Peter (Gunnarsson) Rambo (abt. 1612 - bef. 1698)

Born about Jun 1612 in Hisingen (island, part of the city of Gothenburg), Västra Götaland, Sweden

Husband of Brita (Matsdotter) Rambo — married 7 Apr 1647 in Tinicum Island (now Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

Descendants

Died before 29 Jan 1698 before about age 85 in Passyunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Peter (Gunnarsson) Rambo is Notable.

Peter Gunnarsson^{[1] [2]} was born in June of 1612 on Ramberget Mountain, Hisingen,^[3] near Gothenburg, Sweden, and died early in 1698 in Passyunk,^[4] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was buried at the Swedes' log church at Wicaco on 29 January 1698 aged "85 years and almost 8 months."^[5]

Peter (Gunnarsson) Rambo migrated from Sweden to New Sweden in 1640 aboard the Kalmar Nyckel.

Peter was hired on a three-year contract for agricultural work in the New Sweden Colony, which was established by Dutch and Swedish investors in 1638 at the behest of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. Laborers who had been transported to America as punishment were not allowed to return to Sweden, but transportation for the others was provided at the end of their contracts. Some of them did return, but Peter elected to stay on as a colonist.^[6] He to came to America in the winter of 1639–1640 on the second voyage of the Kalmar Nyckel,^[7] at age 27, and lived in the colony (later Pennsylvania) for the rest of his life. He brought a box of seeds with him, including the apple seeds that later produced the Rambo variety of apple. A namesake grandson told a Swedish traveler in 1749 that Peter had claimed to have sown the first European seeds in North America.^[8]

He worked his contract as a farm laborer near Fort Christina and it was during this period, in the process of sending part of his wages home to his father on Ramberget Mountain, that he added the surname Rambo to his Swedish patronymic after first trying and discarding Ramberg.^[9] Since the original Swedish colonists all chose surnames in the custom of the New Land, this is a rare case where we can identify with certainty the original use of a specific surname. After he was freed from his debt on 1 November 1644, he settled on a plantation near Cobbs Creek in Kingsessing (modern west Philadelphia).^[10] He married Britta Matsdotter, an ethnic Swede from the port city of Vasa, Finland, on 7 April 1647, probably in the Lutheran log church on Tinicum Island.^[11] They lived in Kingsessing until October 1669,^[12] when they moved to Passyunk.^[13] His will, dated 3 August 1694 and proved at Philadelphia on 18 November 1698, mentions the following children: sons Gunnar, John, Andreas, and Peter; and daughters Gertrude (wife of Andrew Bankston), and Katharine (wife of Peter Dalbo).^[14][15]

Peter was one of the most prominent of the Swedish colonists and was honored with high public trust by his fellow colonists and by all three governments of the colony: Sweden, 1638–1655; the Netherlands, 1655–1681; England, beginning in 1681.^[16]

At the siege of Fort Christina^[17] by the Dutch in 1655, he was one of the deputies^[18] of the Swedish governor, John Rising, designated to respond to Stuyvesant's summons to surrender. (At that time, he was living thirty miles away.) By 1658 he was appointed one of the magistrates on the Delaware (then called the South River), and on 8 May 1658 he was one of the four magistrates who met Governor Stuyvesant at Tinicum to renew their oaths of allegiance to "the high and mighty lords, the States General of the United Netherlands and lords directors of the general privileged West India Company, with the director general and Council already nominated, or in time being."^[19] Rambo was appointed, by the Dutch, as Commissary^[20] to the Colony on the Delaware; he resigned that office in 1661.^[21]

In 1668, when the colony fell under the government of the Duke of York,^[22] Peter Rambo was appointed a member of the council of appointed governor Captain John Carr.^[23] Commissioned a justice of the peace in 1674, he was one of the first justices to sit in the historic Upland Court.^[24] On 23 September 1676, he was recommissioned a justice^[25] by Sir Edmund Andros, Lieutenant Governor General under the Duke of York.

Peter Rambo was popular with the Indians, and acted as interpreter to them in 1677 while the lands of the English commissioners in West New Jersey were located.^[26]

Previously, on 13 May 1675 at Newcastle, Governor Andros and the new magistrates met with Lenni Lenape leaders, with Israel Helme as interpreter. "The first sachem rises up and walks up & down taking notice of his old Acquaintance P. Rambo & Peter Cock, Lansa Cock with C. Cantwell then taking a band of sewant" presented it to the governor in friendship^[27]

Rambo, along with Peter Cock and others, was selected by his fellow Swedish settlers to greet their new governor, William Penn, when he arrived at "Upland", now Chester, Pennsylvania, when their colony was taken over by the British on 27 October 1682. Rambo was a witness to Penn's treaty with the Indians for the purchase of land west of the original boundaries of Philadelphia.^[28]

