Reynolds of Surry County, Virginia

1.      Nicholas Reynolds (? – c1655-6)  There is no mention of him among the early Virginia headrights, and he is not among those listed in the Jamestown muster of 1625.  Nicholas Reynolds first appears on 23 December 1636, when he renewed a patent of Roger Delke by virtue of his marriage to Delke’s widow Alice.[1]  The land, 1000 acres on the western bank of Lawnes Creek, was then in James City County but fell into Surry County at its formation in 1652.   All records of James City County are lost.  By the time Surry was formed, Nicholas Reynolds was near the end of his life.  He is mentioned in Surry records as a “gentleman” on one occasion, but appears in relatively few records.[2]  The last mention of him alive is on 4 January 1654.[3]  He must have died not long after, for Roger Delke II executed two leases for parts of the patent in January 1657.[4]   We also know that his widow Alice had remarried to John Gregory before late 1659, for on 25 November 1659 Alice Gregory “the relict of Roger Delke deceased and natural mother of Roger Delke” released her dower interest in a sale of part of the patent.[5]  On 23 December 1660, Roger Delke II, with the consent of John Gregory, executed a lease for “the old lease formerly made by my father Mr. Nicholas Rennolds… on behalf of the heirs of Mr. Nicholas Rennolds deceased.”[6]  The following year, Roger Delke made a deed of gift of part of the patent to “my loving brothers Francis & Robt. Rennells, borne of my natural mother Alice Gregory wife unto John Gregory, sonnes of the decd Nicholas Rennells of Lawnes Creek in the county of Surrey…unto Jno. Gregory & Alice Gregory my natural mother, for the use of my brothers Francis & Robt. Rennells…”[7]  Though Nicholas Reynolds had renewed the patent in 1636, it actually belonged to Roger Delke, who later solidified his title by renewing the old patent in his own name.[8]  The 1661 deed indicated neither Francis nor Robert Reynolds was married, as it was explicit that the land would revert to Roger Delke if both the Reynolds brothers died without heirs of their own.  There is no further mention of Alice Gregory in the Surry records.

1.1.   Francis Reynolds (c1641? – 1668/9)  was probably the elder brother as he is mentioned first in the 1661 deed, which implies that neither brother was yet 21.  Other than the above deed, Francis Reynolds appears only once in the Surry records.  He appears as a taxpayer in the 1668 tithables (the first list available), but not thereafter.   He evidently died without heirs, for his brother Robert Reynolds was the sole owner of their joint land in later years. 

1.2.   Robert Reynolds (c1642 – 1703)  On 1 September 1671, Roger Delke sold an additional part of the 1636 patent to Robert Reynolds.[9]  The deed refers to Robert Reynolds other land, confirming that he had inherited the land formerly jointly owned by him and his brother Francis.  Both parcels were contiguous, totaling 300 acres.  Robert Reynolds appears relatively infrequently in the Surry records, but is in the tithables each year from 1668 through 1702.  His will, dated 30 January 1703 and proved on 2 March 1703, and which gives his age as “60 or thereabouts”, left his home plantation to his wife Elizabeth for her lifetime and left the other 150 acres “that my son Robert now lives on” to his grandson Nicholas when 21 years old.[10]  His daughters Susannah and Elizabeth received legacies, as did his grandson Robert Griffin.  His widow Elizabeth paid the 1704 quit rents on 150 acres, and his son Robert on the other 150 acres.  Elizabeth was still alive as late as 1711 when she witnessed her daughter-in-law’s will.

1.2.1.    Robert Reynolds (1675/6 - 1711)  He first appears as a tithable of his father from 1692 through 1698, but paid his own tax from 1699 through 1703, the last available tithable list.  He died intestate before 3 May 1709, when his widow Grace Reynolds was granted administration of his estate.[11]  Grace Reynolds herself left a nuncupative will dated 15 December 1711 and proved four days later, leaving legacies to her daughter Mary Reynolds and three “kinswomen” who were evidently nieces, daughters of her Clark siblings.[12]  Grace was evidently a Clark, for her oral will failed to name an executor and Sampson Clark requested administration as her “next of kin”.[13]  On 17 December 1712, Sampson Clark filed an accounting which included charges to her estate for “funeral of herself and son.”[14] 

1.2.1.1.     Nicholas Reynolds (? – c1711)   His grandfather’s will of 1703 left him the land his father was living on when he reached 21.  He must have died shortly before his mother, since her will does not mention him.  He is surely the son whose funeral expense was paid by her estate.       

1.2.1.2.     Mary Reynolds  (? – 1751) married Thomas Waller Jr.  On 15 July 1728 she and her husband sold the land her father had inherited, calling herself the “granddaughter and heir of Robert Reynolds [Sr.].”[15]  Thomas Waller died intestate before 29 December 1750, and Mary died by 19 March 1750/1 when her son Edmund Waller was granted administration of her estate.[16]

1.2.2.    Nicholas Reynolds (1679/80 – 1698/9)  He first appears as a tithable of his father in the June 1696 tithables list.  He was a tithable of his father from 1696 through 1698, but is not a Surry tithable thereafter.  He testified to a nuncupative will in neighboring Isle of Wight County in 1698, “aged 18”.[17]  There is no further record of him, and he is not mentioned in his father’s will in 1703.