Peter Rambo of Providence Township was born in 1678, the second son of Gunnar Rambo and Anna Cock. He grew up on their farm in Upper Merion on the Schuylkill River. About 1715 he married a woman named Magdalena; her last name is not known. It is often said to be Bauer, but this is based on a bad record transcription in 1912. In fact Magdalena Bauer was an elderly spinster who boarded with Peter Jr and his wife Mary. The journal of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg described her living arrangements and called her a “maiden lady of New Providence”.1

By 1722 Peter and Magdalena owned land on the Perkiomen Creek, on the opposite side of the Schuylkill from Upper Merion. They lived there in Providence Township and had six known children. Peter was active in St. James Church in Perkiomen. The first church there was built in 1721, and in a record of 1738 Peter was listed as a warden, along with Samuel Lane, whose daughter Ann was married to Peter’s son John.2

Peter wrote his will in 1744.3 Since Magdalena was not named in it, she must have died before then. In the will he left 120 acres on the east side of Perkiomen Creek to his son John, and eighty acres on the west side of the creek to his son Peter. They were both to make payments to their younger brothers William and Gunnar. William was to be put out to a trade of his own choice. Daughter Ann, wife of Roger North, received one shilling, “on Consideration of what I have already given her and other Reasons Best known to my Self.” His daughter Mary, married to John Koplin, received one shilling with the same wording. Finally, John got the legacy of the plantation on condition that he maintain his father for the rest of his life, providing “Sufficient meat Drink Apparel Lodging and Washing Suitable to my age and condition”.4 John was also to pay Peter’s debts at the time of his death and the funeral expenses, as well as serving as the executor. Peter died in 1753. He is undoubtedly buried at St. James with Magdalena, but there is apparently no record for them.

Children of Peter and Magdalena:

Ann, b. 1716, m. 1733 Roger North, who immigrated with his parents from Ireland in 1729. He was the son of Caleb North and Jane.5 Roger and Ann lived in Providence Township, where they owned a mill. They had thirteen children, including eight sons who fought in the Revolution. Both Ann and Roger left wills. In his will he left the property to their son Thomas, on condition that he maintain Ann there, “in the middle room”. He died in 1785. She died in 1798. In her will she left clothing and household goods to her four surviving daughters, and her cash property to be divided among them. Children: Sophia, Sarah, Samuel, Elizabeth, John, Joshua, William, Roger, Ann Nancy, George, Caleb, Thomas, Hannah.6

Mary, m. about 1742 John Koplin. They had nine children, born between 1742 and 1756. However, according to the will of John’s father Matthias Koplin of Providence Township in 1769, John had “wantonly wasted” most of the estate Matthias had given him, and had lived a disorderly life. In fact he had forfeited his father’s confidence and “absconded the Province”.7 Mary was still alive in 1762 when she witnessed a deed. Children: Matthias, Mary, Alice, John, Christian, William, Esther, and Sophia.8

John, m. about 1744 Ann Lane, daughter of Samuel Lane. They lived in Providence Township. Ann died in 1754 and was buried at St. James Episcopal Church. John wrote his will in March 1758, a day after his brother William wrote his will. John named six children. They were to be bound out to trades, and the son Peter was to be educated as far as the “rule of three”.9 The property was to be sold and the proceeds divided among the children. John died less than a month later, and was undoubtedly buried with Ann at St. James. Children: Elizabeth, Ann, Mary, Alice, Peter, and Rachel.10

Gunnar, b. about 1723, lived in Limerick Township, taxed for 160 acres there  in 1782. The name of his wife is not known. She died before him and was not named in his will. He wrote his will in 1802. In it he left tracts of land to his sons Abraham and Eli, and the tract on which he lived to son John. The other sons, Aaron and Moses, received cash payments. The property of John and Eli were adjoining, and in an interesting provision, Eli was to have the privilege of diverting water from the stream, from March through October, to water his meadow, and John and Eli were to jointly maintain the ditches and dams for this. Gunnar died a month later.11 Children: Moses, Aaron, John, Abraham, Eli.

Peter, b. about  1724, m. 1748 Mary Peters, daughter of Peter Peters. The spinster Magdalena Bauerin lived with them before her death. In 1774 Peter was taxed for 40 acres in Providence Township and was still there through 1780, but in 1781 he was taxed for 160 acres in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County. Peter must have moved to Dauphin County about then; he appears in a church record there in 1787. Mary was named in her father’s will in 1772; it is not known when she or Peter died. Known children: Anna, Ezekiel, another baptized in 1752 at Trappe Church.12

William, m. Hannah Lane, daughter of Samuel Lane and sister to Ann Lane. They lived in Upper Merion, where William signed his will in March 1758, the day before his brother John. William left cash legacies to his daughters Rebecca and Ann, and the remainder of his estate to Hannah. He died about a month later. Hannah married Zachariah Davis and had four or five children with him. Children of William and Hannah: Rebecca and Ann.13