From
"Genealogy of the Reno Family in America,
1600
-1900 Second Edition
1999"
by Steven
G. Fancy
The
origin of the Reynaud/Reno/Reneau family in America can be traced
to religious events in their home country of France which culminated
in the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The Reynauds
went to England where they took out letters of Denization which
permitted them to remain and to hold land in England or its colonies.
Numerous
spelling variations of the Reno name have appeared in records
during the past 300 years in America, such as Reno, Reneau, Reynaud,
Rheno, Rennoe, Renoe, Rhyno, and others. Many of the records,
such as census records, were spelled phonetically and the records
themselves cannot be relied upon. However, various documents
signed by Renos appear with various spellings over the years,
and the variations Reno and Reneau are common to this day. The
Huguenot immigrants, having fled France for a British Colony,
adopted the anglicized version of Reynaud, and especially during
the French and Indian War when the French were the enemies of
the British in the colonies it was desirable to dissociate themselves
from the French. Lewis Reno wrote his name Reno when he signed
a deed in 1711, and deeds from the Northern Neck Grant books
and early Prince William County records have original signatures
by Lewis Reno, Jr., Thomas Reno, Zeley Reno, and others with
the spelling Reno. However, during the Revolutionary War the
French became the allies of the colonists, and some family members
returned to the French spelling.
General
Louis de Reynaud - Born
about 1600 in Angoumois, Bordeaux, France
Most
of the Reno/Reneau family in America can be traced to Louis de
Reynaud, a Huguenot and native of Angoumois in the Bordeaux region
of France. He entered the military service of the Duc de Crequy
whose domains included the area around Bordeaux as well as other
extensive fiefs in the north of France around the Pax de Calais.
After many campaigns during the Spanish Wars, Reynaud rose to
the rank of general, and around 1630, he married Frances d'Hamel
de Douvrin. At least three sons were born to this union between
1630 and 1640 at the Reynaud residence in the Chaillot section
of Paris.
Two
of Louis de Reynaud's sons, Louis and Benjamin, arrived in Stafford
County, Virginia by early October 1688. According to the book "Landmarks
of Old Prince William" by Fairfax Harrison (1924) and an
article by Dollye M. Elliott in the Colonial Genealogist 9(2):58-62,
many of the Huguenots who came to the Northern Neck of Virginia
did so under a business venture by Nicholas Hayward, who made
speculative investments in the English colonies from Virginia
to Hudson Bay. Nicholas' brother Samuel Hayward was the Clerk
of Stafford County, Virginia, and Hayward, George Brent, Robert
Bristow and Richard Foot, four English businessmen, had secured
a 30,000 acre proprietorship between Cedar Run and Broad Run
in the northern Neck of Virginia from Lord Culpeper that was
originally intended as a colony for Huguenot and catholic refugees
from England. French expatriates in London were sought out by
businessmen with land holdings in the colonies of Virginia and
Carolina who offered promises and provisions to entice the Huguenots
to settle there (including Letters of Denization, and bounty
payments to the settlers). Thus, Nicholas Hayward essentially
recruited Louis and Benjamin Reynaud and their families to settle
on these proprietary lands in the northern neck of Virginia.
LOUIS
REYNAUD - Born about 1630 and died in England:
A
bounty award from the English crown dated September 8, 1687 reads "To
severall ye intended for ye West Indies" ... "To Lewis
Reynaud of Angoumois, his wife and eight children for tools and
others necessaries things to go to Virginia" granted 8 pounds;
and "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 "To Lewis Reynaud and his family for supply" granted
2 pounds.
On
March 25, 1688, effective March 31, 1688, denization was granted
to Lewis Reynaud, Ann his wife, and Lewis and Sara their children,
and also to Benjamin Reynaud and Mary his wife. The omission
from this Letter of Denization of six children of Lewis Reynaud
and two children of Benjamin Reynaud who were mentioned in the
Bounty Papers might be explained by the possibility that these
children were over 21 years of age when the denization was granted
(The Reno Family, by William L. Reno, Jr.; Huguenot Society of
London Publ., Quarto Series, Vol. XVIII - Letters of Denization
and Acts of Naturalization for Aliens in England and Ireland,
1603-1700, pp. 204-209).
