The Pugh Family

The Pugh surname is a Welsh name, derived from the forename "Hugh". In the 1500's, when surnames were just beginning to be used, most surnames began with the prefix "Ap". Therefore, the earliest version of the surname Pugh, was Ap Hugh, meaning "son of Hugh". Over the years, the two were merged together to form our name today, Pugh.

Wales, the homeland of our Pugh family, is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It covers the peninsula on the west side of Great Britain. The climate is much like England's, rather mild and wet.

The Welsh people are mainly descendants of Celts, Scandinavians, and Romans. They are generally fairly short people, with olive skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. The Welsh are well known for their love of music, with the harp being a favorite instrument.

Wales has been a rather unsettled country since 1064, when they were first invaded by England. The fighting continued until 1301, when King Edward I bestowed upon his second son, who would later become King Edward II, the title "Prince of Wales". This satisfied the Welsh pride and kept them loyal to England for nearly 100 years. When King Henry IV seized the English throne a revolt began in Wales. This revolt wasn't settled until 1416, which is when the Welsh submitted to King Henry VII, the first Tudor King. They regarded the new king as one of their own countrymen. King Henry VII stressed the need for equality for the Welsh people and in 1536 Wales incorporated with England.

In the 1600's strife returned to Wales, but on the religious front. These problems weren't solved until 1920, when the English Church in Wales was disestablished.

These problems, along with widespread poverty in Wales, caused many Welsh people to leave their homeland, bound for America. The people who boarded the ships going to America were desperate for a better life. Many people left family and friends behind, knowing they would probably never see them again. When word began to spread of a new land, which was said to be more beautiful than any other land in the world, and so abundant that anyone staking a claim could own their own land, many people decided it was worth a try. The only problem was in getting to America, as passage on the ships was very expensive.

Many people, including my Pugh ancestors, found the answer in selling themselves as indentured servants. Their passage was paid by their "master", and after serving them for the agreed upon length of time, they were free to leave their "master" and stake a claim of their own.

After selling most everything they owned (there was not room on the ships for extras of any kind), they boarded the ship for the journey, which normally took about two months. The ships were usually filled over capacity, as the ship master's pay was determined by the number of passengers. These trips were made before the days of refrigeration, so the only meats that could be taken were salt meats, which were normally spoiled well before the end of the trip. Many people died on the trip and since the passengers were living together in such cramped quarters, a contagious illness would spread like wildfire. Many passengers never even saw the light of day during the trip because it was so dangerous to be on deck. There was always the threat of attack by pirates, and terrible storms.

After enduring the long trip across the Atlantic ocean, finally they would at last reach land. Houses had to be built, food grown, and clothes made. Many people would soon board the ships to return to their homeland because they saw they could not survive living in the wilderness. The settlers who remained had to make everything they needed, even including the forks, knives, and spoons to use to eat. It is almost unbelievable that anyone survived.

To follow my line of Pughs from their arrival to America in 1682, up to the present time, select the generation you'd like to view from the list below.

Other great sites for researching families living in the same areas as the Pugh Family.: