Martha (Hale) Peck (abt. 1618 - aft. 1699)

Born about 16 Dec 1618 in Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of Paul Peck Sr — married about 1639 in England

Descendants

Died after 7 Mar 1699 after about age 80 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

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Martha (Hale) Peck migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Name

Name: Martha Hale ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Baptism

Baptized: 16 DEC 1618, Parish Church of Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire, England ^[3]

Emigrated about 1634

Martha Hale, daughter of John and Martha (Unknown) Hale, of Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire,^[3] emigrated to the New World with her brothers Samuel and Thomas Hale, arriving as early as 1634. Samuel Hale and Thomas Hale were Original Proprietors of Hartford.

Marriage

"MARTHA HALE...married Deacon PAUL PECK, born in England, perhaps about 1618, died at Hartford, 23 Dec. 1695. ^[2]

Under the date of 23 March 1666, the second Gov. John Winthrop, a practicing physician made the following entry in his medical journal:

Peck, Martha: 45 y. wife of Paule of Harford wormes & paine in back & other sickness wch thinks is wind 2 dos 5 g N. N. & 8 g to take after. She is sister of Sam: Hale of Wethersfield & hath a brother Tho: Hale at Charltown.

Sent word it wrought well but very sick before it wrought.

Againe Mar: 28 9 gr: $: wrought only downe. ^[2]

In November 1657, Winthrop treated some of the Peck children who were then recovering from the measles. He entered them as 'Paul Pecks Children at Hartford' and named them as 'Martha 9 years old, also his son of 16 years,' and 'also Hanna Peck his daughter 2 years.' ^[2]

Children of Martha and Paul Peck

Confusion over the children of Martha and Paul Peck was resolved in 1932 by Donald Lines Jacobus, writing in TAG Vol 9. Jacobus lists the children on pages 85-86, after first documenting with wills, marriage dates, etc., why they were included and some others listed by previous authors were excluded.

All of Paul and Martha's living children are mentioned in Paul Peck Sr.'s will.^[1] The three children who predeceased their father and left children are included through bequests to their surviving spouse or child. The only deceased child not represented in Paul's will was John, who died young.^[1] All children were born at Hartford, Connecticut:^[1]

• Paul, b. 1643, m. Elizabeth Baysey in 1666 in Hartford
• John, born 22 Dec 1645, died young ^[1]
• Martha, b. 1647, m. John Cornwall 8 June 1665 in Middletown^[1]
• Mary, b. 1650, m. Daniel Andrews^[1]
• Elizabeth, b. 1653, m. Jeremiah Howe, 29 Oct 1674 in Wallingford, d. 4 Oct 1704 ^[1]
• Hannah, b. 1656, m. John Shepard, Jr., 12 May 1680 in Hartford^[1]
• Sarah, b. 1659, m. Ebenezer Clark, 6 May 1678 in Wallingford, d. 20 May 1696 ^[1]
• Ruth, b. 1661, m. Thomas Beach, 13 May 1680 in Hartford, d. 5 Dec 1686 ^[1]
• Joseph, bapt. 22 Dec 1650, m. Ruth (Unknown) Hoskins in Windsor^[1]
• daughter Peck, b. about 1665, died before 1695, m. Joseph Benton of Tolland who was named as son-in-law in Paul Peck, Sr.' will^[1]

In addition to bequests left to all of his children (or their spouse or child), Paul Peck named two grandsons as beneficiaries. He bequeathed to his grandson Paul Peck, son of his eldest son and namesake Paul Peck, Jr.^[4] His main bequest, of his house, barn, garden and orchards, was to another son of Paul Peck, Jr., named Samuel Peck. ^[4]

Martha and Paul Peck, Sr. did not have a son named Samuel, but Paul's large bequest of his house, gardens, barn and orchards to his grandson Samuel created confusion with Savage, Ira Peck, and other subsequent genealogists.^[4]

Husband's Will 1695

Paul Peck's will, dated 25 June 1695, named his eldest son Paul and the latter's son Paul; grandson Samuel Peck, 'who now livith with me'; mentioning 'my wife his Grand mother,' Samuel to make payments to 'my son-in-law; Joseph Benton and to 'my grand daughter' Ruth Beach; son Joseph Peck; son-in-law John Shepherd; wife Martha Peck to have L7.10.0 paid to her annually by 'my sons'; four daughters, Martha Cornwall, Mary Andrews, Elizabeth Howe of Wallingford, and Sarah Clarke; two sons, Paul Peck and Joseph Peck, and son-in-law John Shepherd to be executors."^[4][2]

Four of Martha Peck's children predeceased her, as shown in the will of her husband Paul who died in 1695.^[4]

John Peck, died young

Hannah (Peck) Shepherd, died in 1692, age 46 years, m. John Shepherd, Jr. Bequest to John Shepherd (for their children)

Ruth (Peck) Beach, died in 1686, age 26 years, m. Thomas Beach. Thomas Beach died before 1695, leaving their surviving child Ruth Beach an orphan. Bequest was to her.

