Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Farms," now Franklin, about 1700, in
which year he was made a freeman there.
He was a man of ability, wealth and in-
fluence, and died May 3, 1742, having sur-
vived his wife Mary by fourteen years.
She died March 3, 1728. Their second
son, Benjamin Peck, born December 4,
1710, settled in Canterbury, Connecticut.
He married, November 3, 1736, Martha
Carrier, a descendant of Thomas Carrier,
a remarkable man in both England and
America. He was born as early as 1635,
was noted for his fleetness of foot, and
was a member of the body guard of
Charles I. After he was one hundred
years old he walked a distance of eighteen
miles, from Colchester to Glastonbury,
carrying a sack of corn and stopping only
once on the way. He was in Billerica,
Massachusetts, in 1665, in Andover in
1692, later at Colchester, Connecticut,
where he died March 16, 1735, "aged over
one hundred years." He married. May
7, 1674, Martha Allen of Andover, daughter
of Andrew and Faith Allen. She
was executed as a witch at Salem, August
19, 1692. Their son, Thomas Carrier,
married, at Andover June 19, 1705, Susanna
Johnson, who was born December 30,
1682, daughter of William and Sarah
(Lovejoy) Johnson of Andover. Their
daughter became the wife of Benjamin
Peck, as before related. Their eldest
child, Reuben Peck, was born October 17,
1737. in Canterbury, where he made his
home. He married, December 6, 1759,
Charity French, born May 20, 1736, in
Norwich, daughter of Abner and Sarah
(Sluman) French of that town. Sarah
Sluman, born January 31, 1704, in Norwich,
daughter of Thomas and Sarah
(Pratt) Sluman, was married November
6, 1723, to Abner French. Jesse Peck,
third son of Reuben and Charity Peck,
born October 3, 1764, lived in Canter-
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135
bury and married March 31, 1795, Sarah
Carver, born December 14, 1775, daughter
of Gideon and Abigail (Hovey) Carver
of Canterbury. She was admitted ("wife
of Jesse Peck") to the Westminster
Church of Canterbury in January, 1808.
Joseph Peck, fourth son of Jesse and
Sarah, was bom May 14, 1807, in Canterbury
(according to Canterbury records)
May 15, 1808, by family records, and lived
a short time in Pawlet, Vermont. He also
resided in Litchfield and Rocky Hill,
Connecticut, and settled permanently on
Farm Hill, in the town of Middletown,
where he was a successful farmer and
died October 26, 1876. He purchased
tracts of timber land and did a large busi-
ness in lumber and railroad ties, beside
furnishing wood for locomotives on the
main line and Berlin branch of the New
Haven Railroad. A man of industry and
business ability, he filled an important
place in the community. He was a member
of the Methodist Church, a Republican
in political principle, but never
sought political preferment. He married,
January i, 1843, Harriet Winchester, born
September 24, 1820, died November 24,
1861, daughter of Joel and Sophia (Arm-
strong) Winchester of Pawlet.
The pioneer ancestor of the Winchester
family was John, who is found of record
at Muddy River, now Brookline, Massa-
chusetts, in 1637, when he was made a
freeman there. In 1638 he was a member
of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery
Company of Boston, lived in Hingham in
1647-48 and in 1655 was again at Muddy
River. He joined the church with his
wife in 1674, held various town offices and
died April 25, 1694, aged over eighty. He
married, October 15, 1638, in Scituate,
Hannah, daughter of Richard Scales. She
died in Brookline September 18, 1697.
Josiah, third son of John Winchester, was