Hi Rachel,
Please check the following information as I'm trying to fill in the gap between your lot and mine but they are related!
John Tweed Pyke married Ann Moore 05.09.1833 St Andrews Holborn London (IGI Submitted entry - probably correct but check Parish Register)
John Tweed Pyke was Born 28.07.1806 and Bp 07.09.1806 Birdbrook Essex (again IGI Submitted - probably correct but needs checking - I'm a bit suspicious of the Birdbrook as place of Bp
)
NOTE: - skipping a few generations here so you have an idea of where the Pyke/Pike name fits in.
John Tweed (NO PYKE) was Bp 12.03.1712 Stoke by Clare Suffolk. Son of Thomas Tweed and Elizabeth Goldegay
Thomas Tweed married Elizabeth Goldegay (nee Crouch) 3 Jan 1710 Layston Herts (It was her second marriage - her first marriage was in 1686)
Now this is that part that joins my family - and the introduction of the Pyke name.
Elizabeth Crouch (Bp 29.05.1668 Layston Herts)
d/o John Crouch and Elizabeth Baker (nee Pyke/Pike)
Elizabeth Pike was the daughter of George Pike and her name is mentioned on the George Pike memorial Stone on the previous link I gave you.
To fill in some details:
George Pike had one son - called George. Although he married I don't think he had any children as his sisters were listed as his heirs. The estate called Birdwood/Birdbrook in Essex was passed down to the eldest living male heir from the original George Pike.
Consequently, the estate and manor etc came to John Tweed (some reports say his name was John Crouch but with all the name changes it's no wonder everyone, including moi, is/was confused
).
Anyway, he needed to have the name Pike/Pyke to inherit (I don't know if that was a condition of the original will or a choice he made). So, with an act of Parliament (I believe) he either added the Pyke name to his, or changed his name in full, and inherited the entire estate.
Back to more current times -
John Tweed Pyke had at least three brothers. They all immigrated to Tasmania in the late 1830's. I have been told that they were free settlers but I can't confirm that.
Most of the family remained in Tas but your Joseph Pyke went to Victoria/Ballarat (as per previous posts)
I understand that your great grandmother Annie Francis was one of 13 children born to Joseph.
Phew - I do hope that I haven't confused you totally. Feel free to ask for further information but that is probably enough to start with.
I apologise for any errors in the above - bit early in the morning to be thinking clearly
Hope this helps and happy hunting
Di
PS There are plenty of Pyke descendants remaining in Tas and Vic who are related to the original three brothers.
PPS If you Google PIKE and CROUCH you will get lots of information. Google Books also has quite a few references to the name and the changes.
There are also other "cousins" of yours researching this family.