1488. Peter Gunnarson Rambo
In May of 1693, Peter Gunnarson Rambo received a letter from his sister in Sweden, and days later, he wrote a letter to her. His letter has been preserved in the Royal Archives in Stockholm, along with letters written at the same time by his fellow colonist: Charles Springer and Lars Cock.
Peter Gunnarson Rambo was about 81 years old when he wrote this lett to his sister, The letter confirms that he married Britta Mattsdotter in New Sweden, that she was alive in 1693, and they had been married for 46 Years. Peter also said Sweden was his Fatherland, and that his wife Britta was from Vasa, in Sweden. He further stated that he and Britta had four sons and four daughters including one who died at age eight. His third daughter was married and alive when he wrote in May 1693, but she and Britta must have died before he wrote his new will on 3 Aug 1694, as neither were named in the will. Peter's surviving six children had 37 children among them by June 1693, so the third daughter probably had no children.Peter's letter is as follows [in part]:
"And I have served faithfully, both the Swedish regime, the Holland Dutch, and now the English: I also sat on the court for 29 years, both in the Swedes and the Hollanders' time; for the Swedes have a rule that no case should be decided at court unless the Swedes had their voice in it; but I am old and can no longer endure that toil. Our nations also live faithfully with one another both in harmony and affection. Our land is a very splendid fruitful land, so that we have no lack of anything on which the sustenance of our bodies and lives depends, for the nearby islands are fed by us with the land's goods, with seed, flour, and beer. We have cause also to thank God that we live in harmony, affection, and faithfulness with the Indians, while the surrounding lands and neighbors have had great duress from the Indiansl and I may truthfully say, that God has wonderfully preserved and shielded us and has shown a peculiar grace toward us in this heathenish land."
Beverly Nelson Rambo, THE RAMBO FAMILY TREE, ( Anundsen Pub. Co.: Decorah, Iowa),1986. Addendum, p.vii.
A careful search of availabel records has turned up only one Rambo who came to America, PETER,(PEER, PER) GUNNARSON RAMBO.For the next two hundred years or more, all other Rambos born in the New World were his descendantsPeter Gunnarson Rambo was a man of twenty-eight when he sailed from Stockholm in the winter of 1639. He was one of the settlers on the second voyage of the ship "Kalmar Nyckel" sent to the colony of New Sweden in the America. The ship arrived 17 Apr 1640 at Fort Christina, located on the shores of the Delaware River. Petrer Rambo's own recollection was that the ship reached New Sweden on 10 Mar 1640. The date of his arrival is confirmed by a roll list of 1648 that showed he arrived on the Kalmar Nyckel in 1640. Additional evidence is obtained from the 1693 church census that listed the persons who were born in Sweden. Opposite the names of "Pet. Rambo" and "And. Bone" were words stating they had been in America for 54 years. It is not known why he left Sweden for the New world - whether for patriotic reason, the search for a better life, or another unknown reason.
Upon arriving in New Sweden, Peter Rambo lived at Christina, near the fort. The roll list of the colony by Governor Johan Printz dated 1644, name Peter Gunnarson Rambo as cultivation his plantation at Christana, and raising tobacco for the Swedish West Indies Company. He was listed as a freeman in a document dated 1648.
Governor Peter Ridder and his successor, Johan Printz, complained that many settlers were inept and unskilled, but a few capable men like Peter Gunnarson Rambo rose to positions of leadershpi in the newly established colony. Capt. Sven Skute, Peter Cock, Peter Rambo, Michel Nilsson, the blacksmith , and Johan Stalkofta served on councils and committees and figured prominently in colonial affairs. Several of their children and grandchildren intermarried, further binding these families together. Peter Rambo's son Peter married the daugher of Sven Skute, and his sons Gunnar and John married daughters of Peter Cock who was a member of the fourth expedition.
About 1648, Peter Rambo moved to a plantation near Cobbs Creek in Kingsessing, which is located in present day West Philadelphia. Heavy rains in 1652 damaged many of the crops, but evidently Peter Rambo had some surplus grain, as he was charged by Gov. Printz for illegally selling grain to the Dutch. A short time later, Peter was on of twenty-two freeman in the Kingsesing area who signed a bill of complaint against Gov.Printz on 27 Jul 1653. They complained that their lives and property were not safe from dangers, that Printz imposed his will over that of the jury, probibited settlers from trading with Christians or the savages, forbad the colonists from grinding their own grain at the mill, and wthheld the use of rivers, woods, and land needed for their sustenance.
