William Reynolds (1625
- 1698), Presbyterian minister
William was born in Bures St Mary, Suffolk on 28th
October 1625. He was the second son of William Reynolds of London.
His father was a cloth worker and merchant who traded with Russia.
William was educated first by Mr Ashley at Bilson near Hadley and
then at Charterhouse School, London. He matriculated as a pensioner
from emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1641. He graduated with a BA
in 1644. In the previous year he had started his lifelong friendship
with John Whitlock.
His career proceeded as follows:
- For a short period Reynolds was a factor in Russia
for the family business, but due to the death of his father and
financial problems within the business William was forced to return
to England.
- 1646 his friend Whitlock was appointed to the
living in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire and he invited Reynolds
in December of that year to join him in a shared ministry.
- 1647 Reynolds and Whitlock preached in Wokingham, Berkshire
- 1648 Reynolds proceeded MA from Cambridge
- 1649 Reynolds and Whitlock incorporated at Oxford and preach at Aylesbury,
Buckinghamshire
- 1649 refused to take the engagement and consequently lost his post
- Appointed assistant to Whitlock at St Mary's Nottingham
- 1651 became a lecturer
- 1651 ordained at St Andrew Undershaft, London
- Prominent in the establishment of the presbyterian classis in Nottingingham,
attending meetings 1656-60
- 1662 excommunicated for failing to read common prayer (although this was
later rescinded)
- July 1662 both Reynolds and Whitlock were suspended from their posts and
ejected from their livings
- 1665 both Whitlock and Reynolds were imprisoned for twelve
weeks in Nottingham for preaching.
- 1668 both Whitlock and Reynolds moved to Mansfield where they remained
for the next nineteen years
- 1672 Reynolds was licensed as a presbyterian, and preached
fortnighly at Nottingham.
- 1685 as a result of entering Newark, both Whitlock and Reynolds were imprisoned
for five months
- 1687 Reynolds returned to Nottingham and with Whitlock took charge of
the prebyterian congregation in the town
In his personal life, on
10th May 1652 Reynolds married
Susanna Mellor, daughter of alderman Richard Mellor of Derby.
The couple had two sons and two daughters. At Reynolds death in
Nottingham on 26th February
1698 he had only the one surving child, Sarah.
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