"The Reynolds family settled early in Patrick County, Virginia, in the area between the North and South Mayo rivers.
(. . .)
By authentic legal record Abraham (often called Abram) Reynolds, the grandfather of Richard Joshua, purchased fifty acres of land 'on… nobusiness fork of Mayo river' on 15 February 1814. No doubt, however, the Reynolds family had lived in the same area much earlier. Walter R. Reynolds, writing to an interested individual shortly after the death of his brother, Richard Joshua, declared that his 'ancestors as far back as great grandfather were born and lived in the southern part of Virginia…' Although the family was often declared to be Scotch-Irish in origin, Walter Reynold's strong impression was that it came from English stock. He conceded, however, that there was no absolute proof to back his impression. To another the same writer stated that his grandfather, Abraham Reynolds, had several brothers who went west but that nothing had been heard of them since. Furthermore, Walter declared that his father, Hardin W. Reynolds, had only one brother and that he had died at the age of twenty-six. These facts undoubtedly lend credence to R. J. Reynolds's frequent statement that Zachary Taylor Smith (19 February 1847—13 June 1938), R. J.'s first cousin on his mother's side, was his only close relative outside his own immediate family.
The earliest of the family who can be definitely identified is Abraham Reynolds, who lived from 1 March 1781 to 3 May 1838. It was he who purchased land on the waters of Nobusiness fork of North Mayo River in 1814. In 1813 he had paid personal taxes. By 1831 he owned 1,038 acres in the same general area, and in 1839 his estate included 1,080 acres and part ownership with Hardin W. Reynolds in an additional 376 acres on the waters of North Mayo River. On 10 May 1809 Abraham Reynolds married Mary Harbour (7 March 1784-30 August 1853), the daughter of David Harbour. They became the parents of two sons, Hardin William (20 April 1810-30 May 1882), the father of Richard Joshua Reynolds, and David Harbour (15 June 1811-20 September 1836), who died unmarried.
In addition to being a landholder of considerably more than the average acreage for his area, Abraham Reynolds engaged in other pursuits and became a man of means whose sons followed his example. Judging from a reference in 1865 to 'Shucks in old Factory,' Abraham operated some type of tobacco factory, which years later was used as a storage house. Similar reference in 1866 to 'the old store,' then used as a tenant house, indicates that he also carried on mercantile operations. In addition, there is some proof that he may have engaged in amateur banking operations. Not surprising, therefore, was his ability to advance substantial sums of money to his son David, who died only two years before his father's death, thus leaving Hardin W. Reynolds to inherit the property of both. In connection with a prolonged suit over David H. Reynolds's estate, Joseph W. Varner declared in a deposition that Abraham Reynolds on one occasion handed his son David a thousand dollars or more, saying to him, 'Do the best with this you can, my son.' Testifying further, Varner stated that Abraham had but two children, that he could command money when he pleased, and 'generally had money by him.' These statements were based on twenty years of acquaintance with the Reynolds family. In view of the period and the nature of Abraham's activities, he was undoubtedly a very successful man."
Tilley, Nannie M. The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The University of North Carolina Press, 1 Jan. 1985.
(. . .)
By authentic legal record Abraham (often called Abram) Reynolds, the grandfather of Richard Joshua, purchased fifty acres of land 'on… nobusiness fork of Mayo river' on 15 February 1814. No doubt, however, the Reynolds family had lived in the same area much earlier. Walter R. Reynolds, writing to an interested individual shortly after the death of his brother, Richard Joshua, declared that his 'ancestors as far back as great grandfather were born and lived in the southern part of Virginia…' Although the family was often declared to be Scotch-Irish in origin, Walter Reynold's strong impression was that it came from English stock. He conceded, however, that there was no absolute proof to back his impression. To another the same writer stated that his grandfather, Abraham Reynolds, had several brothers who went west but that nothing had been heard of them since. Furthermore, Walter declared that his father, Hardin W. Reynolds, had only one brother and that he had died at the age of twenty-six. These facts undoubtedly lend credence to R. J. Reynolds's frequent statement that Zachary Taylor Smith (19 February 1847—13 June 1938), R. J.'s first cousin on his mother's side, was his only close relative outside his own immediate family.
