Paternal First Cousins

During the course of researching many of my grandfather’s Newfoundland and Labrador siblings and extended families, it occurred to me that I had never really looked at his siblings and their families closely. Those people would have been my father’s aunts and uncles and their children were his first cousins. He often mentioned how the families would visit on Sundays for dinner and then gather round the piano for sing-alongs. He’d whip out the Boston telephone book and point to all the Pye cousins who lived in Chelsea and East Boston. This was my first knowledge that there were others, nearby, with this strange name Pye. It wasn’t till years later that I discovered there were more families my father was only vaguely aware of. Those were the families who had remained in Newfoundland. I wish he was still alive so I could share all this information with him. He would be delighted to know he had so many first cousins.

Jesse Pye’s siblings:

Henry William Pye   b. 1863 Cape Charles, Lab., died young

*Jesse Pye (b. 1865, d. 1940) b. Cape Charles, Lab. Lived in Chelsea and East Boston, MA;  d. 1940 in Boston, MA ; m. Nora Edith Carmichael  1893 Halifax NS – 15 children                                       (Parents of Jesse Franklin Pye, my father)

Israel Pye      b. 1867 Cape Charles, Lab., d. Unknown family story says he married an Inuit woman and moved Quebec.

Eugene Pye b. c. 1870 Cape Charles, Lab.; d, c. 1877 Cape Charles, Lab.

Laura Pye      b. 1871 Cape Charles, Lab., d. 1943 Georgetown, NL; m. Adam George in 1893, Harbour Grace, NL. Their children were (all surname George):

1.    Laura Jane George - b. 1895 Carbonear, NL, d. 1943 Georgetown, NL, m. Charles Bartlett in 1914, Harbor Grace, NL; 6 children: May, Madeline, Franklin, Ada Ralph and Dorene, all born in Petries Crossing, NL

2.    Stephen George - b. 1902, d. ? , m. Lillian Travers; 3 children: Helen, Marjorie and Lorraine

3.    Martha George - b. 1904 Bay of Islands, NL, d.?, m. Harold French;  found 2 children: Mabel and Clarence

4.    Dorothy George - b 1921 – no further info

5.    May George - b. ?   d. 1976, m. Fred Clarke:  found 2 children: Keith and Doreen

Lily Pye          b. c 1871 Cape Charles, Lab. No further information. Not convinced she is a member of this family, although she has been listed with it in various sources. I’m more inclined to believe this is a middle name of Laura, but have found no evidence of this either.

Mary Jane Pye         b. 1873, Cape Charles, Lab., d. 1899, possibly in Freshwater, NL of TB; m. Elihu Callahan in 1895, Carbonear, N;  one son:

1.    Henry - b. 1896, Freshwater, NL, d.  ?  m. Rose O’Neill in 1919 Chelsea, MA. Rose d. in 1932. They had a son, John, b.1926. Henry remarried to Elizabeth?

James Pye    b. 1875, Cape Charles, Lab., d. c 1950, perhaps in Brockton, MA; he married Marion Susanna Pike in 1926, Chelsea MA. Their children were:

1.    Blanche Whiten Pye - b. 1902 Chelsea MA, d. ?, m. Paul Edgar Pearce in Chelsea MA 1921. Their children: Walter, Doris, Richard, James

2.    James Eugene Pye – b. 1903 Chelsea, MA, d. 1973 Brockton, MA, m. Agnes Logan. One child: Carol

3.    Marion Jana Pye – b. 1906, d. 1908, both Chelsea, MA

4.    Hazel M. Pye – b. 1908, d.1908. both Chelsea, MA

5.    William James Pye – b. 1909, Chelsea, MA, d. 1963, m. Caroline Chase 1946 – 4 children

6.    Marion Susanna Pye – b. 1912, Chelsea, MA, d. 1980,  m. Lewis Taber 1931 – 3 daughters

7.    Cephas E. Pye – b, 1914 Chelsea, MA, d. 1977, Brockton MA, m. bef 1940 Catherine Cronin. Apparently died without issue.

