New England and Chesapeake Families Compared The purpose of this report is to compare the family life of early American colonists. This research will lead to discovery of resources and records available, how those records can be used to yield evidence and a general understanding of the Colonial American family.
1. The Individuals The individuals for this research include Christopher Peake, born in England about 1612 , immigrated to America in 1634 and settled in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, and Nathan Veitch born 1668 and raised in Calvert County, Maryland.
2. Familial Roles “Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988” shows that Christopher Peake married Dorcas French, 3 January 1636. Of interest is a letter from Thomas Gostlin …show more content…
Mr. Veitch appeared to be a prominent member of the community serving as a member of a Grand Jury and having large land holdings in both Prince George’s and Frederick counties. When the wills of Mr. Peake and Mr. Veitch were compared there was a noticeable difference in the expectations the men had of their wives and children. Mr. Peake’s will indicated his assumption that his wife would need overseeing, or aid in settling his estate. He dictated his desire that the small pasture he had set aside should be shared by his three sons equally and never sold except to each other - it was only two acres. He was very exacting in his concern that his children should get what he stated in the will and no more, his sons to divide the land, with the eldest getting a double portion and his daughters receiving a monetary amount but only in the event they …show more content…
The Children Over twenty years the Peakes had eight children , only five grew to maturity, Jonathan (b. 1637), Dorcas (b. 1639), Joseph (b. 1644), Ephraim (b. 1652) and Sarah (b. 1655). Daughter Hannah (b. 1642) was deceased at eighteen years of age; two babies, one born 1647 and another in 1648 did not survive their birth. The year 1666 was not kind to the Peake family, in May Christopher Sr. died and the following autumn his eldest son Jonathan buried his son Christopher. Ann Veitch gave birth to four children , Mary (b.1693), James (b.1695), John (b. 1696) and Elizabeth (b.1699). There wass no documentation to indicate that any of her children died in infancy. It was interesting to note that of the two families, the SouthernVeitches who were economically well off had only four children while the Peakes who likely farmed their own land had eight. Possibly for that very reason, they had more children. The Peake infant mortality rate was higher than the other family notwithstanding the fact that the environment in the South was supposed more likely to cause illness.
6. Other Household
1. The Individuals The individuals for this research include Christopher Peake, born in England about 1612 , immigrated to America in 1634 and settled in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, and Nathan Veitch born 1668 and raised in Calvert County, Maryland.
2. Familial Roles “Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988” shows that Christopher Peake married Dorcas French, 3 January 1636. Of interest is a letter from Thomas Gostlin …show more content…
Mr. Veitch appeared to be a prominent member of the community serving as a member of a Grand Jury and having large land holdings in both Prince George’s and Frederick counties. When the wills of Mr. Peake and Mr. Veitch were compared there was a noticeable difference in the expectations the men had of their wives and children. Mr. Peake’s will indicated his assumption that his wife would need overseeing, or aid in settling his estate. He dictated his desire that the small pasture he had set aside should be shared by his three sons equally and never sold except to each other - it was only two acres. He was very exacting in his concern that his children should get what he stated in the will and no more, his sons to divide the land, with the eldest getting a double portion and his daughters receiving a monetary amount but only in the event they …show more content…
The Children Over twenty years the Peakes had eight children , only five grew to maturity, Jonathan (b. 1637), Dorcas (b. 1639), Joseph (b. 1644), Ephraim (b. 1652) and Sarah (b. 1655). Daughter Hannah (b. 1642) was deceased at eighteen years of age; two babies, one born 1647 and another in 1648 did not survive their birth. The year 1666 was not kind to the Peake family, in May Christopher Sr. died and the following autumn his eldest son Jonathan buried his son Christopher. Ann Veitch gave birth to four children , Mary (b.1693), James (b.1695), John (b. 1696) and Elizabeth (b.1699). There wass no documentation to indicate that any of her children died in infancy. It was interesting to note that of the two families, the SouthernVeitches who were economically well off had only four children while the Peakes who likely farmed their own land had eight. Possibly for that very reason, they had more children. The Peake infant mortality rate was higher than the other family notwithstanding the fact that the environment in the South was supposed more likely to cause illness.
6. Other Household