The
following confirmation of Louis' letter of Denization by Nicholas
Hayward is found in Stafford County records for October 2-3,
1688 (Stafford County Court Records 1686-1693/4, p.95, Virginia
State Library, microfilm 7a). A similar letter was found for
his brother Benjamin: "I Nicholas Hayward Notary and Tabellion
Publick 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 Lewis Reynaud,
Anne his wife, Lewis and Sarah their children 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 Lewis Reynaud Anne his wife and Lewis
and Sarah their children 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 Lewis Reynaud Anne his wife Lewis and Sarah their
children 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 per me, James Hearse
Dept. Cl. Curr Staffd.
On
the same page of Stafford County records Lewis and Benjamin record
the brands that they will use for their livestock.
The
greatest influx of Huguenots to Virginia occurred later, in 1700,
when four ships brought French Huguenots to Manakin Town in Virginia.
Among the names arriving at that colony was Lewis and Benjamin's
other brother, Pierre: "Pierre Reynaud, landed at the James
River on September 20, 1700, from the ship 'Peter & Anthony',
Danial Pearrey, Capt.". This was the second of three ships
carrying Huguenots to Manakin Town in 1700. The Peter & Anthony
carried 170 passengers and took 13 weeks to cross the Atlantic.
It is known that Pierre Reynaud returned to Europe where he eventually
died, and he probably made more than one trip to Virginia.
Louis and and his wife, Anne de la Croix, are known to have attended
the baptism of Anne Flauhaut at Canterbury on September 22,
1695 (The Reno Family, William L. Reno; Hug. Society Publ.
Vol. 5). They may have remained in England after this time,
as no further record of them in the colonies can be found.
However, their son Lewis remained in Virginia and is the direct
ancestor of thousands of Renos and Reneaus.
LEWIS
(REYNAUD) RENO - Born about 1676 in Valence, Dauphin, France
and died January 1755 in Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia:
Lewis
Reynaud, whose name appears as the anglicized version Renoe,
Rennoe, or Reno in early Stafford County, Virginia records, had
to have been under 21 years of age on October 10, 1688 when he
was included in the Letter of Denization granted his parents,
but he must have been at least 21 in February 1700 when he acquired
land in Virginia, thus fixing his birth before 1678. He was still
in London with his family in early April 1688, but was in Stafford
County, Virginia by October 2, 1688, based on the documents described
above for his father. The voyage to Virginia from London took
about 13 weeks, so he probably arrived in the Northern Neck of
Virginia between July and October, 1688 with his family and his
uncle Benjamin and his family.
Lewis
Reno acquired his first 100 acres of land from John Allen on
February 25, 1700 for 2100 pounds of tobacco "to me in hand
paid or promised to be paid" (Stafford County Deed Book
Z, p. 73-74). This land had been purchased by John Allen and
his brother William Allen from Augustine Kneaton, and was "situate
and lying between the Rocky Run and Austins Run in Acquia".
John and William Allen signed a Deed of Division for the parcel
(witnessed by Lewis Reno) just prior to John Allen selling his
portion to Lewis Reno. On March 9, 1705, John Allen confirmed
the deed to Lewis Reno, "the 2100 pounds of tobacco having
been fully paid" (Stafford Co. Book Z, p.309). A later land
record by John Allen's brother, William Allen, mentions "a
tract of land sold by my brother John Allen to Lewis Renoe a
Frenchman of Westmoreland County". Stafford County was formed
out of part of Westmoreland County, and Prince William County
was later formed from part of Stafford County.
On
June 7, 1707, Ursula Allen, "wife of John Allen of the County
of Stafford", granted power of attorney to Nathaniel Pope
to "acknowledge in Stafford County Court a certain tract
of land granted by sale by my said husband Lewis Renoe in the
same County the 9th day of March 1705 giving and granting unto
my said attorney my whole power of authority in and about the
premis to acknowledge in Court my right of Dower of the said
land...". (Book Z p.372).
