Don R. Hender has, with the knowledge of David C. Holman, prepared this information for this internet site in the HTML format presented here. No significant changes where made to the text provided by David C. Holman with the exception of convient cross references ('href') to other related material about the Peter family found on other internet pages provided at this site.

Because 3 Thomas brothers married 3 Peter sisters, thus creating double relationships, I have recorded the histories of both families, down to and including my generation. I have stopped there with the exception of some of the newly found branches.

I hope several members of the next generation will continue where some of us are leaving the records. Few old letters and Family Bible records are kept these days, but today there are better vital statistics kept; there are tombstone records and old photographs and some members who can reminisce about them. Write you own history in your own way using whatever you find helpful in this manuscript. Lets carry on the work. I hope it or parts of it will be copied and circulated. It is not copyrighted. But please if I am to given the blame or credit for it, copy it exactly.

After putting out a genealogy like this, I know that I will get complaints or compliments, also condemnations or congratula tions from some elated second cousins. I will receive some sanctions from some querulous second cousins, no doubt I will get disapprobation. Of course, I am due for both heaven and hell to seek me out. My address is:

(A note on obtaining birth, marriage and death certificates in England followed, which is now incorrect.)

We are able to begin our story of the Peter family one generation earlier than on the Thomas side. Earlier records were kept or at least, handed down. At the start, I must say that our early Peter ancestors would spit blood in their graves, if they heard any of their descendants put an "s" on the end of their name.

The English Peter's do not do this. They leave that to other nationalities. John is our earliest know Peter. We only know 4 things about him.

His wife's name was Jennie. We have 4 John Marten Peter's, also Elizabeth Marten Whetters Trevorrow nee Peter, in the family branches. In my 33 years of "climbing the family tree" I have concluded that Marten was Jennie's name. This is proved by the marriage record.

His family consisted of 10 and except for 2 of them, Edward and Thomas Hender, names only have come down to us, no other data, except the married names of the 3 girls, has seeped through.

He owned and farmed a large farm near Illand, 6 miles South West of Launceston, the Cornwall County Seat.

Harry Peter said the family was the aristocracy of their community. Apparently their descendants did not hang on to their wealth, but they did maintain good educational and social standards, for their times.

       GENERATION                          GENERATION
       1.  John Peter                       
       2.  Thomas Hender Peter             1.  Joseph Thomas
       3.  Jane Peter Thomas               2.  Nicholas Thomas
       4.                                  3.  Nicholas Thomas II
       5.                                  4.  Walter Thomas

Except for the families of Edward and Thomas Hender the third generation is unknown. Because of the marriage of first cousins in the third generation when Edward's daughter, Elizabeth Ann Peter married Thomas Hender's son, John Marten Peter I, the records of those families have been kept, while information on the families of the other 8 gradually slipped away.

A. JOHN PETER II2

In the Coad's Green Cemetery, there is a grave of John Peter of North Hill, 1815 - 1882 and his wife Mary who died in 1871. Nearby is the grave of a John Marten Peter, 1834 - 1901 and his wife, Mary Dunn, 1836 - 1899. Are these the next generation? Their children are buried beside them: Susan Ann Peter 1857 - 1867. John Marten Peter, 1873 - 1882 and Margaret Mary Peter 1879 - 1883. No proof. The above John Marten and his wife Mary Dunn appear in the 1881 Census as living in Coad's Green. The details are as follows:

John Marten Peter aged 49?, a copper miner, his wife, Mary Dunn? Peter aged 49?, their children.

Elizabeth J. aged 17
Ann Jonas? aged 13
John Marten aged 8
Margaret Mary aged 4

What is the connection between these families and John Peter II?

B. EDWARD PETER2

We know little about Edward, his wife was Jane Sargeant and they were married at Lewannick in 1819. We have considerable data on his first and fourth children but only scant information on the other 5. They follow in their order.

1. ELIZABETH ANN PETER nee PETER3

Elizabeth was born 14 August 1820. She married her first cousin, John Marten Peter. She died 1 September 1882. Her great grandson, Ernest Parsons, confirmed these dates for me, by checking her tombstone at Coad's Green Cemetery. The following inscription is on the monument. "In memory of Elizabeth Ann beloved wife of John Marten Peter, husband of the above who died in America 28 July 1894 aged 74 years. This stone is erected by their children. This was copied by Michael Parsons, a great great grandson of Ann, great grandson of George Peter, grandson of Charles Peter, son of Violet Parsons nee Peter. John's monument in America indicates that he was 73 in 1894.

These are Ann and John Marten's children

I. Mary Jane Aunger nee Peter4
II. William Henry "Harry" Peter4
III. John Marten Peter II4
IV. Samuel Peter4
V. Francis George Peter4
VI. Alfred Peter4
VII. Ernest Edward Peter4
VIII. Frederick Charles Peter4

These 8 will be listed again as the family of John Marten Peter.

2. EDWARD PETER II3

Edward was born on 5 July 1823. He remained single, lived with his brother at Illand, until William and Lavinia moved up to Bude. He died 10 April 1901 and is buried in Coad's Green Cemetery. He was a beekeeper. The details from the 1881 Census show the following:

William Peter aged 49, a farmer with 32 acres, Lavinia Peter, his wife aged 38. Edward Peter aged 58 a servant.

3. JANE DOWNING nee PETER3

She was born on 16 April 1826 and she died in 1902 aged 76. She was buried beside her husband, James Downing in Coad's Green.

I. LYDIA NICHOLLS nee DOWNING4

Lydia was born in 1860. Her home was at Bathpool about a mile from Coad's Green, where she is buried. She made several visits to America. She died in 1941 at the age of 81. Lydia was a dressmaker. I wonder if she left any Nicholls descendants?

4. JOHN PETER3

John was born on 27 December 1828. His wife was Elizabeth Hoare. May Scantlebury nee Peter of Plymouth, Devon, wrote to me saying that her father, George Peter, had 3 Peter first cousins but she cannot remember who their parents were. Their names were Sophia, Thomas and Bessie Peter. I wrote back and told her that if they were first cousins, they must be children of John and Elizabeth. We had definite statements that Edward remained single and that William and George had no families. May went to Saltash and called on Bessie's daughter Amy. Amy told May that her grandparents were John and Elizabeth. They with their children, Sophia, Thomas, Bessie and several grandchildren are buried at St Stephen's Churchyard, Saltash, Cornwall.

(Across the Tamar River). This link is not certain (1994).
I. SOPHIA MARKS nee PETER4

Sophia was born on 29 October 1859 and died on 14 May 1911. Here is a list of her 8 children.

1. William Thomas Marks Junior. 25 October 1882 - 1924.
2. John Alfred Marks. 25 July 1884 - 4 April 1960.
3. Edward Henry Marks. 9 February 1886 - 17 April 1943.

