Nathaniel Reynolds v Phebe Burrass Reynolds
Beware of the Brother-In-Law, Divorce in Williams County, Ohio, 1866
By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 2010)
Nathaniel Reynolds, born 20 Feb 1822 in Bound Ridge, Westchester Co, NY, was the son of Hiram and Amy Palmer Reynolds. Phoeba Burras, born 1818 in Scipio, Cayuga Co, NY, was the daughter of William and Abigail Jeffries Burras. Apparently members of both the Burras and Reynolds families moved to Huron Co, OH. Phebe’s father, William Burras died there on 7 Feb 1847 and was buried in the Olena Cemetery. The couple was married in Wms Co on 15 Apr 1848 according to Nathaniel Reynold’s divorce case, but the record showed the marriage date as 12 Mar 1848 (Marriage V2 p101). Why this couple married in Williams Co, OH has not been determined; Phebe had a sister Nancy Burras who married John Barber and were residents of Springfield Twp in 1850, which could the reason for marrying in Williams County, but the pair was found in the 1850 Bronson, Huron Co, OH federal census p151, as Nathaniel 27 CT, Phebe 30 NY, and John Linn 11 OH. The relationship to this John Linn is not currently known. Sometime after the 1850 census the Reynolds moved to Williams County.
According to the 1860 Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH federal census p71a, the Reynolds family was listed as Nathaniel 36 NY, Phoeba 42 NY, Louisa D. 9 OH, James A 7 OH and farmhand James Bettens 21 NS.
The reader should also know that Phebe’s younger sister, Rebecca Jane Burras, born 4 July 1826, had married Samuel Teed Huyck in Huron Co, OH on 27 Aug 1843. Nathaniel’s claim for a divorce was found in the Williams County, OH Civil and Criminal Court Records (Journal 6 p536 - 6 Mar 1866; Roll 17 case number 142 - Mar 1866); he stated that Phebe had committed adultery in Springfield Twp with Samuel T. Huyck. This man was most likely her brother-in-law. Phebe appeared in court to deny these charges but the court found her guilty and Nathaniel was granted a divorce. According to The Bryan Union, 15 Mar 1866 p3 the case of Nathaniel Reynolds v Phoebe Reynolds was settled with a divorce as prayed for by the plaintiff; Phoebe received $300 as allowed alimony. The couple had two daughters, Louisa b 1851 and Emma b 1860. They also had a son, James A, b 1853, but he was not mentioned in the divorce record. The Williams Co, OH Atlas for 1864 showed Nathaniel Reynolds held property in Springfield Twp, Sec 2, next door to Samuel B Reynolds. By the 1874 Springfield Twp atlas Nathaniel’s property was in the domain of this SB Reynolds.
Nathaniel Reynolds married again in Norwalk, Huron Co, OH on 3 July 1869; the bride was Adeliza E. Robinson, born 4 Jan 1849 in Huron Co; she was the daughter of John and Catherine Holiday Robinson according to an Internet source. In the 1870 Fitchville Twp, Huron Co, OH federal census p291, the Reynolds were enumerated as Nathaniel 47 NY, Adeliza 20 OH, and Arney/Amey 2M OH. Once again they were found in the 1880 Fitchville Twp federal census p45, as Nathaniel 56 NY, Addah 29 OH, Cora 10 OH, and George 4 OH. The couple continued to live in Fitchville as evidenced by the 1900 Clinton, Fitchville Twp federal census p10A as Nathaniel 76 NY, Adeliza 51 OH, George H 24 OH, and Miles C 19 OH; the couple had been married 31 years with three children, all living. Nathaniel died in Fitchville Twp on 22 July 1910; his widow Adeliza died in Elyria, OH on 2 Jan 1926; both were buried in the Fitchville Cemetery.
Phebe Burras Reynolds, now a divorced lady, was found in the 1870 Fairfield Twp, Huron Co, OH federal census p268, living with her brother, Reuben Buras 58 NY; Pharbe Burras was listed as 51 NY insane. She continued to live with brother Reuben as evidenced by the 1880 Fairfield Twp federal census p33D, as Reuben Burass 68 NY, Charles P 25 OH, Phebe Reynolds 61 NY sister, divorced, and John Trotter 16 OH servant. An Internet source stated that Phebe died on 28 Jan 1897, but that has not been confirmed. Her brother Reuben Burras was buried in Old North Fairfield Cemetery; perhaps Phebe was also buried there or with her parents in the Olena Cemetery in Huron Co, OH. Daughter Louisa Reynolds married a George Russell and daughter Emma Reynolds remained single and became a teacher. Samuel Teed Huyck moved to Bloomer Twp, Montcalm Co, MI with his family in 1867 and died there on 20 Nov 1886.
3 comments:
The Palmers came from Poundridge not Bound ridge. I am trying to track down Hiram Reynolds and Amy Palmer as their daughter ARNA (not Anna as she is often listed) is my 3rd great grandmother. My name is Kathy Simkins and my e-mail is ksfsimkins@scinternet.net. I hve been doing genealogy for nearly 42 years. Thanks so much for posting this story. I appreciate all that you do to keep such a site going.
I can answer the question as to why Nathaniel Reynolds and Phebe Burras married in Williams county, Ohio. Hiram Reynolds' family had ties there. In fact Hiram Reynolds and Amy Palmer Reynolds and my 3rd great grandmother ARNA Reynolds Curtiss WIBERT are all buried in the Stryker cemetery in Williams county. Hiram seems to have bounced back and forth between Fitchville and Springfield, Ohio quite often. My 2nd great grandmother, Permelia Arna Wibert was born in Springfield, Ohio in 1850.
Just thought that you should know that the name ARNA and the variation of ARNEY was a female name that shows up in many generations of the Reynolds family. Also the Burras (also found as Burris) family are intertwined with the Wibert family. Several Burris family members married Wiberts in New York state and they are related to Phebe Burras. The Reynolds tended to move in groups with brothers migrating together with their families. And they are confusing to trace as they often married cousins or siblings of their sister-in-laws or brother-in-laws. Arna Reynolds' first cousin Phebe Reynolds married a brother of Peter Wibert, so 2 Reynolds cousins were married to 2 brothers. But I love trying to find all of the connections. It is my understanding that Hiram Reynolds and his brother Warren Reynolds were connected to Greenwich, Connecticut. And Any Palmer, Hiram's wife is also supposed to be connected to Greenwich as well. I am still trying to get that figured out.
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