Background
BACKGROUND:
yDNA testing involves a simple cheek-cell swab and results can corroborate or refute paper genealogical findings in as little as 4-6 weeks!! Further, the cost of a 37 marker test can often be less than a two-night stay in a hotel tracing your family history and may, in many ways, yield more reliable results. Contact the Group Administrator, Jack Ruple, at switzerjr@gmail.com to answer all of your questions about our Ruple yDNA Surname Group – almost any name variant is welcome so we can simultaneously (1) compare and contrast families and (2) continue to pursue genealogical goals for individual families.
1. The Ruple yDNA project began in the summer of 2006. The initial focus was upon the Ruple family of the southern US and their heritage thought to come from the village of Fuellinsdorf, Baselland, Switzerland. Martin Roppel/Ruppel/Ruple was the immigrant, and ships’ passenger lists confirmed his passage from Fuellinsdorf, Switzerland, to Charleston, South Carolina in 1772.
2. The goals of trying to tie the “southern” United States Ruples in SC, AL, MS, LA, AR TX were achieved fairly quickly with matches on 37 markers. Upgrades of yDNA testing to 67 markers on both the Southern group and in Switzerland confirmed a close match of 65 of 67 markers between our Swiss native and the southern Ruples, and the same haplogroup in deep-clade testing was confirmed, namely subgroup R1bab2a1a4.
3. Meanwhile, the project expanded to include a “northern” branch of Ruple/Rupel who descended from one Jacob Ruple/Rupel of Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Jacob’s wife’s name was Margaret and oldest son, Jacob Jr. This information tracked a Swiss emigrant family also coming from Fuellinsdorf, Switzerland in 1767 bound for Pennsylvania, USA. This Jacob, according to Swiss church records, was the older brother of Martin Roppel in par. 1 above. Jacob had three sons, and eventually our project found descendants of all three of these sons and all three descendants matched each other exactly on 37 markers. Later one of the three branches was tested out to 67 markers and was tested for deep clade haplogroup categorization. Again, this group matched our Swiss cousin 65 of 67 markers and fell into his same deep-clade haplogroup – namely R1b1b2a1a4!!
4. The Ruple Family in America and its Germanic Heritage, self-published in 1988 by Jack Damon Ruple, Sr., J.D. of Arkansas, outlined six pre-Revolutionary Ruple families. One primary goal of the Ruple yDNA Group initially was to discover descendants of all six families and then establish their genetic haplotype as members of our Ruple yDNA project. We accomplished that goal. All six families now have haplotypes established, with four of the six being related as discussed. The fifth Ruple family from Ohio (originally NJ and PA) fell into the R1a1 haplogroup. The Sixth family from New Jersey was found to be in haplogroup J2. (We Have this book and will do look ups for Ruple yDNA Surname group members.)
5. Ongoing traditional research produced other variant spellings of the name Ruple who likewise immigrated prior to the Revolutionary War. One such person named R-u-p-e-l was tested with the result that, while his haplogroup was R1b1b2, his haplotype was widely variant from others in our project – origins of his family were still thought to be PA or NJ.
6. In the past year our group has grown to 28 members ...THIS IS ONLY since 2006!! Our group has shared information with one another, hired experts, reviewed church records, communicated with European members, German and Swiss genealogists, and continues to seek family relationships between our American, and our German and Swiss members yet to test. We have added the surnames Rubel/Ruble and Rupley/Rubli, both of which are pre-Revolutionary War American immigrant families, and we simultaneously search for their relatives in Europe. Testing on these names in the United States and in Europe are ongoing. We would very much like to test name variants of the surnames in our group in Germany (Saarbrucken, Alsace, Pfalz, and the "historical Palitinate" ) ...also name variants in the area of Schaffhausen, Zurich, Oberdiessbach, Langnau, and Lauperswil Switzerland)
7. The search for immigrant ancestry of our Surname Group should not overlook immigrants from Germanic countries in the 1800s, though, in the past, our goals only included pre Rev War US immigrants ....Please contact the administrator to discuss your Ruple, Rupel, Rubel, Rubeli, Rubelli, Ruppel ancestors - since this is a surname group, your input and family information would be appreciated - and....if you simply want to test so your yDNA profile in on file with the largest DNA Co. in the world in hopes of finding Ruple (or variantly-spelled) relatives, please contact us about joining and submitting be your Ruple name variant yDNA sample for testing!! The test involves only a simple cheek swab and you may be in Europe or the US. Thanks. Contact administrator at switzerjr^gmail.com. Our research has revealed many 1800s immigrants that could match those already found in our group!!
8. Ongoing testing is MUCH needed in the area of Schaffhausen and Zurich , Switzerland ...both of which have generated emigrants to the Pfalz of Germany and to America in the past.