He was a large landed proprietor in Philadelphia and a founding member of the Lutheran Swedish church at Wiccaco, Gloria Dei. ^[29] In a return made in 1684 by Lawrence Dalbo, collector of taxes, Peter Rambo is recorded as possessing six hundred acres of land, twelve of which were then improved. He also had landed interests in New Jersey.^[30] His signature appears second on an important letter to "Mr. John Thelin, Postmaster at Gothenburg, Sweden," concerning the religious interests of New Sweden.^[31] This letter, dated 31 May 1693, was one of several written in late May of 1693 to be preserved in the Royal Swedish Archives. It also states that the household of Peter Rambo senior consisted of two persons at the time the letter was written, presumably Peter and his wife.^[32]

Documents

Will of Peter Gunnarsson Rambo
3 August 1694
From Rambo & Beatty 2013 text online; also in Rambo & Beatty 2013 PDF, volume1, pages 18–19.

In the name of God Amen, I Peter Rambo Senior of the Countie of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsilvania in parts of America, being in good health of bodie & in perfect sound mind & memorie, praise be therfore given unto Almightie God, do make & ordain this my Last will & testament in manner & form following; that is to say, first & principally I commend my Soul into the hands of Almightly God hoping through the meritts, death & passion of my Savior Jesus Christ to have full & free pardon & forgiveness of all my Sins and inherit eternal life, And my bodie I committ into the earth to be therein decentlie buryed att ye burying place of Wicacoe, att the discretion of my exers [executors] herein after mentioned; and as touching the disposition of all such temporal estate as it hath pleased God in his Mercie to bestow upon mee I give and Dispose thereof as followeth ... FIRST I will that all debts & funeral charges be first paid and discharged ... SECONDLY I give & dispose unto my son Gunner Rambo [#1] three hundred acres of land in West-New-Jersey on Homons Creek ... THIRDLY I give and bequeath unto my Son John Rambo [#6] the tract of land which hee now liveth upon in West-New-Jersey aforesaid Lying on Little Mantua Creek ... FOURTHLY I give unto my Son Andreas Rambo [#5] that tract of land whereon I now live Containing three hundred fiftie three acres of fast land, marsh, and frirse. As also twelve acres of Meadow ground Lying opposite to the Township of Passayunk on the west side of the creek as also together with fifteen acres of meadow in the township of Passyunk, With all and singular rights priviledges & Appertenances thereunto the said Marsh and privgs [priviledges] belonging & sipstaining to his Heirs and Assigns forever after my decease, FURTHER I give unto my sd Son Andreas all my right title and interest in Costers Saw Mill, and FURTHER all my moveables, Lands, goods and Chattells, besides what is particularlie above disposed of, & I equallie give & Dispose thereof unto my Sons Gunner [#1], Peter, Andreas & John Rambo [#6] & to Yertrud Bankson [#2] wife of Andreas Bankson & Catherin Dalbo [#4] wife of Peter Dalbo, all which Said Six persons' Hoefore b. justlie equal & order not anie one to have any greater part or share in value than the other of the sd Lands, goods & chattels as aforesd mentioned, AND unto this my Last Will and Testamtent I ordain and Appoint my Son Andreas Rambo [#14] my full, ___& sole exers to this my Last will and testament, Revoking annualling and making void absolutie by these presents all will & Wills or testaments whatsoever heretofore by me made either in words or writing and this & none other is to be taken for my Last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I Peter Rambo have Set my hand and Seal the 3rd Day of August 1694.
Locus Sigilli Signed Sealed
Witnessed by
Robert Langshore his
Peter Dalbo [#4] Peter Rambo
Matthias Holstein mark
Lasse Cock
The witness Matthias Holstein is the older Matthias Claessen alias Holstein, Peter's son-in-law.

