The Pecks have a special place in the medical history of Newmarket. Robert James Peck appears to have arrived in late 1818 (see the page on Robert James Peck for details). He was succeeded by his son Floyd Minter Peck, who emigrated to Australia in 1858. So their time in Newmarket was only 40 years, but their significance is disproportionate. Theirs was one of four practices that dominated 19th century Newmarket. Moreover, it’s the only one with evidence of links back to the 18th century, and their practice led to The Rookery Medical Centre of today (without which this website would probably not have existed!). Also, the descendants of the Pecks have taken a great deal of interest in this research from the outset, and have been very helpful with regards to the Peck family history in particular (see the other sources consulted section below).
Some family details recorded in the the Peck family Bible, from a section about the Newmarket medical Pecks – note the vaccination and childhood illnesses recorded for Floyd (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 1).
Details regarding Robert James Peck and Floyd Minter Peck, together with numerous further references, can be found on the pages dedicated to those two individuals. This page is to set them in their broader family context (especially looking at other medical members of the family).
Robert James Peck was the son of Floyd Clay Peck, a ‘Chymist, Druggist, and Wine merchant’ of Chelmsford, Essex. There’s no evidence that earlier generations of his father’s family were medical. Floyd Clay Peck died in 1802 when Robert was only 13 years of age, but the business in Chelmsford continued, run by Elizabeth his mother (which is interesting in itself, in the early 19th century). Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in 1808, but started up again afterwards. Details regarding the fire show that their activities included the sale of drugs/medicines and perfumery, including horse medicines, ‘physicians’ prescriptions carefully prepared’ and interestingly ‘electricity performed’ using ‘a capital Electrifying Machine’ either in the shop or on home visits (see an image of what this might have looked like on the page about George Borwick Mead). For more on the emergence of Chymists and Druggists in the 18th century see The history of medical treatments, training, qualifications and regulation page. Growing up in such a household Robert James Peck must have developed an interest in medical things and no doubt some early knowledge. He had two brothers who died in childhood (one before he was born, also called Robert James Peck), and another who was lost as sea as a teenager (apparently with his maternal uncle James, who was a ship’s captain – see the paragraph below). They had two unmarried sisters as well, one a school mistress and the other ‘Keeper of keys / housekeeper’ at Shire Hall in Chelmsford. It appears perhaps Elizabeth Peck retired from the Chemist shop in about 1816 in her late 50s, to become housekeeper at Shire Hall, a role to which her daughter succeeded on Elizabeth’s death in 1842.
Richard Hawes advising the public that he’d acquired some secret remedies in 1772, including for ‘Consumptive Disorders’ (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 2).
Elizabeth Peck, Robert James Peck’s mother, was the daughter of Richard Hawes, who was a surgeon in Cavendish and Clare, Suffolk. Richard Hawes was particularly well known for his treatment of patients with consumption (the old word for TB – see the newspaper notices on the left and below). It’s interesting that his were secret remedies, and included medicines for ‘obstinate Agues’ as well (see the page on John Edwards also). This special interest in TB presumably put him and his family at considerable risk from catching the disease themselves, which was no doubt a risk for all medics in those days. It’s been suggested that perhaps one reason for the Peck’s later emigration to Australia was that a number of them suffered from TB, and it was thought at the time that the climate would be favourable for them. It’s perhaps of interest/note therefore that Sandgate in Kent, where Floyd Peck practised in the mid 1840s, was ‘built at the foot of an extensive range of hills facing the French coast, of which it commands a clear and exten-sive view; the air is particularly salubrious, and is consi-dered extremely beneficial in cases of scrofula and debility’ (scrofula being a manifestation of TB). Interestingly, the Hawes of Cavendish were related to the Becks of Needham Market, who were medical too, and who inherited Richard Hawes remedies as the newspaper notice below shows. The wider Hawes/Beck family must be a possible source of training for Robert James Peck’s, but no other evidence to support that has emerged (see the page on Robert James Peck for a parallel discussion on where he might have obtained his training, and more below). It’s also of note that Richard Hawes had a son Robert, who was likely the Robert Hawes surgeon of Clare who died in 1797, yet buried it seems at Cavendish. He also had a son James who was the ship’s captain mentioned in the paragraph above, who died at sea shortly before the fire mentioned there. So is seems likely that Robert James Peck was named after his medical uncle Robert and sea-captain uncle James, both from this Hawes side of the family.
