The Peck Family.

This family comes of German stock. Jacob Peck, born in Germany, 
in 1696,came to America, first locating in Pennsylvania, and then 
removed to the Valley of Virginia and settled in the neighborhood 
of where the city of Staunton is now situated, prior to 1744. He 
married, about the year last mentioned, Elizabeth, a daughter of 
the elder Benjamine Burden, who had come to America as the agent 
of Lord Fairfax to look after his large landed estate in the 
Northern Neck of Virginia. Benjamine Burden, on his
coming to the country, first visited the Virginia capitol at 
Williamsburg, where he met some of the sons of John Lewis, who 
had then recently located in the Valley, and he went with them 
to their home. On a hunting expedition with the sons of Lewis he 
captured a white buffalo calf which he presented to Governor 
Gooch; whereupon the Governor ordered certificate to be issued to 
Burden, authorizing him to locate 100,000 acres of land on
the rivers James and Sherando, which he did, securing a large 
and valuable body of James River bottom lands, now in the 
County of Botetourt, then Orange.

Benjamine Burden, the elder, died about 1743, and by his will 
he gave the James River lands to his five daughters, one of whom 
was Elizabeth, who afterward became Mrs. Jacob Peck. There was a 
long litigation over this land between Peck and wife and Harvey, 
a full history of which can be seen by reference to the reported 
case in the Court of Appeals of Virginia, 1st Munford's R. 518-28. 
Jacob Peck and his wife died before the litigation
ended, which was in 1810; the suit was decided for them, and 
their children received the land, moved to it, and became 
citizens of Botetourt County. The children of Jacob and Elizabeth 
Burden Peck were Jacob, John, Joseph and Hannah, the latter 
marrying Peter Holm.

This name Burden is frequently spoken of as Borden or Burton. 
One of these three sons of Jacob Peck was the father of Benjamine 
Peck, who settled on the Catawba or Sinking Creek about 1785. 
This Benjamine Peck, grandson of the first Jacob, and great-
grandson of the elder Benjamine Burden, had sons John, Jacob, 
Benjamine and Joseph. John married Elizabeth Snidow, a
daughter of Colonel Christian Snidow. Benjamine married 
Rebecca Snidow,also a daughter of Colonel Christian Snidow. 
Jacob married Malinda Givens,of Botetourt. This name Givens 
appears in the list of persons located between 1738-43, in Beverly 
Manor near Straunton.

John Peck and his wife, Elizabeth Snidow Peck, had the following 
sons: William H., Christian L., Joseph A., Dr. Erastus W. and 
Charles D., and daughters: Mary, who married Benjamine Burden 
Peck; Margaret, who married Charles L. Pearis; Clara, who married 
John H. Vawter; Josephine, who married .......Phillips; Ellen, 
who married Dr. Robert B. McNutt; Martha, who married Judge 
John A. Kelley; and another daughter, who married Edwin Amos.

William H. Peck and family removed to Logan County, West 
Virginia; Joseph A. and family removed to Texas; Christian L. 
died in Giles County, but left a family, among them a son, 
Charles Wesley, who died in the service of his country, and sons 
Erastus and John H., who were gallant Confederate
soldiers, receiving in battle severe wounds, from which the 
former has never recovered.

Dr. Erastus Peck was thrice married and left some children, 
among them, Amos Peck, Miss Josie Peck and the wife of Walter 
V. Peck. Charles D., who married Miss Thomas, had but one son 
who attained his majority, John K.; a daughter, Lucretia, who 
married Dr. D. W. McClaugherty; another, Maggie,
who married Judge Hugh G. Woods; another, Clara, who married 
J. Kyle McClaugherty; another, Fannie, married John Adair, 
and Rachael married Mr.Fulton.

Benjamine Burden Peck and wife had six sons: Pembroke P., 
Charles L.,James H., Jacob A., Erastus H., and B. Wallace, 
the latter yielding up his life for his country in the battle 
of Gettysburg. Mr. Phillips and family went to Alabama. Judge 
John A. Kelley and family lived in Smyth County,
Virginia. Charles L. Pearis and wife had but one child, a 
daughter,Electra, who married Dr. Charles W. Pearis. Dr. Robert 
B. McNutt and wife had three sons, viz: John W., Joseph P., and 
Charles R.; and daughters, Josie, who died young; Mary, who 
married Colonel James B. Peck; Neta, who married George B. Sinclair.

John H. Vawter and wife had several children; among the sons 
are: Charles E. and Lewis A., and daughters, Josephine, who 
married B. Frank Sweeney; another who married Lewis Peck; 
Virginia, who married William Farrier.

Benjamine Peck and his wife, Rebecca Snidow Peck, had four 
sons, viz:William H., Christian S., Frank, John S. and Andrew 
J., and daughters,Eliza, who married James Sweeney; Mary, who 
married William Farrier, andMargaret, who married John A. Calfee.

Jacob Peck and his wife, Malinda Givens Peck, had the following 
children,viz: Benjamine Burden, who married Mary Peck; William 
G., who died unmarried; Elisha G., who married Margaret Peters; 
Daniel R., who died unmarried; George Harrison, who married Sarah 
J. Handley; James Preston, who married Elizabeth Scott; Jacob H., 
who married Ann Handley; Patsey C.,who married Archibald Pack; 
Rhoda E., who married James McClaugherty;Louisa S., who married 
Lewis Payne, and Rebecca, who married John A.Peters.