Family and Education

b. c.1519, s. of John Reynolds, and uncle of Edward. m. Emma, 4s. 4da.

Offices Held

Mayor, Melcombe Regis 1553-4, 1558-9, 1560-1, 1561-2, 1566-7; mayor, Weymouth and Melcombe 1575-6; customer, Weymouth by 1562; chamberlain, Weymouth and Melcombe 1570-1.

Biography

Five times mayor of Melcombe, and twice or thrice MP for the town, Reynolds (who described himself as a yeoman) was involved, as early as 1559, in the disputes between Weymouth and Melcombe Regis which occurred before and after their amalgamation in 1570. His nomination for Parliament in 1571 after a long interval was presumably so that he could supervise the passage of the bill to confirm the union by statute. Little is known about his private life. He was dead by September 1577, when his widow was confirmed in her possession of his house in Melcombe, with remainders to their four sons and four daughters.

E134/11 Eliz. Easter 3; Vis. Dorset 1623 Add. ed. Colby and Rylands, 43; Weymouth Charters, ed. Moule, 22, 24, 26, 93, 94, 97, 128, 129; Weymouth borough recs. doc. misc. ii. 3, 9, and Sherren Pprs. 29-34; St. Ch. 5/M30/14; Dorset Nat. Hist. Antiq. Field Club. Procs. 1877, p. 19.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: P. W. Hasler

Notes