A notice from 1803 to inform the public that Richard Hawes’ remedies had been passed on to a Beck relative (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 3).
In 1819 Robert James Peck married Sarah Minter, the daughter of John Minter of Folkestone. The family Bible indicates (in a later hand) that John Minter was ‘also a Doctor of medicine’ (see the image top right). This looks to have been written by James Arthur Peck, a later inheritor of the Bible (who interestingly was a church minister). It ought to be a reliable annotation, since he was a great grandson of John Minter down two separate lines. His father, James Peck, was the son of Robert James Peck and Sarah Minter. His mother, Ada Minter, was the daughter of Michael Minter (the son of John Minter, so brother of Sarah Minter, and also interestingly an apprentice of Robert James Peck). James Arthur Peck’s daughter Margaret Lloyd Connell (née Peck) maintained that there had been an exchange of apprentices between the Pecks and Minters over the generations, and that her great grandfather Robert James Peck had done his apprenticeship with John Minter. However, no independent evidence has yet emerged that John Minter was a medic (he was a mariner amongst other things – perhaps he was a ship’s surgeon too?). It’s known that John Minter lived in Holland from 1803 to 1811, which raises the interesting possibility that at least some of Robert James Peck’s training took place in Holland. However, if a Minter based apprenticeship is true, perhaps an apprenticeship with another medic in the wider Minter family at Folkestone is a more likely possibility? The most likely contender to emerge so far has been John Gill, who was married to John Minter’s cousin Margaret. He advertised for an apprentice in 1803 and 1812, so Robert Peck could have filled that gap, perhaps 1804 to 1811 (a typical 7 year apprenticeship starting about aged 14 – see The history of medical treatments, training, qualifications and regulation). Moreover, John Gill was associated with Sandgate, where Michael Minter and Floyd Minter Peck later practised for a time. It’s of note that John Gill died in 1844, which is when Floyd left Newmarket for Folkestone/Sandgate – did he step into the shoes of his father’s former trainer? He was 84 years old when he died, but was still in practice only a few years earlier according to an 1839 trade directory.
Out of Robert James Peck’s children only Floyd Minter Peck became a medic. However, in 1842 his daughter (Floyd’s sister) Ann Elizabeth Hawes Peck married George Dixon Hedley, a medic from Bedford. They, along with Michael Minter and family (including Ada mentioned above) and two other non-medical Peck siblings (Mary Ann, and James the later husband of Ada) emigrated to Australia together in 1849/50. With them was Mary Briarly Robertson, sister of Floyd’s wife Anna Maria Robertson, who became George Hedley’s second wife in 1856 after his first wife Anne Hedley the sister of Floyd died in 1854 (it’s complicated – basically a lot of relatives went to Australia in 1849/50, some of whom were medical!). Floyd, his wife Anna and family, were to follow these Peck/Minter/Hedley wider family members to Australia in 1858. Aside from those who emigrated, Robert James Peck’s widow Sarah and residual family members largely relocated to Folkestone during this period, leaving no Pecks in Newmarket after 1858. Interestingly, although the medics had all relocated to Australia, they didn’t practise in the same town (Floyd Minter Peck settled in Sale, Michael Minter at Mount Moriac and George Dixon Hedley in Taraville, but all in Victoria). However, George Hedley moved to Sale to take on Floyd’s practice following his death in 1864.
None of Floyd Minter Peck’s children became medics. However, it’s of interest that his daughter Alice Henrietta Molesworth (née Peck) had a son called Hickman Walter Lancelot Molesworth who did. Moreover, this grandson of Floyd’s became a general surgeon in Folkestone, having moved back to England with his mother as a young boy after the death of his father in Australia. He died as recently as 1969. Further descendants of Floyd’s son Henry ffloyd Rutherford Peck worked in nursing, and at the time of writing there are still nurses in the family, and also descendants with the middle name ffloyd (see other sources consulted below).
Image 1: Privately owned; image ©, reproduced with kind permission of Megan Blatchford-Peck.
Image 2: The Ipswich Journal. Saturday Dec 05 1772: 3 (cropped); image © The British Library Board, all rights reserved, reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive, www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. [Note: clicking here leads to the specific page on their website, but requires logging in to it.]
