Thomas RAGLAND

                   Evan was abducted from England with John Davis and indentured (sold) to Stephen Pettus. After 8 years, due to his good education he was able to buy his freedom. He married Susannah Pettus his former master's daughter.
According to family traditions, Evan, who was quite well educated for someone his age, was taken into the home of the planter (Stephen Pettus, a moderately wealthy Planter)) who purchased him and for several years was employed as the planter's secretary. He eventually married the planter's daughter (Susanna) ca. 1680. Evan eventually aquired some wealth.

Aducted from England with John Davis and indentured on Stephen Pettus Plantation

According to history Evan arrrived some time around 1670, after having been abducted from the villiage of Watchet in Somerset, England by the captian of a ship sailing from Bristol to America. Evan's family had inherited land in Somerset but the Raglands had their roots in Wales and were related to several of the most prominent Welsh families in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.
Information obtained from The Raglands: by Charles James Ragland


Evan arrived in Virginia he was then sold into servitude. Because of his education, he became secretary to a planter Pettus of New Kent County Virginia. When he no longer was an indentured servant Evan married Pettus' daughter. The couple later inherited 500 acres in New Kent. Charles Ragland mentions that though Evans children worked the land the plantation register states the Evan and family owned slaves.

John Weston/ Data Wales 2001 "Thus a Welsh name became associated with slavery almost by accident. Charles Ragland quotes an English source as estimating that between 1640 and 1680 up to 100,000 children may have been kidnapped in Britian and sold to the highest biddets in America. This is a suprisingly high figure but the autheor says that in periods when the British were reluctant to emigrate, captains of ships bound for the colonies would simply kidnap children for sale on their arrival. He says that protest (and increased interest in voluntary emigration) had brought the practice to an end around 1679, in which year a captain was hung for kidnapping and 11 year old boy

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Mr. James Green of Texas was kind enough to send me some extracts from The Raglands: The History of a British-American Family by Charles James Ragland Jr. (privately printed 1978 and 1987). This traces the origin of the Ragland family of Granville County, North Carolina and its relationship to other Ragland families of the United States. It appears that one Evan Ragland was the progenitor of the American Raglands. According to the History, Evan arrived some time around 1670, probably after having been abducted from the village of Watchet in Somerset, England by the captain of a ship sailing from Bristol to America. Evan's family had inherited land in Somerset but the Raglands had their roots in Wales and were related to several of the most prominent Welsh families in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.

Note: Names like Ragland, Raglan and Rhaglan are normally associated with the parish of Raglan in Gwent (Monmouthshire). See our note on Raglan Castle. Authorities notice that the surname was also found in east Glamorgan and it is possible that there was once such a place name in that county of south Wales.

Family tradition has it that once Evan Ragland had arrived in Virginia, he was sold into servitude. Because of his education, he became secretary to a planter (perhaps Stephen Pettus of New Kent County, Virginia). Once the term of his indenture had expired, Evan married the daughter of his employer and ultimately the couple inherited 500 acres in New Kent. Charles Ragland writes "While he (Evan) and his sons obviously worked in their own plantation the register reveals that he owned slaves, although in what number is not known".

Thus a Welsh name became associated with slavery almost by accident. Charles Ragland quotes an English source as estimating that between 1640 and 1680 up to 100,000 children may have been kidnapped in Britain and sold to the highest bidders in America. This is a surprisingly high figure but the author says that in periods when the British were reluctant to emigrate, captains of ships bound for the colonies would simply kidnap children for sale on their arrival. He says that protests (and increased interest in voluntary emigration) had brought the practice to an end around 1679, in which year a captain was hung for kidnapping an eleven year old boy.

   John Weston / Data Wales, 2001