Samuel Pye  b. 1876, Cape Charles, Lab., d. 1950 Corner Brook, NL, m. Annie Edna Pike in 1900 in Chelsea MA. Their children were:

1.    Giles Pye – b. 1900, d. 1918 NL; COD - Spanish flu

2.    James Malcolm Pye – b. 1903 Birchy Cove, NL, d. 1964 NL; m. Henrietta Stone c. 1935. They had 3 children.

3.    Chesley Bugden Pye – b. 1905 Curling, NL, d. 1976 Halifax, NS; m. Sylvia Hunt 1934. They had 3 children.

4.    Samuel Pye – b. 1906 d. 1906, age 1 month

5.    John Charles Pye (twin) – b. 1907, d.1907, age 1 month

6.    Richard Pyke Pye (twin) – b. 1907, d.1907 age 1 day

7.    Clifford Eugene Pye – b. 1909, d. 1910, age 10 months

8.    Sadie Elizabeth Pye – b. 1911, d. 1930; COD - TB

9.    Irene Harlow Pye – b. 1913, d. 1980; m. Christopher Fisher, 1932. They had 4 children.

10. Sophie Mae Pye – b. 1915 NL, d. 2010 m. Wallace Andrew Locke, 1933. They had 9 children, 3 died young. She was known by her middle name – Mae Locke.

11. Frederick Arthur Pye – b. 1918, d. 1918, age 8 ½ mos., in Georgetown NL

12. Ronald Roy Pye (Twin) – b. 1920, d. 1920, age 5 mos., in Georgetown, NL

13. Samuel James Pye (twin) – b. 1920, d. 1920, age 6 mos. Georgetown, NL

14. William Curtis Pye – b. 1922 Georgetown NL, d. 2014 Halifax NS; m. Violet Victoria Anne Vaughan  1946; living children

15. Ebenezer Pye –  b. c. 1901, d. 1902

Sam was a carpenter when he wasn’t fishing. He often spent the off season in the Boston area because he could find work there. Out of their family of 15 children, only 6 lived to adulthood.

Ebenezer Pye           b.1878 Cape Charles, Lab., d. 1955. He married Annie Millie 1910 Chelsea, MA. Their children were:

1.    Wilson Henry Pye – b. 1911 Chelsea MA, d. 1982 Malden MA; m  Mildred Tusine, bef 1940. Mildred was a private nurse. They had 3 children.

2.    Cecil Pye – 1914 Bay of Islands NL, d. 1980 Malden MA; m. Mildred White – 1 child found

3.    Myrtle Loretta Pye – b., 1917 Bay of Islands NL, d. 2015; m. Gerald O’Reagan 1937 – 2 children

4.    Doris Pye – b. 1918 Bay of Islands NL, d. 2001; m. Arthur Boudreau 1939 – 3 children

5.    George Alfred Pye – b. 1924 MA, d. 2017; m. Verna Virginia Parsons 1951 – 5 children

6.    Helen Pye - b. 1927. d. 1927

Esther Ann Pye        b. 1880, Cape Charles, Lab., it is believed she died young.

Eugene Pye II           b. 1884, Cape Charles, Lab.,d. 1903 Carbonear, NL, froze to death on an ice floe

Effie Mabel Pye        b. 1885, Cape Charles, Lab., d. 1942 Curling NL She married Hayward Power 1905 in Bay of Islands, NL. Their children were:

1.    Edward Power – b. 1905 Bay of Islands, NL d. 1990; m. Rebecca Roberts

2.    Mary Alice Power – b. 1908 NL d. 2006 Wenham MA; m. John Hawker c. 1932 – 2 children

3.    Harvey Power – b. 1911 NL  d. 1976; apparently remained single; known as Harry

4.    William Power – b. 1914 NL  d. 1994; m. Connie McCarthy -  2 children

5.    Emma Mae Power – b. 1917 d. 1993; m. Peter Burton – 8 children

6.    Hayward Power – b. 1917 d. 1918 Petries Crossing, NL

7.    Robert Power – b. 1919 d. 1936

8.    Hayward Power – b. 1921 d. 1921; age 2 days

9.    Stephen Power – b. 1922 Georgetown NL  d. 2010 Pasadena, NL; m. Joan Rigby – 5 children

10. Ada Power – b. 1925  d. ??  m. Earl Pradat;  no further info

11. Muriel Power – b. 1928 d?? m. Paul Lacey;  no further info

           

All together. My father, Jesse Franklin Pye, had 45 paternal first cousins. Of that number, approximately 14 died before their 20^th birthday. There are still some unknowns. Still some areas where records are sketchy. The families of James and Ebenezer Pye did remain permanently in Massachusetts, many in or near Chelsea. The child of Mary Jane Pye settled north of Boston and did not seem to be known to the families in Chelsea. The children of Sam Pye remained in Newfoundland or went to Nova Scotia to live. Some of Effie Pye’s grandchildren did move to the states. I had the pleasure of meeting and having a long chat with Maud Power Hawker and have phone chatted with one of her daughters. Whenever it seemed possible that people might still be alive, I didn’t include their given names. There are many Pye cousins of 2^nd and 3^rd generations still in New England, but there are also many dispersed to the four winds in all directions of the compass.

ngb.chebucto.org

Census records; B, M, D records, Church records, cemetery records, obits, fishery records, land holdings

https://www.familysearch.org/search/ 

            Newfound/Labrador Canada

            Records – census, B, M, D, Find a Grave, military, street addresses, occupations

Letters from relatives going back 50 years

William Pike Pye (1810-1871) and Esther Ann Snow (1811-1877)

William Pike Pye was my gt. Grandfather. I’ve attempted to identify his children, their spouses and their families in an effort to see how many other families were closely related to this branch of the Pyes. All the families were very large by today’s standards, making the extended families something to marvel at.

