Elizabeth Reynolds

Family

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Matthews-283

We know a wife of Christopher Reynolds was named Elizabeth. Elizabeth was named in his will dated 1 May 1654. She was with child at the time.

"And I give unto the child my wife now goeth with if it lives two cows to enjoy them at three years old.” “…unto Elizabeth, my loving wife, I give all the rest of my estate...

Reasonably her birth would be 1609 (45 years before the child she carried) to 1636 (18 years before the child she carried). Do a search at familysearch.org for Elizabeth Matthews born in England between 1609 and 1636. There are dozens. We don't know where she came from. How does one choose one specific date among many such as 15 Jul 1615, Canterbury, seen on Elizabeth's Find A Grave Memorial.[1] 15 July 1615 isn't generated in searches at family search, Ancestry or freereg.org either.

Christopher's will also said "And I give unto George Rivers one yearling heifer." Who is George Rivers? George is placed between daughter Jane and the unborn child in Christopher's will. The 1668 will of John Reynolds (son of Christopher) calls George Rivers his brother.[2] So we know George is the son of Elizabeth, Christopher's wife, indicating that she was married to a Mr. Rivers before her marriage to Christopher.

These are Christopher's children:

1. Richard Reynolds, b. 1641, Isle of Wight County, Virginia; d. July.27.1711, Newport Parish, Virginia.
2. Christopher Jr. (1642, Isle of Wight Co, VA-1695, Somerset Co, MD) m. c1680, Elizabeth Ann SHARPE (b. c1646, Isle of Wight Co, VA)
3. John, b1644 Isle of Wight, VA; d3/11/1668
4. Abasha, b. 1646.
5. Elizabeth, b. 1648. m. 1654, Isle of Wight Co, VA, Richard JORDAN
6. Jane, b. 1650.
7. Thomas, b1655 Isle of Wight, VA; d1703 New Kent Co, VA m. c1679, Mary Elizabeth ASHALL

In 1654, Christopher had an adult son and an unborn child. This suggests that Elizabeth might not have been the first wife of Christopher. Add to this the fact that Christopher was her second marriage and it is even more likely that Elizabeth was a second wife. Unfortunately we don't have any firm dates and only suggestions of which children might have been born to Elizabeth and which to a first wife, and no records that confirm a first wife.

Disputed Origins

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Matthews-283

Was she Elizabeth Mathews, daughter of Anthony Mathews? Probably not.

Anthony Mathews received 640 acres for transporting 13 persons, one a Tho. Reighnolds. [Virginia Patent Book 5, p 153], and Anthony Mathews witnessed the will of Christopher Reynolds. These are evidently the source for the surname Mathews as Christopher's wife. There is no evidence that Thomas and Christopher were related and according to "Bob's Genealogy Filing Cabinet" "nearly 80% of the headrights claimed in patents were actually imported by someone other than the patentee." It seems by Anthony Mathew's will that he had no children of his own, naming his two stepsons, children of his wife's previous marriage. [3][4]

William Glasgow Reynolds stated that Christopher married as her 2nd husband Elizabeth Matthews, whose first husband had been George Rivers, by whom she had a son, George. By Christopher Elizabeth had daughters Abbasha, Jane, and Elizabeth who later married Richard Jordan. She also had four additional sons: Christopher, John, Richard, and a posthumous child whom Christopher referred to in his Will as "the child my beloved wife now goeth with." This son was named Thomas.

Links

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=66740483&ref=wvr

  ---

  
  

CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS died Bet. May 01, 1654 - November 25, 1657. He married (1) UNKNOWN. He married (2) ELIZABETH RIVERS. Christopher Reynolds came to Virginia in 1622 in the John and Francis. He was recorded in the 1623/4 census of Warwick Squeake and the 1624/5 muster there.

