James Reynolds was probably born in the 1620s in England. He married Deborah in about 1647, probably in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts. They had eight children. James died in 1700 in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Descendants and relatives lived in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota and elsewhere.

This work, compiled over a period of thirty years from about 2,000 books and manuscripts, is a comprehensive listing of the 37,000 married couples who lived in New England between 1620 and 1700. Listed are the names of virtually every married couple living in New England before 1700, their marriage date or the birth year of a first child, the maiden names of 70% of the wives, the birth and death years of both partners, mention of earlier or later marriages, the residences of every couple and an index of names. The provision of the maiden names make it possible to identify the husbands of sisters, daughters, and many granddaughters of immigrants, and of immigrant sisters or kinswomen.