Dr. William Reppe/Rippy/Rippey

Genealogy boards have reported that the Rippey family originated when a Dr. William R.. emigrated to the UK. Marjorie passes on information from an UlsterScots newspaper article, which also stimulated bit more research.


Dr. William Reppe had a flourishing medical practice in Paris.  He fled Paris probably after August 24, 1572, the date of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of Protestants. While most Huguenot refugees who came to Britain settled in England, the good doctor went to Scotland.

There he apparently became friends with the Hamiltons, because in 1610 he moves to Ulster (County Tyrone) as part of the Hamilton/Montgomery settlement.  (That's the settlement in which a Harshaw also took part.)


There's a commune (town) called "Reppe" on the eastern border of France, about 30 miles north of Basel Switzerland, which might possibly be an ancestral home.



View Reppe/Rippy in a larger map

To and From York, PA

June Lloyd at Universal York has a post on the railroad age in York, which permitted people and goods easy access to many places.

One little appreciated vehicle of transportation for the York area was the Susquehanna River. I bought, skimmed, and almost immediately misplaced a book on working lives in the Broome County, NY area. Apparently for many years lumbering was the big industry there, beginning in the 1790's and going on until about the 1850's. Men would fell the trees, particularly during the winter, skid them to the river(s), and in the spring float them down the Susquehanna to market. Then the raftmen would travel back to Broome county.

My guess is the river path was probably the way the Rippeys, McCauley's, Blacks, and McIntyres traveled from York and Lancaster Counties to Ontario County, NY

Trip Day 10, B'ville [Revised]

Spent the day in Baldwinsville, NY, resting a bit and visiting with sister Jean, who last saw Marjorie in 1970 (or before). Lots of talk, reestablishing relationships over Monday evening and Tuesday. A sharing of trip results, prior researches, and heirlooms. Perhaps the most significant may be a big old photo album containing unknown people. We're guessing it might be from when Rev. John Rippey was pastor in Kortright, NY (mid 1850's), because some photos are from nearby towns. But the provenance is lost in the mists of the past, so we'll have to research it. But it might, repeat might, show Rippeys from about the time of the Civil War. Nothing much earlier, I'm afraid.

Much amusement over old photos of Marjorie and her sister, much analysis of photos of my baptism (the chauvinism of W.R. Harshaw is unmistakable), and a number of other artifacts and photographs. Will try to post separately on them as I'm trying to catch up on a number of fronts.

Oregon Rippeys

I discovered if you Google "Oregon University Rippey" you get hits on several apparently illustrious Rippeys--whether they're any relation to Captain John, I've not the foggiest.

Universal York

For any descendant of the Rippey's, the "Universal York" blog written by June Lloyd is good reading. Thanks for the cross link here.