Who were the parents of James Peachey of Burwell Cambridgeshire?

[Deborah G]

Hi,
Been researching my Peachey relatives from Burwell, Cambridgeshire. James Peachey  married Ann Laurence 11th Sep 1810 Burwell - they are my 4x great Grandparents. It is claimed that his father is Edward William Peachey. I have seen a typed copy of Edward William Peachey's will on-line ( he died 13th Feb 1805, Burwell) and before the actual will, whoever transcribed it, has also typed the names and birth year of all Edward's children. James' name and birth year do not appear among these names, yet he is included on several trees on Ancestry and other websites as one of the sons of Edward William Peachey and Ann Parr (married 4th May 1782 Burwell) - these tree owners, are claiming he is the James Peachey born 31 Dec 1785 in Burwell, Cambridgeshire and baptised 3 Feb 1786. This baptism can be found on Ancestry under England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970.

Piece 0262: Burwell, High Town (Independent), 1748-1836:

Feb 3rd 1786 Baptized James Peachey who was Born December 31, 1785

There are 2 other Peachey baptism entries immediately prior to this entry ie, they were all baptised on the same day:

Feb 3rd 1786 Baptised Mary Peachey who was born September 20, 1783
Feb 3rd 1786 Baptised Joseph Peachey who was born October 26, 1784
Six entries later, there is another Peachey baptism:
July 20 1787 Baptised Mary Peachey, the daughter of Joseph Peachey.
On the next page, another Peachey baptism:
Jan 3rd 1789 Baptised John Peachey

Looking at these entries, one could draw the conclusion that all entries were for the same family - the first Mary died and then another daughter was born naming her Mary again. The Joseph being named after the father etc and the fact that 3 children were all baptised on the same day.

Getting back to the trees on Ancestry etc for Edward William Peachey, these are the children named as his:
Elizabeth Peachey born 1783 Burwell
Susan Peachey born 25th April 1784
MY JAMES PEACHEY born 31st December 1785
Edward William Peachey born 6th May 1786
Phillip Peachey born 8th December 1788
Mary Ann Peachey born 1795 Burwell
Joseph William Peachey born 1797
George Peachey born 1799
Sarah Ann Peachey born 1801

I find it highly unlikely that the birth of Edward William Peachey junior could have happened so quickly after the birth of my James - one baby born the end of December and then another born just 5 months later?? I don't think so! Also the other children who were baptised with James on the same day, ie Mary and Joseph Peachey....they don't appear as siblings of James on these trees. It just doesn't gel. Is it possible that someone has just happened upon this entry for James, attached him to Edward and Ann Peachey as parents and everything has snowballed since then with everyone jumping on the band-wagon and attaching him to these parents?

There is no doubt that James Peachey and Ann Laurence are my 4 x Great Grandparents. I am descended from their first born child, Ann (born 1st July 1813, Burwell). I am now beginning to wonder if the James Peachey born 31st December 1785 is in fact MY James Peachey who married Ann Laurence. These are the ages I know that he gives:

James Peachey marriage to Ann Laurence 11th September 1810. His given age is 20.
 Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M13853-3 , System Origin: England-ODM , GS Film number: 990400

1841 Census Burwell (Class: HO107; Piece: 73; Book: 2; Civil Parish: Burwell; County: Cambridgeshire; Enumeration District: 8; Folio: 21; Page: 36). He and his wife Ann are both listed as age 50 and living with them are their two young.est children, William 15 and Thomas 10.

1861 Census Henrietta, Monroe County, New York, United States - James is living with his married daughter, Elizabeth Mason, her husband Michael and their children. James Peachey's given age is 71.

I have been told that the 1851 Census for Burwell has been lost and I cannot find James and his wife on the shipping records.

So....my question is, can anyone shed some light onto who my James Peachey's parents are? I'm seriously thinking it's not Edward William Peachey and Ann Parr and am now wondering if it's the Joseph from the parochial baptism records.... that James may seem a little old for my James. Any ideas? Perhaps someone can do a marriage look-up and see if the parents are named?

In case anyone wants to know, the children of James Peachey and Ann Laurence are:
Ann Peachey born 1st July 1813 Burwell
Elizabeth Peachey born 1816 Burwell
James Peachey Junior born 16th August 1817 Burwell
Mary Ann Peachey born 1821 Burwell
William Peachey born 1821 Burwell
Thomas Peachey born 1829 Burwell

Spelling for Peachey has also been Peachy and Petchy.

Thanks, Deb

[bedfordshire boy]

Other folks' trees are to be taken with copious amounts of salt, and should be used as guides only, with any detail checked against original records. Yes, the sheep mentality is all too evident in online trees, with whole trees/details from trees being copied without any checks being made, so that eventually a critical mass builds up and someone new looking at the trees says " Well, if they all show him as being born on 31 Dec 1785 he must have been".

Have you checked the marriage entry yourself? Who were the witnesses? Fathers' names won't be shown in 1810.

Unfortunately Edward Peachey's will doesn't name his children.

Age 50 in 1841 covered an age range of 50 to 54 ie born June 1786 to May 1791, so a birth on 31 Dec 1785 would have made him 55 on 6 Jun 1841. Why would the 1810 marriage entry have shown an age of 20 other than to signify that he was a minor (ages on marriage weren't shown until 1837)? You need to check the entry to see exactly what it says, but on the face of it James Peachey born 31 Dec 1785 is too old to have been the James who married Ann Laurence, born out by his age of 71 in 1861 (1860?).

