Peach Genealogy - Newsletter, Issue 6
THE PEACH/PEACHEY PROJECT The Electronic Peach Tree Issue 6 Editor: John Harding Peach Peachroot@aol.com
DIVING FOR BURIED TREASURE
My favorite Scripture is: "They who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in deep waters, these see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep." Psa.107:23,24.
I think of our cruise like I do that powerful statement. As we go into deep waters on the H.M.S.Peachey, we will discover many new treasures of Peach/Peachey genealogy.
We have been out on the North Sea now for a week, and during this time of getting to know one another, we have begun to discover how some of us are related. Others have shared enough with us to give us a hint as to the possibility of their relationship with others on board.
Here's a fundamental principle. THE MORE YOU SHARE WITH US ABOUT YOUR ROOTS, THE EASIER IT IS FOR US TO TRY TO SHOW HOW YOU ARE RELATED TO OTHERS ON BOARD. Some of you are just sitting back and enjoying the sunshine. This is fine and good. But if you want to find out how you fit into the Peach/Peachey Tree, you need to share with me what you know about your family background.
I must say this cruise into deep waters is too deep for some. We have already had a helicopter air lift several of these off the ship and take them back from whence they came. They said it was getting too deep, and they wanted to remain in shallow water. Another fellow was ready to jump overboard, but I think I talked him into staying.
While several have left us, however, 17 others have found a way to get on board, coming in rafts and dingys, but gladly none in Viking ships. Eight of these are from the USA, with four each from Canada and Australia and one more from New Zealand. We're glad they made it. This brings our total to 101 on board, plus all the anonymous partners.
In beginning our search for treasure in the deep, I am going to take us back to as far as you can remember regarding your ancestry. Based on what you have shared already, many of you can trace yourself back to the place where your branch began in the country of your residence. However, many others can trace their lineage back to the county of their branch's origin in their native England.
As I share what we have discovered already, I hope those who haven't shared their roots will see how they might fit in. Let me know what they are, and perhaps I can help. The Peach/Peachey Project's mission is to show how we are all related back to a common ancestor.
TREASURE IN ENGLAND
We have five on board who can trace their lineage back to the ISLE OF WIGHT. They are BILL and NANCY BOUVIER (of Maryland), BOB PEACH (of New Mexico), JUDITH PEACH (of California) and LISA PEACH (of Arizona), all of the USA. They are part of the Southern Maryland Branch, whose immigrant ancestor, JOSEPH PEACH, left the Isle of Wight for America prior to 1700.
Four on board go back as far as DORSET in England. BILL PEACH (of Oregon), BETTY DEARING (of California), SUSAN DUNAVANT (of Alaska) and ANGELINE TUCKER (of Oklahoma) all seem to descend from the Marblehead Branch of Massachusetts, and are all in the USA. This branch was pioneered by JOHN PEACH, Jr. of Symondsbury, Dorset, who left England for the New World prior to 1630.
Adjacent to Dorset in the southwest of England is the county of SOMERSET. This is where PAUL PEACH of New Zealand traces his ancestry. Paul is the one who said he was only a child when his family moved from England, and they discouraged him from finding out anything about his ancestry. He has been back to England to find his family after becoming an adult, but was frustrated when he didn't find any kin. I share some of his ancestry in hopes that you can help him find his English roots.
Paul's grandfather, PERCY DOUGLAS PEACH, b.4/24/1902 d.12/14/1976. His family owned a house in Meare Green, Stoke St.Gregory, which was sold after he died. His sons were: 1. Percy, b.1926 d.1996; 2. Gordon, b.1927; 3.Geoffrey, b.1929; 4. Maurice, b.1930, who is still alive in AUSTRALIA with his family; 5. Leonard, b.1935 d. six wks. old; 6. Michael, b.1938; and 7. Phillip, b.1939 d.1959 in MALAYSIA. All were born in North Curry or Stoke St.Gregory, Somerset.
PERCY DOUGLAS PEACH (the grandfather) had two brothers, Robert and Herbert, and two sisters, Olive and Lillian. Lillian married Jack Kellie, whose family is in AUSTRALIA. Percy's son, Gordon F. Peach married Joyce Burdett. They in turn had PAUL GORDON PEACH, who was born 1952 in London. As a child he was taken with his family to New Zealand, where he met his wife, Patricia, who gave him three children; Douglas, Michael and Kirsten.
There are some Australian and English connections here. If we know the city/county of those of Paul's family who went to Australia, it would help those in Australia to see if they have any connections. Any help you can give Paul would be much appreciated.
HELEN GUSTAFSON (of Texas) and BECKY SANDER (of Minnesota) both trace their roots back to RICHARD PEACH of YORKSHIRE. He was the immigrant ancestor of their Minnesota Branch. Likewise, Prof. TREVOR PEACH of W.Wales has Yorkshire roots.
ALAN PEACH, also of W.Wales, traces his lineage back to WARWICK and STAFFORD.
KRISTIN ROBINSON (of Washington) and CRISTINA CHURCHILL (of Massachusetts) both go through the Peachey surname to SUFFOLK, and with Kristin, possibly SUSSEX. Remember from a prior issue of this newsletter that Cristina's family moved first from England to NEW ZEALAND.
Signing off for now. Smooth sailing to all until next time. Your Captain, John H. Peach
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