RANDOLPH, FITZ RANDOLPH- Reuben F., Benjamin F. and Joseph F. Randolph owned land in Stafford township at least as early as 1762. Reuben F. Randolph was captain of the militia in Stafford during the Revolution. James F. Randolph was a prominent business man at Toms River before and during the first part of the Revolution, owning sawmills, etc. He was taxed here 1764. He m. Deliverance, dau. of the John Coward who d. about 1760. He d. about the winter of 1781-2. The late Judge Job F. Randolph, of Barnegat, it is said, was son of Thomas F., who d. at the advanced a. of 98 years. Judge Randolph m. Margaret Jeffrey, dau. of William and Margaret (Child) Jeffrey, of Berkley township. The ancient name of this family was Fitz Randolph, for which reason descendants retain the letter "F," as the initial letter of a middle name. The ancestor of the family was Edward Fitz Randolph, who came from England in 1630, while a lad. Warrants were issued by proprietors for lands in Middlesex at or near Piscataway to Elizabeth F. Randolph, 1676, for 300 acres and meadows, and several hundred acres to others of the name. The noted Randolph family of Virginia descended from William Randolph, who settled on the James River at a place called Turkey Island, where he purchased a large estate to which, says Bishop Meade, he added numerous others. He m. Mary Isham and had seven sons and two daus. Several of his sons became distinguished in the history of the State.

REAPE- William Reape of Newport, Rhode Island, one of the twelve patentees, 1665, seems to have been among the foremost in founding the settlement of Monmouth. By reference to the rights claimed from Proprietors for land by Mrs. Reape, she must have been one of the largest, if not the largest land proprietor in the county. Besides which, she owned property in Rhode Island. She also owned property in England. Her property seems mainly to have been inherited by her grandsons William Marsh and William Brindley.

RECOW, RACKHOW- Daniel Recow had land near Waretown which is referred to in a survey May 1st, 1755, for James Alexander on Oyster Creek. He had a son Peter who lived near Barnegat. Peter died when quite young. Peter had a brother Daniel who joined the Refugees.

REID- John Reid, the noted Surveyor. James Reid and his sons John and Samuel and his brother Andrew Reid were the earliest of the name mentioned in Freehold records. The first mentioned had been a bookseller in Edinburgh. His father and grandfather had been gardeners. He was born Feb. 13th, 1655. In 1683, he was selected by the Proprietors to take charge of a party of emigrants sent to East Jersey. They landed on Staten Island, Dec. 19th, went to Elizabethtown the 23d and to Woodbridge Jan. 10th, 1684. In records of wills at Trenton is one of Samuel Reid of Freehold (township), dated Feb 10th, 1710. In 1717, John Reid of Freehold is called an innholder, in a deed from him to John Boude.

REDFORD- In the old Scotch burying ground at Topanemus are inscriptions on tombstones to William Redford, who came from North Britain 1682, and d. March, 1725-6, aged 84 yrs. William Redford's will dated Feb., 1720, at Freehold, names wife Margaret and children. Samuel had land deeded to him by his father William, in Freehold, 1709. Among taxpayers in Shrewsbury, 1764, was John Redford.

REMINGTON- Thomas Remington, it is said, came from Haverstraw, N.Y. to Monmouth, about 1750. He had w. Amy and a dau. Mary, who m. Jedediah Woolley, son of Daniel.

REYNOLDS, RANOLDS- The will of William Ranolds of Freehold names wife Hellen and children. It was proven 1709. John Ranolds had land deeded to him by Richard Salter 1712, south side of Doctors Creek. James Runnells (Reynolds) was a taxpayer in Shrewsbury township 1764. Samuel Reynolds took up several tracts of land near Toms River 1802 and thereabouts. Samuel Reynolds, Jr., was m. to Deborah Jeffrey Nov. 14, 1799, by Benjamin Lawrence.

RENSHALL- Thomas Renshall was licensed to keep an ordinary at Middletown 1684; bond, £20. He is named in Court proceedings 1691. In 1688 he had 30 acres of land from proprietors.

RHEA, REA- Robert Ray bought headland in 1688 of John Keighn. In 1691 he had land from proprietors. May 26, 1791, he had land from the noted George Keith, who then lived in Philadelphia, and in 1693 the proprietors confirmed the title. He is subsequently frequently named in ancient records, and in some deeds he is called carpenter. The ancient Rhea farm, since called the "Kerr or Carr farm," and owned in late years by D. Demarest Denise, is situated a short distance south-west of Freehold on the Heightstown road. On this farm the main part of the battle of Monmouth took place, and here the old family burying ground is situated, Robert Rhea, farmer, and Mary, his wife, in 1772 owned land, the title of which began at Tennent parsonage. In 1789 they deeded land to Jonathan Rhea, Esq.