He married his first cousin Amy Lemie,

4. Charles Cecil Marks. 5 July 1889 - ????
5. Ernest George Marks. 22 July 1891 - ????
6. Elizabeth Maria Trebilcock nee Marks. 1895 - 1916.
7. Ellen Maud Marks. 28 October 1898 - 1940.
8. Elsie Alberta Mathews nee Marks. 24 April 1904 -

she is the only one of that family still living and
lives at 15 Liskeard Road, Burraton, Saltash.

II. THOMAS PETER4

Tom was born in 1862. He remained single and died aged 72 on 13 February 1934.

III. BESSIE LEMIE nee PETER4

Bessie was born on 26 September 1866 and lived to 65 years until 31 August 1931. She was born at Callington, Cornwall. She had only one child.

1. Amy Marks nee Lemie. Amy married her first cousin, Edward Marks. She was born in 1896 and has been a widow for 23 years. She lives at 6 Cowdray Terrace, Cross Park, Saltash, Cornwall

5. WILLIAM PETER3

William was born on 26 June 1831 and married Lavinia Deoney. They had no family. They lived at Illand, later they moved to Bude, Cornwall. They are buried at Bude. See details above about Edward Peter his brother.

6. GEORGE SARGENT PETER3

Born 26 January 1834. His wife was Matilda Frances Waldren. They came to California in 1871 and to Santa Barbara in 1895. In 1909 they came to Los Angeles for Alta Peter's wedding to Frank Whitmore. He was a carpenter. He died of a heart attack on 8 August 1911. Fannie lived on until 27 December 1919. They are buried in Santa Barbara. There were no children.

7. MARY SARGENT KENT nee PETER3

Mary was born on 29 June 1836, she married William Kent, they lived around the Illand area.

C. SAMUEL PETER2

D. ROBERT PETER2

E. RICHARD PETER2

F. ARTHUR PETER2

G. BETSY WEST nee PETER2 There was an E West who was also a

Mrs Curra who is mentioned in a letter.

H. JANE WEST nee PETER2

I. JENNIE HENDER nee PETER2

The above list is not necessarily in order and is possibly the order in which they came to "Harry's" mind.

J. THOMAS HENDER PETER I2

Tom was my great grandfather. He was a cattle dealer, gambler and dog racer. He belonged to the Church of England. May Scantlebury nee Peter says that he drank a good deal, always kept open house for anyone to come in to eat and drink. Her father told her that Tom, his grandfather, squandered plenty of money. He married Katherine "Kitty" Caldwell, probably of London. She was a Methodist. She had consumption and was buried at Liskeard. Their eldest daughter lived there, she died around 1875. In the early 1870's, probably after their daughter Mary Ann had died, Tom died at the home of his sister, Jane West nee Peter. He was buried beside Kittie at Liskeard. A great granddaughter Lucile Maso nee Straw, has been at Tom and Kittie's old home at Illand.

Tom and Kittie's 13 children, all born in that big house, and Edward and Jane's 7 children, already listed, are all we know of the third generation. The second generations other 8, no doubt had families but knowledge of them has not reached us.

1. MARY ANN LANGDON nee PETER3

Tom and Kittie's first child was Mary Ann, that is she is first on my list. She married William Langdon, lived, died and is buried at Liskeard. She died of apoplexy about 1873.

I. THOMAS PETER LANGDON & HIS DAUGHTERS4

Thomas Langdon was a postman at Liskeard. May Scantlebury nee Peter wrote me, he had 2 daughters and was killed in World War One. Unless he was born when his mother was middle aged, it appears that he was quite old to be killed in the 1914-1918 war.

2. REBECCA SOADY nee PETER3

Rebecca's husband was Robert Soady. In 1885 they moved to St Blazey. Here is an exact copy of the letter she wrote to her sister Jane Thomas nee Peter of Big Patch Wisconsin:

Church Street
St Blazey

Dec 7 1855
My dear sister,

	I daresay you will be surprised to hear from me after such a long
time, so now you have got myself as well, what do you think of me?  I only
wish I could speak to you.  I could tell you so much more than one can write,
but my dear if we never meet somewhere on Earth, may we all be prepared to
meet in Heaven.  Then what a happy meeting it will be to meet our poor old
father and mother.  I have never received a letter from you since your
husband died.  How are you getting on dear?  I have just written to brother
John and sent him a photo and also going to send one to sister Elizabeth and
one to brother Thomas

	Dear sister I want to know where all your children are and how many
of them are married and whether you have got the Flour Mill now or not?  I
hope you will write by return and tell me what you think of my pretty picture.
Do you ever think of coming home?

	I have no doubt John has told you I have Robert's sister's daughter,
living with me.  I want to send her photo, but she says she is too ugly to
send to you all, but you shall have it after a little time.  She is a
dressmaker and has lived with me for about 13 years.  She is a capital maid,
have you got a son you could recommend her to?  If you have, send home his
photo.  Mrs Curra at Lamellion (E West) is very unwell indeed but desired to
be kindly remembered to you all.

	Robert and Laura join in my kindest love to you all.  I am your
loving sister.

						R.P. Soady

	Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Dear sister
we have an election here.  Do you remember the election at Liskeard when you
were there as a little girl down to Lamellion.  Times are bad back in England.

Rebecca and Robert had no children. In the letter Mrs J Hocking wrote in 1893 to Elizabeth James nee Thomas, she told that Rebecca and Robert had a nice home at Looe Mills. That is just south of Liskeard. In a letter, Rebecca's brother William wrote in 1895, he said he heard from Rebecca occasionally, but had not seen her for several years. She must have been around 76 then, if she was number 2 in the family.

3. JOHN MARTEN PETER I3

John was the first to have Marten for his middle name. that was an indication that it was a family name. He was born on 28 July 1821. He married his first cousin. Elizabeth Ann Peter. They had 8 children. There was 1 girl, one boy died young. Two sons remained in England and raised their families there. The other four sons came to the United States.

Elizabeth died 21 September 1882 and was buried at Coad's Green, a couple of miles from Illand. Three years after John came to this country (USA), where he lived for 9 years and died on his birthday in 1894 aged 73. When John came to America, that made five of the Peter family in this country. The others, Jane, Kate, Jennie and Tom had come in 1852 and 1853.

I. MARY JANE ANN AUNGER nee PETER4

Simon (Sampson) Aunger was her husband. They had no family. She was born 20 March 1842. We were told she was buried in Durham, England, where she lived.

II. WILLIAM HENRY "HARRY" PETER & HIS CHILDREN4

Harry was born at Illand, Cornwall, on 23 April 1845. He was baptised into the Church of England. In 1871, aged 26, he came to America, where he spent his working years as a carpenter and contractor. In 1883 he returned to England and on 29 March, married Salita Hooper. He brought his bride to this country where she died 14 months later. she was buried at Mifflin. Two years after the first trip he went back to England again, in 1885. This time he brought his father back with him to America.

On 24 November 1887, Adeline Davies became his second wife. She was the mother of his three children. Harry was my first cousin, and in 1936, I took my parents to Wisconsin for a visit. She died on 18 August 1936 and is buried at Mifflin.

