Other Reynolds in the Isle of Wight Area

Thomas Reynolds of Surry and Charles City County

The same Thomas Reynolds, surgeon, appears in the records of both Surry County and Charles City County.  The land of Thomas Reynolds is mentioned in a patent issued on 15 August 1637 to John Hucks for 200 acres in James City County on the south side of James River.[1]  The patent was located in what later became Surry County, near Smith’s Fort Creek [later Grays Creek].[2]  In 1652 probably the same Thomas Reynolds assigned a patent of 50 acres in Charles City County to Francis Grey.[3]  In 1654 the Surry records identify Thomas Reynolds as a doctor when he sued for “physicke” services.[4]  By 17 September 1655 Thomas Reynolds appears in a Charles City County record which suggests he was then living on the line between Charles City [later Prince George] and Surry counties.[5]  On 13 February 1657/8 Thomas Warren of Surry sold to Thomas Reynolds of Martins Brandon in Charles City County “Chyrurgion”, 100 acres on Smith’s Fort Creek near the 1637 patent.[6]   The acknowledgement of payment refers to him as “Doctor Tho. Rennals”.[7]  Probably the same Thomas Reynolds signed as a witness to a Surry deed on 1 January 1661/2 and to a bill two weeks later.[8]  On 6 March 1664/5 Thomas Reynolds sold the 100 acres purchased seven years earlier, Thomas giving power of attorney to “my loveinge wife Jane Reynolds” and she appearing in court to acknowledge the sale.[9]  At the same court a land sale by Luthird and Chaddocke is recorded, referencing a prior assignment to them from “Dr. Reynolds”, perhaps referring to the land Reynolds owned in 1637.[10]  He does not appear further in Surry’s records, but is mentioned frequently, often as a doctor, in Charles City records through 1665.[11]  There is at that point a gap in the Charles City County records until a fragmentary book for 1672-3 in which he is not mentioned.   However, on 28 April 1660 Marke Avery of Martins Brandon made a deed of gift of 50 acres to Thomas Reynolds “chirurgeon of Surry County”.[12]  A patent renewal was issued to Thomas Reynolds for this land ten years later on 14 October 1670.[13]  There are no further records of either Thomas Reynolds or of his wife Jane, Charles City County records being essentially nonexistent after 1665.  There are no Reynolds in the 1704 quit rents in either Charles City or Prince George counties.

He is perhaps the “Tho. Reynolds” claimed as a headright by Henry Perry for a patent in Charles City County on 18 December 1637, for land on the north side of the James River roughly opposite Martins Brandon.[14]  “Thomas Reynolds at Martins Brandon in Virginia” was left £40 in the will of Robert Greene of Stepney, Middlesex in 1658, perhaps an indication of his English origins.[15]

Thomas Reynolds of Isle of Wight. 

      A patent was issued to Anthony Mathews on 1 February 1664/5 for 650 acres in Isle of Wight for transportation of 13 persons, among them a “Tho. Reighnolds”.[16]  There are no further records of a Thomas Reynolds in Isle of Wight. 

Two Thomas Reynolds of Lower Norfolk County 

      A patent was issued to Thomas Rennolls on 16 April 1653 for 100 acres on the southwest side of Daniel Tanner’s Creek in Lower Norfolk County for transportation of two persons.[17]  He was probably the same person as “Tho: Reinolds”, one of eight persons for whom Lemuel Mason obtained a headright certificate in Lower Norfolk on 6 April 1649.[18]  Mason sold the headright certificate, and “Tho. Rennolds” was claimed as a headright a year later, on 13 March 1649/50, by John Cabbidge for land in Lower Norfolk on Little Creek, only about three miles from that 1653 patent.[19]   Thomas Reynolds first appears in Lower Norfolk records as an appraiser of the estate of Thomas Edwards on 16 February 1648/9.[20] 

A letter written by Thomas “Renalls” of Lower Norfolk County was recorded (apparently after his death) on 28 April 1658 in Lower Norfolk.[21]  The letter was written to his “very loving sister” Elizabeth Renalls of St. John’s Gate, Bristol and refers to “my daughter” who was apparently living in England, as well as to “my aunt” and “my cousin James”.  The sister Elizabeth Reynolds, who had deposed herself to be age 41 in 1657, was the widow of William Reynolds, mariner, “brother of Thomas Renalls late of East Smithfield, London, mariner, deceased.”[22]   The daughter was Elizabeth Reynolds, according to the same record.