RICHARDSON- Richard Richardson was among the purchasers from the Indians, 1667. He settled at Portland Point and was given lot number 3 at that place. It is probable that he came from Rhode Island and may have been of the family of William Richardson an early settler of that colony. In 1676 he had 150 acres of land from Proprietors.

RIDGWAY- Timothy Ridgway was probably the first of this family who settled within the limits of the present county of Ocean. In 1729 he m. Sarah, dau. of William Cranmer. This William Cranmer was also an early settler of Barnegat and one of the earliest converts to Quakerism. In the upper part of Ocean county, on branches of Toms River, Solomon and Job Ridgway had land, 1761-2 and at other times and had the sawmill previously owned by James Hepburn and Stephen Pangburn. The founder of the Ridgway family was Richard, who with w. Elizabeth and infant son Thomas, arrived in the Delaware from London, 1679. He came from Wallingford in Berks county, England. Tradition handed down among old Quakers at Barnegat, was that Richard Ridgway was a tailor. The usual way of stating the tradition was, that "all the Ridgways descended from Richard, and he a tailor." Richard remained in Bucks county, Pa., till about 1690, when he removed to West Jersey and finally settled in Springfield in Burlington county where he died Sept. 21st, 1722, having made his will just before his death. Charles a grandson, settled in Barnegat where he d. July 14th, 1882, aged 65 years. Richard, son of Richard, and grandson of Timothy, was a Justice of the Peace at Barnegat. Job Ridgway, son of Timothy married in 1769, Elizabeth, dau. of Jeremiah Methis, and had two daus. He died at Barnegat, July 24th, 1832, aged 89 years. Solomon Ridgway, 2nd, and w. Amey lived in what was once a part of Upper Freehold, but which since was included in Ocean County.

ROBBINS- The first of this family in old Monmouth seem to have come from Woodbridge, N.J., where Daniel Robins is named among original settlers about 1670, and at which place he received a grant of 173 acres of land. He held various town offices such as collector of taxes, constable, etc. His wife was named Hope and they had nine children. Among persons taxed in Upper Freehold 1731 were Moses Jr., Nathaniel, Aaron, Samuel, Jonathan, Jacob and Zachariah Robins, and in 1758 were Moses, Samuel, Ephraim, Elizabeth, widow, Daniel A., Daniel, Joseph, (who owned a still) John, Thomas, Moses, Jr., Jacob and Joseph, Jr. In old Shrewsbury 1764, Aaron Robins was taxed. In the Revolutionary war Thomas and William Robbins were in the Continental army and Isaac, Jesse, John and Joseph served in the militia. Moses Robbins lived at Toms River and was wounded by the British in the attack on the Block House, March 1782. The village was then burned by the enemy, and among the houses rebuilt one of the first was one by Moses Robbins.

Elijah Robbins was the first postmaster at Toms River and owned the land on which the Block House had been situated. Daniel Robins, either from Old England or New England, supposed to be the first of that name, settled in the Jerseys, and had seven sons and three daughters.

ROBINSON- John Robinson was defendant in a suit with Thomas Leonard 1685. James Robinson's cattle mark is recorded about this time and he was deceased 1687. Another James Robinson in 1732 was executor of will of Thomas Adams of Freehold. In Middletown, 1761, among taxpayers were Duncan, John and Patrick Robinson.

ROCKHEAD, ROCKHED- John Rockhead, proprietor, of New York, in 1734, sold land to Peter Knott, of Shark River. James Rockhead, of Monmouth, sold land to William Watson in 1737. The will of James Rockhead, of New York, merchant, 1739, directs that his body be buried by his brother, John Rockhead in Monmouth. In Topanemus graveyard is a tombstone to the memory of Mr. John Rockhed, second son of Mr. Thomas Rockhed.

ROGERS- William Rogers sold half a share of land at Nevisinks to William Shaddock, March 7, 1667. In 1677 Benjamin Rogers and w. had 120 acres of land from proprietors; in 1680 he had another warrant. The ancestor of the Rogers family in Berkeley and Lacey township was John Rogers, who tradition says, came from West Jersey when a youth to what is now Ocean county. He m. first Abby or Abigail Woodmansee and had sons Isaac, Jesse, John and David; he m. second w. Elizabeth Buck, of Toms River, and had children James D., George W. and Samuel Rogers. The second w., Elizabeth Buck, was dau. of Aaron Buck, of Toms River. Isaac Rogers, son of the first named John, had w. Sarah and sons Capt. William, Capt. Solomon and Judge David I.C. Rogers. It is probable that the Ocean county Rogers are offshoots of this family.