1. William Henry Peter Jr. 14 August 1888 - 19 September 1900. Buried in family plot.
2. Edward Davies Peter. 28 August 1891, lives just east of St Paul's and River Falls Wisconsin with his wife Esther.
3. Margaret lives in Platteville. She has remained single. Born 26 January 1896

III. JOHN MARTEN PETER JUNIOR AND HIS CHILDREN4

John Marten the Second was born 26 June 1849 at Illand. He married Mary Cleary Hamm. After their 3 children were born at Liskeard, Cornwall, he came to Wisconsin in 1881. His family came in 1883. After 4 years around Mifflin, they went to Chapie, Iowa in 1887, still later to Sheffield in 1909. There they died and were buried. He died 21 February 1920.

1. Alfred, born 21 August 1870 at Liskeard. Came to the USA in 1883. His wife was Ella Heal. She was a sister of my brother Leslie's first wife. Alfred and Ella with their 2 boys, Lavine and Jay, lived on a farm south west of Sheffield. Alfred died aged 57 on 22 June 1927. He and Ella are buried at Liskeard

2. John Marten Peter III was born 29 November 1872 at Liskeard. He lost one of his thumbs and was known as Tom Thumb. He remained single and lived to nearly 87 and died on 24 September 1959. He was buried at Sheffield.

3. Emma Jane married Ernest Hawke. He was born 18 December 1874 and died on 5 February 1907. He is buried at Sheffield.

IV. SAMUEL THOMAS PETER4

This boy was born on 3 August 1852 and died in 1864 when he was 12. He is probably buried at Coad's Green. George as he was called was born on 21 February 1855 and married Louisa Tindall? who was born in 1855 and died in 1940 at Millbrook, Cornwall. She had lived there in a 2 room cottage for many years. He was a ship builder and lived at Devonport in Plymouth. He died 9 February 1931. He was buried at Weston Mill Cemetery in Plymouth, where 3 of his daughters are also buried. He had 7 children.

1. Mary Charlotte Louise Holman nee Peter. 1885-1963. Her ashes were buried at Eggbuckland Cemetery. She married Charles Edward Holman, born 4 April 1882 and died 2 February 1959. Their first son, probably called Edward died in infancy probably around 1908. Her daughter Mrs Dorothy May (Wilson) Higginson nee Holman lives at 35 Rollis Park Road, Oreston, Plymouth. Current as at 1994. Mary's son Edgar Charles Holman lived in various places around the West Country and died in Bath, Avon in February 1988. His wife is Irene Walton and now lives in Bath. Current 1994. Their children are David Charles, Leslie Norman and Valerie.

2. Eileen Austen nee Peter. 1887-1941 had 2 sons and a daughter. who is Elsie Brown nee Austen. Eileen is buried in Weston Mill Cemetery. Her husband was probably called Jack. It is possible that she may have been a little odd! Their sons Richard and Robert live in Plymouth.

3. Lavinia Metherall nee Peter. 1888-1965. She had 3 daughters and was separated from her husband. She may have been known as Win. The eldest daughter, Margery died in 1965. leaving 5 grown up children. Winifred Stephens nee Metherall who lives at Chudleigh. Josephine is married and lives in County Durham.

4. Olive Snow nee Peter. 1890-????. She married late in life and had no family. She died in a nursing home. Her husband was a newsagent in Plymouth.

5. George Charles Peter was born on 16 February 1891 and died 28 July 1976. His wife may have been called Maud. He lost his first wife and remarried late in life, they lived at Laira. His eldest girl is Phyllis Davis White nee Peter. The second is Violet Parsons nee Peter. She has a son, Michael Parsons, 1 Culver Way, Eggbuckland. Current 1989. He has worked on his father's genealogy but not on his mother's side. Charles' youngest son, Leonard George Peter born in 1929 has 2 sons to carry on the name of Peter. Alan, who married Valerie Kingdon and Stephen who married Annette Knill. Alan and Valerie have 2 children, Melissa Joy, born 19 March 1979 and Gareth John born 26 July 1981.

6. Eleanor Peter. 1892-1908. She was known as Ella.

7. Frances May Scantlebury nee Peter. Born 5 May 1894 and died in 1974. She married Frederick Scantlebury, he was drowned at sea during WW1 or WW2, whilst serving in the Navy, he fell off his ship. May's first born is Roy Peter Scantlebury, living in Plymouth. Current 1989, His daughter teaches English in Vienna. Her son Philip Poschl lives at Adolf Holzerstraße, 2380 Perchtoldsdorf, Austria. He visited England in July 1989 and spoke with Dorothy May Higginson, he is interested in the Peter Family as he is a descendant. May's next child is Louisa Cowin nee Scantlebury, next is Audrey Liversedge nee Scantlebury. The youngest is Beryl Priminer nee Peter. They all have families.

VI. ALFRED PETER AND HIS CHILDREN4

At the age of 17, Alfred went to the USA in 1874. Ten years later he married Mabel Cushman a Mayflower descendant. He was born on 3 September 1857. Their children were born at Frankfort, South Dakota. In 1906 he returned to England for a visit to his brothers George and Ernest. The family had just moved to Lincoln, ???, where he died on 28 March 1909, he was also buried there. Later that year his widow and 3 daughters moved to Los Angeles, California.

1. Earl was born 25 November 1884 and died 23 February 1954. He was buried in Lincoln. He had a daughter and a son.

2. Alta Whitmore nee Peter was born 26 February 1888. She married Frank Whitmore and had two daughters and a son. She lives with one of her daughters in Harford, California. The other daughter, Doris Johnson visited England in 1964. she saw one of her relatives, Colin John Parsons, a great grandson of Ernest Edward Peter. Colin Parsons farms at Congdon's Shop near Coad's Green.

3. Myrtle Winegar nee Peter lived in Bell, California, where her daughter and son still live. She was born 25 December 1891 and died 21 August 1956. She is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, Whittier, California.

4. Gladys McFadden nee Peter married Wallace McFadden. She was born 29 June 1899.

VII. ERNEST EDWARD PETER AND HIS CHILDREN4

Ernest was born at Illand 30 October 1859 and died 14 June 1943. He was buried at Coad's Green. He had two children.

1. John Marten Peter, this is the fourth person of that name. He was born 30 June 1885 at Congdon's Shop, near Illand. He went to America when he was 16 in 1901. He married Martha Geddes and died on 3 February 1965. He was buried at Sheffield, Iowa.

2. Emily Parsons nee Peter married William John Parsons. She was born 8 October 1888 and died 17 July 1959. She was buried at Coad's Green. She and her husband had a farm and dairy at Coad's Green.

VIII. FREDERICK CHARLES PETER AND HIS CHILDREN4

Charlie, as he was called, married Mary "Polly" Bell from Stratton, Cornwall and they went to the USA in 1885, when his elder brother, Harry, brought his father over. They, like his brother, Alfred, had lived at Frankfort, South Dakota. Later they moved to Los Angeles. He was born 25 November 1862 and died 3 April 1943. Both he and Polly are buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, California.