William and Esther Anne, AKA Anne, from this point on, were married Mar. 25, 1828 at the Church of England in Northern Gut, Harbor Grace, Newfoundland. Anne followed the common custom of using her middle name instead of her given name. This has made researching difficult if you only have the given name and then can’t find it anywhere.

Their children were:

1.   Abraham (1829-1911) d. in Chelsea MA

2.   Susannah 

3.   James (1831 - l873) m. *Mary Ann Soper, 1855 in Battle Harbor, Lab/NL – 9 children

4.    Julia Ann (c. 1834- ?) m. *George Soper, 1854 in Harbor  Grace, NL – 7 children

(*Mary Ann and George Soper were brother and sister.)

5.    Edmond (1835-1907) m. Julia Priddle, 1859 Battle Harbor, Lab/NL – 10 children

6.    Edward (1836-1837)

7.    John Charles (1839-1905) m. Rachel Elizabeth Lacy (also spelled Lacey), 1862, in Battle Harbor, Lab/NL – 13 children

8.    William (1841-1855)

9.    Maria (1844-?)

10.     Moses (1845-1926) m. Mary Ann Sutton, 1868 in Carbonear, NL – 10 children

1. Little is known about Abraham other than he died in Chelsea MA, 1911.

2.   Susannah is also an unknown and could, quite possibly, belong to another family.

3.   James was b. Feb 14 1830 in Cape Charles, Lab/NL. He       married Mary Ann Soper, Oct. 11 1855 in Battle Harbor, Lab/NL. Their children were:

3a.  William Charles Soper Pye, b. Jun 3 1856, at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Clara French – 1879; 8 children.

3b.  Mary Ann Pye, b. Mar 14 1858 at Cape Charles Lab/NL, m. Elijah Horwood (also Harwood);  5 children

3c.  George Pye, b. Sep 6 1861 at Cape Charles Lab/NL, m. Emma French – 1880; 6 children

3d.  Ephraim James, b. Sep 26 1862 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Mary Ann Stone – 1882; 7 children

3e.  John Charles Pye, b. Oct 7 1864 at Cape Charles, LAB/NL, m. Susannah Pye – 1884; 1 child

3f.  Albert Pye, b. Sep 5 1866 at Cape Charles Lab/NL, m. Eliza Stone; 10 children

3g.  Victoria Pye, b. Jul 1 1868 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Frank Lewis – 1888; 4 children

3h.  Henry Thomas Pye, b. Dec 21 1870 at Cape Charles Lab/NL, m. Julia Ann Stone – 1899 13 children

3i.  Emily Pye, b. Dec 1 1872 at Cape Charles Lab/NL, m. George Davis – 1892; 2 children

4.   Julia Ann Pye was b. 1834. She married George Soper Sep 27 1854 at Harbor Grave NL. Their children were:

4a. William Henry Soper, b. Jan 30 1856 at Carbonear,           NL, m. Martha Rumson – 1882; 4 children

4b. Sarah Ann Soper, b. Jan 28 1858 at Carbonear, NL, m. Levi Herald – 1881; 10 children

4c. Silas Bendle Soper, b. Sep 19 1860 at Carbonear, NL, m. Catherine Unknown – 1854; 1 child found

4d.  Rosana Soper, b. Dec 20 1862 at Carbonear, NL, m. Nicholas Powell – 1885; 1 child found

4e. George Edward Soper, b. Mar 18 1865 at Carbonear, NL, m. Ellen Badcock; George died 2 mos. after marriage in a drowning accident.

4f. Laura Jane Soper, b. Nov 24 1867 at Carbonear, NL.; found no marr. or death info on her.

4g.  Asenath Soper, b. Jun 27 1872 at Carbonear, NL, m. George Pike – 1894; 4 children

5.   Edmund Pye was b. 1835. He married Julia Priddle Oct 17 1859 at Battle Harbor, Lab/NL. Their children were:

5a.  Maria Ann Pye, b. Oct 7 1860 at Cape Charles Lab/NL.

5b. John Thomas Pye, b. Mar 28 1862 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL.

