John Reynolds    

JOHN REYNOLDS (deceased), was born at Colchester, England, June 18, 1782, and came to this county in 1795. His grandfather inherited a large entailed estate in Worcestershire, England. He married Sarah Fox, of London, by whom he had nine children, the eldest of whom, John, inherited the estate. William, the third son, married Lydia, daughter of John Thomas, a Baptist minister, by whom he had seven daughters and four sons, the eldest being John, the subject of this sketch. The Reynolds family in England was composed of strict Church of England people, but William Reynolds, father of John, when a young man, united with the Baptist denomination, and the immediate cause of the immigration of William to America was his sympathy with the French Republican movement of that period, having been a sufferer by the sacking of his house and destruction of his property during the progress of what was known as the Birmingham riots, he having before that time removed to that city. The celebrated Joseph Priestly was also a sufferer by those riots, which likewise caused his immigration to America. John Reynolds was educated in Birmingham and Leominster by private tutors. In 1797 he came with his father to Venango County, Penn., and settled on a tract of land bought from the Holland Land Company, at Cherry Tree Run. In 1805 he removed to Meadville, and was engaged as assistant teacher in the academy here. In 1807 he was connected with Col. Marlin in surveying lands of the Holland Land Company and continued to be thus occupied for several years. Subsequently he began the study of law under the directions of Col. Marlin. In 1812 he was admitted to the bar, but devoted little time to the practice of his profession, applying himself almost exclusively to real estate business. In 1814 he married the widow of Dr. Kennedy, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. Mrs. Reynolds died November 27, 1845. Our subject’s demise occurred July 23, 1871. John Van Liew, eldest child of John Reynolds, was born in Meadville, April 12, 1815; graduated at Jefferson College, Penn., in 1834; received from said college the degree of A. M. in 1838 and of D. D. in1858. He studied theology at Princeton, from the fall of 1835 to that of 1838. He was licensed to preach the Gospel in April, 1838, and was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church in the fall of 1839, and in the same fall was installed pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in his native town. His whole time of service in said church was thirty years. In September, 1838, he was married to Evelina B. L. Gaston, of Somerville, N. J., who died in June, 1849. Our subject was married to his second wife, Catharine E. Bell, at Allegheny City, in October, 1851. William, youngest child of John Reynolds, was born in May, 1820. He graduated from Allegheny College in 1837; married Julia Thorp, of New York City. Jane Maria, elder daughter of John Reynolds, was born in 1817, was married to A. Sergeant, M. D., a native of Somerville, N. J., in 1845. Lydia L., younger daughter of John Reynolds, was born in 1818, and was married in 1841, to the Rev. Richard Craighead, a native of Cumberland County, Penn., and for thirty-one years pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Meadville, Penn. 

History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania: containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc., portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1885, page 760-761

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