1. Florence Annie was born between 14 April and 16 April 1886 and was buried at Mifflin, while Charlie and Polly lived there, just after their arrival in America.

2. Alice was born 27 November 1887 and died 1 April 1962, she is buried beside her parents in Forest Lawn Cemetery. She didn't have any children.

3. Leonard was born 24 December 1885 and died 21 May 1966. For many years he had lived at Swaledale, Iowa. He was taken back to Redfield, South Dakota and buried beside his wife Mabel Hanson, who had died 39 years earlier.

4. Gilbert was born 14 July 1890 and was killed by a train 17 May 1961, he was buried at Knoxville, Tennessee.

5. Sidney was killed in WW1 and is buried at the National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. He was born 30 December 1893 and died 21 July 1918.

4. SUSAN PETER nee PETER3

Susan married Robert Peter. Nothing is known about her.

5. JANE THOMAS nee PETER3

Jane was born 6 January 1825 and died 20 February 1911. She married Nicholas Thomas of Linkinhorne. She suffered from asthma for years. She was buried at Big Patch. When she and Jennie left England in 1853, their emigration further shattered the Peter family. Kate and Tom had emigrated the year before, according to their obituaries. Sam had died a couple of years before. Since practically nothing is known of Susan and Lydia, they probably had too.

This 1853 group left their parents, 2 brothers and 4 sisters. We do not know when Elizabeth went to Australia. It was 32 years further down the road when John went to America. After the old folks and Mary Ann had gone, it left Rebecca at Looe Mills, William at Exeter and Sarah, probably at Illand or Tavistock.

Her husband Nicholas was born at Mary Tavy in Devon on 17 June 1822 and died 24 April 1879. They had a daughter Mary Altizer nee Thomas. He started working in the mines in Cornwall at the age of 7 in about 1830 - 1831. His job was picking over the ore on the floor. He was the first of three Thomas brothers to marry three Peter sisters. It is presumed that the Thomas family must have lived near the Peter family in Illand.

They were married at North Hill Parish Church. He only made his mark, the witnesses were her brother John and his wife. Jane later taught Nick to read and write and he became an avid reader. Six weeks after their 3rd child John was born, Nick sailed with his brother William and other members of his family, for America. He landed in Wisconsin, he got word back to Jane of the hard journey over. Jane wrote this letter back to him.

Illand 

July 19

1848

Dear Husband,

	I received your letter and was glad to find that you all got over
safe and much more to think that you are well my dear.  Me and the dear
children are all well and thank God for it.  I have been thinking a great
deal about coming to America, it is a very great undertaking for me with my
children.  I should be very glad to see you home again dear Nicholas, but if
it is not your wish, I will endeavour to come to you.

Although father and mother say, I shall not come, they would rather help fill
your home than I should come to America dear husband.  I am still living in
the same house, the house is parted and I am living in a widow's corner, that
is in the dairy.  Thomas Shovell is living in the kitchen, but Mr Budge says
that if you come home again, he will have the parting taken down and we shall
have it all again.  My dear, I have sold part of my furniture to pay the rent
and other people.  I have sold 1 bed and bed tie, 3 chairs and a few small
things beside.  I was not willing, dear Nicholas, to sell much of my things,
thinking you might come home again and so you must think it had been hard up
with me.  I have taken a great deal of trouble with my baby, to do my sewing,
as I must do something to help maintain my little ones.  I have not seen
Hambras since a fortnight after you went away.  I went up to Burkem then and
brought home Jabez and left Hambras.  Jabez goes to school, he often asks and
says he wishes his father was home and sometimes says he is going to America
next spring.

Thomas Peter and Mary give their kind love to you and I am sorry to say they
are going to Australia in a fortnight.  
	
John and Elizabeth give their kind love to you and to William and Abel and
she says that she little thought when saw Abel that he was going to America
so soon and John says he hopes you will look out for a spot for him as he is
determined to come over to America.  Aunt Susan gives her love to you and she
says she has got a better opinion of you now than she had before.  I am now
at Illand for a week.  I have been down at Lamerton for a week and went to
the Post Office to see for a letter 5 days out of the week and I took out
Hambras letter and broke it and read it.  They are all very well and give all
their kind love to you and Rebekah is very much against my coming to America,
dear husband.  John Crouch has sowed the seed that you desired him to sow and
my dear I have sowed the potato onions to bring with me, but I think you will
not be able to get money enough to take us over against another spring, you
said you would send thirty pounds but my dear I think you not be able to send
over more than half the money.  Dear Nicholas I do not know what I shall do
for the winter if you do not send something over to help maintain us, Kitty
has been rather frightened since you left, her mistress has moved to another
house, they say it is haunted by spirits.  She heard something like chains
rattling and they were all very much frightened and she fainted.  I have not
seen her but she has sent six shillings to me.  Samuel says he will come to
America along with me if I go.  I hope William or you will come but I think
William's heart or yours will fail for I think one rough passage will be
enough.  John desires to leave you know that the potatoes are all gone again
and wishes to know how they are getting on at America where they are the same
or not.  Dear Nicholas you never wrote any particulars at all about your
passage.  I hope you will send more on your next letter.  I think yours must
be a rough one for I think on you my dear to think you had no bed to lie on.
It is now time to conclude, I often think on you with aching heart and I hope
you will send answer as soon as possible and delay no time.  I went to calling
with intent to see you on Wednesday by persuasions staid home and not went to
Plymouth.  Dear Nicholas I am sorry to say that Ann has broken her collar
bone and your mother has sprained her foot.  Elizabeth Crouch and John or Mr
and Mrs Daw give their love to you.  Dear Nicholas I must conclude with
aching heart.  Elizabeth is living at Liskeard.  Please do give my love to
William and Hambras and Abel and except the same yourself my dear husband.
Father and mother and brothers and sister give their kind love to you and
until we meet and then I hope we shall be parted no more.  Dear Nicholas
words cannot express, no tongue can tell my feelings, adieu my dearest
husband from your affectionate wife.


Jane Thomas

The above letter was kept by Jane and Nick for the rest of their lives. Their daughter Kate had it and it was copied exactly by Walter Thomas in about 1934. There are many stories about Nick's crossing, his gold seeking in California, his panning of $25,000 worth of gold in Jane's apron. He did return to England as the following details from the West Briton show:

Nicholas returned with his brother William to North Hill on 2 Jan 1852 having left 3 years since last April to see their third brother. They returned to England with about £1,500 each. Nicholas at this time had a wife and three children. When he left his family they were destitute and his wife had to work. On his return they had just finished dinner. He later brought them back to America. He had bought a farm on coming to Big Patch, using the money from the gold found in California as payment. To the 4 children brought from England. Jane added 8 or 9 more, Jane's obituary said she had 13 children but there may not actually have been more than 12. The children were reared in the Primitive Methodist Church, which was founded in about 1810.

Nicholas died of a stroke aged 56, his son Nicholas Junior was only 20. His wife Jane lived as a widow for 32 years, however, she left the farm and moved into Big Patch. She died at the home of her daughter Kate Altizer at the age of 86. Both of them are buried at Big Patch but no monument to them has been erected.

