| Notes |
- note on Find a Grave:
**Bio remains under development**
BIO ON MARTHA PEAK
No document has ever been found that names the parents of Patsy Peak; nor has a family tradition been passed on which names her parents. The old guess was that her parents were Nathan Peak and Millie Easter.
Recent DNA results of Peak descendants point to a kinship with Abel Peak of Tennessee. Some family members conclude the evidence proves that Abel Peak (a.k.a. Peek) is the father of Martha "Patsy" Peak. Since there is a DNA relationship, a link to Abel Peak can be found here: Abel Peak. However, the author of this Bio is hesitant to label Abel as Patsy's father until he receives additional information demonstrating its viability due to some of the arguments against such a conclusion. The difficulties with such a conclusion will be noted below. At the present time the author can only see the forest due to only knowing there is a DNA relationship with Abel Peak, but being unable to distinguish one tree from another. In spite of that, more on the life of Abel Peak will be discussed below.
Martha "Patsy" (Peak) appears on the 1860 census as Martha Halsey and on the 1850 & 1870 censuses as Patsy Halsey. She last appears on the 1870 census. After that she vanishes, presumably dying sometime between 1870 & 1880. A Death Record has not been discovered. The undocumented death date generally given for Patsy Halsey of 5 May 1876 actually belongs to her possible sister, Juda (Peak) Halsey (09 Aug 1791-05 May 1876), wife of William "Bucky" Halsey (abt. 1789-28 Aug 1849), the son of William Halsey, Jr, the Revolutionary War veteran and his wife, Rachel Cobb. Juda's husband, William "Bucky" Halsey, and Patsy Peak's husband, James Halsey, were brothers.
In abt. 1814 Patsy married James Halsey in Mouth of Wilson, Grayson County, Virginia, according to "Halsey Genealogy" by David Halsey.(2) The marriage date appears to be based solely on the date of the birth of their 1st child, Ahart. Patsy lived her entire married life in the Wilson Creek area of Grayson County, Virginia.
The children from the union of Patsy Peak and James Halsey were as follows (based on "Halsey Genealogy" by Rufus Clinton Halsey). The exact birth dates which are given come from an old record as explained below and may differ from other records:
1. Ahart Halsey (18 Dec(?) 1814 – 1887; m. Elizabeth Cox; his headstone says he was killed by lightening).
2. *Matilda "Millie" Halsey (22 Feb 1817 – 1913; m. Samuel Cox).
3. *Malinda Halsey (8 Nov 1819; m. Daniel Daugherty in 1856).
4. Loucinda Halsey( 2 Jul 1822 – 1887; m. Dr William B. Parsons in 1846).
5. Morris "Marsh" Halsey (9 Mar 1825 – 1909; m. Sophina Hash ca. 1847).
6. Olive Malinda Halsey (25 Jul 1828 – 1909; m. Enoch Hash Sep 30, 1852).
7. Troy Halsey (27 Oct 1830 – 1857; m. Polly Jane Hash ca. 1849).
8. Mary Polly Halsey (21 Feb 1833 – 1907; m. Lazarus Hash in 1848).
9. William Cecil "Cease" Halsey (1839 – 1932; m. Rebecca A. Hash).
10. Adah Ann Halsey (1839 – 1839).
11. Henry Halsey (1840 – 1923; m. Mrs. Nancy Jane Stanford Miles, widow of William Jesse Miles).
*Some have said that Malinda and Matilda were twins. However, an old birth record said to be torn from a book inherited by William Halsey, the son of William Halsey, Jr, the Revolutionary War veteran, and which survives in the Revolution War Pension Record of, William Halsey, Jr, does not agree. The record gives two different birth dates for Malinda and Matilda. The dates from the record are reflected above for Ahart, Matilda, Malinda, Lucinda, Morris, Olive, Troy, and Mary. The names of Mitildiea, Melindia & Lucindia accompany their full birth date. For daughter Olive it only says, "Daughter was born in July the 25 day and year 1828." For Ahart, Troy & Mary only full dates are given and unaccompanied by a given name. The record stops with Mary.
BIO ON MARTHA'S PROPOSED FATHER, ABEL PEAK
The Abel Peak, to which some family members believe DNA points as Patsy Peak's likely father, was a Revolutionary War Veteran. Abel Peak has two known marriages. He married his 1st wife, Millie (LNU), abt. 1760. Millie died abt. 1792. If Abel was indeed the father of Patsy Peak then Millie would have been the mother of possible siblings, Samuel, Juda and Patsy. In Franklin County, 1794, Abel married his 2nd wife, Lydia Jones (b. 30 Jan 1776 in Pittsylvania Co., VA. d. 04 March 1854 in Scott Co. TN). Lydia was the mother of Josiah, Nancy and several others (See Lydia's Revolutionary War Pension Application).
It is argued by some family genealogists that Abel Peak and his 2nd wife moved from Franklin County, VA to Grayson County, VA in abt 1805. The difficulty with that supposition is that no record of their life in Grayson County has been discovered, and yet five of Abel's proposed children appear to have lived in Grayson County their entire life. Around 1816 the Abel Peak family show up in Morgan County TN. At least one unmarried daughter, Elizabeth, went with them to Tennessee. Abel and Lydia had additional children born to them in Morgan County.(1)
TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE DNA CONNECTION TO ABEL PEAK
1. The author is still in the investigation process and has made no absolute conclusion as questions remain.
2. There is definitely an DNA connection with Abel Peak. However, Abel could also be the uncle instead of the father or even a cousin. Additional information is needed in order to clarify the claim.
3. There is no evidence of Abel Peak ever living in Grayson County, Virginia. Yet five of his supposed children are said to have lived there . Who are those five? Are any of those in Grayson County Lydia's children? If so, this would lend a little support both to Abel's residence in Grayson, County and of a direct relationship to Patsy.
4. Abel's wife, Lydia, after his decease mentions her place of marriage in Franklin County, Virginia and of moving to Tennessee and the two counties in which they had lived in Tennessee, but never mentions Grayson County, Virginia. This leads one to think they may have never lived there.
BURIAL LOCATION
See husband James Halsey for verification of place of burial.
(1). Thanks to Carol Conrad for alerting the author to our DNA connection with Abel Peak & for providing the family information on Abel Peak, his wives and his children (per email correspondence with the author of the Bio on 4/19/2024.
(2). David Halsey, Halsey Genealogy Since 1395 A.D., Book Two (Westminster, MD, Heritage Books, Inc, 2000), p. 99.
(3). Rufus Clinton Halsey, Wm. Halsey of Columbia, N.J. and Piney Creek, N.C. 1760-1832 and his Descendants to twelfth and thirteenth generations from Thomas Halsey, #1, who came from England, Book Number Two (Sparta, NC, Self Published, 1980), p. 4.
Research & Bio by David Burns, M. Div.
3rd Great-Grandson
Find A Grave# 47319474
updated 4/19/2024 [1]
|
1799 -
[1] 
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set