Peyck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Peyck is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Peyck family lived in Kent. It is thought that Peachy is of topographical origin, distinguishing a bearer who lived near a peach tree, sold peaches, or was associated with the fruit in some other way. In French it is written peche, and the addition of the letter y on to the end of the name is probably the result of its Anglicization.

The family was "an ancient baronial family, called in charters, De Peccato. They appear as early as the reign of King Stephen, and they were doubtless of Norman extraction. They were of prime importance in Kent, temp. Edward. I." 1

Early Origins of the Peyck family

The surname Peyck was first found in Kent where the name descends from the baronial name Peche, Latinized De Peccato. One of the oldest recordings of the name is found in a stained glass window at Lullingstone in Kent. 1

Willielmus Peccatum was a Domesday under-tennant in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. 2 "William Pecatum was an under-tenant in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. The name may have been altered to Beach and Beachy. It has also been found as Peach and Peachy." 3

"Richard Peché was Bishop of Coventry 1162-1182, and another of the same name was Archdeacon of Malpas in Cheshire. In the course of time, [the name] lapsed into the form of Peachey or Peach. " 4

"Ralph Peche (perhaps William's son) about 1113 received from Roger, the second son of the Earl of Clare, the manor of Birdbrook in Essex ; one of those granted by Gilbert Lord Peche to Edward I.: and in 1134 Hamo Peche, in right of his wife Alice, one of the four sisters and coheirs of William Peverell, was Lord of Brunne in Cambridgeshire, and held a barony of his own in Suffolk of twelve knights' fees. He was Sheriff of Cambridge from 1164 to Easter 1166: and paid scutage on nineteen fees in 1168. He was followed by two sons, Geoffrey and Gilbert. Gilbert's wife was "a sister of that famous Fitz Walter, who led the Barons' party in the time of King John. On Fitz Walter's banishment, she had to find hostages for her loyalty. One of these hostages was her own daughter Alice." 4

Robert Peccin (Peche) was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Hampshire (1176-1177). 5 Sir John Peche (Pecche) (c. 1285-before 1335 in Honiley, Warwickshire) was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1323 to 1324.

Early History of the Peyck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peyck research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1164, 1671, 1723, 1736, 1737, 1794 and 1808 are included under the topic Early Peyck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peyck Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Peachy, Peach, Peache, Peachee, Peachey, Peche and many more.

Early Notables of the Peyck family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peyck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Peyck family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Peyck name or one of its variants: William Peachee, who arrived in west New Jersey in 1664; Daniel Peachey settled in Virginia in 1753; William Peachy settled in Newcastle Del. in 1677..

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Baring-Gould S., Family Names and their Story. London: Seeley, Service & Co. Limited, 1913. Print
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)