Sources

1. ↑ The "Gunnarsson" in his name indicates that the given name of his father was Gunnar. /gg
2. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, pages 3–5. Swedish naming patterns suggest that his mother's name was either Catarina or Gertrude. (Therefore his mother-in-law would be either Gertrude or Catarina.) But naming customs weren't strictly followed; while he and Britta did name their first son Gunnar, they didn't name their second (or any) son Matt. We know his father was living on Ramberget when Peter emigrated in 1640 because he sent part of his wages home to him, and we know he had at least one sister who also lived a long life — but that is all we know about his relatives in Sweden. In May of 1693, he replied to a 1692 letter from this unnamed sister; that reply is preserved in the Swedish Royal Archives. /ds
3. ↑ An island in the Göta River. Ramberget Mountain overlooks the city and harbor of Gothenburg. /ds
4. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1 page 9. Passyunk is on the east side of the Schuylkill River, opposite Aronameck. /ds
5. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, page 7. The June 1612 birth date is calculated from his age at death. /ds
6. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, page 14. /ds
7. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, pages 7–8. The ship first sailed in September 1639 but twice sprung leaks and had to return to Europe for repairs. The next departure attempt, in December 1639, was delayed by storms, but the ship finally sailed on 7 February 1640. "The journey was far from pleasant for the Swedish colonists. The Dutch master of the ship spent his time smoking and drinking with the Company factor. They showed their dislike of the Swedes by scolding and cursing them." The Kalmar Nyckel finally docked in New Sweden on 17 April 1640, although Peter himself recalled the date forty-four years later as 10 March 1640. After such an unpleasant voyage and the earlier spring in North America, it's not surprising he'd have forgotten five weeks of it. It's too long and too soon to be a Julian to Gregorian calendar error. /ds
8. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, pages 14–15. /ds
9. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, page 3. Rambo means, literally, "home of the raven." Rambo & Beatty provide an excellent introduction to the Swedish patronymic naming system on pages 3–4, including how the order in which children are named is a likely indication of grandparents' forenames. Högman 2013 provides more detailed information. /ds
10. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, page 8. /ds
11. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, page 16; attributed by them to Thomas Campanius Holm's 1834 Description of the Province of New Sweden, pages 79–80. This church, of which Peter is assumed to be a founder, was consecrated 4 September 1646 by the Reverend Johan Campanius.
12. ↑ Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume 1, page 9. The patent for Peter's three hundred acres of land in Passyunk is dated 1 October 1669. /ds
13. ↑ Wikipedia article on Passyunk Township. The name comes from the Lenape term pahsayunk, which means "in the valley." The township became defunct as a government unit in 1854 when it was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia. /gg
14. ↑ Craig 1990. /gg
15. ↑ DuPuy 1910, pages 92–93. /gg
16. ↑ Craig 2001, online. /ds
17. ↑ Wikipedia article on Fort Christina. Fort Christina was about a mile east of downtown modern Wilmington, Delaware, and a couple of miles upstream from the mouth of the Christina on the Delaware. Fort Christina was the first settlement established by Sweden in North America, and this put them in conflict with the Dutch, who claimed much surrounding land. Ships Kalmar Nyckel and Fogel Grip landed in Delaware Bay on 29 March 1638 and Peter Minuit (interestingly, former director of the New Netherland colony) claimed much of modern Delaware on behalf of King Gustavus Adolphus. The colony later comprised modern Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. /ds
18. ↑ Springhorn 1884, page 151. /gg
19. ↑ Smith 1862, page 73. /gg
20. ↑ Responsible for arranging provisioning for the colony — essentially a quarter master.
21. ↑ Hazard 1850, page 324. These four magistrates presented a petition to Stuyvesant asking for various privileges at the same 8 May 1658 meeting. /gg
22. ↑ Walther ca 2010, online.
23. ↑ Hazard 1850, page 371. /gg
24. ↑ Pennsylvania Archives, ix, 614. /gg
25. ↑ Smith 1662, page 73. /gg
26. ↑ Barber & Howe, 1846, page 21.
27. ↑ "Conference Between Governor Andros, the Magistrates of Newcastle, Del., and the Indian Sachems of New Jersey--Renewal of the Treat of Peace--S. Edsall, J. Helme and Lance Cock, Israel Helme, Interpreter." [Reprinted from New York Colonial Documents, Vol. XII, p. 523 ] in Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. (Trenton, NJ: Archives of the State of New Jersey), volume 1, page 182
28. ↑ “New Society Governor Enjoys History.” The Swedish Colonial Society, Quantum Think, 2009, http://colonialswedes.net/Headlines/GovProfileRambo.html.
29. ↑ The theory that Peter was probably one of Gloria Dei's church wardens in 1693 has been challenged since Rambo & Beatty's 2007 edition. His namesake son, who signed fifth, was the church warden. The placement of his signature second signifies only his high standing in the community and his distinction as the oldest living Swedish-born resident at the time. /ds
30. ↑ DuPuy 1910, pages 92–93. /gg
31. ↑ Acrelius 1874, page 189. /gg
32. ↑ Acrelius, 1759.