5c. Susannah Pye, b. Apr 30 1864 at Battle Harbor, Lab/NL, m. John Charles Pye ,1884 – 1 child found

5d. Willis George Pye, b. Apr 24 1866, Lab/NL, m. Elizabeth Herald 1895 – 6 children

5e.  Harriet White Pye, b. May 24 1865, Western Bay, NL; possibly adopted. She appears to be the d/o Thomas and Ann Rose White of Ochre Pit Cove. She m. Isaac John Sellars, 1889

5f.  Lorenzo Pye, b. Nov 6 1869 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Mary Jane Butt 1896 – 10 children

5g. Martha Miriam Pye, b. Nov 7 1871 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. John Farmer 1898

5h.  Margaret Pye, b. Jan 23 1874 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL.

5i.  Julia Mary Pye, b. Dec 5 1875 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL.

5j. Sarah Jane Pye, b. Mar 11 1878 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Richard John Atwill 1909 – 4 children

6.   Edward Pye,  b. 1836 - 1837

7.   John Charles Pye, b. Sep 29 1839 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL. He married Rachel Elizabeth Lacy (Lacey) Sep 24 1862 in Battle Harbor, Lab.

7a. Henry William Pye, b. Jun 25 1863 - 1877 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL

7b. Jesse, b. Mar 11 1865 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL. He married Nora Edith Carmichael Jun 22 1893 in Halifax Nova Scotia – 15 children

7c. Israel, b. Jan 20 1867 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL. Reported to be a hunter/trapper along the Quebec border, supposedly married an Indian woman and had many children.

7d. Eugene I, b. 1870 – c. 1877 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL.

7e. Laura, b. Oct 23 1871 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Adam George in 1892 – 5 children

7f. Lily, b. 1872 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL. No further info

7g. Mary Jane, b. Feb 28 1873 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Elihu Callahan, Jan 5 1895 in Carbonear NL – 1 child

7h. James, b. Feb 17 1875 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Marion Susannah Pike, Jun 26 1900 in Chelsea MA – 8 children

7i. Samuel, b. Mar 19 1876 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Annie Edna Pike, Nov 12 1900 in Chelsea MA – 15 children

7j. Ebenezer (Eben) b. Feb 17 1878 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Annie Millie Aug 13 1920 in helsea MA – 6 children

7k. Esther Ann, b. Apr 21 1880 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL – No further info

7l. Eugene II, b. 1884 - 1903 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL.

7m. Effie Mabel, b. Aug 15 1885 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Hayward Power, Jan 29 1905 at Bay of Islands, NL – 11 children

8.   William Pye, b. 1841 – Mar 29 1855

9.   Maria, b. May 5 1844 – No further info

10.     Moses, b. 1841 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Mary Ann Sutton, Jun 6 1868 at Carbonear NL. Their children were:

10a. Ernest, b. 1869 Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Alice Bellows - 1904 at Cape Charles, Lab/NL

10b. Alfred, b. 1870 Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Annie Parsons - 1888

10c. Bertha, b, ?, m. Elias Curtis – c. 1889

10d. William, b. 1870 Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Amelia Walsh

10e. Edward, b. 1871 Cape Charles, Lab/NL,

10f. Edmund, b. 1872

10g. Manoah James, b. 1874 Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Minnie Ethel Herald – 1903 – 10 children

10h. George, b.1877 Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. Elizabeth Herald – 1920 – 10 children

10i. Elizabeth Ann, b. 1879 Cape Charles, Lab/NL, m. John Edward Stone c. 1893  - 13 children

10j. Maria b. 1885, m. Kenneth Bellows 1905 -                  8 children

       In summary, these are the surnames that represent people who were FIRST cousins to my grandfather, Jesse Pye (John Charles, William Pike): Pye (obviously), Soper, Horwood (also Harwood), Lewis, Davis, Herald. Powell, Pike, Farmer, Atwill, Curtis, Stone and Bellows. These names represent the married names of his female first cousins. In all, I have found 36 first cousins, I’m still in the process of discovery, so there could be more.

Again any questions, corrections or changes should be sent to: 

thepyeplate@gmail.com

Yuletide Greetings

My blog and research are on hold for the moment. My 11 year old computer snarled and growled, causing a minor hiccup in my on-going search for ancestors and their extended families. So a Christmas present to myself arrived, a new computer with all the up to date features and none of my old files. I fear this will be a lengthy process as there are many files, docs, pdf's etc. that I need to get on this new, spiffy computer. Add to that the hustle and bustle of the short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, a few snow storms which hampered getting out and about and learning my way around a new computer, have kept me from getting much research done.

