SECOND GENERATION

3. Benjamin DE REYNAUD ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ was born between 1631 and 1640 in Chaillot, Paris, France. He died after Apr 1712 in Currituck, NC. Benjamin Reynaud came to Stafford County, Virginia in 1688 with his brother Lewis, as documented by the following registration of his Letter of Denization in Stafford County records: "I Nicholas Hayward Notary and Tabellion Public dwelling in London Admitted and Sworne doe hereby certifie and attest unto all whom it may concern that I have seen and perused certain Letters Patent of Denization Granted by our Soveraigne Lord King James ye second under ye broad seal of England Dated ye 31 day of March in ye fourth year of his said Majestys Reign wherein amongst others is inserted ye name of Benjamin Reynaud and Mary his wife who though born beyond seas are made his Majestys Leige Subjects and to be held reputed and taken as born in this Kingdom of England and may as such purchase buy sell and dispose of lands tenements and hereditaments in this Kingdom or any other of his Majestys dominions as freely peaceably and Entirely as any Subject born in this Kingdom and if ye said Benjamin Reynaud and Mary his wife by virtue of ye said Letters Patent are to pay Customs and Duties for their goods only as natives doe or ought to doe and to Enjoy all Liberties Privileges and Franchises of Subjects born in this Kingdom without any disturbance Impediment or molestation as by said Patent relacon being thereunto had may more at large appear of all which act being required of me ye said Notary I have Granted these presents to serve and avail ye said Benjamin Reynaud and Mary his wife in tyme and place convenient. London ye 5th of April 1688. In testimonium Veritatis Signo meo Manual Solito signavi et tabellionatus mei Sigillum apposui Rogatus. [signed] Nicholas Hayward, Notary Public." Recorded in ye County Court Records of Stafford this 2nd day of October 1688.
He probably came on the same ship with his brother Lewis and his family, since they were mentioned at the same time in the bounty award to Nicolas Hayward dated September 8, 1687 while there were still in England: "To Nichlos Hayward notary for ye passage to Virginia of Lewis Reynaud, Anne his wife, Francis, Lewis, Mary and Sara Reynaud their children, and Benjamin Reynaud, Mary his wife, Marianne and Mary their children, and John de la Chaumette, granted 33 pounds", and appeared in Stafford County record books at the same time.
About 1695 Benjamin Reynaud left Stafford County and settled in the Currituck Precinct in North Carolina, just south of the Virginia border. There is a listing in the North Carolina land grants, Book 1, p. 88, "Benjamin Reynaud, precinct of Currituck, File No. 3: 300 acres adjoining the beaverdam, Edward Warren, Thomas Tull's Creek, and the Norwest River, February 28, 1696." This is located just a few miles south of the mouth of the James River in Virginia. His letter of Denization was recorded in the Carolina general Court in July 1698 (North Carolina Higher Court Minutes, 1709-1723; The Colonial Records of North Carolina, 2nd Series, V. 3, p.227, 1977). The Currituck, NC "Book of Warrants and Surveys, 1681-1706" has a land claim entry for Benjamin Reynaud, 300 acres adjoining Edward Warren, and mentions Benjamin Reynaud, Mary his wife, Olimpa, Morgan and Mary his children. I have viewed a copy of an original land survey document from 1696 that reads "To survey and lay out for Benjamin Reynaud 300 acres of land Due &c. and returne &c. Dat. ye. 10th day of October 1696."... "Benjamin Reynaud, Mary his wife, Morgan Olimpee Mary their children One Negro.". Later in the same document it reads "Wm. Earle of Craven Palatine to all to whom... Know ye. according to our great deed Doe hereby give and grant unto Benjamin Reynaud a tract of land qt. three hundred acres lying in Couratuck Prct. in the County aforesaid (Albemarle), Beginning at a White Gum standing on the beavor dam that parts this land from the land of Edward Warren and runing downe the said Beavor dam to Thomas Tulls Creeke then down the said Creeke by various Courses to Norwest River then up the said River by various Courses to the black Gum thence S.West 112 po. to the first station that said land being due to have and to hold... Dated the 25th day of February 1696. For the importacon of Benj Reynaud Mary his wife Olimpa Morgan and Mary their children One Negro." The name Morgan is clearly written and could not actually be Moses. However, it is assumed that Morgan and Moses are the same son; otherwise, based on information in his will and other documents, Morgan would have to be a girl, and Moses would have been born after 1696, which would make him only 15 or 16 in 1712 when his father "set him free" to be an adult. Benjamin's name also appears in Currituck County court records for July 20, 1697 which reads "Whereas Complaint hath bin made unto me by Benjamin Reynaud that John Bennett refuseth pay for A Cow allready received..." (Higher Court Minutes, Vol. 3, p.201).
On April 8, 1712, Benjamin Reynaud wrote his will and left all his possessions to his son Moses and a daughter. His wife Mary must have died before 1712. Moses was not mentioned in the 1667 document, and in his father's 1712 will he was set free and allowed to be of age 18, so he was probably born about 1693-1694. J. C. Reneau, in a 1989 article "Origin of the surname Reneau/Renno/Reno in Virginia", Virginia Genealogist, 33(2):122-127, says that Benjamin's will mentions daughters Elizabeth Bond and Susannah Robinson, and Henry and Luke Grace, who are thought to be his stepsons, but further research shows that these were not his daughters. J. C. Reneau obtained the information from p.71 of the North Carolina History and Genealogy Register, which says "Benjamin Reynaud of Currituck. April 8, 1712; son Moses, son and daughter, Susanna Robinson, April 30, 1709; daughter Elizabeth Bond, son Henry Grace, son Luke Grace, son Henry Grace". I have checked the original records and found that Elizabeth Bond and Susannah Robinson were from different families, but because they appeared on the same page with Reynaud records, the NC History and Genealogy Register made an error by assuming they were the same family. It is not clear whether the daughters Mary and Marianne mentioned in his Letter of Denization were still alive when he prepared his will. In any event, more research needs to be done to determine the names of his children and their fate.
His will, written in his own hand, reads: "In the name of God Amen, the eighth day of Aprill in the year of our Lord 1712. I Benjamin Reynaud of Coritoke precinct in North Carolina, I therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye, Doe make and ordaine this my last will and testament, that is to say principally first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hand of God that gave it, hoping through the merits death and passion of my saviour Jesus Christ to have his free pardon and foregiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life-giving body I commit to the earth nothing doubting his act of general resurrection. I shall receive of same again by almighty power of God and such mortality state wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and ordain all my debts to be carefully paid out of my stock hogs and cattle, and do set free my beloved son Moses Reynaud and allow him to be of age. Likewise I constitute make and ordaine my only and sole executor of this my last will and testament and I give him all my lands and houses and household goods and caneeds? and other goods property only to him and I give my hogs and cattle and sheep to be equally divided between my son and daughter after my debts are truely paid. This is my last will and testament in witness wherof I have here unto made my hand and seal the day it was above written. Benjamin Reynaud". Witnesses were Joseph Walker, Rosmus Hersleff, Daniel Rice. (North Carolina Secretary of State Wills, 1712-1722, S.S. 875, page 24).

