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John McReynolds was born in the Highlands of Scotland around the year 1668.I am not sure the exact place of his birth, but when William of Orange was called to the English throne war ensued. John enlisted in the army of King William. John was in the army sent to Ireland to surpress the rebellion of the Irish who took up arms against the dethroned King. After the Irish Rebellion was crushed, John McReynolds was honorably discharged from the Army. Instead of returning to his homeland he remained in Ireland. He married Martha Sterling and had at least 3 sons, James, Benjamin, and Oliver. Benjamin died when he was 19. James and Oliver both married and reared families on the north of Ireland None of their families came to America as far as I know.
The first wife of John McReynolds died and John married a young Woman, Elizabeth Shephard. This woman had been reared a Quaker and continued in that faith, but John though reared a Presbyterian, had joined the Episcopalian Church after locating in Ireland. John and Elizabeth had one daughter and three sons, Elizabeth, Joseph, James, and Robert. Elizabeth and her children decided to emigrate to America, but John went to live with his children from his first marriage. Elizabeth and her children reached America in the year of 1741. Her oldest son, Joseph had married Sarah Dixon before leaving Ireland. He was aout 21 when they came to America. Being a Quaker Elizabeth first settled in in Lancaster Co. Pa. Here she came under the influence of the Whitfield Revival and they all joined the Presbyterian Church. Her daughter Elizabeth married John Rogers and they had four sons and one daughter. They were Thomas, William, Joseph, James, and Elizabeth. They settled in Maryland, but after a few years moved to western Pennsylvania. There their son William and some other members of the family were killed by Indians.
Robert, the youngest son died at age 21 and was unmarried. James the second son was born in the county of Tyron, Ireland in the year of 1724. He was about 17 when they arrived in America. He apprenticed himself to a carpenter's trade. At the age of 25, James married Mary Bell and about 2 years after their marriage they moved to Charlotte Co. Virginia. After one year he bought land in Campbell Co. Virginia on Falling River. Here he remained, a successful planter, a devout Christian, until he died June 25th, 1807 at the age of 83. James and Mary Bell reared a family of nine sons and one daughter. They were: Thomas, Elizabeth, Joseph, James, John, Samuel, Robert, Archibald, Benjamin, and Oliver. The son Benjamin was a Methodist Preacher and the author of a small book giving the early history of the family from which the above information was gathered. It traces our branch of the family to Roland McReynolds. Justice J.C. McReynolds, a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, had his typist copy this pamplet, as he has one of the original copies of the book. The Judge is a descendant of John, the brother of Benjamin, and it is from this book that I have recieved all information I have of the early history of the McReynolds family. Thomas, the oldest member of the James and Mary Bell family, moved to North Carolina and died there in 1800 leaving a family. Several of the other sons, including Benjamin, moved to Kentucky in Logan and Butler Countys, in the earlier days. Their descendants are now scattered in as many states as ours.
Joseph the elder son of John and Elizabeth, and our ancestor, was born in Tyron County, Ireland in 1720. He married Sarah Dixon in Ireland. They then came to America with his mother and the other members of the family. He first lived in Lancaster Co. Pa., he then moved to Campbell Co. Virginia, and after several years he moved to Washington Co. Virginia in the southwestern part of the state. They had seven boys and two girls. The girls names were not mentioned in the history, but the boys were Roland, Joseph, Robert John, james, Samuel, and William. Joseph was a devout Christian and a planter by occupation. He lived a great age and died in 1840 at the home of his son, Samuel in the Secotchy Valley of the Tennessee River. Their descendants are now scattered throughout the USA. Roland, the eldest of the family was our ancestor. He married Agnes Rich and settled in Caswell Co. North Carolina. He was a Fuller by trade and also owned and operated a small country store. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. I only know the names of four of their children. They are Joseph, Leonard, Samuel, and John. Leonard, Roland's second son joined the religous order of "Shakers" and reared a family in either North Carolina or Virginia. I only know of his son Joseph who came to Posey Co. Indiana and married Tabitha McReynolds. He was a brick mason and lived near Wadesville, Indiana. He was known as "Shaker Joe". They had two sons William and John Berry, and a daughter who married Rev. Levin Wilson. William, nicknamed "Bill Burly" married and moved to Johnsonville, Illinois and reared a family. I know nothing of the life of their son, John Berry. Samuel, Son of Roland lived near Lynchville, Virginia. He was a planter and a teamster. None of his descendents ever came to Indiana. John settled on the farm now known as the James Cole Farm. His wife Hannah Rich and him had three boys and two girls. Their names were, Leonard, James, John, Melvina, and Sallie. [The old people were the first ones burried in the old Mt.Pleasant Cemetary about three miles southwest of Cynthiana.] Leonard, the oldest son of John and Hannah first settled in what is now Center Township, Posey Co. Indiana, and they were the parents of eight boys and at least one girl. The girl Sarah married George Marvel. They moved to southern Illinois near Benton where they raised a large family. The sons of Leonard were John Rich, Perry, Craig, Thomas, Berry, Samuel, Edward, and Pierce. They together with their parents moved to McClean Co. Illinois in 1852. Many of these people prospered in their new home, and maany of the descendants still live in the vicinity of Blomington, Ill. They have been having McReynold's reunions at Blomington for several years now.
James, second son of John and Hannah settled in what is now Center Township, Posey Co. Ind. and was the father of four sons. They were John Ward [married and settled in Center Township, reared six sons], Franklin, Richard, John, George, Leonard, and Stephen. George lived in Wadesville. Leonard lived for a number of years on a farm east of Cynthiana and then on a farm near Fort Branch, Ind. on the Dixie Bee Highway. He was a well to do farmer and had been married three times. He was a republican in politics, and a member of the General Baptist Church. He had three sons and one daughter. James the eldest was married and lived in one of his father's farms. Jesse married Ethel Shaw and bought a farm northeast of Cynthiana. He died some years ago leaving a widow and three small children. Wilford, the youngest of the sons married and moved to Louisiana. He was a teacher in the public schools of that state. [Most of the data concerning the families of Leonard and James was secured from John P. Cavett, once a residence of Cynthiana.] John, the third son of John and Hannah was called John "Blades". He married and settled down near Petersburg, Indiana about 1842. Melvina the fourth child of John and Hannah married John avett, son of Judge Cavett of Posey Co. and moved to McClean Co., Illinois in 1854 where some of their children still live. Salley, the youngest child of John and Hannah never married, but spent her life near Wadesville, Indiana. She always "got happy" and shouted all over the church..
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