6. ELIZABETH MARTEN WHETTERS TREVORROW nee PETER AND HER CHILDREN3

Elizabeth was born in 1827. It is not known when or where she married Mr Whetters, nor when she emigrated to Australia. They had a son and daughter. Elizabeth's husband died early. She then married James Trevorrow. They had one daughter, Sarah Jane Trevorrow. Elizabeth corresponded with Elizabeth James nee Thomas and sent her picture taken in Australia. John James had possession of it. There follows an exact copy of a letter she wrote to Elizabeth from Wallaroo Mines, South Australia. It must have been written in either 1899 or 1900.

Wallaroo Mines

January 30

Dear Niece,

	I received your letter and photos and you and your husband and son is
looking nice..  Your husband is holder then you, I think you look like your
mother.  I due prize them very much.  Dear niece I have not got aney of my
likeness, not now, but if I get better I will send it to you.  I will try to
get it taken my health is bad and I due not think I shall get better.  I
suffer like our dear mother and hope to meet her in Heaven.

Dear niece I am sorry to hear of my sister Jane's hillness.  i hope she is
better by this time.  I hope she is prepared when the Lord calls her.  I wood
so much like to have her likeness, give my love to her and her family.  did
her children tend her in sickness.  I hope your mother's leg is better.  I am
glad you are able to go home with your mother.  How due you manage, both your
husband and son live home altogether with your mother and father, tell me on
your next letter.  I was very pleased to hear of my brother Thomas and his
wife.

I am glad he got married and he got a good wife to tend him in his old age.
What doth brother Tom do?  Is he living independant?  Tell him to write me a
letter and I would like to have their likeness, both of them and Tom's
children.  Tell Uncle George and Jenney to write me, I would like to have
their photos.  I wrote to their daughter, 2 years ago last May and she never
answered it.  I think Mr Randle ought to have answered it.

I do thank her for the doily that she worked, I prize it very much.  I never
hear from Uncle William Peter nor Aunt Rebecca Soady.  I would like to know
if she was living or dead.  My daughter, Mrs Daddow, is in West Australia.
She has 6 children, 5 boys and 1 girl, the girl is the youngest, 5 years old
and going to school.

She is spoiled by my daughter.  Mrs Varcoe got 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls.
I have only 1 son and his wife got 3 daughters and 2 sons.  She has them all
married.  My son and his wife are in West Australia, so you can see I have no
one home.  I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
I hope this will find you all well.  My best love to all, kiss your son for
me, so no more at present, goodbye, God Bless You all right soon from

				Your loving Aunt
				E.M.TREVORROW


Dear neice,

	I would like to have a letter from your mother and father, dear sister
Katy do send me a letter, kiss all for me.  Answer this letter as quick as
you can.  I want to know how Sister Jane is, what age you and all.

The above letter contained numerous spelling errors and very little punctuation. I have corrected this so that some sense can be made of it. Examples of spelling errors were due for do, verrey for very, however words like Australia are spelt correctly, probably indicating that they were copied from a book or map. DC Holman S 1, 1996

Elizabeth's Death Certificate shows that she died of heart disease at Wallaroo Mines, South Australia on 26 August 1901, aged 74. She was a widow then.

I. SAMUEL EDGAR WHETTERS AND HIS CHILDREN4

No doubt the boy was the eldest, as she said in the above letter that his children were already married. He had at least 2 sons and 3 daughters. Samuel Edgar Whetters was born in Cornwall in 1853. He married Annabelle Angus of Edinburgh, Scotland. His family were born in South Australia and New South Wales.

He died in 1902 aged 49. Both he and his wife are buried at Broken Hill, New South wales. Two of their children are reported to have been born in 1877.

1. Sydney Edgar Whetters was born in 1876 at Moonta, South Australia. He married Mary Elizabeth Cartwright at Broken Hill about 1897. They also mined at Benoni, Transvaal, where their last two children were born and Mary died in 1915. Buried at Broken Hill. He had 7 children including, Fred, 1898, married no family, lives at Bentley West Australia. George, 1900, married, no family, lives in Perth. Harry, 1902, died 16 years old.

Doris, is Mrs Healey and is a nurse, born 1907, no family, lives in Western Australia. In 1913, Sydney took his 7 children, aged 6 months to 14 years from Benoni, Transvaal to the Perth area of Western Australia, to be raised in their Grandfather Cartwrights house. He then returned to the gold mines in South Africa in 1914.

2. Priscilla Everness nee Whetters was born at Broken Hill in 1877 and died on 22 September 1944. She is buried at Broken Hill, NSW. Her 7 children are as follows. Blanch, remained single, lives at Broken Hill. Samuel, also single, dead. John, single, dead. Annie, Mrs Callaghan, born 1899 and lives at Broken Hill, she has 4 children. Eve, Mrs Smith, has 3 children. Harriet, Mrs Hargreaves of Broken Hill has a family of 8. Thomas lives in Sydney and has a daughter Ruth.

3. Edith Watts nee Whetters was born in Broken Hill in 1877. Her husband, Alfred died in Benoni in 1915 aged 39. She lived until 1959 and died there aged 82. Their son Angus Marten Watts was born in 1903. He has a daughter, Yvonne, Mrs Milton Mitchell, who has 3 children. He is retired from his engineering work in Lusaka, Rhodesia, now Zambia. He lives at Caravan Park, Kelso, Natal, South Africa.

4. Isabella Squires nee Whetters was born on 16 September 1879 and died in 1967 at Adelaide, Australia. She had a daughter, Edith Blanche.

5. Bessie was Mrs Brabazon, 1904 - 1924. Buried at Kamakatta, Perth. Her only child is Leonie Tanya Clavanger Sebo nee Brabazon. She married an American serviceman and went to America in 1945, he was Michael Clavanger of Norfolk Virginia. She has 2 little Sebo children, Melody 7 and Stephen 5.

6. The youngest, Samuel Whetters was born in 1894 and died and was buried in Broken Hill. He was single and spent many years mining at Benoni, Transvaal, South Africa.

7. Charles, born in 1910 in Benoni, died at Perth in 1953 aged 43. He left a son, Gilbert of Apple Cross, Perth. He has 4 Whetter sons, Stephen 1956, Hugh 1958, Robert 1961, and Andrew 1967.

8. Last is Ellen or Nell, born in Benoni in the Transvaal in 1911. She is now Mrs Thompson and lives with Doris. She had no children.

II. KATY VARCOE nee WHETTERS AND HER CHILDREN4

The above letter says that this daughter had 4 sons and 4 daughters. John James has a picture of her. Katy Peter Varcoe nee Whetters married Silas Varcoe in about 1880. They had 8 children but only 3 are left, Florence born in 1882, she married her first cousin, Silas Varcoe, named after her father. Clara Varcoe married Tom Huxtable, she was born in 1892. Hilda Varcoe was born in 1901 and lives at Broken Hill NSW. She has a son Ronald Case, Hilda is Mrs Henry Case.