Image 3: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday May 18th 1803: 3 (cropped); image © The British Library Board, all rights reserved, reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive, www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. [Note: clicking here leads to the specific page on their website, but requires logging in to it.]
Image 4: Privately owned; image ©, reproduced with kind permission of Megan Blatchford-Peck. [Note: this is in the ‘other sources consulted’ below.]
Note: see comments regarding images and copyright © etc. on the Usage &c. page as well.
1759, 8th May: Richard Hawes married Ann Browne, Cavendish, Suffolk. Reference: J596/1, microfilm of Cavendish parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1760, 6th June: Elizabeth daughter of Richard and Ann Hawes baptised, Cavendish, Suffolk. Reference: Microfiche of Cavendish parish register (fiche 4), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1761, 3rd August: ‘Robert son of Richard & Ann Hawes’ baptised, Cavendish, Suffolk. Reference: Microfiche of Cavendish parish register (fiche 4), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1763, 18th August: ‘James son of Richard and Ann Hawes’ baptised, Cavendish, Suffolk. Reference: Microfiche of Cavendish parish register (fiche 4), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1763, 17th August: Margaret daughter of Michael and Margaret Minter baptised, Saints Mary and Eanswith church, Folkestone, Kent. Reference: Online image of the Folkestone Saints Mary and Eanswith parish register held at the Canterbury Cathedral Archives, www.findmypast.co.uk (accessed 2nd May 2017).
1769, 5th July: Anne daughter of Richard and Anne Hawes baptised, Cavendish, Suffolk. Reference: Microfiche of Cavendish parish register (fiche 4), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1772, 24th November: ‘CAVENDISH, Nov.24, 1772, Consumptive Disorders, the Asthma, Jaundice, and obstinate Agues. THE late Doctor THOMAS of Lavenham, hav-ing in his last illness communicated to me his se-cret Remedies and Method of curing the above Diseases, I have thought it necessary in this public Manner to ac-quaint the Patients of the said Doctor Thomas & others, that they may be supply’d with the same Medicines by me that were used by him with such remarkable Success. RICHARD HAWES.’ Reference: The Ipswich Journal. Saturday Dec 05 1772: 3. [Note: see image above.]
1780, 29th August: John Gill of St Alphage parish, Canterbury married Margaret Minter ‘a minor of the Parish of Folkstone [sic]… by Licence with consent of Parents’. Michael Minter was one of the witnesses. Reference: Online image of ‘The Register of BANNS of Marriage Published in the Parish Church of S. Alphage in the City & County of Canterbury, from 1780 to 1796’ held at Canterbury Cathedral Archives, www.findmypast.co.uk (accessed 2nd May 2017). [Note: it looks likely that she was 16 or 17 years old from her baptism at Folkestone in 1763 above but stated age at death in Sandgate in 1840.]
1782, 16th February: ‘This is to inform the PUBLIC, That JOHN GILL, jun. SURGEON and MAN-MIDWIFE, Is lately settled in Business, about the Middle of FISHERMAN’S ROW, in FOLKSTONE [sic] Those who will be so obliging as to employ him, may depend, that the strictest Care and Attention will be paid to them by their very humble Servant, J. GILL, jun. At his shop may be had, All sorts of DRUGS and MEDICINES, in the Retale [sic] Way, very cheap fresh, and good.’ Reference: The Kentish Gazette. Wednesday Feb 13 to Saturday Feb 16 1782: 1.
1783, 15th July: ‘Last Monday Mr. Floyd Clay Peck, chymist and druggist, of this town, was married to Miss Hawes, of Cavendish. Reference: The Chelmsford Chronicle. Friday Jul 18 1783: 3. [Note: the Cavendish parish register records that the marriage took place on 15th July, but ‘last Monday’ as recorded in the Newspaper would have been 14th July. Also, the parish register clarifies that ‘Miss Hawes’ was Elizabeth, and records that Richard and Robert Hawes were witnesses. Reference: J596/1, microfilm of Cavendish parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).], [Note also, it’s odd that neither this marriage, nor Elizabeth at all, is mentioned in the Peck family Bible (see other sources below), especially since she would have been the custodian of it from Floyd Clay Peck’s death in 1802 until Robert James Peck was old enough to have it (perhaps when he went off to become an apprentice, when and wherever that was).]
