The Family of
Governor John Reynolds of Illinois (1788-1865)
A Condensed Family History
Prepared by Julia F. Dean
Tulsa, Oklahoma
©Reynolds Family Association, 1992

Special Acknowledgement: Great credit and appreciation are accorded William G. Livingstone, Lt. Commdr., US Navy, of Pasadena, CA for his extensive research of this family.

In Ireland

Robert Reynolds, father of (Gov.) John Reynolds, often declared "with conscious pride and kindling eye" that he and his ancestors were of the ancient Milesian race, the primitive inhabitants of IR, and that "not a drop of English blood flowed in his veins." John commented: "It is not impossible, however, that he was mistaken and that our family is in fact of English origin, for I have met with many of the same name in England." [Reynolds, John, My Own Times, Chicago 1879 edition, reprint by University Microfilms, Ann Arbour, MI 1968, p. 2]

If Robert was correct, then in ancient times, the family was probably situated in County Leitrim, and their name originally MacRaghnail/MacRannal/MacReynolds, until anglicized by Thomas Reynolds during Queen Elizabeth's reign. Thomas' grandson, John of Lough Scur, was the first of the family to conform to the Protestant Church; he died in 1632. He built the island castle of Lough Scur c1570. [O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees, James Duffy & Co. Dublin 1892, 2 vol, Vol. I, p. 144, "Reynolds No. 1"; MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families, Hodges Figgis & Co., Dublin, 1957; Journal of Royal Society of Antiquarians of Ireland, Vol. 15, p. 139-151: Meehan, Joseph (Rev.), "Notes on the MacRannals of Leitrim and Their Country."]

The earliest known of Hugh's family is his father, who married the daughter of "Lord Wortley." [Robert Bannon Reynolds' Journal of 1843, Knoxville, TN] Investigation has been made as to the identity of "Lord Wortley," without finding proof. A continuing mystery to be researched! The only family of Wortley found is that of Yorkshire, an extinct baronetcy. Hugh may be a descendant of Sir Francis Wortley. No Irish peer of the title of Wortley has been found. There may be some connection to the Coote family: Lodge, Peerage of Ireland, 1754, Vol. 1, p. 298: Coote, Earle of Mountrath; ... Sir Wm, the father by a daughter of Thomas Masel, Esq., of another Sir Wm., whose wife was the da. and heir of ___ Wortley of Wortley Esq., and his son and heir by her was Sir John Coote...

The Coote family was in Co. Cavan, and founded the town of Cootehill, in the extreme north of the county, close to its border with Monaghan. They came to this part of Co. Cavan c1660.

Another possible clue is that a Sir Robert Reynolds received 1337 acres in the Barony and Liberties of Dundalk, Co. Louth, 1 Jul 1667. [Grants under the Act of Settlement] A Robert Reynolds of Elvetham, Hants, was knighted 4 Jun 1660. [Shaw, W.A., The Knights of England.] No further mention of this Robert Reynolds has been found to date in Irish records.

Hugh Reynolds, b. c1707

Hugh Reynolds married Ellen Duer. The family was located in Co. Louth, 3 miles from Dundalk and 9 miles from Newry, Co. Down, in Creggan Parish. Creggan is situated at the junction of counties Monaghan, Louth and Armagh, and the parish itself lies in Louth and Armagh. [Reynolds, John, My Own Times, Belleville IL 1855; 2nd ed., Chicago 1879; IL Sesquicentennial ed., Univ. Microfilms, Ann Arbor MI (Reprint of 1879 ed.); Reynolds, John, Pioneer History of Illinois, Belleville IL, 1852; Chicago 1887; Reynolds, Robert Bannon, Journal of 1843, Knoxville TN, courtesy of his daughter Mary Bannon Reynolds Gore; Co. Louth Archaeological Society, Vol. VIII, p. 156: "List c1765 of Families in Parish of Creggan in Cos. Armagh & Louth: Protestants in the Five Towns," numbered 1 to 33: Hugh Reynolds was #3.]

In 1843, Robert Bannon Reynolds (1811-1896) visited Reynolds descendant James Reynolds Forgey (1809-1853) in Surgoinsville, TN and relatives all around, and learned much of his family history. This he recorded in his journal, of which portions were carefully copied and preserved by his daughter, Mary Bannon Reynolds Gore (1876-aft. 1967). The original manuscript was lent to a friend and was lost. Much of the following discussion of the early Reynoldses is from that journal, with great gratitude to Mrs. Gore. In 1967, Mrs. Gore resided alternately with her two daughters in Braintree, MA and Miami Beach, FL.