The colony then passed from Swdish to Dutch rule, and in 1658, Governor Stuyvesant granted them a measure of self rule. These officers were elected 8 May 1658: Sven Skute as captain, Anders Dalbo as lieutenant, Jacob Svensson as ensign, Gregorius van Dyck as sheriff, and Olof Stille, Matts Hansson, Peter Rambo, and Peter Cock were selected as magistrates. They performed their duties proficiently and gained the confidence of the Dutch authorities. The Dutch hired the Swedes to chop wood for export, and on 3 Dec 1657, a Dutch officer made payment to Peter Rambo of l 1/2 jugs brandy, 1/2 barrel beer, and food worth 38 guilders for the workmen.
By 1669, Peter Gunnarson Rambo moved to Passyunk of the east side of the Schuylkill River, opposite Aronameck. The patent for this 300 acres of land was dated 1 Oct 1669. It is here jthat he spent the rest of his days, living with his son Andrew after the death of his wife Britta.
HIS COURT EXPERIENCE
Most legal and governmental affairs of the settlement were handled by the magistrates of the court. Only one court existed in what is now Pennsylvania until the arrival of William Penn. Peter Gunnarson Rambo was elected a magistrate of the court in 1658, and served almost continuously until 1680 when he stepped down. The court first met at Tinicum Island, but later moved th Upland. It heard all civil and criminal cases, as well as functioned as a legislative body to levy taxes as needed, order roads to be built and maintained, name county officials, etc.
In 1660 and again in March of 1661, Peter petitioned Gov. Stuyvesant to be discharged as a magistrate claiming he "has to take care of a very large family and therefore cannot well, unless to his great disadvantage, spare the time to atend to the aforesaid office." His resignation was accepted, but he was again appointed justice on the Deleware River by Gov. Lovelace in 1664.
Historical records show that some court sessions were held at Peter Rambo's house, that he was repaid for entertaining the governor and other high ranking officials, and heard criminal cases of murder and rape.
PETER GUNNARSON RAMBO AS REMEMBERED BY HIS GRANDSON
"The original Peter Rambo, when he emigrated, had brought apple seeds and several other tree and garden seeds with him in a box. He had also taken some rye and barley along. Later when the Englishmen came, he had often told them that his hands had been very first to sow seed into the settlement, thereby announcing that the first Sweedes had not brought these seeds with them, and consequently no European seed had been sown here before he upon his arrival had make a beginning.
"His grandfather had prospered, so that Governor Penn had often lodged at his house; and when the English first came here it had been rather difficult for some of them, so that Rambo not only helped them as much as he could, but for ten years gave to everyone that came to him free food and lodging. The old man was very kind, but liked to drink a bit at times."
THE RAMBO APPLE
The Rambo apple was extensively grown in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was also spread to other localities as the early settlers spread south and westward. The apple is advertised by a Georgian nursery as follows: "The Rambo has pale greenish yellow mottled skin with red strips. The flesh is firm, fine, tender and whitish. It is a subacid apple that begins ripening in early July here in Georgia. It is one of the very best for jelly, pies and dried fruit. I dates back to the late 1500."
HIS LAND HOLDINGS
Over the years, Peter Gunnarson Fambo acquired a considerable amount of land which he willed to his sons. He owned 650 actes on the west side of the Delaware which is now known as Kingsessing, 300 acres on Homan's and Little Mantua Creek in what is now Gloucester Co. New Jersey, and tracts of land on the west side of the Schuykill River.
The Rambo famiy were well-known by William Penn who referred to them in his correspondence in 1684 and later. Penn wrote from London to Thomas Lloyd on 16 Jan 1685, "Salute me to the Swedes, Captain Cock, old Peter Cock and Rambo and their sons, the Swansons, Andrew Binkson, P. Yoakum, and the rest of them." The Proprietors of Pennsylvania under William Penn, claimed possession of lands purchased by the Rambo family from the Indians. In return, other tracts of lands further inland were granted to Peter and his sons.
HIS RELIGION AND CHURCH
The family were Lutheran, and Peter Gunnarson Rambo was one of the founders and longtime vestryman of one of the first Swedish churches in America, located at Wicaco, which was a short distance south of Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. In the 1660's, services were held in a log blockhouse, but in 1697, the cornerstone of Gloria Dei church was laid, and the building of red brick with bell tower and steeple was completed in 1700.Over the alter was suspended the figure of the trumpet-bearing angle, Gabriel, which was commonly found in Swedish churches.
When the new church was built, the decision was made not to move the grave of the venerable Peter Gunnarson Rambo who had served his church so many years, but to build over it. His grave is under the altar, according to the report of a church rector. Gloria Dei (Old Swede's) Church still stand in Philadelphia, and is a National Historic Shrine.
THE RAMBO FAMILY TREE, p. 4 ff.
1616. Abraham Bush Sr.
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EVEN
1730. Jaques Cortelyou
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