Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

II. Joseph Peck settled in Milford, and made that place his home until his death, which oc- curred March 1, 1731. He married Mary Camp, in January, 1678 or 1679. She was the daughter of Nicholas Camp, who was one of the original settlers and Free Plantepe of Milford under the first Planters' Agreement at Milford, dated No- vember 29, 1639, having previously removed from Wethersfield to Milford. Mr. and Mrs. Peck became the parents of eleven children: Joseph (2), born 1680, married Abigail Baldwin, January, 1706 or 1707; Mary, born December 15, 16S2; John, born September 4, 1683, died November 27, 1709; Jeremiah, born 1687, mar- ried Hannah Fisk, August 20, 17 13; Samuel, baptized 1690, married Martha Clark, l({ay 5, 1 7 14; Ephraim, baptized 1692, married Sarah Ford, November 7, 1716, and died July 23, 1760; COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 101 Henry (III), born 1695; Elizabeth, born 1697; Nathaniel, born 1699; Abigail, born September 25, 1701; and Heth, born October 3, 1703, mar- ried Hannah Camp, February 26, 1729 or 1730, and died May 4, 1797. From 1702 to 1709 Joseph Peck served as sergeant ensign in the training band, and was Lieutenant-Deputy to the General Assembly in the years 1701, 1702, 1703, 1704, 1707, 1710, 1711, 1713, 1714, and 1718. in. Henry Peck, seventh child of Joseph Peck, resided in Milford. On April i, 1745, he 'bought a farm of 105 acres of John Glover of Newtown, and in 1750 deeded this land to his son — Henry (IV). Henry Peck (III), was twice married, his first wife being Ann Ford, to whom he was married February 8, 1722 or '23; she died December 28, 1726; she was the grand- daughter of John or Thomas Ford, who settled in Milford about 1646. On July 4, 1729, Henry Peck (III) married his second wife, Mrs. Mary Northrup, widow of Amos Northrup. She was the granddaughter of Joseph Northop, who was one of the early settlers in 1639, having removed from Wethersfield. Mr. Peck was the father of four children: Henry (IV), born December 7, 1723; Ann, born August 15, 1725, married Jesse Lambert, and died July 3, 1809; Benjamin, born November 16, 1726 married Mary Smith (he served as a captain of a company from Milford throughout the Revolutionary war), and Mehit- able, born October 3, 1735, married Colonel Allen. Henry Peck (III) was very prominent in the affairs of the town. He was appointed ensign of the militia in May, 1742, and four years later was made lieutenant. He was deacon in the Congregational Church for a number of years, and died November 19, 1762. IV. Henry Peck, son of Henry Peck, and great-grandson of the founder of the family in America, was born December 7, 1723, and moved in 1745 to Newtown, now Brookfield, parish of Newbury. He became a very wealthy farmer for those times, and was one of the highly hon- ored members of the community. Of the old Puritan cast, pious and most conscientiously strict, he faithfully lived up to all the require- ments of his creed, and served as deacon in the Congregational Church many years. Kind- hearted and benevolent, he held greater charity for the doings of others than he allowed for him- self, and in the cause of truth and Christianity he labored without ceasing. In the political affairs he too acted well his part. In 1763 he was com- missioned ensign, and as justice of the peace he served throughout the years 1773, '74, '75 and ''76. He married Rachel Lambert, of Milford; she was a granddaughter of Jesse Lambert and Deborah Fowler, daughter of Capt. William Fowler and granddaughter of William Fowler, magistrate and one of the first Planters of Mil- ford under the first Planters' Agreement at Mil- ford dated November 29, 1639, having previously removed from New Haven to Milford. After the death of this wife, January 29, 1792, Mr. Peck wedded Abiah Peck, of Newtown. Abiah Peck («iV Smith) was the widow of Gideon Peck of Newtown, and the mother of Amarillis Peck, who married John Peck, he being the son of Henry Peck, of Brookfield. The children of Henry Peck were: (i) Mary, born December 25, 1752, married David Jackson. (2) David, born March 21, 1755, died April 23, 1843, married Isabella Nichols; he was a patriot of the Revolution, serving under Washington throughout the war. (3) Jesse L. , born May 31, 1757, died May 10, I773- (4) John (V), born December 3, 1759, died February 9, 1839. (5) Rachel, born Feb- ruary 7, 1762, died October 3, 1796. (6) Henry, born March 3, 1766, is mentioned in full later on. (7) Amos, born April 5, 1769, mar- ried November 27, 1792, Miss Lucy Blackman, and died March 23, 1835. Henry Peck (IV) died October 4, 1808. V. John Peck, of the fifth generation of this family in the New World, carried on extensive farming operations