Ralph Peters (1777-1842)

He was said by his son to have been "a very handsome man". He was educated to be a merchant and for several years was supercargo for Stephen Girard. However, he himself was not a good businessman. When he went into business for himself he sent a ship to China under a supercargo (one of the Philadelphia Biddles) who was cheated and instead of returning with tea, the ship sailed into port laden with worthless willow leaves. It was such a financial disaster that Ralph never recovered from it and he spent the balance of his life being supported by his father. He later attempted to become a dairy farmer and rented the 200-acre "Bull Farm" in what is now West Philadelphia. He tried supplying butter and then milk to the city but both ventures failed.

In 1821, he moved his young family to Wilkes-Barre and into a large and comfortable rented house known as the "Suiton House," paid for by his brother-in-law, John Conyngham. Two years later, rather than settling on his father-in-law's land ten miles away, he built his own frame house on 150-acres in the back-and beyond of Bedford County, and making matters worse, never paid for the land. His last attempt to make money saw him invest in a coal mine in Pottsville. When it inevitably failed shortly afterwards, he found himself $5,000 in debt and lived in "daily fear of the Sheriff".