Capt. William Rippey and Elizabeth Finley

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Husband Capt. William Rippey ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: 1741 - Shippensburg, Cumberland Co, PA 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 22 Sep 1819 4
         Buried: 

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         Father: Samuel Rippey (1713-1791) 5 6
         Mother: Rachel [Unk] (      -      ) 5

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       Marriage: 

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   Other Spouse: Margaret Finley (      -      ) 7

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Wife Elizabeth Finley ^{3 8 9}

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           Born: Abt 1748
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft Sep 1819
         Buried: 

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         Father: John Finley (1713-1757) 3 8 10 11
         Mother: Martha Berkley (      -      ) 3 10

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   Other Spouse: John Prebles (      -      ) 3

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   Other Spouse: William McCracken (      -      ) 3

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Children

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General Notes: Husband - Capt. William Rippey

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He engaged in the hotel business at Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, soon after the close of the French and Indian wars. The first mention of this tavern that was preserved was in a diary of David Brown, who visited the Cumberland Valley in the spring of 1769, and lodged at William Rippey's "on the run" on the night of the 27th of April. His house was known as the "Branch Inn," and was kept by him until his death. It became a famous hostelry and had many distinguished guests. President Washington ate his Sunday dinner at Rippey's Oct. 12, 1794, when on his way to western Pennsylvania to quell the "Whisky Insurrection." No tavern of the early days is more frequently referred to in the diaries and journals of travelers.
At the outbreak of the Revolution Mr. Rippey proved an earnest and active patriot. He raised a company of volunteers in the neighborhood of Shippensburg and Middle Spring, of which he was commissioned captain, Jan. 9, 1776. This company was attached to the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion, Col. William Irvine, and served in the second Canada expedition. The regiment left Carlisle on the 20th of March, with an aggregate of 741, Capt. Rippey's company comprising 93 officers and men. Col. Irvine's battalion marched first to New York City, where it served under Gen. Greene, during the month of April, but on the 10th of May it was at Albany, and it started for Lake Champlain on the 13th, passing Lake George on the 24th, and arriving at St. John's on the 27th. On the 6th of June the 6th Battalion, with Wayne's and part of St. Clair's, was ordered to attack the enemy at Three Rivers. It was intended to make the attack at daybreak on the 8th, but the guides proved faithless and conducted the little army into a swamp instead of to the town. The expedition proved disastrous, and it was said that Capt. Rippey, with Gen. William Thompson, who was in command, and Col. Irvine, was among the prisoners on that occasion, but the statement is inaccurate. It was on the 21st of June, while on a fishing excursion from Isle aux Noix, that he was captured by a party of Indians, who had observed and followed the fishermen. While they were at a house drinking spruce beer the Indians surrounded them, and being unarmed they fell an easy prey. Capt. Adams, Ensign Culbertson and two privates were killed and scalped and the others of the fishing party were made prisoners, but a detachment from the camp coming to their relief Capt. Rippey and Ensign Lusk succeeded in making their escape. After spending the winter on the Canada frontier the regiment came home, reaching Carlisle March 15, 1777. It was then reorganized, becoming the 7th Regiment, Pennsylvania Line, but Capt. Rippey retired. He was afterward appointed sheriff of Cumberland County, and he was twice coroner, 1778-79, and 1781-83.

1 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 8, 53.

2 —, Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 836.

3 Charles A. Hanna, Ohio Valley Genealogies (New York, 1900), Pg 34.

4 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 53.

5 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 52.

6 —, Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 835.

7 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 8, 54.

8 Scott Lee Boyd, The Boyd Family (Santa Barbara, CA: Self-published, 1935), Pg 245.

9 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 54.

10 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1912), Pg 324.

11 George P. Donehoo, Pennsylvania - A History (SW) (New York, NY; Chicago, IL: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1926), Pg 96.