Reasoner Family Stories
Reasoner Family Stories
Welcome to Reasoner Family Stories
The Reasoner Family came to the colonies in the late 1600's traveling with family members who includes members of the Spears and Froman families. They were Huguenots, alive with the power of a new spirituality who had survived the purges of Louis XIIII. Our ancestor, who was said to be a furniture maker for the King of France was said to have left only hours before a bloody purge instituted by Louis XIIII, who had revoked the Edict of Nantes and declared Protestantism to be illegal by the Edict of Fontainebleau.
Sometime in about the year of 1685 in France lived a young man by the name of Peter FROMAN. After attending a political meeting he hurried home with great speed. He quickly gathered all his ready cash, silverware and other valuables, placed them in a horse cart and rushed off to the ship that was waiting in the harbor. In fact he left in such a hurry that he forgot his hat. A friend said to him "Peter Froman, where are you going without your hat?" Peter replied that it was better to have a head without a hat than a hat without a head.
Many men felt that it was better to have the head than the hat. Another who felt this way was known by the name of SPEARS. Once when he was worshiping God at night for fear of persecution a group set upon them and only Spears and one other escaped with their lives.
This was not an uncommon occurrence in Frances. There was no freedom to worship as they pleased. This same year another young school teacher had to leave his native country because of religious principals. His name was Garrett REASONER. He fled to Germany and there married an aristocratic German lady named Marie.
Why are we telling about these three different young men? It is because their blood is destined to flow in the same veins.
Gaarrett REASONER's three sons, Nicholas, Stephen and Christopher, came to America about 1720. Spears' son, Noah, married Peter FROMAN's daughter and came on the same ship with them. Noah SPEARS' daughter, Mollie SPEARS married Peter REASONER, the son of Nicholas.
Peter and Mollie lived in Pennsylvania where they raised twelve children. The family eventually moved west settling in Ohio where Mollie died in 1805 and Peter in 1809. Peter's uncle, Christopher REASONER, lived to be 107 years old.
Peter and Mollie's son, Nicholas REASONER II, married Polly STOUT (descendant of Penelope STOUT) on March 2, 1797. They had three children; Henry, Aaron and John Stout REASONER. Polly died of a snake bite in 1802.
Though driven from their native land, the REASONER's have always been true to America and have done much to make it the grandest country in this world.
Peter REASONER became one of George WASHINGTON's Forest Rangers. Another, William REASONER, was the means of saving the Battle of New Orleans for his country. While sick and off duty, he saw one of our men going through the brush towards the British lines. He passed so near that William saw him clearly. William went and told his general to which the general replied. "You are a liar." William replied, "I am not used to being called that." Then the general inquired of REASONER's neighbors in his company and they said, "You can believe everything he says." Then the general called his men up and the man of the description Will gave was gone. So the general reversed his plan and had the army strong where it had been weak, and when the enemy marched up expecting victory, they were surprised and defeated. The deserter was hung by the British.
John Stout REASONER chose for his bride Miss Tryphena NORTHWAY, daughter of Lucy CASE and Francis NORTHWAY Jr.
In 1803, Lucy CASE had suffered from an illness that left her near death for a couple of months. Among those who traveled to see her was Francis NORTHWAY. He was so interested in her that he kept coming until he persuaded her to be his. They were married March 6 1813 Lucy lived as a happy Christian and raised a family.
Francis NORTHWAY became a Captain of the Green Mountain Boys in the War of 1812. In 1816, he moved to New York State and afterwards became an elder in the Presbyterian Church. When the Rev. John Stout REASONER came to Elder NORTHWAY's home about church work, he was so pleased with Mrs. NORTHWAY's amiable disposition, he thought he could safely choose one of her daughters for his wife. He chose Tryphena, born on Oct 4, 1814. John STOUT and Tryphena NORTHWAY were married at her father's house on Dec. 29, 1833 and he had found one in whom his heart could safely trust. They had twelve children.