III. SARAH JANE DADDOW nee TREVORROW AND HER CHILDREN4

Sarah was born in 1864 and died in 1918, Her husband was Andrew Daddow. They moved over to Western Australia at the end of the 19th century. They had 8 children. She was a widow for her last 6 years.

1. Ivo Daddow was postmaster up at Port Hedland on the north west coast of Western Australia. He is buried there. After his death in 1928 his wife and 3 children returned to the Perth area. These children are, Ethel Joy Burnside nee Daddow, born in 1912, she has a son Donald born in 1950 and lives in Perth. His other daughter, Gladys Paramor nee Daddow was born in 1915, She lives in Mount Lawley, Perth. She has 2 sons, Bruce, born 1940 and John born in 1943. John is in Melbourne, Australia. Ivo's son Sydney was born in 1917 and lives at on the coast of WA at South Burnberry. His 2 children are Shirley born in 1947 and Rodney born in 1950.

2. Horace Daddow.

3. Leo Ernest Daddow, 1887-1933, is buried at Meridia, Australia. His sons are Jack and Robert of Wassalskia. Jack's children are John, Graham, Margaret and Dorothea. Robert's children are John, Dianni, Stephen and Cheryl. There are 2 daughters, Joy and Marlene who live in Perth.

4. Stanley Daddow.

5. Roy Daddow, who died a tragic death at 18 or 19.

6. Ethel who has a son, Len Cartwright who lives in Western Australia

7. Infant son.

8. Olive who also has a son, Reg Davis at Mount Yokine, WA.

7. LYDIA PETER3

Lydia was born around 1829.

8. KATE THOMAS nee PETER3

Kate was born on 30 December 1830 and died on 19 January 1911 a month before her sister Jane, she is buried at Linden Wisconsin. She married William Thomas who was born at 8 am on 8 February 1827 in Devon England, possibly in the parish of Brinton (Brentor?). He worked in the mines from the age of 8 and as a young man travelled all over England as a successful wrestler. He once decided to go to Australia and bought a ticket and together with his luggage boarded the ship. Suddenly he decided that America was the land of the future and hurried off the ship. He travelled to America in 1848, trekked to California, moved back to England and married Kate Peter. He then travelled back to America. He married Kate on 21 January 1852 and took $5,000 in gold from California. He was the second Thomas brother to marry a Peter sister. He was scarcely 5 feet tall and she was almost 6 feet. Their obituaries both say that they left for America in the spring after their marriage. She taught him to read and write and was the second Peter wife to do this.

They arrived in Big Patch, Wisconsin in 1852 and bought a farm in Campbell's Hollow, southwest of the village, here he built a rock house. Their children Elizabeth, Samuel, George I, George II, Nicholas and Sarah were all born in that house. Eight years later according to their obituaries, they moved to the Rewey Mifflin area. This was about 25 miles north of their first home. William Junior, Leah and Mary Jane were born there. In 1868 the family moved to the Livingstone farm. Kate was born there. They raised livestock and poultry. They were both very religious, strict puritanical, they always said grace at table, reading the bible and saying prayers were the family rule. He became a local lay preacher in the Primitive Methodist Church. He was a popular and emotional speaker. In 1890 they leased the farm and moved into the village of Linden. He died on 8 October 1906 aged 79.

9. JENNIE THOMAS nee PETER3

Jennie was born on 28 September 1832 and died on 2 October 1912. She was the third Peter sister to marry a Thomas brother. She is buried at Mifflin, Wisconsin. She married George Thomas who was the last of the brothers to leave home. The marriage took place on 18 October 1856 in America and their home was on a farm north west of Rewey where they raised 10 children. They too were Primitive Methodists. George died aged 78 and was also buried at Mifflin.

10. SAMUEL PETER3

When Jane's husband, Nicholas Thomas I was in California in 1850-1851, she caught typhoid. Her brother Sam went to see her and also caught the fever and died aged 17. He must have been born in 1833 or 1834.

11. THOMAS HENDER PETER3

Tom Peter the Second was born on 14 April 1835. When our second immigration arrived in America in 1852, young Tom, 17, was one of the crowd. His obituary says that he came in 1852. At Big Patch in 1857, he married Mrs Margaret Renshaw nee Raw. She was two years his senior, born on 27 May 1833. They were Dad's Uncle Tom and Aunt Mag. They had 6 children, then they moved to Chapie, Iowa in 1872. Their last 3 children were born on a farm at Chapie. He was 33rd Mason and an Eastern Star. Mag died on 27 july 1896 and is buried at Sheffield. Next year Tom moved to Sheffield and on 2 July married Mrs Hannah Bishel Huntingdon nee Dodson. She had a Bishel family but no Huntingdon children. She was born in England on 18 May 1837. Tom died on 15 August 1917. He was buried beside Mag at Sheffield. Hannah lived to 91 and died on 9 September 1928 and was buried in a separate plot at Sheffield, nowhere near any of her 3 husbands.

I. JAMES PETER AND HIS CHILDREN4

James "Jim" Alongo Peter was born 29 December 1857 and died on 21 August 1934, he is buried at Sheffield.

1. His daughter Bernice, Mrs George Miller, lives in Iowa and was born on 28 November 1900.
2. Leonard lives at Elk Point, South Dakota, he was born on 9 October 1902. Together with his wife he adopted a daughter. He is a retired farmer.

II. MARY ANN SHRAKE nee PETER AND HER CHILDREN4

Mary Ann was born on 27 December 1860, her 3 children were born at their homestead in Chamberlain, South Dakota. In 1895 they moved to Sioux City, Iowa. She died on 3 April 1939 and is buried in Logan Park Cemetery in Sioux City.

1. Ethel, only daughter, Mrs Gearhart nee Shrake was born 6 September 1883.
2. Cleveland Shrake was born 28 January 1885 and died 2 August 1902 and was buried in Logan Park Cemetery.
3. Lester Shrake was born 8 April 1893 and died 21 January 1967, he is buried in Bakersfield, California.

III. SARAH RAWSON nee PETER AND HER CHILDREN4

Dick Rawson was Sarah's husband and she was born on 15 June 1863 and died on 2 January 1938. She and Dick are buried at Sheffield. They had 4 children.

1. Margaret Elizabeth "Dolly" Holmes nee Rawson was born on 7 October 1884 and died 10 December 1962. She lived at Steamboat Rock, Iowa, where she is buried.
2. Edith Carr nee Rawson was the wife of Roscoe Carr, she was born on 26 February 1886 and died 6 June 1966. She is buried at Mason City. Iowa. She had wasted away to 80 pounds. For years they had wintered in Tucson, Arizona.
3. Arthur Rawson was born 13 November 1887 and died 14 February 1962, he is buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City.
4. Charlie Rawson lives at Sheffield and was born on 30 December 1892.