Descendants of Hugh Reynolds

Hugh Reynolds b. c1707 Co. Louth IRE, d. Co. Louth? m. Ellen Duer b. c1710
      Children, birth order uncertain:
        1 Hugh Reynolds Jr. b. c1729 Co. Louth IRE, d. 1813? Co. Louth?
        2 Sarah Reynolds b. c1731 Co. Louth
      *3 James Reynolds b. c1733 Co. Louth, d. 1814/15 Knox Co. TN; m. Mary Bannon
        4 Houston Reynolds b. c1735 Co. Louth; m. Co. Armagh IRE 1757 Mary Giveen
        5 Jane Reynolds b. c1737 Co. Louth
        6 John Reynolds b. c1739 Co. Louth, d. 1804? Aughnaseadagh, Co. Monaghan? IRE
      *7 Margaret Reynolds b. 25 Dec 1741 Co. Louth, d. 1 Jun 1828 Hawkins Co. TN; m. Co. Louth? c1760? Andrew Forgey
      *8 Ellen Reynolds b. c1743 Co. Louth, d. Flat Creek, Knox Co. TN; m. ___ McDaniel

3 James Reynolds b. c1733 Co. Louth IRE, d. 1814/15 Knox Co. TN. Came to the US 1784. He married Mary Bannon b. c1738 Co. Louth, d. 1820/21 Knox Co. TN
      Children:
      *31 Robert Reynolds b. c1760 Co. Monaghan IRE, d. 1823-25 St. Clair Co. IL, came to the US, PA, 1785; m. Margaret Moore, b. 1761 Dundalk, Co. Louth IRE, d. Dec. 1832 St. Clair Co. IL, came to US, PA, 1785
        32 Nancy Reynolds b. c1762 Co. Monaghan? IRE, came to US, PA, 1784, d. US; m. in IRE? or Dauphin Co. PA bet. 1784-87 William Pidgeon "of PA."
        33 Ellen Reynolds b. c1764 Co. Monaghan? IRE, came to US, PA, 1784, d. US; m. John Crabb "of TN" b. 15 May 1763 Frederick Co. VA, d. 7 Oct 1844, poss. Greene Co. TN
        34 Thomas Reynolds b. c1766 Co. Monaghan? IRE, d. as infant
        35 Mary Reynolds b. c1768 Co. Monaghan? IRE, came to US 1784, PA, d. US; m. aft. 1787? Jeremiah Pate "of TN" b. bet. 1756-85, living in 1817
        36 Jane Reynolds b. c1770 Co. Monaghan? IRE, came US, PA 1784, d. US; m. aft. 1787 TN? Thomas Cox "of TN"
        37 (Maj.) John Reynolds b. 1773 Co. Monaghan? IRE, d. 1835 Knox Co. TN, came US, PA, 1784; m. Knox Co. TN 11 Jun 1807 Barbara White Frazier b. 23 Aug 1787, d. 7 Apr 1859 Know Co. TN

7 Margaret Reynolds b. 25 Dec 1741 Co. Louth IRE, d. 1 Jun 1828 [Forgey Bible], came to the US apparently c1763, Augusta Co. VA?, in Hawkins Co. TN by 1782. She m. IRE, probably Co. Louth c1760 Andrew Forgey, b. 4 Feb 1732 IRE?, d. 3 Aug 1808/9 Hawkins Co. TN. Andrew Forgey and his wife were members of New Providence Presbyterian Church, Hawkins Co. TN, bef. 1800 [Record Book & Register of Ch, microfilm in McClung Room, Lawson-McGhee Library, Knoxville TN]
      Children:
      71 Hugh Forgey b. c1762 (bet. 1756-85) IRE?, taxpayer Knox Co. TN 1806; m. Hawkins Co. TN c1783 Catherine Fisher, b. c1764 SC?
      72 James Forgey b. 8 Feb 1764 in present Hawkins Co. TN [Record Book & Reg.], d. 17 Mar 1837 Hawkins Co TN; m. Margaret Caldwell b. 1768, d. 1846
      73 John Forgey b. c1766 Hawkins Co. TN?
      74 Nancy Forgey b. 13 Aug 1768 Hawkins Co. TN, d. 13 Mar 1837 Knox Co TN; m. Hawkins Co. c1788 Samuel Crawford, b. 2 Jun 1758 VA or PA, d. 14 May 1822 Knox Co.
      75 Margaret Forgey b. 1774, d. 13 Feb 1847 Knox Co. TN; m.1) Henry Roberts; m.2) ___ Hickle, b. 1774, d. 1847 Knox Co.
      76 Andrew Forgey Jr. b. 4 Jun 1776 Hawkins Co. TN, d. 18 Aug 1830 Hawkins Co. TN; m.1) Hannah ___; m.2) Isabella Crawford

