Peckham Ancestry

The surname Peckham is derived from the parish of Peckham in the County of Kent, England. The suffix "ham" in the early Saxon language, signified home or town. Peckham therefore means the town of Peck, or the home of Peck. Eminent authorities give the original home of the family as Scandinavia, and the time of its founding in England as the eleventh century, shortly after the Norman Conquest.

John Peckham was born on April 24, 1595 in Boxgrove, Sussex, England. He was the son of Henry Peckham and Elizabeth Badger. John was the immigrant ancestor and founder of the family. He was a native of England and immigrated at a date unknown. He was admitted an inhabitant of the Island of Aquidneck, RI, March 20, 1638, which is the first record of him in the New World. He later moved to Newport, RI, where he became a leader of great prominence in the affairs of the Baptist church. He became a freeman at Newport, March 16, 1641. In 1648 John Peckham was one of the ten male members in full communion in the First Baptist Church of Newport, having been one of its founders in 1644. He resided in that part of Newport which later became Middletown, and was made a freeman there in 1655. A sign marked "IP" on the land of William F. Peckham in MIddletown is supposed to mark the grave of John Peckham. He married first Mary Clarke, the sister of Rev. John Clarke, of Bedfordshhire, England, and Boston Newport, an associate of Roger Wiliams. He married second Eleanor Weaver, daughter of Clement Weaver and Rebecca Holbrook. John and Eleanor had many children, but the only one I know by name is ELINOR. John Peckham died after 1681, and prior to 1700. His will bears the date January 6, 1681.

Elinor Peckham, daughter of John and Elinor, was born in about 1640. She married Matthew Boomer in 1655, son of Joshua Boomer. They had 2 children, namely, Mary and Matthew. Elinor died in 1727.

To see the rest of my Peckham line, please click here.