auntjessie Jessie Maria James Peckham


Jessie Maria James was born August 25, 1896 to George W.  James and Mary Alice Balleau James in Lexington, MO.

At the age of six or seven, she was kidnapped while walking home from school.  During the early 1900s, many white children were abducted to be used as slaves or to be sold into slavery.

Jessie Maria was taken by a man who brought her to the train station and they took a train to western Kansas.  He left her there with an old woman who made her work all the time.  She was there for more than a year.

One day when she was working in a field near the road, two men came by in a buggy.  She ran to the buggy and told the men that she was stolen from her family.  The old lady came out to the road and the men left.  The old lady beat her. A short time later the men in the buggy came back.  They brought the sheriff with them and Jessie Maria was taken to an orphanage.  She wasn't sure where the orphanage was and she was not there for very long.

She was then taken to a Lutheran orphanage in Winfield, KS where she spent several months, maybe even a year or more.

The Gritzmakers were a Lutheran family looking for a young lady to help care for their younger children.  They did not adopt her, but took her into their family when she was about 9 years old.   She lived with them in Carrier, OK (about 5 miles northwest of Enid) until she was about 18.  The Gritzmaker family moved to Springfield, MO in 1916 but Jessi Maria did not go with them.

At that time Jessie Maria put an ad in the newspaper in Kansas City, Mo.  In a small one line ad, she told her name and that she had been kidnapped and was looking for her family.  A lady who lived across the street from Mary Alice saw the ad.  Overjoyed, Mary Alice answered the ad and they were reunited.

Jessie Maria had been a part of two families and she maintained a close relationship with both families for the rest of her life.

In August of 1918 Jessi Maria James married Hiram Daniel Peckham and they raised five sons and one daughter.  The family lived within a 50 mile radius of Enid, Oklahoma for most of their fifty three years together.

Jessie Maria James Peckham died in 1971 and was buried next to her mother in the Enid Cemetery, Enid, OK.  
 
   From Jean Peckham
 
The following is a simplified form of the genealogy of Hiram Daniel Peckham, followed by a link to more information compiled by Wallace Peckham:    

 

 

Family Tree Courtesy of Wallace Peckham

 

This is our line of descent, or our pedigree                         Birth                 Death              Lived

                                                                                                                                              to be

  

 

I.                     John Peckham                                                   1595                1681                   86

 

 

II.                   Thomas Peckham                                             1645                1709                   64

 

 

III.                  Daniel Peckham                                                1692                1777                   85

 

 

IV.                Abel Peckham                                                    1732                1825                   93

 

 

V.                  Joshua Peckham                                               1770                1851                   81

 

 

VI.                Abel Peckham                                                    1798                1864                   66

 

 

VII.               Nelson A. Peckham                                           1827                1903                   76

 

 

VIII.             William Henry Peckham                                    1863                1938                   75

 

 

IX.                Hiram Daniel Peckham                                      1896                1975                   79

 

 

X.                  Ivan Dale Peckham                                            1923                2004                   81

 

 

 

 

I. John Peckham married twice, his first wife was Mary Clarke, by whom he had the following children: -

1.      - Mary, married Tobias Saunders.

2.      - John, married Sarah Newport.

3.      - William, married (1) ? Clarke, (2) Phoebe Weeden.

4.      - Thomas, married (1) unknown, (2) Hannah Weeden Clarke.

5.      - James, died unmarried.

                        His second wife was Eleanor, whose surname was supposed to have been Peckham, and a distant relative of his.  The children of this marriage were:

6.      - Rebecca, married John Spooner

7.      - Stephen, married Mary.

8.      - Clement, married Lydia.

9.      - Deborah, married Robert Taylor.

10.  - Phoebe, married Thomas Gray.

11.  - Elizabeth, married Peter Taylor.

12.  - Sarah, married William Weeden.

 

These twelve children are the ancestors, and the 2nd generation, of the American Peckhams, and their allied relation. 

 

II. Thomas Peckham (2nd generation in America) fourth child of John Peckham, is our direct ancestor.  The date of his birth is not given.  The name of his first wife is not known.  His second wife was Hannah (Weeden) Clarke, daughter of William Weeden, and widow of William Clarke.  

    He had by his first wife, a son named (1.) Philip.  By his second wife Hannah (Weeden) Clarke, he had the following children: -

2.      - Daniel, born 1692;  married Mary Ross.

3.      - Thomas.

4.      - Uriah.

5.      - Hannah.

6.      - Sarah.

7.      - James.

   .

