Peck Links

Tom Lincoln graciously permitted me to publish some of his Peck Family research notes. It is very much appreciated. Soon I will add research material that I have gathered over the years. Somewhere my Jarvis family is connected to Pecks, if not in Maryland by 1781, then certainly by the time both families were purchasing land in North Carolina in the 1790s. If you have information on the Pecks of NC or MD, and would like to share, pls contact Faye Moran, fmoran@erols.com. Tom Lincoln can probably help any Peck Family researcher. His email address is: lincoln@rand.org

The English name Peck is derived from the Middle English word "pek" meaning hilltop, originally designating someone who lived at the top of the hill. "The pek of the hul" was a popular early expression in Derbyshire.

The Pek or Peck family was first known in Yorkshire, in the towns of Belton, Hesden and Wakefield, and later in Beecles, in County Suffolk. The first authentic records mention a William del Pec, living in 1221, and John del Pek of London, 1273. According to the "Oxford Directory of Surnames" by Patrick Hanks And Flavia Hodges (New York, 1988, Oxford University Press), Peake or Pecs may refer to Richard del Pech or del Pek (d 1196) son of Rannulf, Sheriff of Nottingham. Also, Richard del Peke helped Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, control a region of the county of Denbigs (north of Clyd). Also associated with John Pyke who paid rent to the abbot of Lecister in 1477.

The parents of James Peck are not known. No definitive records have been found in MD, and no record of their marriage has been found in MD or VA. Tracing these Pecks  back is complicated by their untimely death and by the clear presence of several Peck families in Mason Co. before 1810 and thereafter.

One is from PA -- the Daniel Pecks. These are well documented, and are of a quite different German mold.

James, a name still associated with a Catholic king, is not found among Pecks from the Protestant north, but appears in MD, VA and the south. The preponderance of evidence now suggests that he came as part of a family migration from VA. Given sketchy but consistant evidence, one can reasonably hypothesize that the origins of James Peck's family could be in the James River Colony in VA in the 1600s; that his immediate antecedants came from King George Co. VA; and that they removed west in the late 1700s as a group first to Frederick and nearby Cos. in VA; then after the Revolution to Frederick Co. MD (perhaps to that southern portion that became Montgomery Co. in 1776); and then about 1800 began to move west to Maysville KY. The family as a whole might be strung out along this path. Thus one family candidate (and possibly his father) might be the James Peck on the 1800 tax list for Culpepper Co. VA, with one horse [VA Genealogist Vol. 17]. [If this is the elder James Peck of Mason Co. KY, then he might have settled first in Culpepper Co. on dower land of his wife, marrying before 1786.]

The key figure connecting Pecks across VA, MD and KY appears to be William Peck (b. 20 Feb 1764 in King George's Co. VA; d. 15 Feb 1837 in Maysville KY), a Revolutionary war soldier, who served as a private in Marquis Calmes' Company , Col. Darke's Regiment from 11 May to 11 Sep 1781 -- where he was present at the siege of Yorktown [which ended on 19 October]. He served again from 7 May 1782 for two months in Capt. Alexander Simrail's Co. -- where he guarded the surrendered British troops at Fort Loudoun in Winchester, Frederick Co. VA. [As per National Archives Approved Rev. War Pension Claim S 31301, and DAR #s 98532, 138030, 135265, and 132965.] On 12 Sept 1796 he married Sus(an)(na) Glasscock in Frederick MD. [see Maryland Marriages  1778-1800 and the Marriage Register of the German Reformed Church pg 1159]  On the same page of the Marriage Register [1159] is John Peck, who married Betty (Blacks) on 27 Dec 1793 -- the parentheses are unusual, perhaps suggesting that she was a widow. On 22 Jul 1914 Mrs. W. H. Fisher wrote the National Archives from Paris KY, asking for "any information in regard to Peter Glascock of Va. He was my Grandfather [William] Peck's father in law." [Filed with the Pension Record of William Peck in the National Archives.] Susanna is the daughter of Capt. Peter Glasscock (b. ca. 1737; d. bef. 1829 {m. ca. 1757}) of Paris, Faquier Co. VA, a Sea Captain from Wells Haven, Wales, with children: Addison, Sally, Joseph, David, Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, Susanna Peck, Elizabeth {m. Lemnert}. [Glasscock Family , Mrs. Elizabeth Hyatt Ogden, 1938.] By naming his sons for Jefferson and Burr and calling his plantation "La Grange", he shows himself to be aggressively on the side of the French, the enlightenment and the Democratic Republicans. Paris is on the route between King George Co. and Winchester in Frederick Co. [He is apparently unrelated to the widely distributed and well documented Thomas Glascock family, which includes another "Peter of Prince William Co." who figures in a number of law suites in 1760, where John Ralls Jr. played a role.] It has also been noted that there was a Peter who was a mariner during the Revolution.

