The “Aunt & Uncle” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database. The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of Peter Capley Jr.{1760-1852) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
Ninety-Two Years: The Remarkable Life of Peter Capley Jr.
1760-1852
From Colonial North Carolina to the Tennessee Frontier
Early Life and Family Origins
Peter Capley Jr. was born around 1760 in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, during the waning years of British colonial rule in America. He was the son of Peter Keppel Sr. (1730-1806) and Anna Elizabeth Grobb (1737-1800), German immigrants whose family name would undergo several spelling variations over the generations—from Koppel to Keppel to Kepley and finally Capley.
Peter grew up in a family with deep roots in the German Lutheran community that had settled in the Carolina piedmont. His grandfather, Paulus Koppel, had arrived in Pennsylvania aboard the ship Phoenix in 1749, bringing his family from Herbitzheim in the Northern Alsace region. The family initially settled in what became Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where they were members of the Old Goshenhoppen Union Church in Upper Salford.
Pennsylvania Years
Like many families of that era, the Keppels/Capleys moved between settlements seeking better opportunities. Records show that Peter spent time in Pennsylvania during his twenties—he appears in the 1786 Septennial Census living in Upper Salford, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, at about age 26. This was a period of significant transition in his life, as he would soon make the journey back to North Carolina that would define his future.
Marriage and Family
On May 20, 1794, at about age 34, Peter married Maria Barbara Grappin (1776-1828) in Rowan County, North Carolina. This union would prove to be a fruitful one, blessed with nine children who would help settle the Tennessee frontier:
- Anna Elizabeth Capley (1795- ), who married into the Dry family
- John George "Buck" Capley (1797-1850), who married Mary Ann Crowell in 1825
- Catharine Capley (1799- ), who remained unmarried and lived with her father in his later years
- Susanna Capley (1801-1888), who married Jacob Molder in 1829
- Mary Barbara Capley (1802- ), called "Mary Barbery" in family documents
- John Martin Capley (1805- )
- David Capley (1807-1859/1860), who never married
- Sarah Capley (1809-1894), who remained unmarried
- John Capley (1812- )
Life in North Carolina
Peter was well-established in Cabarrus County by the turn of the century. The 1800 census recorded him in Salisbury with his growing family—the household included himself, his wife Maria, one son under ten, and two daughters under ten. On June 18, 1806, he received a land grant in Cabarrus County, solidifying his position as a property-owning farmer.
The following year brought both loss and responsibility. When his father, Peter Keppel Sr., passed away in 1806, Peter Jr. was involved in settling the estate. In August 1807, he joined his siblings in executing a deed to divide their father's property, which included 116 acres on Little Dutch Buffalo Creek.
The Tennessee Migration
Sometime between 1806 and 1820, Peter made the momentous decision to join the great wave of migration westward into Tennessee. Like thousands of other families, the Capleys were drawn by the promise of abundant, affordable land in the newly opened territories. By 1820, Peter was firmly established in Bedford County, Tennessee, where the census recorded his substantial household of twelve free white persons.
Bedford County, formed in 1807, was prime territory for settlement. Located in Middle Tennessee along the Duck River, it offered fertile soil and abundant water—perfect for farming families like the Capleys. Peter clearly prospered there, as evidenced by his increasing land holdings.
Building a Tennessee Legacy
In April 1824, Peter purchased 150 acres from John Newman for $300. The property was part of a much larger 5,000-acre tract originally granted by North Carolina to Anthony Newman. The deed carefully described the boundaries using natural landmarks—walnut, ash, dogwood, elm, and hickory trees—as was common practice in that era.
Just one year later, in March 1825, Peter acquired an additional nine acres from John Capley (likely a relative), paying thirty-five dollars for land situated on the north side of Duck River. These transactions show Peter's determination to establish a solid foundation for his growing family.
The 1830 census provides a snapshot of the Capley household when Peter was in his seventies. Ten free white persons lived under his roof, including several adult children and likely some grandchildren. This multigenerational household was typical of the period, when families often stayed close together for mutual support and labor.
Historical Context
Peter's long life spanned an extraordinary period of American history. Born as a British colonial subject, he witnessed the Revolutionary War as a young man, saw the creation of the United States Constitution, and lived through the War of 1812, the Missouri Compromise debates over slavery, and the Mexican-American War. Tennessee itself transformed from a frontier territory to an established state during his lifetime.
The 1840s brought changes to the Capley family. Maria Barbara, Peter's wife of thirty-four years, had passed away in 1828, leaving him a widower for the last quarter-century of his life. Their son John George "Buck" Capley died in January 1850, predeceasing his father.
Final Years and Legacy
By 1850, the ninety-year-old Peter was still living in District 9 of Bedford County, surrounded by his unmarried children. The census that year recorded him with Catharine (age 35), Martin (age 33), Barbara (age 31), Mary Ann (age 29), Michael (age 28), Joseph Dry (age 18), and John (age 12). It's remarkable that a man of ninety was still maintaining his own household in this era.
On July 19, 1849, recognizing "the uncertainty of this mortal life" and his advanced age, Peter composed his last will and testament. The document reveals much about his character and values. He requested to be "decently buried at Thompson and Graveyard beside my beloved wife." He carefully divided his approximately 200 acres among his three sons—George receiving thirty-five acres on the east end, David thirty-five acres on the west end, and Michael receiving the balance, with the provision that his four unmarried daughters (Catherine, Mary Barbara, Sarah, and presumably Margaret) should have a home there for life.
Peter's will also demonstrated his fairness and foresight. He directed that the remainder of his estate be sold and equally divided among all nine of his children, "share and share alike so as to make them all equal." He even provided for his daughter Elizabeth's children (she apparently had predeceased him) to receive their mother's share.
Peter Capley Jr. died on October 21, 1852, in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee, at the remarkable age of about ninety-two. His will was probated in November 1852, with his son Michael serving as executor. The original courthouse records, including Peter's will, were later destroyed in a fire that consumed the Bedford County Courthouse in 1863, but copies had been preserved in court records.
He was laid to rest in Crowells Chapel Cemetery Old (also known as Halls Mill) in Bedford County, beside his beloved Maria Barbara, bringing to a close a life that had spanned nearly the entire first half of the nineteenth century.
A Pioneer's Impact
Peter Capley Jr.'s life story is that of countless pioneers who built America—German immigrants who adapted, moved, persevered, and established families that would spread across the continent. From Pennsylvania to North Carolina to Tennessee, Peter and Maria Barbara raised nine children who carried forward the family name (in all its varied spellings). His descendants fought in the Civil War and continued to farm the Tennessee land he had worked so hard to acquire.
The fact that Peter lived to see ninety-two years—an extraordinary lifespan for his time—meant he witnessed his children grow to adulthood, saw numerous grandchildren, and left behind a legacy of hard work, fair dealing, and family devotion that would echo through generations of Capleys to come.
Peter Capley, Jr. is my 4th Great Grand Uncle
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