So I'm taking a necessary breather, hoping the dust will settle after the New Year. Wishing everyone peace and happiness in whatever way you celebrate the winter solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or other special celebration of your chosing. May we all look forward to World peace, joy, hope and love.

William Pye of Newfoundland (c. 1760-1810

Fall clean-up and preparing yard and home for the coming winter months has kept me busy for weeks, it seems. Adding more tulips and daffodils to the garden, gathering seeds for next year, trimming bushes a bit will, hopefully, make things much easier in the Spring. So, at last, I feel I have the time to return to my blog.

I left off with the Maryland Pyes and referencing William Pye, supposedly of Maryland and Barbados. Relatives living in Newfoundland back in the 1930’s/40’s told my cousin Pete that this is the William who came to Newfoundland on board the Junius Brutus, as a prisoner of the British. He was released there and sought out his Uncle Henry. This is all hearsay and handed down family legend. I still cannot find a William connected to any of the Pyes in MD. But I have always believed that where there is smoke, there is probably fire, so I refuse to throw this information out. One thing to consider is that William was his middle name and that he is recorded in MD using his first name, which would make it difficult to find his parents.

Moving on to Newfoundland, I have been unable to find an early Henry Pye who could have been his uncle. Granted, the fishermen were not allowed to reside at NFLD, being forced to return home at the end of the fishing season. This was enforced by the ships’ Captains, who were fined for every man not returning home without due cause. So perhaps Henry was one of those who returned to England each time and never became part of the records in NFLD. It wasn’t until 1790 that NFLD began to be more of a permanent settlement rather than a temporary fishing enterprise. With this in mind, it’s quite possible that William returned to England and, possibly, was married in England. Why wasn’t he returned to the Colonies after the war was over? As a Colonist, with connections to MD, one would think he would have returned there after the American Revolution ended. By staying in or returning to Newfoundland, it suggests he remained or became a British subject.

Early Newfoundland records are sketchy at best. Some historical treatises cover its connection to Poole, Dorset, England, Bristol, England and Cornwall. There were other ports as well, but these seemed to be prominent. Not only did the fisheries in Newfoundland do business with these ports but it appears that many inhabitants from those regions moved to and became residents of Newfoundland.

Without any specific names to work with, it can only be a theory that some of the Pyes moved between the various places and finally took up more permanent residency in Newfoundland, once the Crown allowed it. Using the customary naming patterns that many families employed during the 18^th and 19^th centuries, I have found an unusual similarity between some settlements in Newfoundland and those found in Devon and Dorset, more precisely in Bettiscombe and Broadwinsor, Dorset. There I found the names William, Elisha, Elijah, Henry, and Benjamin. In 1796, I found the marriage of Elijah Pye to Abigail Ash and then in 1805, I found the birth of a daughter Ann, to Elijah and Abigail Pye. Both were recorded in NL. There is nearly a 10 year gap between marriage and Ann’s birth. Most likely there were 3 – 4 children born in that time span but there seems to be no records of them. There are many named Benjamin born in Devon during the years 1780-1810. In, Newfoundland, there were also many men named John, James, Charles, Samuel, etc. It is one giant leap of faith, but so far, is the only one worth taking, when I theorize that most of the Newfoundland Pyes might find their roots in Devon and Dorset. That’s not to say they were born there. Just like today, when they needed to find work, they often traveled to where the work was located. It is most likely that many of them were young and unmarried, able to live a gypsy type life until they were ready to settle down. The hunt for a woman named Blanch, either in the UK or in NL has proved fruitless. My theory on this is that this is her middle name and she has been recorded under her formal first name, which is unknown.

William Pye, POW on the Junius Brutus arrived in NL by 1782 where he was held in a POW camp until 1785/86, the end of the American Revolution. We know only that he met and married Blanch Pye, a distant relative, but we don’t know where

or when. Based on NL records, the following could be their children:

1William and Blanch - children – William, Elijah and Samuel (quite possibly more)

2William m. Mary Pike – Children – Thomas, Ann, William Pike, Mary, John,           and Samuel

{For these first two generations, William and William Pike are the only two KNOWN individuals who have been handed down from earlier generations as family history. The others fit a timeline that make them possible, but not enough information is known about them.}

3William Pike m. Esther Ann Snow – Children – Abraham, Susanna, James,           Julia Ann, Edmund, Edward, *John Charles, William, Maria and Moses

Then there was Elijah Pye who married Abigail Ash, Dec. 1796, in Carbonear. Since it is believed that William didn’t marry Blanch until sometime after 1786, this Elijah would be too old to be William’s son. This would indicate that another Pye family existed in or near Carbonear and was contemporary with the William Pye family. Elijah had Ann, 1805, Jane, 1807, and Samuel, 1810, Mary, 1812.