Glascocks were also early settlers of Mason Co. James Glascock and Nimrod Glascock are on a list of petitioners to the VA house of Burgesses from Limestone (later Maysville), 25 Aug 1786, asking division of Mason from Bourbon Co., suggesting that Pecks and Glascocks may have migrated together. In 1820 Peter Glasscock [?Susan (Glasscock) Peck's father ?] is over 45 and living in Washington  KY alone; and there is also a Daniel Glasscock family, with young children and an older male -- could there be a confusion between David and Daniel (above) -- or there is a Daniel Glasscock noted in 1800 along with 16 other Glassocks not children of the Peter above on the Farquier Co. tax list for 1800. In the British Mercantile Claims 1775-1803 for Prince William Co. , "James Glascock, son of Peter of Prince William" (?the "other Peter"), is noted to have moved to Faquier Co. after 1777. Another? Peter Glasscock with a son Lemuel (b. 16 May 1801 Fauquier Co. VA)  and daughter Harriet moved from Jefferson County, VA to Maysville KY in 1817 and subsequently to Fleming Co., there were few living children...  In any case, they trace a definate migration west in VA and on to KY, and may give some direction for finding James Peck's origins.

There were a number of other Peck marriages and other sightings in Frederick Co. MD and vicinity:

On 19 Mar 1778 Abraham Fields married Johan [Joan?] Peck, the Rev. Joseph Threlkeld of Cabin John presiding.

On May 11, 1783 Rosanna Peck married George Thomas in Frederick Co.;

on 2 Jul 1796 Thomas Peck married Kitty Williams;

David Peck married Elizabeth Clark 13 Jan 1797;

and on 26 Oct 1797 Ann Peck married Joshua Murphey. [DAR Mag. as per Seattle Genealogical Soc.].

In Mongomery Co. on 3 Jan 1802 Nathan Peck married Mary Dowden; and on 8 Jun 1802, a  James Peck married Elizabeth Yardley.

An earlier James Peck is on the list of the company of Foot raised in the Province of Maryland for the expedition against Canada in 1746. [Colonial Soldiers of the South 1732-1774, Murtie June Clark, Genealogical Pub. 1982.] This may be the same James Peck who is listed on the debts due to the estate of Mr. James Bayard, probated 3 Aug 1753 in Cecil Co. MD [Inventories of a the Prerogative Court of MD, Liber 56, Folio 51-82].

Families of Pecks were certainly present in or around Frederick Co. MD at an earlier time. In his will of 9 Jul 1733  Martin Peck leaves his estate to Elizabeth Swadner, a widow.  There are land transactions in the Land Record Index for Frederick Co. in which a Jacob Peck begins acquiring land in 1732 and 1749. He would have to  be older than the Jacob Peck (1723 -1800), son of Johann Jakob Beck and Anna Maria Hummel,  who was in Frederick Co. MD,  and who later moved to Botentourt Co., VA [Contents of LDS Film 1034656]. The latter is still probably the same Jacob Peck who sold his mill in Mar 1753.

In 1790, and 1800 there are Pecks on the census and tax roles in Baltimore, Prince George's,  Montgomery and Washington Co. MD.

In Montgomery Co. MD in the 1800 census [pg 33 as adjacent entries] Thomas (>45) and William Peck (26-45) could be the same as those who moved to Washington KY later,  pointing to a family source in Montgomery Co., which would also be consistent with Methodism at the time.

Some evidence points toward a Samuel Peck in Frederick Co. VA with a family of 11 whites in the 1782 VA census, who could be the father of  the whole family. [If  Eunice's (step) parents had lived in Baltimore, she might be expected to be on the marriage lists for Baltimore City. From 1809 to 1826 only one Eunice (Pounder) and only one female Knight (Sarah) were found on these lists, averaging more than 500 marriages per year. No match was identified.]

Pecks in the early VA colonies may be forebearers of this family They were clearly a family of substance in the Tidewater, but I find no formal genealogy. Bishop William Meade writes [Old Churches, Ministers, and families of Virginia, Vol. II reprint, Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co., 1966]: of the Carter family of the Northern Neck: "Suffice to say, that... the family of Carter may be found intermingled not only with those already mentioned , but with those of.... Waller.... Peck... etc.", clearly suggesting a relatively prominent Peck family.