1791: Peck Floyd Clay, ‘Chymist, Druggist, and Wine-merchant’, Chelmsford, Essex (listed under ‘Physic.’). Reference: The Universal British Directory of Trade, Commerce, and Manufacture. London: Printed for the patentees, at the British Directory Office, Ave Maria-Lane; and sold by Champante and Whitrow, Jewery-Street, Aldgate; 1791.
1795, 6th January: ‘Ann the wife of Richard Hawes surgeon was buried’. Reference: Microfiche of Cavendish parish register (fiche 6), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1797, 24th December: ‘Sunday died, universally regretted, Mr. Robert Hawes, surgeon, at Clare.’ Reference: Ipswich Journal. Saturday Dec 30 1797: 2.
1797, 28th December: ‘Robert Hawes Surgeon, was buried’ at Cavendish, Suffolk. Reference: Microfiche of Cavendish parish register (fiche 7), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1801, 22nd Feburary: ‘Sunday se’nnight died. Mr. Hawes, surgeon, of Cavendish.- A gentleman long distinguished for his skill in consumptive complaints.’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Mar 04 1801: 2.
1801, 28th February: ‘Richard Hawes Surgeon’ buried at Cavendish, Suffolk. Reference: Microfiche of Cavendish parish register (fiche 8), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1803, May: ‘To the PUBLIC. APPLICATIONS having been frequently made to the Family of the late Mr. HAWES, Surgeon, of CAVENDISH, in Suffolk, by many Weakly and Consumptive Persons, not knowing his successor; Mr. J. HAWES, his Son, and one of his Executors, takes this opportunity of informing the Friends of his late Father, and the Public in general, that his relation, Mr. BECK, Surgeon, of NEEDHAM-MARKET, Is the only person in possession of his Manuscripts, Prescriptions, and Method of Treatment, to whom in future, to prevent trouble and disappointment, they are requested to apply. Cavendish, May 16th, 1803.’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday May 18th 1803: 3. [Note: see image above.]
1803, 3rd May: ‘WANTED, A YOUTH of liberal education, as an APPREN-TICE to a SURGEON in full practice.- Apply to Mr. Gill, surgeon, Folkestone.’ Reference: Kentish Chronicle. Tuesday May 2 1803: 1.
1804, 7th February: The will of James Hawes, Commander of His Majesty’s Sloop the Moucheron (probate 20th March 1809). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/1494/192. [Note: he mentions his sisters Elizabeth ‘Pirk’ i.e. Peck, of Chelmsford and Anne Hawes of Cavendish; he doesn’t mention his brother Robert, who is presumed to have been the surgeon at Clare who died in 1797.]
1808, 19th March: ‘DREADFUL FIRE AT CHELMSFORD. A dreadful fire, attended with most melancholy consequences, broke out on Saturday morning, about three o’clock, at Mrs. Smith’s, milliner, in Middle Row, Chelmsford… the houses of Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Peck, druggist, and Mr. Hill, shoemaker, adjoining, were totally destroyed’, which included the ‘shop-stock’. Reference: The Norfolk Chronicle. Saturday Mar 26 1808: 2.
1808, 19th March: Report on the fire at Chelmsford on this date. Reference: ‘In the Midst of Life we are in Death. Narrative of the late deplorable fire, at Chelmsford…’. [2nd edition]. Chelmsford: R. H. Kelham, jun.; 1808. [Note: this account describes Mrs. Peck as a chemist, and in her household at the time of the fire (3.30am) was a female servant and a male ‘shopman’. It also notes that Mrs. Peck’s had learnt only the week before that her youngest son, eldest brother and a cousin had died at sea. It also includes extracts from the Chelmsford Chronicle newspaper and an otherwise unpublished notice, which describe her as a Chemist and Drugist and reveal that her business reopened after the fire, and included the sale of drugs/medicines and perfumery, including horse medicines, ‘physicians’ prescriptions carefully prepared’ and interestingly ‘electricity performed’ using ‘a capital Electrifying Machine’ either in the shop or on home visits.]
1812, 2nd October: ‘WANTED IMMEDIATELY, AN APPRENTICE to a SURGEON and Apo-thecary. Enquire of Mr. JOHN GILL, Folkestone.’ Reference: Kentish Chronicle. Friday Oct 2 1812: 1.
