An Orphan of the Revolutionary War - John Lepley

The Revolutionary War claimed the life of John’s father, Michael, leaving a fractured family behind. While his widowed stepmother kept his half-siblings, John and his full siblings were assigned guardians by the Northumberland County Orphan's Court and sent away, likely to live with maternal relatives.

But John's story didn't end in the orphan's court. Pieced together through land deeds, court files, and historical newspapers, this book chronicles his resilience. Follow John as he leaves Pennsylvania to become a master wagon-wheel maker and landowner in Trumbull County, Ohio. It is a story of survival and legacy, ending with a respected family patriarch whose sons went on to become a reverend and the inheritors of his wagon-making trade.

Available as a PDF now for download or printing from home. 

The Life of John Lepley (1773-1856)

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Michael Lepley - Revolutionary War Soldier

Meet your Revolutionary War ancestor, Michael Lepley. My recently published book, The Life and Death of Michael Lepley, provides a comprehensive history of his life (1738–1779) from Diefenbach to Warrior Run, Pennsylvania. The book details his service as a Revolutionary War Private and his ownership of a specific parcel of land known as Lepley Swamp. Using records ranging from his signature and land deeds to accounts of his military service and death near Freeland's Fort (Warrior Run), the book offers an in-depth look at his life and legacy.

Michael Lepley arrived in the British Colonies in America from Diefenbach in 1749. He was an 11-year-old boy traveling with his widowed mother and younger siblings. While his early life remains somewhat vague and I am continuing my research to solidify proofs of lineages, places, and times, this current work provides a substantial collection of primary, original, and contemporaneous secondary sources valuable to Lepley researchers.

Michael was one of three known surviving sons of the Lepley patriarch, who likely died in Diefenbach. These three sons—Adam, Jacob, and Michael—are believed to be the first Lepleys in the British Colonies. While this has yet to be definitively proven, it currently stands undisputed. 

The book is available to download in PDF format. 

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