John Rape

The leading researcher on the Reeb/Rape/Rappe family is John V. Reeb. He is credited with identifying much of the family roots, and continues to research all Reeb families, both ancestry and descendants. He is the author of the excellent book: "Reeb Roots: In Europe and America", compiled by John V. Reeb, edited by Nell Taylor Norvell, Gateway Press Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1994. John V. Reeb can be contacted (and would like to be contacted by Reeb descendants and researchers) at: John V. Reeb email: jvreeb@pacbell.net If you use data from this website that comes from that source, please credit him in your own research or on your own website. ------------------------ From History of Sangamon Co., Illinois, pg. 593-5: RAPE, JOHN, was born about 1794 in South Carolina, and taken to Tennessee by his parents, at eight years old. He was a soldier from Tennessee, in the war of 1812, and arrived at New Orleans the day after the battle of Jan. 8, 1815. His father, Gustavus Rape, was a soldier from North Carolina during the war of the American Revolution. John Rape was married 18 Aug. 1818 in Tennessee, had two children there, and moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in what is now Cotton Hill township, in Feb. 1826, where they had five children. Of their children [lists children]... Mrs. Polly Rape died, July 19, 1838, and John Rape was married Feb. 3, 1839, to Elizabeth Snodgrass. They had seven children in Sangamon county [lists children]. John Rape died Jan 29, 1872, and his widow lives (1876) on the farm where he setteld in 1826. It is in Cotton Hill township, near New City, Sangamon county, Illinois. !Marriage(2:Elizabeth Snodgrass): Illinois State Marriage Records. Note: Deanna Staley identified him as John Francis Rape. I don't know the source for that middle name, or whether it is accurate. Illinois Federal Land Grant #74362. 5/6/1825 Sangamon Co., 80 acres. #74361 10/28/1826 Sangamon Co., 80 acres. #74360 7/11/1828 Sangamon Co. 80 acres. #104132 7/6/1829 Sangamon Co. 80 acres. #104131 11/22/1830 Sangamon Co. 80 acres. !Census 1850, Sangamon Co., ILL, roll 127, p. 133, household 102: John Rape, 53, , Farmer, $6400, South Carolina Elisabeth Rape, 30, F, Illinois Newton Rape, 20, M, Ill Marion Rape, 18, M, Ill Amanda Rape, 15, F, Ill Joseph Rape, 12, M, Ill John Rape, 9, M, Ill James Rape 4, M, Ill Mary Rape, 2, F, Ill Sarah Rape, 18, F, Ill Thomas Westbrook, 35, M, Farmer, $1000, Tennessee Bamith Westbrook, 10, M, Illinios !Census 1860: Dist. 16, P.O. Springfield, Sangamon Co., Illinois, p. 313, fam. 2230/2245, enum 28 jul 1860: John Rape, 60, farmer, Tenn. Elizabeth, 41, Ill Joseph, 20, IL John, 18, IL James T., 15, IL Mary E., 11, IL Samuel, 8, IL Nancy, 4, IL E. J., 4/12, IL Polly Ann Beam, 16, IL !Census 1870: Cotton Hill, Sangamon Co., Illinois, enum 3 Aug 1870 [extremely hard to read]: Rape, John, 66, South Carolina, farmer, $7000/$5000 --, Elizabeth, 50, Kentucky --, John, 23, works on farm, IL --, Joseph, 30 IL --, Samuel, 17 IL --, Nancy, 15 IL --, Emily, 2 IL Street, Thomas, 27 Indiana, farm laborer. [Adjacent to Polk Rape]