1819, 3rd July: Under marriages, ‘Saturday se’nnight Mr. Peck, surgeon, of Newmarket, to Sarah, youngest daughter of J. Minter, Esq. of Folkstone [sic].’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday July 14 1819: 2.
1836, 19th October: The will of ‘Robert James Peck of Newmarket in the County of Suffolk Surgeon’ (probate 30th December 1848). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/2085/122. [Note: he mentions that all his ‘medical, philosophical and ecclesiastical books’ and ‘surgical instruments’ should be given to his eldest son ffloyd ‘on his attaining the age of twenty one years if he continue in the profession of a surgeon but not otherwise’. He also mentions that ffloyd be given first refusal on the sale of his home i.e. his Newmarket residence, but interestingly also mentions his ‘copyhold messuage and heretidaments holden of the Manor of Swaffham Prior’ – see the page on Robert James Peck for comments about that.]
1838, 23rd April: Under deaths, Chelmsford section, ‘23rd instant, in the 69th year of her age, Miss Ann Hawes, daughter of the late Mr. Hawes, of Clare, surgeon, and sister to Mrs. Peck, of this town.’ Reference: Essex Herald. Tuesday Apr 24 1838: 3.
1839: ‘Gill John’ listed under ‘Surgeons’ in ‘Sandgate, with Cheriton & neighbourhoods’ Kent. Reference: Pigot and Co.’s royal national and commercial directory and topography of the counties of Bedford, Cambridge, Essex, Herts, Huntingdon, Kent, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey and Sussex…. London & Manchester: J. Pigot & Co.; 1839, pg 355. [Note: he does not appear in the Folkestone section.]
1840, 17th October: Under deaths, ‘at Sandgate, in her 77th year, Margaret, the beloved wife of John Gill, esq. surgeon.’ Reference: Kentish Gazette. Tuesday Oct 27 1840: 3.
1840, 11th November: The will of ‘John Gill of that part of Sandgate which lies within the Liberties of the town of ffolkestone in the County of Kent surgeon’ (probate 7th May 1844). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/1998/230. [Note: the double lower case ff in this quote for Folkestone, rather like is often used for ffloyd instead of Floyd.]
1842, 30th March: Under deaths, ‘30th ult. at Chelmsford, much respected, Elizabeth Peck, aged 84, relict of Mr. Ffloyd Clay Peck for-merly chemist and druggist, of this town. The deceased has for upwards of 26 years, (assisted of late by her daughter,) filled the office of housekeeper to the Shire-Hall, to the entire satisfaction of those by whom she was appointed.’ Reference: The Chelmsford Chronicle. Friday Apr 1 1842: 3.
1844, 17th March: Under deaths, ‘March 17, at Sandgate, J. GILL, Esq., surgeon., in his 85th year.’ Reference: The Canterbury Journal, Kentish Times, and Farmers’ Gazette. Saturday Mar 30 1844: 2.
1846: ‘SANDGATE is a village in Cheriton and Folkstone Pa-rishes and Elham Union, distant from Folkstone 1 1/2 miles west. It is built at the foot of an extensive range of hills facing the French coast, of which it commands a clear and exten-sive view; the air is particularly salubrious, and is consi-dered extremely beneficial in cases of scrofula and debility.’… ’Minter & Peck, surgeons’ and ‘Minter Michael, M.D’ and ‘Peck F. M. esq’ listed. Reference: Post Office Directory of the nine counties; viz.:- Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, with Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, and Sussex. London: W. Kelly and Co.; 1846, pgs 360-361. [Note: see the page on Floyd Minter Peck for more details on this reference.], [Note also, Folkestone is spelt Folkstone in this reference, a very common mistake it seems – see many other ‘sic’s.]
1861, 7/8th April: Mary Ann Peck aged 76, ‘Keeper of Keys &c of Shire Hall’, together with her sister Harriet Peck aged 70 ‘formerly School Mistress’, 4 Duke Street, Chelmsford. Reference: The National Archives, 1861 census.
Account of the Peck family’s migration to Australia, by Helen Connell (see the next source below). http://www.theminters.co.uk/johnspages/newstyle_helenspages_wholedoc.php (accessed 10th-24th April 2017).