*John Charles is my gt. grandfather.

If anyone has info to add or correct any of this, please send an email to: thePyePlate@gmail.com

http://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/cor-colonial-1768-1821.shtml

Marriage record for Elijah and Abigail Pye

Birth records for children of Elijah and Abigail Pye

FamilySearch.org

http://ngb.chebucto.org/ : Directories, Historical articles, Parish Records, Colonial Office, Voter’s lists,

Charles Pye (1684- 1748) Charles Co., Maryland

Charles, the eldest child of Col. Edward and Anne (Sewall, Rozier) Pye. Inherited the estate of his father when Edward died in 1696. He was also heir to the Mynde in Herefordshire, England. In May 1703 Charles had land at Pyes Chance and Pyes Hardshift surveyed. Pyes Chance was 141 acres, leased to Isaac Gilpin and Pyes Hardshift was 323 acres, leased to Thomas Tuckings. Sometime after this he left for England, leaving his brother Walter in charge of the properties in Maryland.

It is uncertain just when Charles left for England. He may have made several trips back and forth but there is no record of this. He was heavily involved with the support of King James II who lived in exile in France. James II died in 1701, but the supporters continued to live on near Saint-Germain. Since the Catholics were still not welcome in England, it was easier to maintain their faith and culture in France. Charles was married to Mary Elizabeth Booth in St. Gervais, France. The Booths were another Catholic family from Herefordshire supporting the Stuarts who had chosen to remove to France. It appears that their children were all born in either England or France. Those known children are:

          1. Elizabeth

          *2. Charles

          3. Walter

          **4. John H.

          5. Ann, died young

          6. Henry

          7. Nicholas

The son *Charles came to Cornwallis Neck, lived there for some time then returned to England where he died before his mother, and leaving his estate to his brother **John H. Charles never married.

John H. resided many years upon Cornwallis Neck, where he died in 1772. This John married his 1^st cousin, Henrietta Maria Pye. Earlier research stated that John Pye had married Henrietta Maria Neale, daughter of William Neale. This information is incorrect, as shown by the deposition given by Henry Rozer in 1801.

In 1801, Henry Rozer (aka Rozier) deposed that in 1735, when he was 10 years old, he was sent to Cornwallis Neck, in Charles Co., to visit his uncle Charles Pye, before Henry was sent to England to further his education. {This Charles was the grandfather of the Charles who lived at Cornwallis Neck in 1801.} Henry stated that Charles had married Miss Mary Booth. They had two sons, Charles and John. Charles (Charles², Edward¹) was born in England, came to Maryland to live for some years and then returned to England, where he died unmarried. Charles’ brother John, married Henrietta Pye, daughter of Walter Pye (son of Col. Edward Pye). He lived for many years on the land at Cornwallis Neck. John died there in 1772 leaving six children, all minors:

         

          1 Charles

          2. Edward Joseph

          3. Mary

          4. Margaret

          5. Anne

          6. Elizabeth

After John’s death, the eldest child, Charles, was sent to England in 1772 into the care of his Grand Uncle James Booth, counselor, who undertook Charles’ education. Charles returned to Cornwallis Neck, in 1783, where he continued to live.

At this point it seems I must end this line of Pye research. The family history says that a William Pye, of Maryland and Barbados, was impressed ‘off the docks’ in Barbados, to sail on the Junius Brutus, an American privateer. The Junius Brutus engaged in several combat events, eventually being captured by the British during the American Revolution. I received a copy of the crew list for the Junius Brutus and there was a William Pye aboard. The family story says he was taken to Newfoundland where he was put ashore, hoping to find an Uncle Henry Pye. (Both his father Charles and his Uncle Walter had a brother named Henry, who seemed to disappear from MD records. This could be the Henry William was hoping to find. If so, then who was William’s father?) The ship did go to Newfoundland in October 1782, a British port. He was imprisoned there until the end of the war. After he was released, he married Blanch Pye, a distant cousin. Blanch’s father, was John Pye of Falmouth, England. William’s existence on the ship and in Newfoundland can be proven. What can’t be proven is his connection to the Maryland Pyes. There is no record of his being in Barbados or Maryland. As mentioned before, earlier research showed John Pye married Henrietta Maria Neale, daughter of William Neale and Mary Ann (Boarman) Brook. This has been proven false through research done by the Boarman/Brook family and new documents that proved John Pye married his 1^st cousin Henrietta Maria Pye, daughter of his Uncle Walter. Although the family history says William was of Maryland and Barbados, no records I’ve searched have mentioned any William Pye. Perhaps William is a middle name, in which case the formal name is unknown. It is also possible that William was from Devon, where many of the settlers came from. If so, that puts a whole new slant on William’s ancestry.

