Traditions by Wallace S. Peckham

            From childhood we have heard statements from our parents, and others concerning our ancestors, and as we grew older, these statements seemed more like tradition as the years went by.  If I had been more interested I could have looked into these probabilities, and I regret now that I did not do this and write down what I found out for our permanent records.  I could have learned a lot from my father while he was alive.  I have made some research into the traditions I have believed in, and found in some instances they were true, partly true, while others proved false, or there were no grounds to base those theories.  However, it has been very interesting and profitable at any rate, of our findings, and on the following pages I will attempt to bring, in fact and comment, my personal theories and conclusions of these classical and important matters.  I suspect that others of you of the family have heard them too.

            Following are the questions that have been asked of us: -

1.      What relationship do we hold with John B. Stetson, the man who made and patented the famous “Stetson hat?”

2.      We have heard it said and are of the belief that Ness County, Kansas was named for our grandfather, Nelson A. Peckham, who was also one of the first settlers.  Is this true?

3.      It is understood that our grandmother, Ann (Jones) Peckham was a first cousin to Queen Victoria.  How could this relationship come about?

            There is a tradition in our branch of the family that John B. Stetson, who made the patented and famous “Stetson hat”, was related to the family.  This relationship was through Sarah Stetson, who married Joshua Peckham (5^th).  Sarah Stetson’s parents were Stephen and Dorcas (Hall) Stetson.  Cornet Robert Stetson was the paternal ancestor of John B. Stetson.  Also he was the ancestor of Sarah (Stetson) Peckham.  Cornet Robert Stetson emigrated from England to Scituate, Massachussets soon after 1634.

            John B. Stetson was born in 1830, and died in 1906.  He was the son of Stephen and Susan (Batterson) Stetson.

            Sarah Stetson, born in 1771, and died in 1803, was the daughter of Stephen and Dorcas (Hall) Stetson.  She, in 1793, married Joshua Peckham (5^th).

            It has not been clearly established concerning the relationship of the two families, but according to the recorded dates, the two Stephen Stetsons could have been cousins.  – But – on the other hand, Sarah and Stephen might have been, sister and brother.  And in consequence, our great-great grandmother would have been Aunt Sarah to John B. Stetson.

            The recorded dates place John B. Stetson in the same generation as our grandfather, Nelson A. Peckham.

            The following is the transcription of a letter written to Wallace S. Peckham in response to his inquiry about the history  of Ness County, Kansas and the rumor that it was named for Nelson A. Peckham:

Dear Mr. Peckham,

 My friend, Meroe Owen, has sent me your letter in regard to my book, “Ness, Western County, Kansas”, and the mention therein of the Nelson Peckham family.

 Nelson Peckham was one of the earliest settlers of Ness County, by 1873, at least.  But the county was not named for him, but for a Corporal V. Ness, who died in the Civil War.  The county was first settled by former buffalo hunters, and Nelson Peckham was one of the first to bring his family.  Even he, as I understand it, lived in Hays City during the winter with his family, and moved down on to the cattle range in Ness County in the summertime.  The census of 1880 gave his family as follows: -

                         Peckham, N. A.,  age 53.

                        Peckham, Anna,  age 55.

                                     Abel J.,   age 23                      Edward,  age 14

                                    John,      age 21                      Hiram,    age 11

                                    William,  age 16                      Mary,      age   9

                                    Frank,     age 15                      Sarah,    age   6

 I never knew any of the Peckhams, as my family lived in the northern part of the county, while the Peckhams lived in the southern part.

 My first knowledge of the Peckham family was in 1953, when a long article (February issue), “Dr. Samuel Rogers, Gentleman from Ness”, was published in the Kansas Historical Society, (quarterly).  In my research for this article, I first found out about the Nelson Peckham family.  In the winter of 1873-74 they were in Hays City, some fifty miles north of Ness City.  It is possible that Mr. Peckham was called “Ness” at Hays, as he was undoubtedly one of the first bona-fide settlers of Ness County.

 I am interested in all history of the plains west, particularly of Kansas, but also Oklahoma and Nebraska.  We have so many things in common – the cattle trails – sod houses – etc., etc.

 Yours Very Truly,

 Minnie Dubbs Millbrook

(Mrs. Raymond H. Millbrook)

201 East Kirby Ave.,

Detroit, 2, Michigan                                                                          

More from Wallace S. Peckham:

            ON THIS OCCASION I MIGHT COMMENCE THIS INFORMAL DISCOURSE AS – MR. CHAIRMAN – HONORABLE COUSINS – RELATIVES AND FRIENDS – AND I MIGHT ADD – AND GREAT – GREAT – GREAT – GRANDCHILDREN OF GEORGE (III) THE THIRD OF ENGLAND BUT – DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE DESCENDED FROM ROYALTY?  AND THAT YOU HAVE ROYAL BLOOD COURSING THROUGH YOUR VEINS?  AND DID YOU KNOW THAT – AS DESCENDANTS OF NELSON A. AND ANN (JONES) PECKHAM THAT YOU ARE DESCENDED FROM THE HANOVERS – ROYAL FAMILY OF ENGLISH KINGS – AND THAT KING GEORGE III OF ENGLAND WAS YOUR GREAT-GREAT GRANDFATHER?

            When I was a youngster at home I was familiar with a statement to the effect that our family was related to the Queen Victoria of England, and I suspect that you have heard the same statement from your parent.  At that time we were not interested in ancestry, and no inquiries were made and as a result there are no records of authenticity available, and now, fifty years later, all we can do is conjecture on the possibilities and suppositions, of such a relationship.  I learned a long while ago that the only way I had of finding out anything was to just ask questions, and so I have proceeded to do just that.