If you are interested in joining our growing Ruple yDNA Surname Group, SIMPLY CALL OR EMAIL THE ADMINISTRATOR. (1) contact the administrator, Jack Ruple, at switzerjr@gmail.com tell me about your family genealogy or as much as you know; (2) I will answer any questions you may have about this simple testing and approve your testing with our group if you have a German, Swiss or American male Ruple, Ruble, Rubli etc (name variant) who wants to test; (3) then, order your kit, get a group discount, and swab your cheek cells and return the kit to Family Tree DNA Company in Houston, advertised as the largest DNA database in the world (this means more matches!!); (4) in as little as 5-6 weeks, results will be posted on our public site anonymously by kit number (or, preferably, by your most remote ancestor); (5) as a member, you can always login with your kit no and ID you get when you join, and check for matches to others of your surname or variant surname, and get the specific yDNA results as to your haplotype and haplogroup. (6) post-testing, you may upload your data to FTDNA's YSearch site and email fellow Ruple group members (or others if you choose to share your data with the entire FTDNA database). www.familytreedna.com/public/ruple/.
The information you get will be permanent, accurate and useful. I get "matches" every day (most for non-name matches - see personal page site for significance of these matches) for Ruple yDNA Surname group members. This proves that yDNA technology is booming and actively sought by the public in order to try and find their relatives. However, it is your choice whether to return email or to email others (I have chosen to match to the entire database and have only received a small amount of email in several years). In other words, you WILL get individual DNA results which CAN be compared with other members of the group for relatedness - one PRIMARY goal of our project. (NOTE: keep track of your kit number and ID number so you can always access your own webpage at Family Tree DNA. Each time you receive a "match" to another person in the database, you will receive an email (if you've chosen to do this which 95% of our group has) ...again, the most relevant matches will likely be members of our group. See bibliography below for more information on yDNA and for further reading about out group members' families!!
FOR FURTHER READING ABOUT YDNA TESTING AND ABOUT FAMILY RESEARCH, SEE REFERENCES BELOW (ACCURACY OF INFORMATION IS UP TO YOU - THIS LIST IS JUST FOR CONSULTATION AND VERIFICATION AND SHOULD BE UPDATED BY YOU USING SEARCH ENGINES ON THE NET):
RUPLE/RUPEL/RUPELL RESEARCHERS:
ALL US STATES AND SWITZERLAND: Jack Ruple, Sr., J.D.;
AL - Bill Ruple, AL and Tom Boutwell, TX;
NJ - Hunterdon Co - Barbara Moser, NJ
PA - Somerset Co & IN - Margaret Rupel Bullock, CA
PA - Somerset - Also, Steven Harn Redman http://steveredman.com/p154.htm#i3234;
Glen Swartz http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=glen_swartz&id=I5179;
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gl_swartz&id=I5241;
PA (Wash. Co) and OH -Marianne Ruple Gardner, OH;
SC - Hermann Ruple Durr, SC
* * *
RUBLE/RUBEL Family Researchers:
ALL US STATES AND SWITZERLAND: Jack Ruple, Sr., J.D.;
PA - (Bucks Co)Ulrich Ruble - Jane McCann Walsh
PA - (Mifflin Co) Peter Ruble - Pat Ruble
PA - Randall Rubel - Peter Rubel/Ruble
EUROPE - see your individual matching pages.
NOTE: SEE NOTE ABOUT dna CONFLICT UNDER "RUBEL" BELOW ....
* * * *
RUBEL Family Researchers:
ALL US State and Germany: Jack Ruple, Sr., J.D.
PA - (Bucks Co)Ulrich Ruble - Jane McCann Walsh
PA - (Mifflin Co) Peter Ruble - Pat Ruble
PA - Randall Rubel - Peter Rubel/Ruble
NOTE: There currently appears to be a yDNA conflict between Rubel males of the Pfalz region (whose families are referenced in the book by Herman Karch) and ALL American Rubel/Ruble males in our study ....this must be resolved or recognized before claiming heritage through the Peter and Nicholas Rubel of the Messerschwanderhof/Otterberg areas just north of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
RUPLEY Family Researchers:
(See below)
RUPLE family research resources:
1. ORANGEBURG GERMAN-SWISS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY WEBSITE: http://www.ogsgs.org/ (GOTO "FIRST FAMILIES" ARTICLES - Ruple family)
2. German Life Magazine, June/July issue, 2009: article by James Biedler entitled: "Y DNA Yields Success for Swiss Descendants"(p. 64)(article highlights the Ruple yDNA study and updates the Ruple Family book below as to Swiss heritage).
3. See: The Ruple Family in America and its Germanic Heritage, publ. 1988, J.D. Ruple, Sr., J.D. (a working genealogy available through LDS church libraries on fiche #FHL US/CAN Fiche #6088717 - for nominal cost)(Jack Ruple,Sr., 15 Saddler Road, Conway, AR 72032, publication out of print);
* * * *
RUBLE/RUBEL family research resources:
1. Roy Clark Ruble - The Ruble Family (Memphis, TN: Riverside Press,1970), FHL US/CAN Film
907994 Item 3, 56 pp. (LDS Notes:Peter Rubel (d.1773) immigrated during or before 1750 from Bavaria, Germany to York County, Pennsylvania. Descendants (chiefly spelling the surname Ruble) and relatives lives in
2. "A Ruble Update", The Colonial Genealogist, XII, No. 3, pp 119-31.Ft. Scott, KS, KS Historical Society Archive (WE would like to obtain a copy of this article)
3. "The All American Ruble" Lewis Ruble, Mifflin Col., PA History Library. (WE would like to obtain a copy of this book)
*4. THE RUBLES IN EUROPE Compiled by Raymond Leisman, Rockport , Missouri - http://www.angelfire.com/folk/ruble/
history_of_rubels_in_europe.htm (Ruble/Ruble family German/Swiss history - "translated from German": NOTE: See next entry for comparison of German work);
*5. Karch, Hermann, Der Messerschwanderhof: Die Geschichte eines Hofes und seiner Erbbeständer (History of the Messerschwanderhof (Otterberg), Pfalz, Bayern, Germany. Includes the Rubel, Eicher, Eymann, Rubeli, and Essig families.) Otterbach: Druck: F. Arbogast, 1965-1968- 141 S. : Ill., facsims., geneal Taf. Kt. Portr. FHL INTL Film 908257 Item 7, book call #943.43/M1 H2. (We DO HAVE this book - will check for names for our group members upon request)
*6. Hein, Gerhard. "Otterberg (Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 22 March 2010; http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/
O888.html.
7. Boddie, John Bennett, Mrs. A genealogical history of the Rubel, White, Rockfellow, McNair and allied families. Phoenix [Arizona], copyright 1977, 263 pp.: Jack P. Rubel, c1977, pp. FHL FAM HIST Book. call #929.273 R822a The research was done by Mrs. Susan Newton Farrand, assisted by Mrs. Diane Jesson.(LDS Notes: Ulrich Rubel was born about 1710, probably in the Palatinate of Germany. He immigrated during or before 1731 to Bucks County, Pennsylvania and moved about 1744 to Frederick County, Virginia. He died between 1759 and 1761.)
8. Phillips, G. Howard and Shirley Brague Phillips, Ruble Routes, 34 pp., Columbus, Ohio : G.H. & S.B. Phillips, (1978) (LDS Notes: Peter Ruble, and his son, Ulrich, emigrated from Germany to Loudon County, Virginia. Ulrich's will was filed in Frederick County, Virginia in 1761. Descendants lived in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio and elsewhere.)FHL US/CAN Fiche 6019092; FHL book card cat #929.273 R825
9. Burroughs,M.J., compiler and editor. Ruble relatives and their families, West Plains, Missouri: M.J. Burroughs, c1989, 51 pp. (LDS Notes: Descendants of Peter Ruble (d. 1773), who emigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1742 and settled in Codorus, York County, in the same state. His son Mathias (1740?-1817) married Anna Marye Elizabeth Hoffman in 1772 and settled in Mifflin Co., Pennsylvania. Peter II (1744-1837) married Catherine Wirt in 1770 and settle in Washington Co., Tennessee.) FHL US/CAN Film 1598431, Item 3; Call no. s929.273 R825b.
(We would like to obtain a copy of this book.)
10. Wilmer L. Kerns, Frederick County, Virginia: settlement and some first families of Back Creek Valley, 1730-1830. Baltimore, Maryland : Gateway Press, c1995, pp. 647. FHL call no. 975.5992 H2 (LDS Notes: Includes a large section of family histories for the following families: . . . Ruble, McCool, . . .and many others.)
11. Ruble, Lewis, The All American Ruble, http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/u/b/Lewis-H-Ruble/index.html Lewis H Ruble 51428 N. Riverside Rd. P. O. Box 362. Index, WA 98256. (We would like to obtain a copy of this book or work)
*12. Pfalz, Germany Mennonite census book. (We have this book ...Again lookups for out group members of individual names in the census upon request)
IMPORTANT NOTE: Those sources above which are marked with an "*" may not, in fact, justify tracing heritage through the Pfalz (Palatinate) of Germany as indicated in several US sources due to our study's recent yDNA findings. They show a non-relationship between Sembach, Germany's male Rubel and ALL American Rubel/Ruble who had previously tested with our group. This caution also applies to any other sources listed above which, although not marked with an (*), rely upon the German book by Herman Karch to trace heritage of American Rubel males to the Messerschwanderhof or Otterberg areas in the Pfalz, Germany, and from there even farther back to Aeschlen/Oberdiessbach in Bern Canton, Switzerland. This is disappointing news, no doubt, for both American Rubel/Ruble descendants (who do match one another) and their German Rubel counterparts (who also match one another but not the American group)
Three possible explanations of this conflict could exist:
1. "Relatedness" - there could be non-paternity events on either side of this equation including unknown adoptions which occurred in the Sembach, Germany, Rubel line between the time of US immigrations (1720s-1730s) and today to explain the clear conflict in yDNA results between the US and German members of our yDNA study (they should match if related and they do not).
