The Fagan Family
Despite its very Irish appearance the name FAGAN cannot be said to be Irish in origin. It came to Ireland from/through England. Even in England it came into use as a surname from the Latin word "paganus," which means literally a "dweller in the country" as distinct from a dweller in the city.
The Fagans of Ireland are practically all of Anglo-Norman stock. They came with the early Norman settlers and got estates in the Pale principally in County Dublin where they are found today in greatest numbers. The records show that as early as 1200 A. D. William Fagan already owned considerable property in Dublin.
A few generations later when they extended their property and influence, the heads of the family were ennobled and established their seat at Feltrim, County Dublin. The ranking heads of the family were known as the Barons of Feltrim. From the 13th to the 15th centuries many served as high sheriffs of Dublin and Meath.
While identifying themselves with Irish life of the time, their political contacts were mainly with England and Anglo-Irish families of the Pale. A branch of the family supported the claims of Perkin Warbeck to the throne of England and when, in 1497 A. D., this pretender’s cause was lost, Christopher Fagan took refuge in Cork to escape the vengeance of Henry VII. Another branch of the family settled in County Kerry. These events account for the fact that we find descendants of the Fagans in these Munster counties. But the vast majority of families of the name belong to Leinster and of these a great number to the Dublin area.
Not only was the family prominent in the social and political life of Dublin down to the Cromwellian and Willamite Wars, but they gave to the Church some eminent leaders as well. Most Reverend Luke Fagan was Archbishop of Dublin from 1729 to 1734 during the height of the persecutions of the Penal days. Several representatives of the family have been outstanding in public life in the United States, notably James Fleming Fagan (1828-1893), well known planter, soldier and civil administrator.
"To Mrs. Hal Fagan of Grainfield, Kansas, we are grateful for much of this information of the early family. Mrs. Fagan was a daughter-in-law of Dr. Frank Fagan, brother of Leonard (missionary in Africa) and John B. Fagan.
John Broderick Fagan wrote my sister, Hazel Baker, in Larned, Kansas, and she was acquainted with some of his children in St. John in recent years. He was the one that found the old Amplias Fagan Bible for us in Los Angeles, in the home of a fine man, Allen Turner, descendant of the Turner family that married the Fagans. _____ (it) went through the Johnstown Flood and even though water logged, the records are still decipherable. Allen Turner’s family still have the old captains whistle that belonged to Amplias. He was in charge of a whaler off the coast of New Jersey, we understand.
This is a portion of a letter from Leonard Fagan written just before his death in 1961, "Father told me the original Irish way of spelling the name was ‘Phagans,’ then it was changed to Fagans, then later to plain Fagan.’" In England, the surname came from Latin ‘paganus’ (country dweller.) The Fagans of Ireland are practically all of Anglo Norman stock. They came from/through England with the early Norman settlers and got estates in the Pale principally in County, Dublin."
Henry Fagan was born 14 October 1759, Cumberland County, New Jersey. He saw military service with the 1776 PRV (Capt. Cummings County) 2nd N. J. Reg, discharged 5 June 1783.
He was married 23 January 1785, to Elizabeth Miller, born 10 May 1762, New Jersey. She died 28 January 1832, and Henry died 28 January 1837, in Cumberland County, New Jersey.
"General Acct’g Office, Washington D. C. April 16, 1945 " Rev. Pension record No. 9 132 N. J. for Henry Fagan: Records of this office show that on July 16, 1854 the clerk of common pleas, Court of Bridgeton, Cumberland County N. J. certified that evidence had been provided to prove that Henry Fagan died on January 28, 1837 in Cumberland County N. J. leaving no widow but two children, Philip Fagan and Tabor S. Fagan. The arrears of pension due the decedent, covering the period of September 4, 1836 to January 28, 1837 was paid to Thomas J. Strykes, as attorney for the children, pursuant to a certificate issued by the Treasury Department, Third Auditors office on October 10, 1854. The records also show that the pensioner had resided in Cumberland County, New Jersey for the space of thirty years and that previous thereto he resided in the same place."
Service: When this veteran applied for pension under the act of March 18, 1818 it was alleged: He enlisted in the year 1776 as Private in Captain Summings Company, 2nd New Jersey Regiment commanded by Colonel Shreve and continued to serve until the close of the war. It is shown that he was discharged June 5th, 1783 after service of 7 years. The veteran stated that he was in engagements at Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Springfield, and at "Wyoming under Sullivan".
Family: When veteran was questioned in 1820 regarding his family who lived with him as dependents, he mentioned his wife, Elizabeth, aged 61 years and his son Francis, aged 15 years.
Residence: In 1820 he resided in Maurice River, Cumberland County N. J.
Children:
Amplias Fagan, son of Henry Fagan and Elizabeth Miller, was born 4 September 1790, in New Jersey.
He was married/1 to Hannah Davis, who was born 29 May 1795, daughter of David Davis and Elizabeth__.
Amplias Fagan was married/2 22 July 1837, Montgomery County, Ohio, to Lydia Ann Miller, who was born 1809/10.
Amplias died 8 December 1859, in Tipp City, Ohio. Lydia died about 1870 in Hardin, Ohio.
Children:
David Davis Fagan, son of Amplias Fagan and Hannah Davis, was born 29 June 1819.
He was married 28 September 1865 to Patience Turner, born 13 December 1832, daughter of George Turner and Catharine Munch.
David died 24 October 1892; Patience died 28 August 1906, both buried in Anna, Ohio.
George Turner was born 1805, in Ohio. He was married to Catharine Munch, born 1810, in Virginia.
Children: All born in Ohio
Children:
Elizabeth Miranda Fagan, daughter of Amplias Fagan and Hannah Davis, was born 6 January 1825, in New Jersey.
She was married 20 April 1847, in Miami County, Ohio, to James H. Grant Shafford
Children:
Mary Fagan, daughter of Amplias Fagan and Hannah Davis, was born 18 June 1827, in New Jersey.
She was married 10 April 1849, Miami County, Ohio, to Charles Henderson
Children:
Zopher Smith Fagan, son of Amplias Fagan and Hannah Davis, was born 2 September 1830, in Cape May, New Jersey.
He was married 12 September 1967, in Shelby County, Ohio to Mary Christine Stafford, who was born 24 December 1832 in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio, daughter of Jesse Stafford and Elizabeth Gerrard, and the widow of John Turner, who died 21 May 1864. See Stafford Family below insert link
Zopher died 12 October 1899; Mary died 9 March 1914, both in Northbranch, Jewell County, Kansas.
Children:
Daniel Davidson Fagan, son of Amplias Fagan and Lydia Ann Miller, was born 10 February 1842, in Cape May, New Jersey.
He was married 3 May 1866 to Mercy Turner, born 1841, Ohio, daughter of George Turner and Catharine Munch (See: Turner family)
Daniel died 24 December 1911, in Sidney, Ohio.
Children: