Peach Genealogy - Newsletter, Issue 19
THE PEACH/PEACHEY PROJECT
The Electronic Peach Tree Issue 19
Editor: John Harding Peach Peachroot@aol.com
WEB PAGE: http://home1.gte.net/tpeach/Genealogy/Genealogy.htm
SEARCHING IN SUFFOLK
Several on board have their roots traced back to the county of Suffolk in eastern England. I thus thought it would be interesting to spend some time in this spacious area of lovely rolling hills nestled in an agricultural, prestine environment.
It is quite common now to hear the name "Mildenhall, Suffolk" mentioned by those on board. If my memory serves me correctly, each of these represented the surname "Peachey" or "Peachy". Due to the ample representation of these folks on the tour, we will turn our focus on this city occasionally. I believe we might very well be able to establish some connections between those on board whose families descend from Mildenhall.
But before there was Mildenhall for the Peche family, there was Dalham and Great Thurlow, both to the south of Mildenhall. And prior to that, there was Gestingthorpe and Birdbrook in the county of Essex, which borders Suffolk
This is where it all began for those who trace their lineage back to William de Peche I. Those who became Peach, Peachy, Peachey and Peckham and even 25% of all those who bear the surname "Peck" have their original roots in Essex and Suffolk.
EARLY IN ESSEX
The original home of William de Peche I was in the village of Gestingthorpe, Essex. Since you can read about the details of this historic site in my PEACH/PEACHEY MIGRATIONS, 1066-1990, I will not bore you with repeating the same information here.
Let me just share with you my overwhelming exuberance when we visited there as a group on the Peach Heritage Tour in 1990. I am so used to seeing so many rural areas in America gobbled up by cities and developments. But here the village of Gestingthorpe appeared to be much as it was over 900 years ago when our forefather began his noble heritage in England.
We saw the original land of William de Peche I called Netherbury, granted to him by William the Conqueror after the Conquest. We visited the Church of St. Mary, where William's descendants worshipped for generations. In America, we marvel at buildings that are over 100 years old, but in England we visited many structures that were there for almost a millennium.
Birdbrook, Essex southwest of Gestingthorpe, is another quaint village that took us back hundreds of years. As we visited the Church of St. Augustine on our 1990 tour, we found ourselves emotionally charged to find the Peche coat of arms displayed on the wall of the church, as well as various our of Peche ancestors whose names appeared on plaques inside the sanctuary. Undoubtedly, it was the most spiritual experience we had on the trip, and drew us into spontaneous worship and meditation together.
Next, we visited Great Thurlow, Suffolk as we headed northwest toward Mildenhall. When the Peche Castle in Bourn, Cambridgeshire, was destroyed by fire in ca.1290, the Peche family decided to move, forming new chief seats in Corby, Northamptonshire, and Great Thurlow, Suffolk.
When visiting the All Saints Church there, we were awe-stricken when we saw the arms of the Peche prominently displayed on one of the massive stain glass windows. On an adjacent window was the story of KATHERINE PECHE, the last Peche holder of Great Thurlow.
Many, if not all, of those with the surname "Thurlow" can trace their ancestry back to this village. SIMON PECHE became recognized as Simon of Thurlow. The name stuck. And thus, all his descendants carried Thurlow as their official surname, although all of them are Peche descendants.
Likewise, in Cloptuna, Suffolk, the Peche there became known as Clopton, and thus, many, if not all, the Cloptons desecend from Peche. This is quite significant because the Cloptons were quite influential people in Stratford- upon-Avon, home of William Shakespeare's heritage. In the church where Shakespeare is buried, there is one separate room called the Clopton Chapel, where many of the Cloptons are buried. Very likely, these were ancestors of the Peche.
As I end this issue, Thanksgiving Day here in America is just beginning. I want to pause to thank God for each and everyone of you who are taking this tour with us. You have been a real blessing to me and to all on board.
I have also just completed the 110th Issue of my printed Peach Tree sent out by snail mail. If any of you would like a sample copy, please give me your address and complete name, and I will send you one. Supplies are limited. So this will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, and when they are gone, they are gone.
Please let me know of any ideas you may have about what you would like to do while in England, places to see, areas to research, etc. This is your tour, and I want to make it beneficial to each of you.
I am sincerely yours, John Peach
P.S. You will find the details of these and other villages in Suffolk and Essex in my book, THE PEACH/PEACHEY MIGRATIONS, 1066-1990. Just send $39.95 plus $5.00 shipping/packaging to John Peach, 611 Herron Rd., Knoxville, TN 37922. If you live in a continent other than North America, the shipping rates will be substantially different if you choose to receive this by air mail. Check with me before sending any money, and I will give you your nation's postage rate for mail by air.
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