(daughter) (Peck) Benton, born about 1665, died by age 30, m. Joseph Benton. Bequest was to Joseph Benton (for their children)

Husband's Death 1695

Paul Peck, Sr., husband of Martha (Hale) Peck, died at Hartford, Connecticut, 23 Dec. 1695. ^[4][2]

William Goodwin, the gravedigger, entered on 24 Dec. 1695 the death of 'Deacon Peck Aged 87'. The age seems excessively high, in relation to his wife's age and the dates of birth of the children, yet may be correct. We guess him to have been a decade younger, since he testified in 1683 aged about 60, probably an understatement. ^[2]

Death of Martha (Hale) Peck

Date: after 7 March 1699/1700, Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut Colony ^[5] This record updates the previous death of "after 25 June 1695" which was from TAG Vol 9, page 85.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12} The Family of Paul Peck in Hartford, Connecticut, TAG vol 9 (1932), pp 82
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Hale, House and Related Families Mainly of the Connecticut River Valley, pp 256
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Have We Found the Parents of Thomas, Samuel and Martha Hale of Connecticut?, TAG vol 38, page 238
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999, will of Paul Peck, Sr. dated 25 June 1695
5. ↑ excerpts from Volume 6, Hartford County Court Records, TAG Vol 23 (1946), page 114. Martha Peck, wid. of Hartford vs. Paul Peck, Samuel Peck, John Hoskins of Windsor who married the relict of Joseph Peck late of Hartford: withdraws action of suit for loss of rent left to her in her late husband's will

See also:

• Connecticut State Library (Hartford, Connecticut); Probate Place: Hartford, Connecticut. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts; Will of Paul Peck, 1695/96, #4143. Images of original handwritten will of Paul Peck, Sr. dated 25 June 1695.
• Hartford County, Connecticut, The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) excerpts from Volume 6, Hartford County Court Records, TAG Vol 23 (1946), page 114
• Donald Lines Jacobus & Edgar Francis Waterman, Hale, House and Related Families Mainly of the Connecticut River Valley, at HathiTrust.org, Original: (Hartford, Connecticut Historical Society, 1952.). pp 256
• Donald Lines Jacobus, The Family of Paul Peck in Hartford, Connecticut, in The American Genealogist, Vol. 9 (1932), pp 82. Does not address his ancestry, but clears up many mistakes made about his offspring. Lists children pages 85-86
• The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) Have We Found the Parents of Thomas, Samuel and Martha Hale of Connecticut?, by S. Allen Peck, B.A., M.S., TAG vol 38, page 237-239 [Martha Hale, bapt. Watton-at-Stone, County Hertford, England, 16 Dec 1618]
• Martha Hale, bapt. Watton-at-Stone, County Hertford, England, 16 Dec 1618, d. Hartford, Conn., after 7 Mar. 1699/1700. She was dau. of John and Martha (Unknown) Hale, and sister of the emigrant, Samuel Hale. (The American Genealogist, 38:237-39)
• Her baptismal record was found in Watton, England. Volume V, Issue I, Peck Family Newsletter, Winter, 1998, page 8.
• "Families of Old Fairfield" by Donald Lines Jacobus, lists her as the sister of Samuel and Thomas Hale.
• New England Marriages prior to 1700 by Clarence Almon Torey, page 568 shows Paul Peck (-1695) and Martha Hale, (H--e); b 1639; Hartford. In this book the b means the birth of first child thus the marriage occurred about on year prior.
• Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut by Lucius Barnes Barbour, page 447.
• Peck Family Genealogy by Rev. Robert W. Peck, Th.D., page 37.
• Talcott, Mary K., "The Original Proprietors. Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford. 1987. Page 242.
• Find A Grave Memorial# 34458687
• NEHGR Vol 13, p 144, Vol 61:177-85