            This statement concerned the fact that we were related to Queen Victoria through our grandmother, Ann (Jones) Peckham, who was a cousin to Queen Victoria.  The first thing to do was to form a theory as to how this relationship might have existed.

            We do know, however, that King George III of England had a large family of nine sons, and at least six daughters which included his sons, in succession, George IV, and William IV.

            This theory of ours was based on four important fact deductions:  the first of which of course was my father’s statement;  the second, my grandmother’s birth, in Wales, England on December 12, 1834;  third, their frequent journeys, business or otherwise, to London;  and fourth, the fact in an article, in 1960, which appeared in the ENIS DAILY EAGLE – and I regret now that I did not clip and save that article – to the effect that Anthony Armstrong – Jones, who married the Princess Margaret, was found to be distant relation to her husband.  That fact, to me, comes as a new angle of possibility, through the Jones, and would add additional credence to this theory.  We have concluded that, as a result of our relationship, that our great grandparent, John Jones, married – now hold on to your hat – married – a daughter – of George III !

            George III of England, we all know, was a tyrant who tried to tax the American Colonies, and sent them tea, but was soundly trounced by our Patriot Army, under the leadership of such men as John Hancock, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, and General George Washington.

            At the death of George III in 1820, his eldest son, George IV ruled until his death in 1830, when his third son, William IV came to the throne of England.  At his death, in 1837, the succession fell to the Princess Victoria, daughter of the late Prince Edward, who was Duke of Kent, and fifth son of King George III.  The Princess was eighteen years of age at the time, year of birth, 1819.  The fact that our grandmother, being a few years younger that Queen Victoria would indicate that her mother was a younger daughter.  By this token, then, our grandmother, Ann (Jones) Peckham, would have been a grand-daughter of George III, and, by the same token was a first cousin to the Queen Victoria.

            Be that as it may, no issue has been made of it, but this report has inspired our curiosity and thoughts, as to the possibility, and we have offered this comment for what it may be worth.  It being only an historical event of interest and family tradition.  There is no one living today who could verify our doubts and quarries.  We must only conjecture – but life is full of surprise acquaintances, marriages, and relationships.

            In our research and correspondence we received all kinds of comment, such as, “that is a highly impossible story”, “I never heard the queen story”, “ridiculous”, and which might lead one to suspect that the facts might have been suppressed by the family, due to some incident, or series of incidents of which the family was not proud.  The following report is furnished by a ninety-two year old great grandmother, herself a direct descendant of John Jones, and who offered the material for this interesting and true narrative which is given from her memory of the events as she remembered the facts.

            “Our maternal great grandfather, John Jones was reported to have been working in the household of the King of England.  It seems that he fell in love with a daughter of George III, and they were married.  This Daughter was the Princess Sarah, who was of the Royal Hanover line of English Kings.  He may have continued his work, and living there, but by some unfortunate circumstance, he found himself in serious trouble with the Royal household, and was forced to leave the premises.  Our John Jones, appears to have been an over-egotistical, self-conceited man, who thought that the blood that flowed through his veins was every bit as good as the blood which flowed through their veins.  Their blood was no better than his own.  He made an attempt to ship to America, and everything went as he planned it, except, that the secret service men were there also, and prevented his going.  The next attempt was more successful, however, as he shipped himself in a barrel, at least a part of the way.  On his arrival, and on finding a location, he sent for his family. 

            The Jones family is reported to have been from Kerry, Radnorshire, Wales.

            John Jones father was also John Jones.  He was born about 1769, and married Sarah Sheen.  Their children were: -

      Children: - 9

I.               Ann,              married William Reese.

II.             Jane,            married Benjamin Swancutt.

III.            Margaret,      married John Swancutt.

IV.          Sarah,          married ? Swancutt.

V.            Ellen,            married ? Swancutt.

VI.          William,        married Kate Ingraham.

VII.         Aaron,           married Eliza Edmunds.

VIII.       George,        married (1) ? Pope,  (2) ? Shafer,  (3) ? Jarman,  (4) ? Winters.

IX.          John II, b. 1810;  m. Sarah (said to have been the daughter of George III)

Children of John II and Sarah Jones: - 7

I.               Ellen, b. 1831;  married Thomas Buffton.

II.             Mary, b. 1832;  married William Atkinson.

III.            Ann, b. 1834;  married Nelson A. Peckham.

IV.          Sarah, b. 1836;  married Frances (Frank) Atkinson.

V.            John III, b. about 1838;  married Emma Pryce.

VI.          Edward

VII.         William

            Boyd Atkinson, of Albany, Wisconsin, whose grandfather married Sarah Jones, sister to our grandmother, Ann (Jones) Peckham, reports that there has always been a Sarah, in every generation, but he never did know why, until now it dawns.” 

            Our cousin, Mrs. Anna (Turner) Sims, who lives in Coronado, California, reports that she has heard Grandmother, Ann (Jones) Peckham, relate as to her mother goin up to London for professional (doctor) calls.

            In our branch of the Peckham clan there have been many interesting statements, some traditions, while others we thought were tradition, but have proven otherwise.  Our family traditions are sacred to us.  The reality of human life is a legacy of the past and future.  Every life is a legacy that is bestowed on us by the giver of every good perfect gift.  We are proud of our heritage and of our ancestry, and we will, and must keep our family traditions, and we will hand them down to our posterity so that our legacies will not be lost in the rapid flight of time.

TENTANDA VIA EST.