Peeky and Rorer Forefathers

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Peeky and Rorer Forefathers

The earliest Smullen ancestors to settle in America were Harry Greenwood' s maternal grandparents ancestors. Harry Greenwood was known to his grandchildren and great grand children as "Dada". He was Nana's [Charlotte Smullen's] father. "Dada" was born in 1872 and lived to be 92 years old. Dada's father was Thomas Greenwood; his mother was Ester Peeky whose grandfather was Jacob Peeky.

Rudolph Peeky [1720 - 1793] and his wife Barbara Rorer with family emigrated from Switzerland in 1741 and settled in the Montgomery/ Philadelphia area. Jacob Peeky, son of Rudolph and Barbara, was born in 1753. Barbara's brother, Henry Rorer married Maraget Grieder [Krider] and had a daughter, Barbara Rorer, born in 1751. The young Barbara Rorer and Jacob Peeky were married in 1769. "This would make Jacob and his wife Barbara first cousins." This also was an occurrence in the Greene' Beach/Porter ancestry.

Jacob took his bride to a log cabin near the present Oak Lane Railroad Station [Philadelphia.]. He followed the occupation of his father making shoes etc. and educated his sons in the same industry. Records also show he [Jacob] had a water corn mill and a gist mill. ... was merchant and had a saw mill in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County.

Hessian was a name given to the 30,000 German soldiers hired by the British to fight the colonists during the Revolutionary War in America. The Hessians were victims of a European system by which governments sold men into military service. They were paid 25 cents a day. The Hessians were not particularly interested in the war, but they were well trained and fought well. Their performance in battles, including Fort Washington, caused the American troops to know and respect their fighting ability.

However, the Peeky/Rorer family "were suffers by the depredations [harassment taken from an enemy] of the Hessian soldiers. The Hessians went to the Peeky home one day and were in the act of driving two cows from the barn when Mrs. Alice Young, Barbara's sister, seized an axe. Standing in the gate, she said she would split the first man down who dared to drive the cows out. The Hessians left, admiring her for her stand."

During the Revolutionary War, Jacob Peeky was "Sargent Col, in Matthew Holgate's 7th Battalion, 3rd Company, Pennsylvania Militia (Capt. Caleb Armitage's Co.) At the time of his death he was listed as "cordwainer."

Barbara and Jacob Peeky had eight children:

1780-1836 Joseph was a shoemaker as were his three brothers and had his shop adjoining his dwelling in Oak Lane.
1782 Child died at birth and buried in Lower Burial Grounds (Hood Cemetery) Germantown, Philadelphia.
1785 Child died at birth and buried in Lower Burial Grounds (Hood Cemetery) Germantown, Philadelphia.
1786 - 1839 Son who was a shoe maker like his brother.
1787 - 1855 Samuel Peeky, who was a private during the War of 1812 Jacob Peeky was in Capt. John Fesmyer's Company of Riflemen, 2nd Brigade, Penna. Militia. He was on the payroll of this company of riflemen known as the Independent Frankford Riflemen at a camp near Marcus Hook, Pa. His first cousins, David Rorer and Henry Young, 3rd were also in this company.
1789 - 1794 Elizabeth Peeky lived only to be five and buried in Lower Burial Grounds (Hood Cemetery) Germantown, Philadelphia.
1791 - 1882 John Peeky was Dada Greenwood's grandfather. John was a shoemaker like his brothers. In 1839 John Peeky lived in Bristol Township, Philadelphia. He lived at the home of his son-in-law, Thomas Greenwood, 177 Rittenhouse St., Germantown Philadelphia. where he died in 1882. John Peeky married Mary A. Clmyer on 28 October 1821 at St. Michael's Evan. Lutheran Church, Germantown, Philadelphia.. Their youngest child, Ester Peeky was born in 1836. Ester married Thomas Greenwood about 1858. Thomas and Ester had eight children. "Dada" Harry Greenwood was their sixth child born in 1868.
1792 - 1839 Ester Peeky who married John Black. John Black was involved in real estate. He sold the land between Water Corn and Merchant Mill Saw Mill, as recorded at Norristown in 1814, to Jacob Peeky for $12,111. It has been said John Black was also involved in real estate sales with Jacob Myers and John McMullen

Barbara Rorer Peeky died in 1833 at the age of 82. Jacob Peeky died in 1839 at the age of 86.