Bibliography

• Wikipedia contributors. "Peter Gunnarsson Rambo." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Jan. 2021. Web. 24 Sep. 2021
• Israel Acrelius, 1759. Beskrifning om de swenska församlingars forna och närwarande tilstånd, uti det så kallade Nya Swerige, sedan Nya Nederland, men nu för tiden Pensylvanien. Google Books, access date unknown, WikiTree contributor unknown. The link leads to a screen that I think indicates it's broken ("Det går inte att öppna boken"). The only other word I can read in the error message is "cookies." /ds

• Israel Acrelius, 1874. "Part Fourth: The State of the Church 1655–1696." Acrelius's History of New Sweden, pages 176–202. English translation of 1759 publication. Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; accessed on OpenLibrary.org on 6 November 2014.

• John W Barber, and Henry Howe, 1846. "New Jersey: Outline History." Collections of New Jersey. S Tuttle, New York, New York; accessed on OpenLibrary.org on 6 November 2014 .

• Dr Peter Stebbins Craig, 1990. "Peter Gunnarsson Rambo" biography on the Swedish Colonial Society website; accessed 21 February 2019. Originally published in Swedish Colonial News, volume 1, number 2 (fall 1990).

• Peter Stebbins Craig, 2001. "Chronology of Colonial Swedes on the Delaware 1638–1713." Article first published in Swedish Colonial News (volume 2, number 5, fall 2001) and republished online by the Swedish Colonial Society; accessed 7 November  2014.

• Charles Meredith DuPuy, and Herbert DuPuy, 1910. A Genealogical History of the Dupuy Family. J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Available for download in several formats from the Allen County Public Library; download page accessed 5 November 2014.

• Find a Grave profile 5679385, Peter Gunnerson Rambo 1612–1698. Accessed 28 October 2018 by Cheryl Bostrum.

• "Fort Christina." Wikipedia article accessed 7 November 2014.

• Samuel Hazard, 1850. Annals of Pennsylvania from the Discovery of the Delaware 1609–1682. Hazard and Mitchell, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; accessed on OpenLibrary.org on 6 November 2014 .

• Hans Högman, 2013. Hans Högman's Genealogy and History Site, specifically "Swedish naming practices in earlier times – surnames" and "About First and Middle Names in Sweden". Högman explains the origin of many names, nicknames, practices regarding what you're called, and naming exceptions.

• "Passyunk Township, Pennsylvania." Wikipedia article accessed 5 November 2014.

• Beverly J Nelson Rambo and Ronald Stephen Beatty, 1986, 2007, 2009, 2013. The Rambo Family Tree: Descendants of Peter Gunnarson Rambo. Five volumes. Well sourced. It's important to cite the specific edition consulted. For the history of this valuable resource, information on what's contained in each volume, how to locate it, and links to downloads, see Ron Beatty's website. Beverly died in 1990, after passing the baton to Ron.
  The various editions are:
  — A 1986 print version was published by Beverly Nelson Rambo as the Rambo Family Tree and cited as span ID S09728 when the original version of this profile was created in 2011. A span ID without access to its repository is insufficient to locate the reference. [Cite as "Rambo 1986, page x." And please tell us where you found a copy.]
  — The 2007 print version is the first Rambo & Beatty edition (Author House, Bloomington, Indiana). It was also available in PDF format on a CD. [Cite as "Rambo & Beatty 2007, volume x, page x."]
  — The second edition was published March 2009 as a read-only PDF and on CD. The CDs include extra files, such as images of original documents. [Cite as "Rambo & Beatty 2009, volume x, page x."]
  — The latest read-only PDF edition (2013) is the only one available on the Web. [Cite as "Rambo & Beatty 2013, volume x, page x."]
  — Plain text versions downloaded from Ron Beatty's site do not have reliable page numbers or notes but they're not read-only. [Cite with name, date, and "text version" replacing volume and page numbers. For example, "Rambo & Beatty 2009, text version."]

• George Smith, 1862. History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Henry B Ashmead, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; accessed on OpenLibrary.org on 6 November 2014.

• Carl K S Springhorn, 1884. "The History of the Colony of New Sweden." Translated by Gregory B Kern. The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vol 8, pages 17–44 & 129–159. Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; accessed on OpenLibrary.org on 6 November 2014.

• Rudolph Walther, 1995–2014 (website). "Pennsylvania 1630–1700." From the revised article posted on this this U.S. history website and accessed 5 November 2014.

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Rambo-198 created through the import of Callahan, Wiley, Plotner, Powell Family Tree - 2009.ged on 2 December 2011 by Ron Callahan. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Ron and others.

• This biography was edited by Grant Glover (/gg) on 4 November 2014 when he merged Rambo-552 into Rambo-198 and by Deborah Shaw (/ds) on 5–6 November 2014.

• On 22 February 2019, corrected erroneous death date of 20 July 1698 in data field. Correct date of 29 January 1698 has been in text of bio since 2014, but never noticed in data field. Deborah Shaw