IV. PRISCILLA SENEY nee PETER AND HER CHILDREN4

Priscilla was born on 14 February 1865 and was killed whilst on the way to a Fourth of July picnic in 1902. A train hit the surrey in which she was travelling, killing her instantly. I have her very long obituary. It is the most gruesome blood-curdling piece of newspaper writing I have ever seen. Burial was in the Floyd Cemetery in Sioux City where she was living. She and Robert Seney had 4 children.

1. Irene Seney was born on 17 November 1886 and died 26 July 1887 she was buried in Floyd Cemetery where Priscilla was buried 15 years later.
2. Ebner Seney was born on 29 September 1888 and died in 1919. He was in the Navy in WW1. He is also buried in Floyd Cemetery.
3. Pearl Seney was born 3 March 1890 and died 19 November 1930. She is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Chicago.
4. Robert Seney was born 26 July 1897 and died 3 April 1939. His home had been at Tracy, California, where he was buried. The Seney's did not live long. A son and his family live in Visalia.

V. CORA STONEBREAKER HUNTINGDON nee PETER AND HER CHILDREN4

She was born on 14 March 1867 and died 30 September 1941, she is buried beside her daughter in Hampton, Iowa.

1. Clyde Stonebreaker was born 16 January 1887 and married but had no family.
2. Cora's daughter was Flora Huntingdon, born 26 February 1895 and died 13 February 1906, she is buried at Hampton.

VI. LILLIAN HALON nee PETER AND HER SON4

Lillian was the last of Tom and Mag's children born at Big Patch on 14 September 1870 and died on 29 March 1956, she is buried in the Logan Park Cemetery in Sioux City.

1. Her baby Leo Jeremiah was born 8 April 1893 and died 3 weeks later. He is buried in the Catholic Cemetery there as his father was a catholic.

VII. EDITH WINAND O'DELL BERVAC nee PETER4

Tom's first child, Edith was born South of Chapie on 2 April 1873 and died on 20 August 1961. She had no family and was buried at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach, California, where she had lived

VIII. SIMON EDWARD PETER AND HIS SON4

Simon was also born south of Chapie on 30 August 1875 and died on 12 April 1962, he is buried at Sioux City's Logan Park Cemetery.

1. Donald was the only son the family had. He graduated from the University of South Dakota and was an attorney. He was born on 22 June 1901 and died on 13 October 1954, he too is buried in Logan Park Cemetery.

IX. ALFRED LUCIUS PETER AND HIS DAUGHTER4

Fred was born with red hair on St Patrick's Day, 1 March 1880 and died on 1 September 1967, he is also buried in Logan Park Cemetery.

1. Alberta Glassel Franklin nee Peter lives near Venice, California. She is the only child of Fred and his first wife. He had no other children. Alberta was born on 26 June 1905.

12. WILLIAM PETER3

William was born between 30 January 1837 and 30 January 1838. He was 79 when he died on 30 January 1917, Jane his first wife lived from 1831 to 1913. William started work as a policeman for Devon County at the age of 21. The following 1892 letter that he wrote says that he had been working for the county for 34 years. His obituary reports that he changed jobs and became "Keeper of the Castle" in July 1872. The Castle was also the court house. He was jailer, custodian and gardener. He had many assistants. A Christmas Card sent to Tom at Sheffield, said that he had been Castle Keeper for 43 years. He belonged to the Conservative Party and the Congregational Church. He was a widower for nearly 4 years.

Here is a letter William wrote to his brother Tom's daughter, Mrs Priscilla Seney nee Peter of Sioux City, Iowa. The original letter has been given to her grandson at Visalia, California. This is an exact copy of the original.

						THE CASTLE, EXETER, ENGLAND.
						9TH MARCH 1892.

My dear neice,

	In answer to your wellcome note received a few days ago.  I can tell
you I was very glad to hear from you and to hear my brother Tom is still alive
and well.  I have often thought about him, your father is mistaken, I have
got three children, 2 boys and a girl.  My oldest is 31, the next 30 and the
baby is 23 the first of April next, the two boys are married and have 2
children each of them.  They are doing fairly well, one is a grocer and the
other is a Bailiff in the County Court, and my daughter is living with me,
poor girl, she enjoys very bad health, as to myself I enjoy pretty good
health, as to my wife, she enjoys reather bad health.  We all send our love
to you all, especially to your father and mother.

	Now I suppose you would like to know what I do, I am the keeper of
the Exeter Castle.  The Castle is a fine building where all the county
business is done, the assizes and sessions for trail of prisoners is all done
hear.  I have a very good place and very little work to do, my wages is about
100 pounds per year.  With a house to live in, the authorityes have just
pulled down my old house, and are building me a new house which will cost 990
pounds, so all being well I shall have a good house to end my days in.  I am
now living in the judges lodgings for the time, that is a splendid house
which cost the county six thousand pounds.  You say that you should like to
have my likeness, now I will make you a promis that is if you will get and
send to me your father and mother's likeness with your own and send to me you
shall have mine and Aunt's likeness, tell your father that I have not seen
Aunt Rebecca for some time but I believe she is very well.  I do not know
that I can tell you any more at this time.

					From your Uncle
					  W. Peter

P.S. I have a been Servant to the County for 34 years so I am pretty well
known

Richard Goodall has an original letter that William wrote to Tom at Sheffield on 8 November 1875. In Jennie Thomas nee Peter's obituary in 1912, her brother William was listed as living at that time. His nephew "Fred" Peter of Sioux City, Iowa, gave me a fine picture of William and Jane last year. It is a very good picture taken at Exeter. He had a long flowing beard, even at that early date when it was taken.

William was a breeder of fancy Minorca Chickens. He also raised roses and begonias. His hobbies brought him 4 silver cups and many other prizes. His death on 30 January 1917 was caused by asthma and bronchitis. He was buried beside his wife in Higher Cemetery in Exeter. They had 3 Children.

I. WILLIAM THOMAS PETER AND HIS CHILDREN4

I believe that he was called Thomas. He was born in 1861 and died 21 January 1919 at the age of 58. He was the manager of a Co-op grocery store in Topsham Exeter. His wife was Susan Call. He was buried in Higher Cemetery, Exeter. His wife died 5 weeks later and is buried beside him.

1. Evelyn Kittie Peter, 1886-1918, remained single and is also buried in Higher Cemetery, Exeter.
2. Edwina Peter was their other child, she married and had a son.

II. RODNEY SAMUEL PETER AND HIS CHILDREN4

Samuel, as he was called, was born in 1862 and died in 1926. As a young man he worked with the "Exeter Gazette" office. For years he was a bailiff in the Devon County Court. He was a Sergeant Major in WW1. He was a member of the Conservative Party and the Church of England. He and his wife had 2 children but the obituary grouped all the "immediate mourners" together without identifying them. Sam's wife is not buried beside him.

III. KATE PETER4

Kate was born on 1 April 1869, she was sickly and at the age of 23 was living with her parents. No Kate Peter is buried on the family plot. Along with William and Jane's picture, Alfred Peter of Sioux City gave me a picture of Mr and Mrs Wonnerath, without any identification. Rodney Samuel's obituary listed them among the "immediate mourners". I surmise that they were Kate and her husband.

