Peek, John

Other Events:

• Baptism: 9 Mar 1753, Devon, Modbury
• Census: 1841, Hazelwood, Loddiswell parish

Notes:

Elder son of John and Mary Peek of Modbury. In the pedigree attested before Lancaster Herald when he was granted Arms in 1832, however, John Peek gave the year of his birth and baptism as 1752. The confusion must surely have arisen as a result of the change from the Julian (Old Style) Calendar to the Gregorian (New Style) Calendar in September 1752. Before that date each year began on 25 March (Lady Day), the period between the previous 1 January and 25 March being reckoned as a compromise between the old and the new years and recorded as such (e.g. 25 January 1624/25, 7 February 1746/47). As John Peek was born after September 1752 his baptism is quite properly recorded in the Modbury parish register as 9 March 1753 (New Style), and his date of birth was equally 25 February 1753. If the Julian Calendar had still been in use his year of birth and baptism would have been recorded as 1752/53, as 1753 would not have begun until 25 March. As this was the first year which began on 1 January no doubt John Peek's parents continued to reckon under the Old Style and informed their son accordingly.

John Peek was married to Susannah Ann Foxworthy at Loddiswell, Devon, 11/5/1779, when he was living at West Alvington, near Kingsbridge. Soon afterwards, however, he moved to Loddiswell, his wife's native parish, and their first four children were all born there. When John Peek first took up residence at Halsenwood Villa, Loddiswell, is not certain, but his second son Richard is stated to have been born at the Villa on 3/10/1782. John Peek's four youngest children were all born at Dodbrook, Kingsbridge, and his wife died there in August 1802.

John Peek, Esq., of Halsenwood Villa, Loddiswell, was granted Arms and a crest by the College of Arms on 28 June 1832. His portrait is hung in the dining room at Castle Drogo, Devon, the seat of the Drewe family, which was built by one of his great-grandsons, Julius Charles Drewe. There is a similar portrait at Hazelwood.

John married Foxworthy, Susannah Ann on 11 May 1779 in Devon, Loddiswell. Susannah (daughter of Foxworthy, John and Hyne, Agnes) died on 1 Aug 1802 in Devon, Kingsbridge, Dodbrook; was buried in Kingsbridge, Independent Chapel. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Peek, John was born on 13 Oct 1779 in Loddiswell; died on 11 Jun 1833 in Exeter, Devon.
2. Peek, Richard was born on 3 Oct 1782 in Devon, Hazelwood; died on 7 Mar 1867 in Devon, Kingsbridge.
3. Peek, Samuel was born on 9 Mar 1785 in Devon, Loddiswell; died on 26 Dec 1860 in Kingsbridge District, Devon; was buried in Hazelwood, Peek Catacombs.
4. Peek, Ann was born on 12 Apr 1787 in Devon, Loddiswell, Hound Farm; died on 26 Jun 1864.
5. Peek, William was born on 20 Nov 1791 in Devon, Kingsbridge; died on 14 Sep 1870 in Isle of Wight, Ryde; was buried in Norwood Cemetery, Peek Family Vault.
6. Peek, Mary was born on 21 Jul 1794 in Kingsbridge, Devon; died on 9 Jun 1879; was buried in Catacombs, Hazelwood.
7. Peek, Thomas was born on 28 Mar 1797 in Devon, Kingsbridge, Dodbrook; died in 1871; was buried in Peek Catacombs, Hazelwood.
8. Peek, James was born on 8 Jun 1800 in Dodbrook, Devon; was christened on 21 Sep 1800 in Ebenezer Chapel-Independent, Kingsbridge, Devon, England; died on 23 Jan 1879 in Watcombe, Torquay; was buried in Peek Catacombs, Hazelwood.

Other Events:

• Baptism: 22 May 1724, Devon, Modbury

John married Coyte, Mary on 24 Jan 1747/48 in Devon, Modbury. Mary (daughter of Coyte, James and ?, Mary) was born in 1727; died on 26 Sep 1813 in Devon, Modbury. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Death: Devon, Modbury
• Baptism: 25 Feb 1727/28, Devon, Modbury

Other Events:

• Residence: Allely (Allaleigh) and Modbury, Devon
• Baptism: 18 Mar 1689/90, Devon, Cornworthy

Richard married Cowle, Abigail on 2 Jan 1714/15 in Devon, Modbury. Abigail (daughter of Cowle, John and ?, Mary) was born in 1694 in Devon, Modbury; died on 21 Feb 1769 in Devon, Modbury. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: Modbury
• Baptism: 10 May 1694, Devon, Modbury

James married ?, Mary on 19 Jan 1724/25 in Devon, Ugborough. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: Halwell and Cornworthy