In 1624, as sworn by Sargent Holland, Thomas Peck planted at sherley hundred for Barkley hundred Company (headed by George Thorpe, killed in the Massacre of 1622). [Minutes of the Council and General Court 1622-1629 , LOC]

A William Peck is a witness to a land purchase from Thomas Drew, Gent. by S. Pace in Charles City Co. 4 Jun 1657 [Patent Book #4 cited in Early VA Families along the James River, by Louise Foley, Richmond, 1978]

In Aug 1657 William Peck witnesses a document in Charles City Co. -- and again for a transaction with Richard Williamson of Charles City Co. on 16 Apr 1683 [Patent Book #7].

An And[rew] Peck is a signatory to a transaction of James Wallace in Patent Book #6. A Tom Pecke "m'chant at skiffes creek on the James River in Virginia" received a letter from his father, H. Pecke, in England on 17 Nov 1659, sent 26 Jul 1659, and another from his brother, Charles Pecke [W5(1) 269-270].

A Thomas Peck received a land grant of 1000 acres  in Gloucester Co. in 1655, probably the same Thomas Peck (and possibly the same land) received as a land grant of 1000 acres in New Kent Co. in 1658 [New Kent Co. Deed Book #4, p. 308].

A Robert Peck of Elizabeth City, was the executor of Henry Berry's will 20 Mar 1672, and that of Edward James on 4 Nov 1675 [Elizabeth City Co. Wills], suggesting that he had standing with the courts.

In Farnum Parish, Richmond Co. in a deed 4 May 1694, land of John Peck is adjacent. In 1693/94 Robert Peck is bound along with Henry Berry in a deed of land in Richmond Co. from his brother Richard Berry to Ralph Whitton [VA Colonial Abstracts, by Beverley Fleet].

Geographically closer, among the Northern Neck Land Grants, Robert Peck received a grant of 100 acres in Stafford Co.on 7 Mar 1694/95. 

Robert Peck owns land in St. Marys Parish, Richmond Co. in Mar 1713, near that of Henry Berry.

On 20 Jan 1724, William Peck received 591 acres on Doog Swamp according to King George Co. Land Grant Book A. From here forward, these names appear together in the records of  in King George Co., although the relationships are not entirely clear.

On 3 Jan 1728/29 William and Robert Peck acted as sureties for a bond on Mary Thornley concerning the estate of Aaron Thornley.

In Richmond Co. on 10 Jul 1726 Martha PECK m. Thomas GRAY; and on 16 Jan 1729 Jane PECK m. Edward BATES.

On 2/3 Jul 1747 Robert Peck deeded a property to John OREO [O'REAR] and Mary [?Peck] his wife during their natural lives and then to their daughter Margaret Glascock [wife of John Glascock][King George Co. Deed Book 1743-1752 pp. 193-198] [Virginia County Court Records: A Digest of County Records Vol I, by Ruth and Sam Sparacio, Antient Press, 1990 p. 60]. (The name OREO is not Irish, but Huguenot: OREA)

On 10 Jan 1751/2 William and Robert voted in a poll for the house of Burgess.

On 4 Apr 1754, there an inventory is submitted of William Peck's effects totaling 51 pounds, 1, and 6 (which includes a 'chamber ewer' valued at 2 shillings).

Then on 6 May 1762, Robert Peck Sr. 'for the love and good will I bear my loving daughter Verlinda Peck [p 499].

William Peck, later of Frederick Co., was born in 1764. (Meanwhile, in 1768 John Peck was a viewer of roads in Prince Edward Co. [Hist. of Prince Edw. Co. VA, Herbert C. Bradshaw, Richmond, Dietz Press, 1955])

Another William Peck m. Jane Curry in Saint Paul's Parish, 3 Aug 1766, subsequently registering five children: Sarah (b. 28 Aug 1767); Stribling (b. 27 Sep 1768); Mildred (21 May 1771); Robert (b. 14 Jun 1772); and David (b. 11 Apr 1773). Clearly a sister, Elizabeth Peck, m. Thomas Stribling 8 Mar 1752; and a John Curry m. Jane Stribling on 20 Sep 1758. There are numerous Striblings and Currys in King George Co. [The name of Stribling Peck will appear again in Mason Co. KY later in the 1850 census!]

In the same Register, a son John, was born to Reuben and Elizabeth Peck on 3 Dec 1773.

On 2 March 1780 William and Jane [Curry] Peck signed an indenture that traces the ownership of fifty acres of land: "of which was given by the last will and testament of William Peck, dec'd. to Robert Peck since dec'd. and given by the said Robert Peck dec'd by his last will and testament to Thomas Peck of record in said County Court..."

