Sybil (Lee] Taylor, the "meat" of the collected materials, publications and archives of the Reynolds Family Association, since the late 1980's. This material has been published by the R.F.A., under their authorship as follows:
"Reynolds Family Association Centennial Collection". Compiled and Edited by Susan Rogers Clement. 1992. Printed by the Gregath Co., Cullman, Alabama. See in particular pp. 728-743.
The History of this family, up to the time of this Jeremiah, whom I have chosen to call, Jeremiah "Sr.", has been quite well recorded and published, by a number of authors. Those sources, which I have especially appreciated, are as follows:
"The History and Descendants of John and Sarah Reynolds [1630?-1923] of Watertown, Mass., and Wethersfield, Stamford and Greenwich, Conn." Edited and compiled by Marion H. Reynolds, A.B., and Mrs. Anna C. Rippier. Pub. by The Reynolds Family Assn., 1924.
Of a more contemporary publication, that entitled:
"Loyal to the Land" the history of a Greenwich, Connecticut family. Authored by, Deborah Wing Ray, and Gloria P. Stewart. 1990. Charter Oak Publications, Inc. This very valuable resource was commissioned for research and publication by Russell Seaman Reynolds, Jr., whose family have lived in the Greenwich area for the past 350 years (John, Jonathan, Ebinezer, Nathaniel, etc......]. This book also chronicles our side of the family, quite clearly thru the first four generations [John, John, James, Jeremiah "Sr."....], up to this point {Chapters 1-6}.
Not to be omitted are three more valuable resources.
1. The monograph of T. W. Reynolds. He alludes to the family having emigrated from Ireland. That is quite possibly true, if one means a return of some of the family, from Ireland to England, perhaps, in the 14th or 15th century, as there are many members of the Reynolds family, even today, living in Ireland, especially County Leitrim.
2. "Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley", by Cuyler Reynolds. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, N.Y. 1914. Pp. 392-414. A similar publication by the same author, on the history of the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys; pp. 1825-1835; is very germane to this family.
3. Burying Grounds of Sharon, Conn., Amenia, and North East, N.Y. by L. Van Alystyne. Heart of the Lakes Publishing. 1983. Taken from the same title, published by Walsh, Griffen, Hoystradt, Printers. Amenia, N.Y. 1903.
To Be Continued