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Peter Ruffner Sr (1713 - bef. 1778)

Peter Ruffner Sr
Born in Switzerlandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 1739 in Lancaster, Pennsylvaniamap
Descendants descendants
Died before before age 65 in Beckford Parish,Dunmore, Virginiamap
Profile last modified | Created 26 Mar 2015
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Peter Ruffner Sr was a Palatine Migrant.
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Biography

From the Ruffner Family Association:

Peter Ruffner – the first Ruffner of our family to come to America was born about 1713 in Switzerland. It is presumed that he came to this country in 1732. He settled in Pennsylvania, eventually in Lancaster County, and there he met his future wife, Mary Steinman.

After he was settled in life and living in Shenandoah County in Virginia, according to records of the court, he was several times appointed by the court to oversee the apprenticeship of young boys in order to instruct them in the weaver’s trade. From this, even though we cannot know whether he had learned the trade prior to coming to America or while living in Pennsylvania, we can safely determine that Peter himself had learned this trade. It is something he had in common with his friend and brother-in-law, Abraham Strickler, the husband of his sister Mary.

We can only voice conjecture as to why Peter decided to come to America, but like many young men, he probably felt he could advance himself in a new country. The advancement from weaver to that of a prosperous farmer and landholder came through his marriage to Mary Steinman, the daughter of Joseph and Frances Steinman/Stoneman. A yeoman himself, as well as a prosperous land purchaser, Joseph Stoneman was very generous to his daughter Mary and her new husband Peter Ruffner when he deeded to them land along Hawksbill Creek in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia following their marriage in 1739.

According to grandson David, Peter was not a large man and had a quiet nature. Peter Ruffner died in 1778; his will filed for probate in January of that year.

Peter Ruffner Sr's will probated 22 May 1778. [1] Note: this record ties Peter to wife Mary, sons (Peter, Manuel, Joseph, Benjamin and Reuben) and son-in-law (Jacob Stover)

Sources

  1. Will records of Shenandoah County, Virginia, 1771-1791

See also:

  • FamilySearch Person: LKGG-4HQ
  • Pioneers and their Homes on the Upper Kanawha, by Ruth Woods Dayton, West Virginia Publishing Company, Charleston, West Virginia, 1947
  • Ruffner Family Association, "Our Ancestors."
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95314362/peter-ruffner: accessed 9 January 2024), memorial page for Peter Ruffner (1713–1778), Find A Grave: Memorial #95314362; Burial Details Unknown; Maintained by DEBI(PEACHES SISTER) (contributor 46823926).




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Peter by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Peter:

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Comments: 1

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Peter came to America with his sister, Anna Maria, who married Abraham Strickler. In 1746, Peter was administrator for the estate of his brother-in-law, Abraham Strickler. Benjamin Strickler was an executor of Peter's will and Jacob Strickler was a witness.

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Categories: Palatine Migrants