Then, on 6 Jul 1786, William Peck, Thomas Peck and Samuel Peck sold the land of John Peck, deceased, to James Dishman for 140 pounds. One may suppose that a migration west took place shortly after this time. Not all left.

On 2 Jan 1800 a David Peck m. Ann Cliff; and, on 3 Feb 1802, a James Peck m. Margaret Cliff as per the County Marriage Book.

John and William Peck removed from Frederick Co. MD to Mason Co. KY.
Depositions link them as brothers:
COURT ORDER BOOK M
page 42--February Court, 1833
William Peck produced his declaration with the deposition of John Peck and the certificate of James Ward and Charles Ward attached, which were sworn to in open court, and the court, after an  investigation of the matter, is of the opinion  that the said William Peck was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states, and that the said John Peck, Charles Ward, and James Ward are credible persons and their statements are entitled to credit, which is ordered to be certified to the proper office.

COURT ORDER BOOK M
page 521--January Court, 1838
Satisfactory evidence has been exhibited to the court that William Peck was a pensioner of the U.S. at the rate of 20 dollars per annum, was a resident of Mason county and State of Kentucky and died in the said county on the 15th day of February, 1837, and that he left a widow who still survives him and whose name is Susan Peck.

William Peck is listed among the taxpayers in 1803. On 4 July 1807 William Peck was appointed by the court in assignment of the dower of Elizabeth Doggett, wife of Elmore Doggett -- indicating a person of some responsibility. On 17 April 1810 a John Peck marries Dolly Marshall, dau. of Thomas Marshal.

A John Peck was in Mason Co. on 4 Nov 1795, when he posted a marriage bond for Joseph West and Franky Berry. Clearly the John Peck (b. abt 1772), mentioned as a grandson of John Smart of Mason Co. KY, in his will of 22 Jul 1791. [Will Book A, pg 6] [as assembled under the "Court Records of the Berry Family" KY Genealogist Vol 11, 1969 pg 155]. He would be the nephew of Eleanor Berry (1760 -1762) [Will & IGI].

The migration of William and John was apparently followed by many others of the same family. William is very likely the uncle (or possibly the father) of James Peck.

1764 - Nathan Peck listed as born in NC, 1850 Appling County Census, age 86, married to Sarah

1794 - Nathan Peck is witness to sale of land betweeen James Jarvis and Valentine Fry, Rowan County

William Pack, Sr., 1800, Rowan Co., NC, Wife Johanna to have 100 acres which then goes to the youngest son Willis. Son Azariah to have 50 acres including the improvement and $25 in silver. Son Reason to have 50 acres adj. the place where he now lives. Son Joseph to have $50 hard money. Two Daug., not named, each to have $100 silver dollars. Ex wife Johanna and sons William and Azariah. Wit: Jesse Adams, Elijah Veatch.

Will of Richard Pack. 21 Jan 1804. prb. 1804. Wife Mary, to have home plantation for life. Son James to have 100 acres adj. Martin Sheets and John Dowell. Son John to have 100 acres adj. Jacob Sheets and William Howard. Son Thomas to have remainder of land bought from John Johnson. Son William to have homeplace.
six daughters: Nancy, Susanna, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Jean, Mary Anne.
William, Thomas and Nancy are under age (1804)
Extrs. wife Mary, sons James and John
Wit: Nath. Peoples, Elijah F. Peoples, Azariah Park

Is this the same Rebecca Peck that married John Sheets 1804, Rowan County, NC??

1818 - Davidson County, TN - Benjamin Pack Sr. died Sept. 1818, about 70 years of age. His wife is named Mary. Was she a Doty (Douthid)? In 1783 Benjamin Pack was named in Burke County, NC land entry No. 120: "Aquitha Burns.... 150 Acres adj. Ussery's survey."

1818 - 24th day of January in the year of our Lord 1818 between Jarvis of the county of Stokes and state of North Carolina of the one part and Martin Hanes of the county of Rowan and the state aforesaid of the other part witnesseth that for in consideration of the sum of $50.00 good money of this state to him in hand paid by the said Martin.

1822- lying and being in said county of Rowan now Davidson bounds as follows: begining on the line of Samuil Peaks hiers thense west to Zadock Jarvis's line thense south to Lewis Mullican's line thense east to Richard Ellis's line thense to the north to the begining containing 50 acres to the same more or less and the said Samuil Jones Sheriff aforesaid after due advertisement according to law did cause the said piece or parsal of land with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging to put up at public sale to the highest bidder on the 31st. day of January 1822 at which time and place the aforesaid George Hanes Jr. became the last and highest bidder at the sum of $28.50.

This page was last updated Oct. 9, 2000

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