Helen Connell (daughter of Margaret Connell née Peck mentioned in the main text above), Meryl Stanton and Patrica Selkirk, descendants of Robert James Peck in Australia, via his son James. Also Stephanie Anderson and Simon ffloyd Smith, descendants of Floyd Minter Peck via his son Henry ffloyd Rutherford Peck. Early in this research, in 2013, The Society of Apothecaries in London helpfully put me in contact with Helen Connell, realising that we were researching the same family. A very large number of emails ensued, as we shared information and attempted to solve puzzles together over the subsequent months. [Note: Simon is in possession of an interesting portrait painting (see the page on William Henry Day for an image), which is marked on the back ‘Dr Day Newmarket’. The same hand ascribes the painting to C J Robertson, Floyd Peck’s father in law (a known portrait painter) and adds ‘grandfather of H ffloyd Peck’. C J Robertson died well before this painting could have been of William Henry Day. It might not be of him, especially since it has been professionally dated to about 1820, but the annotation in itself is interesting, showing at the very least family memory of a Dr Day in Newmarket of significance to the Pecks. It could be of William Henry Day in slightly dated clothes for the 1850s, with the artist in fact C J Robertson’s daughter, Anna Maria Peck, who is known to have painted too (according to Helen Connell above). That might be why the painting was in Anna Maria’s descendants’ possession, rather than with William Henry Day back in Newmarket. There is also a photograph dated to the 1860s of a painting of someone in 1840s dress that is likely of Robert James Peck (see the page on Robert James Peck). There are other early Peck family photographs too.]
Newmarket Union Minutes 1836-1858. Reference: 611/11-21, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
Shops History Newmarket. http://www.newmarketshops.info/index.html. [Note: newmarketshops.info has been supplied with information regarding the medical history of Newmarket by the author of talkingdust.net since August 2013 (see footnotes on some of the pages). Both websites continue to be developed, and in this sense are mutually symbiotic.]
Suffolk Medical Biographies. http://www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.co.uk (originally accessed pre October 2013). [Note: see comments regarding this website on the Francis Greene page.]
The Minter Exchange. Page on John Minter. http://www.theminters.co.uk/getperson.php?personID=I35&tree=folkestone (accessed 24th April 2017). [Note: it can also be seen from the links on this website how the Margaret Minter married to John Gill is related to Robert James Peck’s wife Sarah Minter; basically Sarah’s father John had an uncle Michael who was the father of Margaret.]
From the opening pages of the Peck family Bible, showing the origin of the name Floyd within the family (see above or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 4).
The Peck family Bible, which is an extraordinary source. It’s a copy of the Geneva Bible (an early English translation), printed in London in 1582, later owned by ‘John Floyd Citizen of London and Comb Maker by Trade’, who was ‘born in the year 1621’. His daughter Elizabeth married a Josiah Peck in 1674. Josiah’s grandson, George Peck, started to record family details in the Bible in 1754, with the request that it be passed down in the family. Amazingly this is still happening, over 250 years later! Floyd Clay Peck was the grandson of George Peck, so a great, great, great grandson of the original John Floyd. So this original John’s surname of Floyd passed down through his daughter to subsequent generations of Peck as a non-surname (perhaps not least because of this family Bible). Even more amazingly, the name is still in use today (see the second source above), so remarkably it has persisted 400 years in the same family like a surname that isn’t! Floyd Clay Peck is the first medic mentioned in these family records, born on 24th October 1760, dying at Chelmsford in 1802, described as a Chemist. For entries regarding his son Robert James Peck and grandson Floyd Minter Peck see the pages dedicated to them. Floyd Clay Peck had two other sons who died in childhood, and another lost at sea (which the Chelmsford fire account above reveals was in 1808, when he would have been in his mid teens), and he had two daughters as well, with no further details given. [Note: details taken from a full transcript supplied to me by the Peck family and images of some original pages as shown above.]
Note: For published material referenced on this website see the ‘Acknowledgements for resources of published material’ section on the ‘Usage &c.’ page. The sources used for original unpublished documents are noted after each individual reference. Any census records are referenced directly to The National Archives, since images of these are so ubiquitous on microfilm and as digital images that they almost function like published works. Census records are covered by the ‘Open Government Licence’ as should be other such public records (see the ‘Copyright and related issues’ section on the ‘Usage &c.’ page for which references constitute public records, and any other copyright issues more generally such as fair dealing/use etc.).