in Brookfield, where he was born December 3, 1759. He was faithful to the teachings of his father, became a worthy member of Church, and was at the helm in guiding the little political ship of his town. He had an abundant charity for the shortcomings of his fel- lowmen, and an ever-ready hand to aid the struggling ones. When the old watchman in the church tower rang out the ' ' Independence " bell, its echoes awakened all the latent patriotism in John Peck, and he enlisted in the Continental Army, serving throughout the war, late in life receiving a pension for his faithful services. On December 23, 1784, he married Amarillis Peck, who was born July 31, 1764, daughter of Gid- eon Peck, and died December 16, 1785. After the death of his wife, he was again married, this time, on January 11, 1787, to Clarina Wheeler, who was born July 16, 1767, and died November 7, 1835. By each marriage Mr. Peck became the father of one child; John A. (VI), born De- cember 9, 1785, died August 27, 1864; and Amarillis, born December 4, 1787, died January II, 1794. Mr. Peck died February 9, 1839. VI. John A. Peck, son of John Peck (V) and Amarillis, his wife, passed his life in Brookfield except that portion spent in the servic^of his country during the war of 18 12. For his service 102 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. in the army he was paid in land warrants. On February 17, 181 1, he was married to Huldah Keeler, who was born January 30, 1789, and died October 20, 1842. Nine children were born to this union: Henry W., born May i, i8i2, died July 26, 1864, married Johanna W. Piatt, December 16, 1846; George W., born September 22, 1813, died May 7, 1898, was married November 6, 1836, to Mary Andrews; Amarillis, born October 21, 1815, died August 8, 1887, married November 7, 1836, to Medad R. Kellogg; Ciareny, born August 2, 18 17, died February 18, 1888, married October 11, 1835, to Sherman Foote; John L. , born April 12, 1820, married February 24, 1854, to Sarah T. Law, and died February 6, 1887; Arza C. (VII), born June 8, 1822; Lucy Ann, born October 31, 1824, married October 21, 1846, to Edwin Smith; Adaline, born January 30, 1827, died December 19, 1846, and Alfred A., born October 27, 1830, died April 20, 1855. On July 1, 1847, John A. Peck (VI) was again married, his second wife be- ing, Sally H. Payne, who was born April 19, 1795, and died August 29, i860. John A. Peck died August 22, 1864. VII. Arza C. Peck was educated at Brook- field, but at the age of twenty-one he left his native hills and became an extensive importer of goods from Russia, East India, China and Japan, and has become a prominent factor in commer- cial circles at New York. On February 20, 1862, he married Janie Bodes, and of this union have come two children: John A. (VIII), born September 6, 1863, married on February 24, 1885, to Miss Agnes E. Freedman, by whom he has one child — John A. (IX), born October 15, 1885, and William H., born May 15, 1866, mar- ried April 29, 1 891, to Lizzie Stackpoole, and has one child — Reginald. Henry Peck, son of Henry Peck (IV), passed nearly the allotted three-score and ten years in the town of Brookfield, where he engaged in farming, and his old home farm still remains in the possession of his family. On May 26, 1791, he married Hannah Northrup, by whom he had seven children, all now deceased, as follows: Hannah (who married Elias Sturtevant), Henry L. , Harriet, Harmon, Henrietta, Hiram and Hetty. Henry Peck died August 29, 1834. Henry L. Peck, who in his day was one of the most highly honored and respected citizens of the town of Brookfield, was born in that town May 4, 1797. In his early manhood he went south, locating at Darien, Ga., but after a few years, owing to illness amongst his kinspeople at the North, he returned to Brookfield Center, and engaged in the mercantile business. Honest and upright, his business principles assured him a success seldom attained. He continued in this line of work until his death, at the age of sixty- six, during the exciting days of the rebellion. On October 19, 1828, he was united in marriage with Eliza Smith, daughter of Preserve Smith, and to them were born three children: (i) Henry died in infancy. (2) Harriet E. married Robert T. Clarke, and became the mother of three chil- dren— Henry P., of Columbia, S. C, married Julia Hurd, and has one child — Nancy B. ; Mary Toucey, who married W. C. Haight, of Bridge- port, and has two children — Alton and Marion; and Charles R. (3) Henry S., whose sketch fol- lows. The mother of this family, Eliza Smith Peck, lived until November 4, 1893, and hers was a familiar face among the philanthropical workers, but after ninety years there came a morning when her place was empty, for she was no more.