MacPeek is one of the many names that the
Normans brought with them when they conquered
England in 1066. The MacPeek family lived in
Staffordshire. The surname of
Peak derives from the Old English word
pekke, indicating
the top of a mountain or hill, and was a
local name distinguishing a person who lived by a prominent
peak. [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)Early Origins of the MacPeek family
The surname MacPeek was first found in
Staffordshire where "among the earliest known bearers of the name are Richard del Pech or del Pek (d. 1196), son of Ranulf, Sheriff of
Nottingham, and Willielmus Piec, who was in Winchester in 1194."
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8) Another possible progenitor of the family could have been Uluric Pec c. 1095 who was listed in
Suffolk,
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) but this is believed to be an isolated case of the surname. William de Peke was listed in the
Subsidy Rolls of
Sussex in 1296 and William
atte Peke was listed in
Devon in 1321. The
Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Isabell del Pek; and Martyn del Pek.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the MacPeek family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacPeek research.
Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1284, 1283, 1551, 1619, 1592, 1667 and 1668 are included under the topic Early MacPeek History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
MacPeek 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 MacPeake, Peak, Peake and others.
Early Notables of the MacPeek family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Peake of Achurch; Robert Peake the Elder
(c. 1551-1619), an English painter; and Sir Robert Peake (ca. 1592-1667), English print-seller and Royalist, he was exiled for refusing...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacPeek Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the MacPeek family to Ireland
Some of the MacPeek family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the MacPeek family to the New World and Oceana
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 MacPeek name or one of its variants: Robert Peake who settled in Virginia in 1623; Mathew Peake settled in Virginia in 1636; Mary Peake and her husband settled in Boston in 1636; Martha Peak settled in Virginia in 1698.