Rezin Ragan

"This Timothy was born circa 1678 probably in Anne Arundel County, Maryland shortly after the arrival of his parents from Ireland. There is evidence from public documents that he was living in the area of Magothy River in Anne Arundel County before 1700. Having reached legal age (21 years), either he or another earlier Timothy was one of three witnesses to the will of Richard Moss on Thursday, 15 July 1700 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland." [Source: The Book of Reagans by Donald B. Reagan, p. 7]

Sources: 1.Author: Donald B. Reagan Title: The Book of Reagans Publication: Name: 1993; Note: Source Medium: Book

Page: p. 7

More sources:

1. "The Book of Ragan/Reagan" by Donald B. Reagan - Knoxville, TN 2. "Town Crier: The Descendants of Timothy & Elizabeth Ragan/Reagan" by Linda Green -Huntsville, AL

Daniel B. Reagan's Notes on Thomas Ragan, Sr:

Rezin Ragan listed as the 8th child of Timothy Ragan, Sr. and Mary Lary Ragan.

1-4 Rezin Ragan. He was born ca 1720 in St. Anne’s Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and died in Bullskin Township (later, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, between 1791/1799. He was 71 years of age at that time. It is most definitely that he was buried in Bullskin Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. His occupation was planter (farmer). His education was basic rudiments. And his religion was the Anglican Church in the province of Maryland; and the Methodist Society in the State of Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Circa 1740 when Rezin was 20, he married Anne ?_____? in Elk Ridge community, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Anne was born ca 1725, and died in Bullskin Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, between 1791/1799. She was 66 years of age at that time.

Research Notes on Rezin Ragan/Reagan as gleaned from contemporary records...

The real proof for the naming of Rezin came from Holy Bible. You can find it in Old Testament. Rezin is correct spelling for him. But the name of "Reason" is later version for this given name that does appear too in the contemporary sources today.

Rezin Ragan and his brother Timothy Ragan, Jr. witnessed to the deed between John Talbott and Edward Talbot in Anne Arundel County, Maryland on 23 Feb 1741. He again was one of two witnesses to the deed between James Cadle and Philip Hammond in Anne Arundel County, Maryland on 10 Aug 1743.

Rezin Ragan was mentioned as “my son” in Mary Ragon’s Last Will of Testament. He was appointed as one of three executors to this last Will and Testament. And it was written on 10 Dec 1752, and was probated on 23 Jan 1764 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

The 89 acres survey for John Abrell, which was surveyed on 13 Apr 1753, adjoined “his late survey on Opeckon;” John Thomas; and Rezin Ragan in Frederick County, Virginia. Rezin Ragan was one of two chain carriers for this 89 acres survey.

Rezin Ragan was the one of two chain carriers for 220 acres survey for John Abrell, which was surveyed on 12 Oct 1753 and recorded on 10 Apr 1755 in Frederick County, Virginia.

He acquired 264 acres of land which was surveyed on 26 Mar 1751, in Frederick County, Virginia from Lord Fairfax, on the waters of Opeckon. This survey adjoined the lands of Ralph Thompson, David Gilkey and David Abrell.

Rezin Ragan was mentioned as one of several landowners which bordered the lands of John Hagan’s 183 aceres survey which was surveyed on 27 Mar 1753 and recorded on 07 May 1753 in Frederick County, Virginia.

From the 50 acres survey for Robert Blackburn on 09 Nov 1762-19 Mar 1765, it showed that this survey adjoined the lands of Widow Siers, Rezin Ragan, Lordship Fairfax, Richard Ridgeway, Matthias Gosset, John Regin, and Joseph Reeder in Frederick County, Virginia.

Rezin Ragan was listed on 1764 Rent Roll for Frederick County, Virginia. The 20 acres survey for John, Samuel and Nathaniel Little, which was surveyed on 31 Oct 1772 and was recorded on 11 Aug 1774, adjoined the land “ from head of Littler Run, branch of Opeckon, Rezin Ragan, Joseph Horner, John Jones, Evan Thomas.

On 04 Jun 1777, Rezin Ragan and his wife, Anne, sold 150 acres of land “on the drains of Opeckon” in Frederick County, Virginia to William Pyatt of Frederick County, Virginia. He purchased that 150 acres of land from William Sayer and his wife Mary on 28-29 Oct 1768.

Before 1783, he and his family must have migrated to new frontier in the Ohio River valley (now Westmoreland and Fayette County, both in the Commonwealth of of Pennsylvania). That area were claimed by both Commonwealth of Virginia and Pennsylvania, and it was not settled by them til 1785.

From Pennsylvania Archives, Series, Volume 22, we learned that Rezin Ragan was listed as the head of the household in 1783 tax list for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He was listed with 300 acres of land, one horse, three (3) cattles and six (6) white inhabitants. So, this 1783 tax list was crucial evidence to show that he was listed as “Resen Ragan.” He and his family have lived on 300 acres of land by the right of squatter’s right in Bullskin Township.

In that 1783 tax list for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, it appeared that there were only four other white inhabitants in the household beside Rezin Ragan and his wife Anne.

Quoted from “History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania” by Franklin Ellis, it stated that “the pioneer settlers came from the eastern part of State and from Maryland about the period of the Revolutions, a few possibly coming earlier...” So, this statement from above mentioned book give a good, yet strong clue about this Ragan/Reagan family in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. This statement will confirm that this Ragan/Reagan family came from Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Next he was found listed in 1783 tax list for Tyrone Township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. No further data has been located yet.

Rezin Ragan was listed with no lands, one (1) horse, three (3) cattles in 1785 and 1786 tax list for Franklin Township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

Now we found that he was listed as “one of the settlers and landowners in Bullskin Township” in Fayette County, Pennsylvania according to “History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania” by Franklin Ellis. This book was published in 1882 by L. H. Everts & Company.

Rezin Ragan was again listed in 1788 and 1789 tax list for Bullskin Township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. No further data has been located yet.

1790 Federal Census showed that he was living in Bullskin Township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He was listed with two (2) white males for 16 years and upward; one (1) white male for under 16 years; and three (3) white females all ages. You can safely assumed that there were Rezin Ragan and his wife Anne, Daniel Ragan, Weldon Ragan and two daughters not known in that household.

It is most likely that Rezin Ragan and his wife Anne died in Bullskin Township (later Saltlick Township), Fayette County, Pennsylvania, before 1794. They were buried in unmarked graves there. (Saltlick Township was created from Bullskins township in 1797. It bordered the townships of Bullskin and Springfield in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and just next to the border of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.)

From the tax lists for both Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Rezin Ragan was listed with 300 acres of land from 1783 to 1789. It give me a personal thought if Philip Ragan and Brice Ragan who have applied for the lands to be surveyed in 1794 with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the actual homeplace where Rezin Ragan and his wife Anne lived til their death there. From the land records with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Philip Ragan was accounted for 437 acres, and Brice Ragan was accounted for 394 1/2 acres there in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The only question remained ... which one of these two sons have the homeplace of Rezin Ragan and his wife Anne ?.

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jan 11 2018, 22:33:29 UTC