A different Thomas Reynolds was named a son-in-law in the will of George Ashall of Lower Norfolk County.  [The name is “Ashwell” in other Lower Norfolk records.]  This will, dated 1 September 1671 and proved 17 February 1671/2, mentions “my daughter Elizabeth wife of Thomas Reynolds”.[23]  Elizabeth Ashwell was named a goddaughter in the will of Peter Markes in 1656, indicating she was still unmarried at that time.[24]  Thomas Reynolds apparently died within a few years leaving no issue, for a deed dated 16 September 1685 by James Peters of Little Creek speaks of 200 acres sold by Robert Blake to Thomas Reynolds “who dyeing without issue living” fell to John Reynolds “brother and heire to the said Thomas Reynolds” who sold to James Peters on 16 April 1679.[25]  [This is the only record of a John Reynolds in Lower Norfolk, suggesting he may have lived elsewhere.]  A patent to Charles Griffin in 1694 speaks of a different parcel of 208 acres at the head of Little Creek sold by Thomas Reynolds to Robert Blake sometime after 1661.[26]  On 23 October 1690 James Peters received a patent for transportation of 13 persons, among them Richard Ashall and Thomas Reynolds – both of whom had probably arrived in Virginia forty years earlier.

Stephen F. Tillman also concluded that the above records were for two different Thomas Reynolds, one of whom he did not address.  He identified the husband of Elizabeth Ashall as a Thomas Reynolds born circa 1655, who later moved to New Kent County.  Note, though, that this would have made Thomas Reynolds barely 16 when he was named a son-in-law of George Ashall.    

Henry Reynolds (c1661 – c1685?) of Surry County

      On 3 March 1674, Arthur Allen was awarded a headright certificate by the Surry County court for importation of forty persons, among them a Henry Reynolds.[27]  The same Henry Reynolds, along with other names from this certificate, were later used as headrights in two separate patents of 1678 and 1687.[28]   Apparently the same Henry Reynolds, a servant to James Redduck, was adjudged to be 15 years old by the Surry Court on 28 March 1676.[29]    He appears as a tithable of James Redduck from 1677 through 1684, and as a tithable of Charles Gutheridge in 1685.  He does not appear thereafter in any Surry or Isle of Wight records.  Note that he cannot be the same person as the Henry Reynolds who left a will in neighboring Isle of Wight in 1679.

Henry Reynolds (? – 1681) of Isle of Wight County

      A different Henry Reynolds left a will dated 6 April 1679 and proved on 9 June 1681 in Isle of Wight County, naming his wife Joyce executrix, and mentioning children Henry and Sarah.[30]  He had probably died at least a few months earlier, for his wife had already remarried by the time the will was proved.  The appraisal was dated the same day and presented by Joyce Page, formerly Joyce Reynolds.[31]   The will of Henry Clay, undated but recorded 10 January 1675/6, mentions “Mary the youngest daughter of Henry Reynolds”, perhaps the same person.[32]  The son Henry may have been the same person as below.

Henry Reynolds (? - 1729) of Isle of Wight County

      36 years after the above will, another Henry Reynolds appears in Isle of Wight records.  On 13 November 1717 Roger Tarleton sold 100 acres south of the Blackwater River to Henry Reynolds, weaver.[33]  Interestingly, a witness to this deed was Christopher Reynolds, and both Henry Reynolds (signing with his mark) and Christopher Reynolds witnessed two other deeds by Tarleton within a few months.[34]  The will of Henry Reynolds is dated 11 February 1726 and proved on 28 April 1729.[35]  Legatees were his wife Elizabeth, son John, daughters Patience, Dorcas Bowin (wife of John Bowin), Elizabeth Johnson , and son-in-law John Weaid[Wade?].  The appraisal is dated 23 June 1729.[36]  The daughter Elizabeth Johnson was apparently the wife of John Johnson, for on 18 March 1746, half of the Henry Reynolds tract was sold by John Johnson Jr.[37]  Note that this Henry Reynolds was a weaver who could not sign his name, two circumstances which tend to separate him from the descendants of Christopher Reynolds.