III.  Daniel, 3rd generation, is our direct ancestor.  He was born in 1692, date of death was 1777.  He married February 11, 1720, Mary Ross.  She was born May 21, 1700, and died in 1768.  He was admitted a freeman in 1713, and lived at Westerly, Rhode Island.  Children were: -

1.      - Hannah, b. 1720.

2.      - Mary, b. 1722.

3.      - Daniel, b. 1726.

4.      - Sarah, b. 1729.

5.      - Abel, b. 1732, m. Rebecca Burdick;  Rev. soldier.  Died 1825.

6.      - James, b. 1736.

7.      - Ann, b. 1742.

8.      - George.

 

IV.  Abel, 4th generation in America, and fifth child, is our direct ancestor.  He married Rebecca Burdick.  “Abel Peckham, Charlestown, Rhode Island, and Rebecca Burdick, married by Joseph Crandall, Justice, February 24, 1754.”  “Rebecca, wife of Abel Peckham died October 22, 1799. (Hopkinton Seventh Day Baptist Church Record).  He was a “Minute Man” in The Revolution.  Their Children were: -

1.      - Braddock, b. 1758.

2.      - Peleg, b. 1762;  m. Elizabeth Stetson.

3.      - Rebecca, b. 1768.

4.      - Joshua, b. 1770;  m. (1) Sarah Stetson,  (2) Sarah Burdick.

5.      - James, b. 1776.

6.      - Susanna, married (1) Cross,  (2) Johnston.

7.      - Abel, b. 1779, d. 1832;  m. Hannah Harvey.

8.      - Amy, b. 1791, m. Thomas Hull.

9.      - Lodowick.

10.  - Lydia, died unmarried, and aged.

 

V.  Joshua, 5th generation, and fourth child of this family, is our direct ancestor.  He was born at Westerly, Rhode Island on April 10, 1770, and died at Grafton, New York, April 14, 1851.  He married (1) about 1793 Sarah Stetson, who was born October 5, 1771, and who died April 29, 1808, and he married (2) Sarah Burdick, who was born in 1775 and who died in Albany, Wisconsin in 1864.  He removed to Grafton, Rennsselaer County, New York in 1800.  He was a ships carpenter.  Children by first wife: -

1.      - Sarah, b. 1794.

2.      - Dorcas, b. 1795.

3.      - Joshua, b.1797, d. 1798.

4.      - Abel, b. 1798, m. Adah Brown.

5.      - Rebecca, b. 1800.

6.      - Mary (Polly), b. 1801.

7.      - Stephen Stetson, b. 1803, m. Cornelia Brown.

8.      - Hannah, b. 1805, d. 1850.

9.      - Samuel, b. 1806, m. (1) Roxy Crandall,  (2) Caroline Scriven.

By second wife: -

 

10.  - Nancy, married Justua Allen.

11.  - Katherine, m. (1) Samuel Bruner,  (2) Charles Benjamin.

12.  - Harrison, b. 1818, m. Tamsen Verien.

 

VI.  Abel, 6th generation in America, and child #4, is our direct ancestor.  He was born at Westerly, Rhode Island August 7, 1798, and died at Albany, Wisconsin September 23, 1864.  He married at Petersburg, New York January 14, 1821, Adah Brown, daughter of Nathan and Willoughby Brown.  He resided at Petersburg, Rennsselaer County, Trenton, Oneida County, and Stockton, Chautauqua County, all in New York state, and later removed to Albany, Greene County, Wisconsin.  He was a cooper by trade.  Their children were: -

1.      Sally W., b. 1822, d. 1906;  m. Isaac T. Armsbury.

2.      Rhoda D.,  b. 1824,  d. 1890;  m. Michael M. McDermott.

3.      John T.,  b. 1825  drowned while washing sheep, Sugar River, near Albany, Wisconsin.

4.      Nelson A.,  b. 1827,  d. 1903;  m. Ann Jones.

5.      Winfield Scott,  b. 1829,  d. 1898;  m. (1) Helen Chamberlain,  (2) Mrs. Eleanor (Bailey) Turner.

6.      Adah Brown,  b. 1831,  d. 1906;  m. Voltaire D. Burt.

7.      Joshua Stetson,  b. 1833,  d. 1917;  m. Ann Atkinson.

8.      George O.,  b.  1835;  m. Ann Curtis.

9.      Lucy J.,  b. 1837,  d. 1884;  m. John W. Brewer.

10.  Mary R. (Polly),  b. 1839,  d. 1919;  m. John C Atkinson.

11.  Halsey G.,  b. 1842,  d. 1906;  m. Mrs. Paulina (Bailey) Carpenter.

 