The earliest of the family who can be definitely identified is Abraham Reynolds, who lived from 1 March 1781 to 3 May 1838. It was he who purchased land on the waters of Nobusiness fork of North Mayo River in 1814. In 1813 he had paid personal taxes. By 1831 he owned 1,038 acres in the same general area, and in 1839 his estate included 1,080 acres and part ownership with Hardin W. Reynolds in an additional 376 acres on the waters of North Mayo River. On 10 May 1809 Abraham Reynolds married Mary Harbour (7 March 1784-30 August 1853), the daughter of David Harbour. They became the parents of two sons, Hardin William (20 April 1810-30 May 1882), the father of Richard Joshua Reynolds, and David Harbour (15 June 1811-20 September 1836), who died unmarried.
In addition to being a landholder of considerably more than the average acreage for his area, Abraham Reynolds engaged in other pursuits and became a man of means whose sons followed his example. Judging from a reference in 1865 to 'Shucks in old Factory,' Abraham operated some type of tobacco factory, which years later was used as a storage house. Similar reference in 1866 to 'the old store,' then used as a tenant house, indicates that he also carried on mercantile operations. In addition, there is some proof that he may have engaged in amateur banking operations. Not surprising, therefore, was his ability to advance substantial sums of money to his son David, who died only two years before his father's death, thus leaving Hardin W. Reynolds to inherit the property of both. In connection with a prolonged suit over David H. Reynolds's estate, Joseph W. Varner declared in a deposition that Abraham Reynolds on one occasion handed his son David a thousand dollars or more, saying to him, 'Do the best with this you can, my son.' Testifying further, Varner stated that Abraham had but two children, that he could command money when he pleased, and 'generally had money by him.' These statements were based on twenty years of acquaintance with the Reynolds family. In view of the period and the nature of Abraham's activities, he was undoubtedly a very successful man."
Tilley, Nannie M. The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The University of North Carolina Press, 1 Jan. 1985.
"The Reynolds family settled early in Patrick County, Virginia, in the area between the North and South Mayo rivers.
(. . .)
By authentic legal record Abraham (often called Abram) Reynolds, the grandfather of Richard Joshua, purchased fifty acres of land 'on… nobusiness fork of Mayo river' on 15 February 1814. No doubt, however, the Reynolds family had lived in the same area much earlier. Walter R. Reynolds, writing to an interested individual shortly after the death of his brother, Richard Joshua, declared that his 'ancestors as far back as great grandfather were born and lived in the southern part of Virginia…' Although the family was often declared to be Scotch-Irish in origin, Walter Reynold's strong impression was that it came from English stock. He conceded, however, that there was no absolute proof to back his impression. To another the same writer stated that his grandfather, Abraham Reynolds, had several brothers who went west but that nothing had been heard of them since. Furthermore, Walter declared that his father, Hardin W. Reynolds, had only one brother and that he had died at the age of twenty-six. These facts undoubtedly lend credence to R. J. Reynolds's frequent statement that Zachary Taylor Smith (19 February 1847—13 June 1938), R. J.'s first cousin on his mother's side, was his only close relative outside his own immediate family.
The earliest of the family who can be definitely identified is Abraham Reynolds, who lived from 1 March 1781 to 3 May 1838. It was he who purchased land on the waters of Nobusiness fork of North Mayo River in 1814. In 1813 he had paid personal taxes. By 1831 he owned 1,038 acres in the same general area, and in 1839 his estate included 1,080 acres and part ownership with Hardin W. Reynolds in an additional 376 acres on the waters of North Mayo River. On 10 May 1809 Abraham Reynolds married Mary Harbour (7 March 1784-30 August 1853), the daughter of David Harbour. They became the parents of two sons, Hardin William (20 April 1810-30 May 1882), the father of Richard Joshua Reynolds, and David Harbour (15 June 1811-20 September 1836), who died unmarried.