ROMEYN, ROMINE- Stoffel Romine had land deeded to him 1709, by Richard Salter and Sarah, his w. Jacobus Romine bought land of Jonathan Forman of Freehold, 1718. Stoffel must have d. about 1709. Stoffel Jansen Romeyn came to this country in 1653 and m. Gertie, dau. of Peter Wyckoff, March 17, 1678. His widow was a member of the Brick Church, Marlborough in 1711. Thomas Romine and Thomas Romine, Jr., and Samuel and Layton Romine were taxed 1764 in Shrewsbury.

ROSE- This is an ancient family, originally settling in Burlington county, members of which branched off into old Stafford, now Ocean, county. Peter Rose was a propertyholder in town of Burlington 1724, and Joseph Rose owned a dwelling in same town 1741. Previous to the settlement of New Jersey, the name was found on Long Island. Robert Rose was settled at East Hampton in 1648.

RUCKMAN- John Ruckman is named among those who paid for shares of land in Monmouth in 1667 and the same year he was awarded town lot number one in Middletown. The name John Ruckman first appears at Sandwich, Mass., 1644, mentioned with Peter Gauntt, George Allen, Richard Kirby and others whose descendants subsequently came to New Jersey. He was probably the same subsequently named at Gravesend, L.I., where he sold a share of land to Thomas Applegate Nov., 1646. His will was dated March 13, 1650, and proved May 2d, of the same year. Samuel, Thomas and John Ruckman, named in the early years of the Monmouth settlement, 1700-15 and thereabouts, were probably his sons. The will of Thomas Ruckman, of Monmouth, was dated May 20, 1714, and names w. Rachel and seven children.

RUE- Matthew Rew, of Staten Island, 1726, gave power of attorney to Capt. Albert Johnson (of Perth Amboy?). In 1737 Matthew Rue, of Perth Amboy, bought land of Arthur Brown, of Monmouth. John Rue, of Cranbury, a soldier of the Revolution, had son Joseph I. Rue, who m. Mary, dau. of Abraham Bergen, of Middlesex, and their son was Jacob B. Rue, the well remembered banker of Freehold, who d. March 19, 1885. There was a John Rue who lived at or near Matcheponix Neck, formerly in Monmouth, now in Middlesex.

RULON- This family is of Huguenot origin. Tradition says that some time between 1684 and 1704, the first of this family came to this country; that his brothers were Catholics and he a Protestant, and that his brothers took the following means to assist him to escape from persecution. He was secretly headed up in a hogshead and taken to a vessel about to be sent to the United States, put on board as merchandise, and, after getting to sea was unheaded and reached this country, but at what port is not certainly known, but probably New York. David, son of David, m. Esther Camburn and had five children. Jesse Rulon, son of David, m. Rachel Camburn, sister of Esther. Two brothers thus married sisters. Jesse and wife Rachel had nine children. David and Jesse had cousins Peter, who lived at Waretown, and Israel, who settled near Tuckerton. Peter Rulon, at Waretown, had children Stephen, Joseph, Caleb and Peter. At Allentown, Monmouth county, John H. Rulon d. Sept. 22, 1872, aged 82 yrs.

RUSSELL- John Russell was taxed in old Shrewsbury township, 1764. John Russell, son of John, was sergeant in Captain John Walton's company of Leight Dragoons in Monmouth during the Revolution. In 1780, he was at home on a furlough and a band of Refugees attacked the house. The Refugees were said to be seven in number among whom were Captain Richard Lippencott, the man who hanged Captain Joshua Huddy; Phil White subsequently killed by a party of Americans of whom John Russell, Jr., was one, John Farnham afterwards hanged at Freehold, and another said to be named William Gilian who was killed at the time. The attack took place the last of April, 1780, and at night when the Refugees broke into the house, the father, who was over 60 years old, fired, but missed his aim. Gilian then shot and killed him, whereupon young Russell then fired and killed Gilian. In the affray young Russell was severely wounded in the side and fell to the floor, pretending to be dead. A little grandchild of the senior Russell was lying in bed and was hit by five balls but it evidently recovered. After the Revolution young Russell settled near Cedar Creek in Ocean county and lived to quite an advanced age. He had son Edward Russell who was born 1785, who has descendants now living at Barnegat.

RYALL- Daniel B. Ryall, a well remembered lawyer of Freehold and member of Congress 1839-41, was son of Thomas and Rebecca Ryall, and born at Trenton, Jan 30th, 1798, and died December 17th, 1864. He m. 1822, Rachel Bray Lloyd, dau. of Caleb and Martha A. She died in 1825 and in 1828, he married Juliet Phillips Scudder, dau. of Joseph and Maria Scudder. In 1812, Jonathan Rial was deceased and Elisha Chadwick was his administrator.