All of the land, the original 5000 acres of the Cornwallis estate purchased by Col. Edward Pye, remained in the Pye family until John H.’s death in 1772. After that it was divided amongst his survivors, who, over time, sold it off or married into other families where the land was absorbed into the spouse’s family. By 1890, there were no Pyes with any land holdings on Cornwallis Neck.

Most of the land formerly owned by the Pyes was sold to the U.S. Gov’t from the late 1800’s to 1920. It remains, today, in government ownership.

Bonnie B. Morgan, researcher

Wikipedia

Maryland Archives

A2A English Archives

Shirley Middleton Moller – researcher

Gary E. Young – researcher

Charles County Land Records

Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin – summer 1984 Vol. 25, #3

Charles County History, Jan. 2003

The Record, April 1990, #48

Col. Edward Pye (1640-1697) Charles Co., Maryland

  

After a major melt down of my computer, which took a few days to straighten out and get it running smoothly again, I was finally able to return to my research. I feared that some of it might have been lost, but the geek gods were standing by me and all was well.

At this point in my journey through the Pye family, I should be discussing John Pye, son of Sir Walter (1571-1636) and Joan (Rudhall) Pye. Let me just say there are an unbelievable number of men by that name all living in the same time frame. I tried to determine where John and his wife Blanch (Lingen) Pye lived, but to no avail. The only info I have on them has been handed down and is in no way reliable. They supposedly had a large family and that one of their sons, Edward, went to Barbados sometime around 1680. It was at this time that his cousin, Robert, died, leaving his Barbados estate to Edward.

Edward shows up around 1682 in Charles Co., Maryland. Information in MD records says Edward was from Dymock and Boyce, in England and that his parents were John and Blanch. I could find no trace of an Edward Pye in Dymock or Boyce, so again, this may be inaccurate information.

In Maryland, Edward was on the Board of Deputy Governors from 1684-1688. He was also a member of the Upper House and the Governor’s Council and a Colonel in the Army. He married Anne (Sewall) Rozier, a widow of Benjamin Rozier. They had four children, Charles, Henry, Walter and Anne. When Edward died in 1697, his property was valued at £1200. The MD Bulldog mentions that Walter Pye, late of the West Indies, was Edward’s son. Since Edward’s children were all minors at the time of his death, this would not be possible. This same Walter died in 1699 and lists Edward’s children as nieces and nephews, showing that Walter was an uncle to the children and not a brother. Also, it was discovered that the term “late of” doesn’t indicate death, but instead shows the person is no longer in that place and has moved on to another area.

Edward’s wife, Anne, was the d/o Henry and Jane (Lowe) Sewall and the widow of Benjamin Rosier. By the time she married Edward, her father had died and her mother had remarried. Her mother’s 2^nd husband was Charles Calvert, Gov. of Maryland and 3^rd Baron Baltimore. Jane and Charles Calvert had four children, half siblings to Anne.  Anne and Benjamin Rozier had been married a fairly short time before Benjamin died.

At this point it’s good to remember that Edward Pye’s grandfather, Sir Walter Pye, had been a financial supporter of the original Lord Baltimore’s colony in Avalon, Newfoundland. This colony was meant to be a refuge for the persecuted Catholics in England. With a Royal Charter, it was a Palatinate, giving Baltimore absolute authority. When a series of crises arose, Lord Baltimore sought out a warmer, more suitable place to relocate. Not all of the settlers chose to go with this group and remained in Newfoundland. Lord Baltimore’s son, moved the colonists to the area of south Maryland, across the Potomac River from Virginia. The first ‘city’ was St. Mary’s City, now a reconstructed, state run historic area with tours and a museum complex.  

Edward raised tobacco on his estate located on Cornwallis Neck in Charles Co., MD. This was also called Mattawoman Neck. It had belonged to Thomas Cornwallis, who died in 1688. His wife Penelope conveyed the 5,000 acre property to Capt. {at that time} Edward Pye. When Edward (now called Col.) died in 1696, the laws of primogeniture prevailed and all 5,000 acres went to his oldest son Charles. It didn’t appear that Edward’s will provided for his wife Ann, suggesting that she predeceased him. No record for her death was found.

