William J Reynolds

Introduction
The following pages display information I have compiled and am compiling concerning my Reynolds family tree. It is a work in progress, and as such will grow and change over time.

As to the information that follows: The line from myself through Nathaniel Gardner Reynolds (1794-1865) is a straight one. Both family and published sources bear me out. Beyond NGR, though, the trail grows crooked. Published sources, when they give any information at all, usually assert that NGR's parents were Benjamin Reynolds and Lydia Watson, with that ancestry, at least on the Reynolds side, being traced all the way back to Robert Reinolds, who is considered the first of the line. However, a family tree in my possession indicates that Nathaniel Gardner Reynolds's parents were Griffin Reynolds and Martha Gardner--and unfortunately stops there.

Thanks to a friend, however, I was able to discover some information about Martha Gardner's people (not yet contained in these pages; for now I've concentrated on my Reynolds antecedents). This gave me, indirectly, a clue to Griffin Reynolds's father's name. Eventually I was able to determine--to an extent--that on at least two occasions in the past someone's uncle was set down as someone's father, which I think accounts for the "hiccup" in the published sources. (More detail on that subject in the following pages.)

Of course, in the absence of hard evidence--birth and death certificates, wills, and other such documents that I do not possess--one has to be content with the knowledge that his family tree grows more and more speculative with each preceding generation. It's fun to show how one is descended from Adam, Abraham, or Joesph of Arimathea...but "fun" is the operative word here, for one might just as easily show that he is descended from Sherlock Holmes or Simon Templar.

So. I'm absolutely confident through Nathaniel Gardner Reynolds, and pretty sure about a generation or two previous to him. Beyond that... Well, as I say, it's fun. Enter here...and enjoy.

I am indebted to many people who have assisted me in my quest and who have unstintingly shared information and advice. No doubt I will overlook some of them--consider this, too, a work in progress--but chief among them are Joan Taylor, Anne Reynolds, Linda McIntire, Bob Couch, and Dave Fryxell. Many thanks to you all!


If you are a long-lost cousin, or even not-so-long-lost, I'd love to hear from you. Same goes if you are able to add to or correct the information on the following pages.
William J Reynolds
April 2003
Update: I've had a chance to add to the following Reynolds pages, heading out "sideways" (aunts, uncles, cousins) as opposed to the straight-line approach of the original postings. Obviously, more should follow as time passes. Meanwhile, Enter here!
WJR
June 2003

Update: Following a brief tour of Omaha cemeteries last month, I have added some photos of headstones. These include my grandparents Reynolds and Caliendo; my uncle Gaetano (Thomas) Bosco and aunt Sarah M. Bosco, and their son Alfred E. Bosco; my uncle Antonio Caliendo, who died in childhood; and my great-great grandparents Moore. Finding those gravesites enabled me to fill in a couple of previously missing dates as well.
WJR
August 2003