Children of CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS and UNKNOWN are: CHRISTOPHER2 REYNOLDS, ABBASA REYNOLDS. Others listed in the 1654 will are children of Elizabeth Rivers.From: Genealogical History of the Reynolds Unborn Child:  The 1654 will refers to “the child my wife now goeth with”, language found in several other wills of the time which almost certainly refers to an unborn child.  (Had this referred to an infant, the will would presumably have identified its gender if not its name.)  The identity of this child cannot be determined.  If Elizabeth Reynolds was noticeably pregnant on 1 May 1654 when the will was written, the child would have been born sometime later that same year. Given the child mortality rates of the mid-17th century, there’s a roughly 50% chance that the child would not have lived to reach maturity.  Certainly there are no male candidates in the Isle of Wight records, with only two unknown Reynolds appearing in the next fifty years of records, neither of whom was nearly the right age.  It is perhaps significant that John Reynolds’ will makes no mention of this child, who would have been 14 or so at the time and an obvious candidate for a bequest in his brother’s will.  Given the high odds of unsuccessful pregnancies and births, and the fact that barely half of all infants lived to reach majority, there’s a strong possibility that this child did not live to 1669 when John Reynolds wrote his will.  Some researchers claim a Thomas Reynolds of nearby Lower Norfolk County as this child, but that claim is easily disproved since that Thomas Reynolds was himself an adult at the time Christopher Reynolds wrote his will.

Will of Christopher Reynolds, dated May 1, 1654: Children,

• Christopher,
• John,
• Abbasha,
• Elizabeth,
• Jane,
• child my wife now goeth with,
• Richard;
• wife Elizabeth;

a yearling heifer to George Rivers; to son Christopher all my lands on southerly side of the swamp that Richard Jordan now lives upon. (Source: Isle of Wight County VA - Records; William and Mary College Qrtly, Vol. 7, No. 4, P. 221)CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS, Will, 1 May 1654; to son Christopher land that Richard Jordan liveth on. To son John land near swamp when he is 21. To son Richard, land I live on when 21. My dau., Abbasha, I have given her a portion already. To dau. Elizabeth, cattle. To George Rivers 1 heifer. To child wife goeth with. Wife Elizabeth to be Exrx. And to bring up John and Richard, my sons untill they are 16. Teste, Sylvester Bullen, Anthony Matthews. (Source: "17th Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia" by John Bennett Boddie, page 521)George Rivers was apparently a stepson to Christopher. John Reynolds named brother George Rivers in his will.Patent Book No. 1 - Part 1: Christopher Reynolds, 450 acs. Warriwquick Co, 15 Sept. 1636, p. 382. Bounded with a back Cr. Running Ewd. Behind the Pagan shore some 3 mi. upward the land lying on the S. side of the Cr. & old Indian field belonging to the land, also running into the woods S. W. & lying on the main Cr. N. E. Trans. of 9 servants.* (Cavaliers and Pioneers, Second Edition, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, Page 47)The above patent is very important in sorting out this line. This 450 acres was split into two parcels of 241 acres and 209 acres. 241 acres was given by will to son, Christopher, who then willed it to his only son and heir, Richard Reynolds the younger. (Patent Book No. 6, pg. 684, 10 May 1679) The other 209 acres was willed to son John who then gave it by will to his brother Richard Reynolds, Sr. (Patent Book No. 7, pg. 71, 23 Apr. 1681)Christopher Reynolds died before 25 Nov. 1657 as indicated by the following patent: Christopher Reynolds (Reinolds-Reynolls), 350 acs. Isle of Wight Co., 25 Nov. 1657, p. 164. (243). Beg. At miles end of land patented by Christopher Reynolds, deceased, ... (Cavaliers and Pioneers, Second Edition, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, Page 363)

(Abstract found in Wills and Administrations of Isle of Wight County, VA, 1647-1800, Chapman)

Reynolds, Christopher, Planter: Leg. Son Christopher land that Richard Jordan liveth on; son John; son Richard; daughter Abbasha; daughter Elizabeth; daughter Jane; George Rivers; unborn child; wife Elizabeth. May 1, 1654. Wit: Sylvester Bullen, Anthony Matthews. Page 46, P.2.

