Re: Revolutionary War Rappleyes?
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In reply to:
Revolutionary War Rappleyes?
12/24/01
This is about Abraham A. Rapelje (1772-1859) son of Abraham Sr. & Cynthia (nee-Bogart) Rapelje. From the time when New Netherland became an English colony in 1664, the Raplje family of Long Island was completly loyal to the Crown. Abraham's ancestors were French Hugenots who had fled to the Netherlands to escape religious persecution. From there the family had settled in New Netherland. Through intermarriage with the Dutch colonists, eventually the Rapelje family became Dutch in language & custom.At the time of the American revolution the Rapelje's lived on Long Island. One of the members of the Rapelje family, Jeromus Rapelje's son Abraham Sr. died in 1780 leaving his wife Cynthia (Bogart) & 2 kids, Abraham A. jr. & Winnifred, who was several years older than her brother. Winnifred Rapelje married at 17yrs. to Henry VanAllen. As Loyalists, the Rapelje family & their relatives, including the VanAllens, Abraham A jr.'s mother Cynthia who had re-married & was the wife of a Loyalist officer, Capt. Vanerburg, went to Nova Scotia to settle.OnAugust 14, 1784, Ensign Henry VanAllen was granted Crown land in Nova Scotia. After about 10 or 11 years of hardship they all returned to Long Island. It is believed that they returned because they had discovered that since he was a minor, not all of Abraham A. Rapelje's property had been seized, & there was a possibility of regaining some of it. It is quite possible, too, that like many other Loyalists they felt drawn back to their fromer homes when the political situation was more settled, hoping that their friends & relatives would welcome them & they could remain there peaceably. In any case, the family spent a few years on Long Island where Abraham A. & his brother-in-law Henry VanAllen were business partners.In 1796, while still in New york State, Abraham A. married Sarah Wyckoff, daughter of Peter Wyckoff. Then, as "late Loyalists,' in 1800, Abraham travelled to the province of Upper Canada with his wife & eldest daughter, the Vanallens & their children, his stepfather Capt. Vanderburg( who was by then a widower) & his family , & 2 cousins Daniel & Jeromus Rapelje. This group of immigrants went to Norfolk Co. which was then being settled & took up land at Dover Mills, now Port Dover.The Rapeljes & the VanAllens were living at Dover Mills in the summer of 1812 when the war broke out. Abraham A Rapelje became a captain in the Norfolk Militia, serving this capacity from 1812-1814. He carried a notebook throughout the war & it is now held in the mauscrupt collection of the Archives of Ontario. It list the names of the men under his command in two Muster Rolls, & some of his expeiences in the War of 1812. He took part in several battles including Fort Erie & Lundy's Lane.After the war he drew half-pay to the time of his death in 1859. Eventually, he settled with his family at Vittoria, Ontario which was then, in 1814, the chief village in the County of Norfolk & growing rapidly. In 1818 he was appointed Sheriff of the London Distict, & held office for 31 years. He long remained active in the Norfolk Militia. Both he , as colenel, and his son, as captain, were on active service in the Rebellion of 1837. From Gerry Clements, ( Winnifred Rapelje & Henry VanAllen were my 4th great grandparents)