8 Ellen Reynolds b. c1743 Co. Louth IRE, d. Flat Creek, Knox Co. TN, came to US, PA, 1784. She married ___ McDaniel who d. Flat Creek. Child:
      81 Jennie McDaniel b. Knox Co. TN; m. Matthew Campbell
      Children:
            811 Peggy (Margaret) Campbell
            812 Sallie Campbell m. Michael Stone
            813 James Campbell
            814 Nancy Campbell m. John Chase
            815 Charles Campbell
            816 Isaac Campbell
            817 John Campbell
            818 Jennie Campbell m. William Chase
            819 Alexander Campbell m. ___ Danwoody

31 Robert Reynolds b. c1760 Co. Monaghan IRE, d. 1823-25, bef. 12 Jun 1825 St. Clair Co. IL. He married bef. 1785 IRE, Dundalk Co. Louth? Margaret Moore b. 1761 Dundalk, Co. Louth IRE, d. Dec 1832 St. Clair Co. IL. Residences: Co. Monaghan IRE; to US 1785; Montgomery Co. PA; to Knox Co. TN 1788; to Randolph Co. IL 1800; to Madison Co. IL 1807; to St. Clair Co. IL 1823.
      Children:
      311 (Gov.) John Reynolds b. 26 Feb 1788 Montgomery Co. PA, d. 8 May 1865 Belleville, St. Clair Co. IL; m.1) Cahokia, St. Clair Co. 3 Feb 1813 Catherine Dubuque LaCroix Menegle b. 13 Sep 1789 Cahokia, d. 5 Nov 1834 Belleville, bur. Holy Family Church, Cahokia [St. Clair Mar. Recs., Bk B p. 64 & Holy Fam. Ch. Rec., Savine, priest]; m.2) Georgetown DC 11 Jul 1836 Sarah Eveline Wilson b. 12 Feb 1811 Mobile AL [J.P. Snyder, Adam Snyder, p. 318, 1906 ed.], d. 17 Jul 1865 Belleville
      312 Julia Ann Reynolds b. c1790 Knox Co. TN, d. bet. 1818-23 Madison Co. IL? [Census 1818 Madison Co. IL]; m. Madison Co.? c1808? George Belsha b. 1782, d. 12 Jan 1845 St. Clair Co. IL
      313 James Reynolds b. c1792 Knox Co. TN, d. 31 Oct 1828 Greene Co. TN; m. Madison Co. IL 17 Mar 1817 [Madison Co. Mar. Rec.] Sarah Alice Black b. c1800, d. 1846
      314 Robert Reynolds Jr. b. c1794 Knox Co. TN, d. 1841/42, bef. 6 Oct 1845; m. Madison Co. IL 26 Sep 1816 [Madison Co. Mar. Rec.] Sarah Whiteside, div. 1834 [Madison Co. Court Rec.]
      315 Thomas Reynolds b. 28 Aug 1796 Knox Co. TN, d. 23 Sep 1864 Davis (Geary) Co. KS; m. Randolph Co. IL 29 Oct 1817 Mary Ann McDonough b. 15 Nov 1802 Randolph Co. IL, d. 29 Jul 1883 St. Clair Co. IL
      316 Nancy Reynolds b. c1798 Knox Co. TN [Census 1830 Madison Co. IL], d. 4 Nov 1875 Kansas City MO; m. Belleville, St. Clair Co. IL 26 Aug 1827 [St. Clair Co. Mar. Rec.] William Davis b. 1790-1800 Rockbridge Co. VA, d. 1845/46 Lafayette Co. MO