Could the 1785 James have died (can't see a burial in Burwell 1785-1800), and another James was born in the big gap between Philip 1788 and Mary Ann 1795?

David

[Annette7]

I'm sure that your James Peachey was indeed the son of Edward William and Ann Parr and that this is his baptism:

James Peachey bp.28/2/1790 Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire, son of Edward William and Ann.

All EW's other children baptised in Burwell but Swaffham Prior is just 2 miles SW of Burwell. No other Peachey's with parents EW and Ann in Swaffham Prior.

I also note that your James youngest child Thomas was baptised in Swaffham Prior too and not Burwell like his older siblings.

So, yes, your James is the son of Edward William and Ann but NOT the James bp.1785 in Burwell Independent (think those 3 baptisms were children of some other couple).  Your James bp.28/2/1790 Swaffham Prior, just down the road from Burwell.

Annette

[ReadyDale]

Have you checked the marriage entry yourself? Who were the witnesses? Fathers' names won't be shown in 1810.

Witnesses are Mary Ann Peachey, Philip Peachey and Jane Long

[Deborah G]

David, Annette, Rob,

Many thanks for all your replies......I really can't thank you all enough for resolving my vexing issue! I just can't get over the number of people who have entered the wrong James into their trees - alarm bells started ringing when I saw the next sibling was born just 5 months later! Annette, thank you so much for the correct baptism entry and Rob, also to you for the marriage witnesses. All is in order now and I'm a happy lady 

Should I bother contacting tree owners about the incorrect baptism?? Sounds exhausting!

Deb (Sydney, Australia)

[ReadyDale]

Hi Deb,

I have looked at the records for the main Burwell Church (i.e. not the Independent Chapel) - BAPTISMS (birth dates were rarely included) for offspring of Edward William and Ann.
There are a few additions and some differences too (see below).
Unfortunately, I cannot see James yet, but am trying other things.
Judging by the age on the 1841 census (yes, I know it is not exact) along with the age at the wedding, I think James was born c.1890/1 (+/-), so would fit between Philip and Mary Ann (I hope).

Rob

Edit:- Just seen the Swaffham Prior baptism mentioned above and found that on the SP record nicely in that gap.

Edward William Peachey and Ann Parr (married 4th May 1782 Burwell) 3rd April 1782
Elizabeth Peachey born 1783 Burwell (Bapt 20th Jan 1783)
Susan Peachey born Bapt 25th April 1784
MY JAMES PEACHEY born 31st December 1785 Not correct family
Edward William Peachey born 6th May 1786 bapt 5th May 1786
Phillip Peachey born 8th December 1788 bapt 12th May 1788
James Peachey bapt 28th Feb 1790 (in Swaffham Prior - All other in Burwell)
Mary Ann Peachey born 1795 Burwell bapt 7th Mar 1792
Mary bapt 20th May 1793
Robert bapt 25th May 1795
Joseph William Peachey born 1797 bapt 11th Jun 1797
George Peachey born 1799 bapt 30th Jun 1799
Sarah Ann Peachey born 1801 bapt 1st nov 1801

[Deborah G]

Wow, Rob... my goodness you've been busy - thank you so much for all that updated information! I wasn't counting on finding 2 extra siblings! You've given me plenty of homework to do tonight! In the meantime, I've found James and Ann Peachey on the 1855 census for Greece, Monroe County, New York (spelling Peachy). Their son Thomas and his family also appear on the Greece census. James is a farmer living in a framed house - James is 65 and Ann 70, so it looks like Ann did make it to New York after all!

Visited my Genealogy Society today here in Sydney and was able to download a copy of the will of Robert Peachey who died in Burwell in 1809 - he was the father of Edward William Peachey and the grandfather of James. I have him fathering 11 children so it will be interesting to discover what the will reveals.....might take a while, though  - there are umpteen pages.

Still can't help to think it was a pretty gutsy effort on James and Ann Peachey's part embarking on a new life in America given their ages, but I suppose when most of their children were going anyway, they didn't want to be left behind in Burwell! As I mentioned earlier, I am descended from their first born, Ann. Her son Alfred came to Australia in 1858 (not long after his grandfather went to America) and one of his daughters, my great grandmother, was born in a tent in the goldfields of NSW. He went on to have 12 children in total. Can't imagine what hardships they must have encountered along the way....the sea voyage would have been bad enough...such pioneering spirit!

Thanks again for all your assistance, it's certainly helped in setting me on the right path,

Deb

[ReadyDale]

Hi Deb,

No problem. Having people on my tree from Burwell and the surrounds that emigated at that time to that part of NY State, and also having complicated family structures, I know how much of a struggle it can be. There seems to be about 4 or 5 main family names around the Burwell area at that time, and they can get very confusing - linking together at various generations!!

BTW I looked at my tree and, although i have no Peachey direct ancestors, I do have ancestor's sibling that married Peacheys. So, via marriage and zig-zagging up and down generations a bit, we are probably (sort of) related. That'd probably be enough for Ancestry to flag it as a close match 

Rob

[decor]

Did you manage to get your way through the will?
I think Robert's daughter Martha might have married my ancestor Mark Parr.
Any mention of them in the will?
Greetings from Germany :-)