(Transcript from document image by Laura Knight):

In the Name of God Amen the first day of May 1654, I Christopher Reynolds of the Isle of Wight County in Virginia, planter, being healthful in Body and sound in Mind & Memory make this my last Will & Testament in manner and form as followeth: First I give and Bequeath my Soul into the Hands of God my Creator and Maker and my Body to be Buried in sure and certain Hope of Resurection to Eternal Life thro the only Merit & Satisfaction of Jesus Christ my only Saviour & Redeemer.

Imprimis I Give & Bequeath unto my Son Christopher Reynolds all my Land on the Southerly side of the Cypress Swamp that Richard Jordan now liveth upon.

And I give unto my Son John all my Land on the Northerly side of the said Cypress Swamp and one Cow and he to enjoy the said Land at Twenty one Years of Age.

And unto my son Richard I give all my Land I now live upon and one Cow and he to possess this land at twenty one Years of Age.

And my Daughter Abbasha I have given unto her a Portion already which was two Cows and two Calves.

And I give unto my Daughter Elizabeth one Heifer of two Years old besides the Stock I gave her formerly.

And unto my Daughter Jane I give one Cow and on Yearling heifer.

And I give unto George Rivers one Yearling Heifer.

And I give unto the Child my Wife now goeth with if it lives two Cows to enjoy them at three Years old.

And if any of my Children dye my Will is that the other should Succeed what Estate they leave.

And unto Elizabeth my loving Wife I give all the rest of my Estate both Goods & Chattles Movable & Unmovable and Debts that are due to me from any person or persons whatsoever and my two Servants she paying all my Debts truly & justly.

And I do Constitute and Ordain Elizabeth my loving Wife my whole & sole Executrix.

And my Will is that my Wife Elizabeth shall have the ordering & bringing up John & Richard my Sons until they be sixteen Years of Age And Elizabeth & Jane until they be fifteen Years of Age.

In Witness whereof I, the sd Christopher Reynolds have hereunto set my Hand & Seal this Day & Year first above written.

Signed and seal.

Sealed Subscribed and Delivered in the Presence of Sylvester B. Bullen, (mark) Anthony A. Mathews (mark) Examined and truly Transcribed Teste. Ja. Baker Clerk

Baird note: Christopher Reynolds Jr. was the eldest son, according to a later patent [see entry below for 10 May 1679] and was evidently already of age when this will was written. Note that sons John and Richard were to receive their land at age 21, but Christopher received his immediately. The will also tells us that John and Richard Reynolds were under 16, and Elizabeth and Jane were under 15. Abbasha was apparently over 15 but not yet married. The “child my wife now goeth with” almost certainly refers to an unborn child. George Rivers, later called “brother ” in the will of John Reynolds, was apparently a stepson.

LK note: I formerly disagreed with Baird on this point, but after parsing all the records and relationships, I've changed my mind. The probable gap between the birth of the older children and the fact that Elizabeth was again pregnant at the time of the will raises questions. More than that, there is a division between the families of Christopher and Richard (John dies young) that becomes more and more apparent as one looks at the documentary record that is available.

As for Christopher’s reference to “my sons”, that wasn’t unusual at all as an expression. Also, frequently, a father would assign guardianship away from the wife in his will. The sons were, effectively, the property of the father. That he made no stipulation about George Rivers doesn’t tell us much. Was George under age, but under the guardianship of his mother? Or was he of age to receive an inheritance? The fact that he was only given a cow suggests that he might have had his own inheritance either already in hand or pending. If George Rivers was of age (16 at least), then his mother was probably Reynolds only wife.

The date of birth of Jane Reynolds is completely unknown. We don’t know if she was a very small child, or close to the age of maturity. It may be that there was not such a large child-bearing gap after all.

I agree with Baird that it is interesting that Christopher divided land he did not live on between his sons Christopher and John, and left his home plantation to Richard. This suggests something of favoritism toward Richard; perhaps he was seen by his father as stronger, smarter and more competent. And, referring back to my speculation that there is some fundamental difference between the lines of Christopher and Richard, a difference of character, perhaps the best solution is that Christopher and Abbasha were children of a different mother?