VII.  Nelson A., 7th generation in America, and Child #4 is our direct ancestor.  He was born at Trenton, Oneida County, New York January 27, 1827, and died at Peck, Kansas October 15, 1903, and is buried at Enid, Oklahoma, beside his wife, who is also buried there.  He married in October 1821 at Albany, Wisconsin, Ann Jones, who was born in Wales, England December 12, 1834, and who died at Enid, Oklahoma, March 28,1908.  He was one of the first to homestead in Ness County, Kansas.  His son-in-law, Pete Drummond, editor of the Enid Eagle, said of him in his obituary, “He was ever restless and energetic; a true type of American frontiersman.  Mr. and Mrs. Peckham had the satisfaction of seeing the vast west transformed from a wild Indian ground to a land of civilization”.  Their children were:

1.      Louella Elnora, b. 1854, d. 1879;  m. Henry J. Mandeville.

2.      Emma Andrena,  b. 1855,  d. 1923;  m. George W. Fear.

3.      Abel Jay,  b. 1857, d. 1945;  m. Birdie Viona Schreiber.

4.      John Nelson,  b. 1858,  d. 1943;  m. Mary Josephine Slover.

5.      Eva Ann, b. 1860, d. 1927;  m. Z. K. Johnson.

6.      Ida Olea,  b. 1862,  d. 1928;  m. Lowell E. Turner.

7.      William Henry,  b. 1863,  d. 1938;  m. Ella Shugars.

8.      Frank Jones,  b. 1865,  d. 1944;  m. Rosa Mae Hellar.

9.      Charles Edward,  b.  1867 d. 1928;  m. Mabel Smith.

10.  Hiram Daniel,  b. 1869,  d. 1935;  m. Clara Bogue.

11.  Mary Ellen Mayme),  b. 1871,  d. 1914;  m. W. I. (Pete) Drummond.

12.  Sarah Adah, b. 1874, d. 1942;  m. Truman (Doc) Floyd.

13.  Maggie May, b. 1877, died in infancy.

14    Harry Thomas,  b. 1881,  d. 1955;  m. Ida Bell Kinder.

 

VIII.  William Henry Peckham, 8th generation in America, and Child #7 is our direct ancestor. b. 1863 Albany, Wiscinsin,  d. 1938 Enid, Oklahoma;  married Ella Shugars,  b. 1866 Fredricksburg, Pennsylvania,  d. 1963 Enid, Oklahoma.  Their children were:

     1.    Louella Rebecca Peckham,  b. 1887;  m. 1929 William B. Snowden.

     2.    Percy Magdaline Peckham,  b. 1888,  d. 1924;  m. 1914 Charles M. Hawk.

     3.    Andrew Jay Peckham,  b. 1891;  m. 1919 Ethel Elizabeth Hitch.

     4.    Irving Henry Peckham,  b. 1894,  d. 1948;  m. 1919 Velma Luella Hitch.

     5.    Hiram Daniel Peckham,  b. 1896,  d. 1975;  m. 1918 Jessie Maria James.

     6.    Irene Peckham,  b. 1899;  m. 1921 Fred G. Hildebrandt.

     7.    Cecil Dennis Peckham,  b. 1902,  d. 1905.

     8.    Birdie Ellen Peckham,  b. 1904,  d. 1934;  unmarried.

     9.    Leona Arvilla Peckham,  b. 1907,  d. 1951;  m. 1931 Leo H. (Mike) Meadows

     10.  Mabel Clara Peckham,  b. 1909;  m. 1935 Fred C. Bennett.

     11.  Mae Ida Peckham,  b. 1909;  m. 1945 Tye Anderson.

 

IX.  Hiram Daniel Peckham, 9th generation in America, and Child #5 is our direct ancestor.  b. 1896 Enid, Oklahoma Territory,  d. 1975;  married Jessie Maria James,  b. 1896 Lexington, Missouri; m. 1918 Carrier, Oklahoma.  Their children: 

     1.   Hiram James (Jim) Peckham,  b. 1920;  m. Betty Grace Mowen.

     2.   Ivan Dale (Chief) Peckham,  b. 1923;  m. 1948 Loretta Mae Baker.

     3.   George William (Bill) Peckham,  b.  1926;  m. Peggy Rose Sanders.

     4.   Vernon Leon Peckham,  b. 1930;  m.  Joan Hadden.

     5.   Theodore Franklin Peckham,  b. 1933;  m. Julie Billings.

     6.   Mary Ellen Peckham,  b. 1941;  m. Donald Merucci.   

 

 

Click for more information from Wallace Peckham http://www.geocities.com/jean_44_2000/index.html