He was married to Mary CARTIER before 1667 in France. Mary CARTIER⁽³⁾⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ was born before 1647 in France. She died before 1712. She has Ancestral File number 157D-D3F. Benjamin DE REYNAUD and Mary CARTIER had the following children:

9 i. Marianne REYNAUD⁽³⁾⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ was born before 1667.
10 ii. Mary REYNAUD⁽³⁾⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ was born before 1667.
11 iii. Olympia REYNAUD⁽³⁾⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ was born before 1696.
12 iv. Moses Morgan REYNAUD⁽³⁾⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ was born in 1692. Moses Reynaud appears in various tax records for Currituck County between the time of his father's will in 1712 and 1719. A summary of early records from Currituck County in the North Carolina State Archives says that "Nearly all the early records of Currituck County at the county level have been lost." Those that remain are from Secretary of State records and other sources that were kept outside of the county. The State Archivist told me that this was because of numerous hurricanes, and the fact that Currituck is located directly on the coast in a low-lying area.
Various tax records that mention Moses are as follows: "1713 tax list, Moses Reynald"; "State Tax and Poll Tax Dec. 10, 1714, p.15, Moses Rinor"; "September 29, 1715 tax list, Moses Rinor"; "Land taxes received in Coratuck for year 1716, p.28, Moses Ryno for 100 acres"; "Levies received in Coratuck for year 1716, p.31, Moses Ryno, 1 tithable"; "A list of Coratuck Tithables for year 1717, p.33, Moses Ryno, 1 tithable"; "Land taxes received in Coratuck for year 1717, p.37, Moses Ryno, 1 tract 100 acres"; "List of Coratuk Tithables year 1718, p.39, Moses Rynard, 1 tithable"; "List of Tithables Coratuck Year 1718, the "NorWest List", p.45, Moses Rynard"; "Levies and Land Tax Received Coratuk Year 1719, p.52, Moses Ryno, 100 acres"; "An account of tithables from Roanok [torn page] Inlet, May 25, 1719, p.54, Moses Rignnow".
The last record for Moses occurs in May 1719, but only a few sparse records remain for the period 1720-1750 for the county. When the records reappear about 1750, there is no mention of him, so he disappeared sometime between 1720 and 1750. It is likely that he died in Currituck Co. without leaving any sons.