James
C. Reneau, in his 1989 article in the Virginia Genealogist, interpreted
this document as saying that Ursula Allen was the widow of Lewis
Renoe, who must have died between 1705 and 1707, but I believe
that Ursula left out the word "to" and was actually
referring to the tract of land granted by my said husband TO
Lewis Renoe in March 1705.
On
August 24, 1711 Lewis Renoe and Clement Chevalle were granted
968 acres in Overwharton Parish of Stafford County on the upper
side of Broad Run just east of Bristow (Northern Neck Grant Bk.
4, p. 28), and four days later, on August 28, 1711, Lewis Reno
and Lewis Tacquett acquired a grant of 486 acres on Cedar Run,
presently located east of Brentsville and south of Manassas in
the northern neck of Virginia. Lewis Reno was living on this
land in 1715 (Northern Neck Grant Bk. 5, p. 67). The title to
this Reno-Tackett grant was the subject of a lengthy suit between
Thomas Stamps and Thomas Reno in 1752 wherein the Court held
that Lewis Reno in 1711 had been "duly naturalized and capable
of taking and holding lands as by a Copy of Record in the office
of Prince William County dated the second day of October 1688".
The Court held that Lewis Tackett was not then naturalized and
that this grant was invalid as to him. In 1712, Lewis Reno and
Lewis Tackett divided the original grant equally between themselves,
and this division was confirmed by the Court on June 16, 1779
(Prince Wm. Co. Bk. U, p.49). On June 30, 1712, Lewis Reno and
Philomen Waters acquired a proprietary grant of 466 acres on
the east side of Cedar Run, adjoining the Reno-Tackett Grant
(Bk. M, p. 176). Thus, Lewis Reno acquired numerous lands, most
of which were planted in tobacco.
Lewis
Reno's will was probated on November 27, 1754, with his sons
Lewis Reno and Thomas Reno named as executors. They presented
his will in Court on January 27, 1755 and signed a bond, both
spelling their name Reno (PW Co. Court Order Book 1754-1755,
p. 181). On August 26, 1755 they reported an inventory and appraisal
of his estate, but the detailed records have been lost or destroyed
as has his will and any record of his marriage.
[Side
Note: William L. Reno's 1975 manuscript and his published articles
incorrectly showed this Lewis Reno as the son of Pierre Reynaud.
Dr. Reno was unaware of the Stafford County records for Lewis
and Benjamin Reynaud at the time, but court documents from the
Thomas Stamps lawsuit in 1752 indicated that Lewis Reno was a
naturalized citizen based on documents dated October 2, 1688,
and Dr. Reno assumed that this Lewis Reno was Pierre Reynaud's
son based on the following argument: "This date closely
coincides with the Date (October 10, 1688) on which the Letter
of Denization issued to his father, Peter Reynaud, was inscribed
on the Patent Roll which was, of course, its effective date.
The slight difference in dates was probably due to a clerical
error in the many transcriptions which this court record has
undergone; it probably said October 20, 1688, instead of October
2, 1688. If this be true, then October 20, 1688 would, under
the New Style Calendar adopted in 1751, have been the equivalent
of October 10, 1688 under the Old Style Calendar and would have
precisely coincided with the date of the Letter of Denization."]
According
to the 1723 Virginia Tobacco Lists, brothers Henry and Gabriel
Moffett were living in the household of Lewis Reno in 1723 in
Dettingen Parish. Frank Moffett wrote the following based on
his research of these tobacco lists: "This was a census
which was taken to allocate the number of tobacco plants which
each male would be allowed to plant, as there was a tobacco glut,
and the price was suffering. Sort of a colonial version of FDR's "Land
Bank" program, wherein farmers were paid not to grow crops,
etc. The brothers Henry (sometimes recorded as Heinrich) Moffett
and Gabriel were listed in the household of Lewis Reno, a Huguenot,
along with Reno sons, in Dettingen Parish, the location of which
is now in Prince William County (then Stafford County).
Continued...
