William Reynolds (abt. 1600 - bef. 1672)

Born about 1600 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 6 Mar 1672 before about age 72 in Providence Plantations [uncertain]

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William Reynolds migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 281) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Items

Children: Previously this profile was attached as the parent of William Reynolds. The two William Reynolds are often confused and their records conflated. The other William was a servant to John Howland of the Mayflower. He eventually settled and died in Maine.

The biography of this profile formerly listed six children who were born beginning in 1586 in Suffolk England. They are not the children of this William Reynolds and the list was removed. See Research Notes

Parents: This profile was connected to Christopher Reynolds and Charissa Huntington, a couple that had ties to Virginia. They did not have a child named William and have been detached. There are no reliable sources identifying the origins of this William Reynolds.

Wife: William Reynolds' wife has not been identified. According to Torrey's sources, including Austin's Dictionary, his wife's name is unknown. ^[1][2] The profile of Esther Ruth/Roth as wife has been detached.

Biography

William Reynolds, the immigrant ancestor, settled at the Providence Plantation. Many of the early settlers there followed Roger Williams from Salem, but no records suggest Reynolds was also there.

Sometime in 1636/37, probably in the second year of the Plantation, William Reynolds (with his mark) and twelve others signed the following compact: “We whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active and passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of the body in an orderly way, by the major consent of the present inhabitants, masters of families, incorporated together in Town fellowship, and others whom they admit unto them only in civil things."^[3] They also agreed to pay two shillings and sixpence apiece "in consideration of ground at present granted unto them." ^[4]

27 Jul 1640 – He was one of thirty-nine who signed an agreement to establish a form of government that ended with the statement, "These being those things wee have generally concluded on, for our peace, we desireing our loveing friends to receive as our absolute determination, laying ourselves downe as subjects to it." ^[5]

17 Nov 1641 – He with twelve others complained in a letter to Massachusetts of the “insolent and riotous carriage of Samuel Gorton and his company,” and therefore the petitioners desired Massachusetts to “lend us a neighborlike helping hand,” etc. ^[6]

30 Jan 1644 – He was one of the Providence settlers who testified as to the outrage on Warwick settlers by Massachusetts.^[2]

27 Jan 1644/45 – He sold to Robert Williams all his houses and home share and three small pieces of meadow, and on the same date he sold to William Field a share of six acres on Fox’s Hill. ^[7]

27 Apr 1646 – He sold to Thomas Lawton his valley of eighty acres, and three acres of meadow. ^[6]

1671/2, Mar 6: A deed was executed calling William a former inhabitant of Providence.^[8]

Family

Torrey suggests that William was married by 1628.^[1] There is no known record documenting the name of his wife. The available sources name only one child: ^[6][2]

• James of Kings Town; m Deborah ___ died in 1700

Research Notes

The Reynolds' family genealogies are rife with error, speculation, and conflation. Pre 1700 and PGM profiles aim to use only reliable sources. See: Link

Disconnected/Unproven children: Katherine or Eunice Reynolds wife of Edward Starbuck of Nantucket; Jonathan Reynolds (abt.1605-1673) of Greenwich, Connectiuct; Stephen Reynolds (abt.1609-1675) of Dover, NH, Christopher Reynolds (1623-) of Kennebunk, Maine; John Reynolds (abt.1625-bef.1691) of Stonnington, Connecticut.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Vol 2. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing, 1985. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Subscription Link $. Page 1264.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Austin, John Osborne. The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Comprising Three Generations of Settlers Who Came before 1690. Albany, NY: 1887. Page 362.
3. ↑ Bartlett, John R. Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, Vol 1. Providence, RI: Self-Published, 1856. Page 14.
4. ↑ Rhode Island Colony Records, v1, 1856. Page 15.
5. ↑ Rhode Island Colony Records v1, 1856. Page 31.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Bicknell, Thomas Williams. The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Biographical. New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1920. Pages 285-6.
7. ↑ The Early Records of the Town of Providence, Vol 2. Providence, RI: Providence Record Commissioners, 1893. Pages 4-7.
8. ↑ The Early Records of the Town of Providence, Vol 3. Providence, RI: Providence Record Commissioners, 1893. Page 214.