Notes:

Born Halwell 1 November 1657, second son of Richard Peeke of Abbotsleigh and his second wife Anne. Married to his first wife, Mary Robbins of Cornworthy by licence at Harberton, Devon, 22 April 1680. Harberton vicarage was annexed to the living of the parish church of Halwell; Harberton is also near Ashprington, where members of the Robbins family lived. The marriage licence was issued by the Bishop of Exeter on 19 April 1680, and the accompanying marriage bond dated 21 April 1680 (now in the possession of the Devon Record Office) was signed by John Peeke and his friend and bondsman Leonard Wadland of Halwell who was a brother of the Grace Wadland who married Richard Peeke ("the younger"), John Peeke's half-brother, as his second wife. After Mary's death in August 1690 John Peeke married another local girl, Mary White, at Cornworthy on 17 April 1694. Both the Robbins and the White families apparently owned considerable property in the Cornworthy area, and no doubt John Peeke benefited through his two wives.

All the children of John Peeke's two marriages were baptised at Cornworthy. Two of them, John and Joseph, were also buried there. Susanna, the eldest child, was married to John Brookins at Cornworthy on 6 November 1707.

John married Robbins, Mary on 22 Apr 1680 in Devon, Harberton. Mary was born in 1656/57; died in 1690; was buried on 24 Aug 1690 in Devon, Cornworthy. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 16 Jan 1656/57

Notes:

Mary Peeke nâee Robbins was a member of a family which had resided at Ashprington since at least the first half of the sixteenth century. The first mention found was that of a William Robyns on the subsidy roll for 1545/46. Until the seventeenth century, however, many members used the alternative surnames 'Johns' and 'Jones', and there are numerous examples at Ashprington of "Robyns als Johns" or "Jones alias Robins". The family became particularly prominent in Ashprington with the emergence of Edward Robbins, senior, Richard Robbins and John Robbins, senior, during the first half of the seventeenth century. The most important member was seemingly Henry Robbins (probably a brother of the three just mentioned) who married Elizabeth Parrett, belonging to another large and well-known Cornworthy and Ashprington family, by licence at Exeter St Martin on 23 August 1636. He had extensive interests in Dartmouth and also in Cornworthy through his wife's family. One of their sons, Thomas Robbins, was baptised at Dartmouth on 12 June 1648. In 1647 Henry Robbins was assessed for subsidy in the parish of Townstall, Dartmouth St Clement, in 1674 he paid tax for three hearths in the same parish, and in January 1677/78 he was defendant in a lawsuit heard at Dartmouth. In 1659 Allaleigh Wood (45 acres) and parts of the manor of Cornworthy Priory came into the market and were leased to a Totnes man and his partner, while on 15 November of the same year John Parrett sold Gitcombe, an estate adjoining Allaleigh in the parish of Cornworthy. Around this time Henry Robbins and his wife Elizabeth purchased Allaleigh Wood and kept it until 4 September 1679, when they sold it for ¹300 to James Andrews, mariner, of Dartmouth. On 12 March 1684 James Andrews sold a tenement, etc, "late of Henry Robbins of Cornworthy." Henry and Elizabeth Robbins were almost certainly grandparents of Mary Peeke.

Of the other members of the Robbins family both Edward, senior, and Richard remained at Ashprington, Edward being buried there on 15 May 1648. Edward Robbins, junior, was assessed in 1674 for tax on three hearths at Ashprington and two hearths at Cornworthy. One of his daughters, Elizabeth, was born at Ashprington on 8 October 1656. As for John Robbins, he is to be found assessed for tax on two hearths in the parish of Dartmouth St Petrox in 1674, while the baptismal register of that church records the birth on 16 January 1656/57 of a daughter Mary to John Robbins and his wife Lucrece and the baptism on 6 May 1669 of another daughter, Katharine.

Mary Peeke nâee Robbins is likely to have been born between 1656 and 1658. Her husband John was born 1 November 1657, but she could have been slightly older. She could therefore have been the Mary Robbins mentioned above who was born at Dartmouth in January 1656/57, or she could have been a daughter of Edward Robbins, junior, who, as shown above, had a property in Cornworthy at the time of Mary's marriage. On the other hand Edward Robbins had a daughter Elizabeth born at Ashprington on 8 October 1656, and there is no evidence that he had a daughter Mary born either before or after that date. Because of Henry and John Robbins' connections first with Dartmouth and later on with Cornworthy it would seem that Mary Peeke is more likely to have been the daughter of John and Lucrece Robbins born 16 January 1656/57.

Mary Peeke was buried at Cornworthy 24 August 1690

Other Events:

• Residence: Modbury

John married ?, Mary. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]