In addition to being a landholder of considerably more than the average acreage for his area, Abraham Reynolds engaged in other pursuits and became a man of means whose sons followed his example. Judging from a reference in 1865 to 'Shucks in old Factory,' Abraham operated some type of tobacco factory, which years later was used as a storage house. Similar reference in 1866 to 'the old store,' then used as a tenant house, indicates that he also carried on mercantile operations. In addition, there is some proof that he may have engaged in amateur banking operations. Not surprising, therefore, was his ability to advance substantial sums of money to his son David, who died only two years before his father's death, thus leaving Hardin W. Reynolds to inherit the property of both. In connection with a prolonged suit over David H. Reynolds's estate, Joseph W. Varner declared in a deposition that Abraham Reynolds on one occasion handed his son David a thousand dollars or more, saying to him, 'Do the best with this you can, my son.' Testifying further, Varner stated that Abraham had but two children, that he could command money when he pleased, and 'generally had money by him.' These statements were based on twenty years of acquaintance with the Reynolds family. In view of the period and the nature of Abraham's activities, he was undoubtedly a very successful man."
Tilley, Nannie M. The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The University of North Carolina Press, 1 Jan. 1985.
(. . .)
By authentic legal record Abraham (often called Abram) Reynolds, the grandfather of Richard Joshua, purchased fifty acres of land 'on… nobusiness fork of Mayo river' on 15 February 1814. No doubt, however, the Reynolds family had lived in the same area much earlier. Walter R. Reynolds, writing to an interested individual shortly after the death of his brother, Richard Joshua, declared that his 'ancestors as far back as great grandfather were born and lived in the southern part of Virginia…' Although the family was often declared to be Scotch-Irish in origin, Walter Reynold's strong impression was that it came from English stock. He conceded, however, that there was no absolute proof to back his impression. To another the same writer stated that his grandfather, Abraham Reynolds, had several brothers who went west but that nothing had been heard of them since. Furthermore, Walter declared that his father, Hardin W. Reynolds, had only one brother and that he had died at the age of twenty-six. These facts undoubtedly lend credence to R. J. Reynolds's frequent statement that Zachary Taylor Smith (19 February 1847—13 June 1938), R. J.'s first cousin on his mother's side, was his only close relative outside his own immediate family.
The earliest of the family who can be definitely identified is Abraham Reynolds, who lived from 1 March 1781 to 3 May 1838. It was he who purchased land on the waters of Nobusiness fork of North Mayo River in 1814. In 1813 he had paid personal taxes. By 1831 he owned 1,038 acres in the same general area, and in 1839 his estate included 1,080 acres and part ownership with Hardin W. Reynolds in an additional 376 acres on the waters of North Mayo River. On 10 May 1809 Abraham Reynolds married Mary Harbour (7 March 1784-30 August 1853), the daughter of David Harbour. They became the parents of two sons, Hardin William (20 April 1810-30 May 1882), the father of Richard Joshua Reynolds, and David Harbour (15 June 1811-20 September 1836), who died unmarried.
In addition to being a landholder of considerably more than the average acreage for his area, Abraham Reynolds engaged in other pursuits and became a man of means whose sons followed his example. Judging from a reference in 1865 to 'Shucks in old Factory,' Abraham operated some type of tobacco factory, which years later was used as a storage house. Similar reference in 1866 to 'the old store,' then used as a tenant house, indicates that he also carried on mercantile operations. In addition, there is some proof that he may have engaged in amateur banking operations. Not surprising, therefore, was his ability to advance substantial sums of money to his son David, who died only two years before his father's death, thus leaving Hardin W. Reynolds to inherit the property of both. In connection with a prolonged suit over David H. Reynolds's estate, Joseph W. Varner declared in a deposition that Abraham Reynolds on one occasion handed his son David a thousand dollars or more, saying to him, 'Do the best with this you can, my son.' Testifying further, Varner stated that Abraham had but two children, that he could command money when he pleased, and 'generally had money by him.' These statements were based on twenty years of acquaintance with the Reynolds family. In view of the period and the nature of Abraham's activities, he was undoubtedly a very successful man."
Tilley, Nannie M. The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The University of North Carolina Press, 1 Jan. 1985.
Inscription
Sacred to the memory of
ABRAM REYNOLDS
BORN
Mar 1, 1781
DIED
May 3, 1838
Ag'd 57 ys, 2 m's 2 d's.
Affliction sore long time I bore,
physicians were in vain; till God
did please to give me ease, and
rid me of my pain.
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