13. SARAH KITE nee PETER3

"Harry" Peter listed a Sarah among his aunts. Kate Altizer nee Thomas said that her Aunt Sarah had a family. Long ago, someone told me that she died in 1884. I wasn't sure of her married name. I had Kite and Cruze. I got a photocopy of a death certificate of a Mrs Elizabeth Cruze from the Bureau of Vital Statistics. It proved to be the death certificate of a daughter of Sarah Peter and her husband, James Kite. James and Sarah Kite are buried either at Coad's Green or at Tavistock in Devon.

I. ELIZABETH CRUZE nee KITE AND HER SONS4

Elizabeth was born in Devon on 20 April 1861, she married William Money Cruze. they had 2 sons. In 1909 William and the elder son emigrated to America. Next year in 1910, Elizabeth and the younger son came over. They arrived at Easthampton, Massachusetts. The younger son was the only one ever to return to their old home at Tavistock. Elizabeth died on 24 December 1928 aged 67 and was buried in Brookside Cemetery, Easthampton. Later her husband was buried beside her.

1. Harry Cruze was born on 7 June 1888 in Tavistock and died on 29 January 1920. His wife died soon after and was also buried in the Brookside Cemetery in Easthampton. Each son had 2 daughters. He was a plumber by trade.

In the next generation the eldest daughter is Mrs Dorothy Worsham nee Cruze. She lives in Detroit. They have a family, Dorothy is a teacher. The younger daughter is Mrs Edna Barton nee Cruze of Lewington, Connecticut. Mr Barton's given name is Parker. They also have a family, Dorothy was born in 1915 and Edna in 1918.

2. Maurice Cruze was born on 4 March 1895 and died on 4 April 1964, both he and his wife are buried in the family plot at Easthampton. Like his brother he had 2 girls. Mary Cruze of Larragansett, Springfield, Massachusetts, born 10 August 1925. Ten years ago her father took her on a trip to see the old Cruze home at Tavistock. Mary's sister is Mrs Mildred Kitty nee Cruze, she was born 24 March 1927, she has 4 children.

Our "Harry" Peter of Platteville reported that he spoke with old lawyer "Dick" Peter in 1883, when he went back to England to be married. He thought "Dick" was a cousin of our John Peter. Dick was probably about 40 years younger than our John Peter Senior, but nearer the age of our John Peter Junior, brother of my great grandfather, Thomas Hender Peter. They could have been brothers or first cousins.

The 100th Birthday celebration of Richard Peter of Launceston took place on 9 October 1909, amid great fanfare, including greetings from the King and all the public officials of Cornwall County and the Liberal and Constitutional Clubs. Flags were flown and church bells rung. Crowds came to his home all day and on into the evening to offer congratulations.

Richard was born at Bodmin. His father being the eldest son, inherited large estates in the Illand and North Hill area. When he was 5 months old, when the family moved to Liskeard, where Richard continued his education. His father taught him the rudiments of Latin. He said his father was a banker, but does not give his name. He says that his father had a brother, Edmond, who was a lawyer in London, also that they had been educated in Exeter.

Richard began practising law in 1838 in Launceston at the age of 29. He said that for the sake of improving things, he had been a great radical all his life. He was the Mayor of Launceston in 1864 and Town Clerk from 1874 - 1885. He told the reporters that William Peter from whom the family was descended, had a son who was a great favourite of King Henry VIII, who sent him on many missions to the continent.

The death of Richard Peter was on 15 August 1910, when he was 100 years and 10 months old. His obituary lists his sons as, Apsley P Peter of Holsworthy, Claude H Peter and Otho B Peter of Launceston. Among several grandchildren are the names of Stuart L Peter, son of Claude, also a Mrs Reginald Palmer, formerly Winifred Peter, daughter of Otho.

Richard and his son Otho Bathurst Peter wrote a book called 'The Histories of Launceston and Dunheved' which was printed in 1885 by W Brendon & Son of George St, Plymouth.

Newspaper cuttings of the funeral of Richard Peter, and also of the wedding of Winifred Peter, were sent, probably by Ernest Peter of Illand or his brother George Peter of Plymouth, to their brother John Marten Peter of Sheffield, Iowa. John's grandson, Larine of Sheffield has these three articles now and I have made copies of them.

Ernest and George must have known of the relationship or they wouldn't have sent the newspapers to their brother John. Apsley was an attorney in Holsworthy. He had a son Kenelm and 2 daughters. Claude was an attorney at Launceston and was Town Clerk from 1885. He had 11 children. Stuart L Peter was one of his sons. Another son was the father of Claude G Peter of Peter's and sons Launceston. Otho was an architect in Launceston. He married a cousin, Mary Peter of West Illand. She owned considerable land there. Our Ernest Parsons bought part of that land a few years ago., but the remainder still belongs to the descendants of Otho and Mary Peter. We had a Mary Sargent Peter born in 1836. Our records say that she married a William Kent and lived at North Hill. The following was in the "Post and Weekly News", possibly a Launceston paper, on 23 May 1953.

Richard's grandson, Claude's son, Stuart L Peter was elected Mayor of Launceston on 18 May 1953. He had been Town Clerk for 28 years. His father Claude had been Town Clerk before him for 40 years. His grandfather, Richard, had held the same office before Claude, for 11 years. That was a total of 79 years that the office had been held by 3 generations of Peter's

An ancestor, John Peter, had become Mayor of Launceston, exactly 400 years earlier in 1553. It is certain that the Peter family dates back to the twelfth century.

Arthur's son, Miner Carey Peter was the third generation. The next generation was Miner Carey Peter II and Arthur Peter an attorney and Judge.

The fifth generation consists of Miner Carey Peter III, Arthur Junior and Richard Cowling Peter. Richard lives at 549 Barbary Lane.

The sixth generation is larger. The Louisville telephone directory has quite a number of Peter subscribers. We have not been able to learn the name of the father of the above Robert Senior. He was contemporary with our John Peter Senior who was probably born a little earlier than Robert Senior. From the IGI it may be that his parents were Arthur and Mary Peter of Lewannick.

These final comments were added by Mrs Dorothy Wilson Higginson nee Holman in June 1989.

This work has now been typed into a computer from an handwritten copy of the original made by my Aunt Mrs Dorothy May Higginson nee Holman. The part of the manuscript about the Thomas side of the family has not been entered, but where relevant parts have been extracted and placed into the Peter history. Where a person is said to live at an address, then this is current as at Walter Thomas' work, presumably 1966. Where a date has been checked then the current date has been entered. Errors of transcription are bound to creep in and I intend to check out this document when I can. Any errors either from the original will be corrected on the computer and an up to date copy lodged with the Cornwall Family History Society Headquarters in Truro. I am currently researching my ancestors in the Cornwall area and will be happy to assist where I can.

David Charles Holman

3 Harbour Court,
North Parade
Portscatho,
TRURO
Cornwall
UK
TR2 5HH CFHS number 2978

1 Sep 1996