Email From Gary Aden to Gary Aden
Email Dated 5/10/2001 

                        RAGSDALE

                   Fourth Degree Twig

Nearest Ancestor: Elizabeth RAGSDALE Camp(7/15/1776 Virginia-3/10/1854
Winder, Walton County, Georgia) married 1798 to Abner Camp(7/12/1775
Rutherford County, North Carolina-9/17/1853 Winder, Walton County,
Georgia), both are buried in the Treadwell Burying Ground near the
Treadwell Home, a few miles from Bethlehem, Georgia. She is my third
great grandmother,/ Peter/ Benjamin/ Godfrey II/ Godfrey I/ John/
William.

Old World Roots, Immigration, New World Settlement: A Ragsdale
researcher reported finding nothing more than a memorial brass over the
tomb of Owen Ragsdale in Rothwell Church in England after extensive
effort to learn and find more records. Owen Ragsdale was the nephew of
Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle. There are seven coats-of-arms
listed to the Oglethorpe name in Burke's General Armory, one of which is
in "Kyanlton-County Nottingham." The Memorial Brass in question above
shows a quartering of the Oglethorpe and Ragsdale arms, the former
registered while the latter are not.

     Godfrey Ragsdale I( ?1615, East Bridgeport, Nottingham,
England-4/18/1644 Henrico County, Virginia), the first Ragsdale in
America, evidently came with intent to inhabit the land, for there is no
record of grant. However, there is a record of purchase of 300 acres by
deed from John Butler February 25, 1642 on the north side of the
Appomatax River in Henrico County, Virginia. This acreage adjoined 150
acres owned by John Cookney at "Old Town" to whom it had been granted
May 18, 1638.  Land records show that his neighbors were John Cookney,
Sarah Woodson, and Seth Ward when the the second sweeping Indian
Massacre staged by Opechanacough, half-brother and successor to King
Powhatan resulted in the deaths of all members of Godfrey Ragsdale's
family and his neighbos, except an infant son, Godfrey II. . From John
COOKNEY'S will, it is construed that the wife and mother of Godfrey's
children was John's daughter, Mary.
 
Godfrey Ragsdale II(1644 Henrico County, Virginia-March 1703 Henrico
County, Virginia) inherited the family land plus the 150 acres of John
Cookney's(probated 12/1/1646). Surviving records in Henrico County
relate to Godfrey's service in the local militia, on a jury, and as an
appraiser of the estate of William Harris. He married 1666 to Rachel( ?
?- 1703 Henrico County Virginia). They had seven children, the fifth
being my direct ancestor, Benjamin(1698 Bristol Parish, Henrico County,
Virginia- April 1772 Mecklenburg County, Virginia). He married Matha
JONES( ? ?- after 1772 ?) in1723.

Part one- GARY CARL ADEN 5/10/01