2. Unrelatedness - the Rubels of Sembach, Germany may simply be unrelated to the American groups in our study as the DNA shows. The question then prompts us to find an explanation in paper genealogy to explain the scientific results ...this might take the direction of translating more of the Karch book to see if there are gaps in the book which might explain why he tied the Sembach Rubels to the Swiss Mennonite migrant Messerschwanderhof Rubels, Peter and Nicholas (and before that to Rubeli family of Aeschlen/Oberdiessbach, in Switzerland. ....By the way, we have the Swiss church records tending to confirm Swiss ancestry of the Messerschwanderhof Rubeli)
This theory of simple unrelatedness could mean that one of the two groups, i.e., the American Rubel/Rubel immigrants, or the Sembach, Germany, Rubels incorrectly traces to the Messerschwanderhof Rubel farmers, Peter and Nicholas. How could this happen? ....Simple, there are several "same-name" or "spell-alike" names from several Germanic areas that could have produced our DNA study Rubel ancestry: for example, a simple surname search in Germanic (or former Germanic) areas such as: (1) Zweibrucken, Germany; (2) Zurich , Switzerland; (3) Alsace, France (once German territory), etc. shows several such possible ancestral names spelled alike.
3. Errors in Paper Genealogies with Undocumented Assumptions of heritage from the Messerschwanderhof (Otterberg) Rubel family. A couple of problems immediately present themselves: (a) Mennonite church records often did not exist early on since they were not a recognized religion with their own records of births , marriages and deaths, and those records that do exist in Germany (Sembach church?) are only for post-American immigration periods; (b) the Karch book does not cite to specific church records, but rather seems to rely upon "genealogies" printed in the Karch book, stories about destruction of the Messerschwanderhof area by French marauders in the late 1600s, and references to American immigration passenger lists into Pennsylvania without specific records showing emigration from the German side and place of origin. There appear to be gaps in the genealogies and assumptions at several points as to ties between American immigrants, German emigrants, Messerschwanderhof occupants, and Sembach Rubels. Another quandry is presented by the fact that American emigrants, do show repetition of the Christian names, Peter and Nicholas, early on, after the American Rubel/Rubles immigrated to the U.S. Ulrich is reputed to have been in the U.S. as early as the 1720s and Peter arriving later in 1732, it is thought . . . so the idea of them being Mennonite and perhaps descending from those of the same given names of Mennonites in the Pfalz seem equally plausible to the Karch book which tends to point to the Sembach Rubel males as the descendants of the Mennonites of the Messerschwanderhof. The bottom line is that MORE RESEARCH is needed ... IF THERE ARE FAMILY who have genealogical experience and would like to help translate any old German church script (perhaps in the Sembach church records?) or translate fully the Messerschwanderhof book by Herman Karch in order to pinpoint any discrepancies or omissions overlooked in paper genealogies thus far, please contact the administrator.
RUPLEY/RUBLI family research resources:
1. We have a group member whose Rev. ancestor was Johann Jacob Rupley, born in Dachsen, Switzerland. (contact administrator and he, in turn will contact group member to maintain anonymity of member)
2. We have some information on a Rubli family who settled in Arkansas, and was from Unterhallau, Switzerland (contact administrator)
EUROPE - see your individual matching pages.
(Important NOTE: Recent DNA Findings reveal contrary DNA finding between
current male Pfalz Rubels and male US Ruble/Rubel lines, the latter tracing their
American ancestry through either Ulrich Ruble of Bucks, PA, or through Peter of York, PA)
Call for more research and testing in Germany. The Karch book cited in several sources below (marked by "*") has traditionally been relied upon thus far to support Swiss Mennonite heritage for American Rubels ...unfortunately, Rubels of the area of Sembach are actually mentioned in the Karch book tracing to the same Mennonite occupants of the Messerscwanderhof ...i.e., Nicholas and Peter Rubel.
The yDNA conflicts with the German and American lines. Thus more research to determine the exact paper lineage of the German Rubels and the American Rubel/Rubles must be conducted in order for either group to claim heritage through Peter and Nicholas Rubel of the Messerschwanderhof.) (See also Ruple yDNA Surname STudy public website, yDNA results, to compare the Sembach, GErman group with the US groups)