Their children were:

          1. Charles (c1682-1758) m. Mary Booth c 1720 in St. Gervais,                       France – 8 children

          2. Henry (c1683-1716)

          3. Walter (1685-1749) m. Mary Taunt (aka Tant) 1703                                      Prince George’s Co. – 9 children

          4. Ann (c1689-c1720) m. Robert Needham in 1714, England –                       3 children

Wikipedia

Maryland Bulldog

Charles Co. Court Land Records, Liber O and Q

Court and Land Record 1690-1692

Proceedings of the Maryland Court Provincial 1681-1683 Vol 70

The Record, Publication of the Historical Society of Charles Co., Inc. April 1990

Sir Walter Pye II O’Mynde in MuchDewchurch, Herefordshire, England (1610-1659)

      

Son of Sir Walter Pye and his wife Joann Rudhall

Married: Elizabeth Sanders, d/o John Sanders

House of commons: 1628

MP for Brecon 1628-1629

Knighted June 29 1630

MP for Hereford 1640

Gentleman of the Privy Chamber by 1641

Lt.Col. of the Royal Horse 1642-1643

High Steward for Leominster

Royalist

Walter was bapt. Dec 10 1610, the first son of Sir Walter and Joane (Rudhall) Pye. He was educated at Temple, entered 1626 and Exeter College, Oxford, 1627. He married Elizabeth Sanders of Dinton, Buckinghamshire, in 1628. They had 3 surviving children. Elizabeth died in 1640. Walter remarried in 1646 to Mary Tyrrell, of Oakley, Buckinghamshire.

Walter was burdened by the expense of his father’s funeral and providing portions for his sisters’ marriages, causing him to sell large amounts of land and timber in the late 1630’s. Even so, at the outbreak of the English Civil War, he was still one of the wealthiest men in Herefordshire. He was the last of the senior branch of this family to sit in Parliament. Due to his loyalties to the crown and his support of the King, he was deprived of his duties in 1648.

His children, Walter, Catherine and Robert remained Catholic but Walter II embraced the Church of England. He died in 1659 and was buried in St. Clement Dane, London. His granddaughter, Elizabeth Pye, married Henry Gorges, a Tory, bringing the remaining estate to him. His son, Walter III, remained loyal to the Stuarts, living in exile, on the Continent, with them, where he was given the title Lord Kilpec. King James II was in exile, therefore he had no authority  to grant titles. This was in name only.

His son, Robert (1638-1680) married Meliora Drax, dau. of James and Meliora (Horton) Drax. She was born c. 1650. The Drax were cousins of Sir Fernando Gorges and Col. Christopher Coddington, Dep. Gov. of Barbados. James Drax and his brother William, built Drax Hall in St. George, the site of the first sugar cane plantation in Barbados, around 1637. William Drax left for Jamaica in 1669 where he established another Drax Hall estate. Drax Hall in Barbados is still owned by the Drax family and is still a working plantation today.

                                      Drax Hall Plantation

In attempting to find the cousin of Robert Pye, called Edward Pye, it was discovered that there were at least two by that name involved in Barbados sugar cane plantations. The first Edward is noted in 1640 and appears to be a barrister, assisting with the legal aspects of Drax Hall. The second Edward Pye, later known as Col. Edward Pye of Maryland, was not born until 1640, therefore was most certainly not the barrister. The first Edward has alluded discovery of any information, although it was noted that he was ‘of Dymock and Boyce.’ Maryland records show Col. Edward to be the son of John and Blanche (Lingen) Pye of Stoke Edith England and a first cousin of Robert of England and Barbados. Their fathers were brothers.

To finish up this line of the Pye family, Robert and Meliora (Drax) Pye had a daughter, Elizabeth. She married Henry Gorges, a cousin of Sir Fernando Gorges, Founder of Province of Maine in New England. Robert died when Elizabeth was an infant. Robert’s wife sued for support. This appears in the Archives:

         

         Meliora Pye, widow and administratrix of Robt. Pye. v. Edwd. Pye,             Peter Smyth, and Eliz. Pye (an infant), by her guardian).: Goods               and chattels and debts of Robert Pye, deceased (plaintiff's late                 husband), an annuity payable out of the estate of Robt. to Edwd.               Pye (one of the defendants), and the jointure lands of the plaintiff,             lying in Mynde, Kilpeck, Much Dewchurch, and Saint Devereux;                 and touching a meadow called "The Long Meadow," parcel of the             manor of Kilpeck, and an annuity of 100l. payable to plaintiff                       (before her marriage with Robt.) out of "some estate in the Island of           Barbadoes" settled upon her by her father, Sir James Drax, &c.,                 &c.: Hereford

          Date: 2 Jas 2 Held by: The National Archives, Kew  (1687)

In the 1680 census for St. George, Barbados, there is an Edward Pye, Esq. listed as a resident. This is most likely the Edward Pye who soon made his way to Maryland in 1682.

The History of Parliament

Journals of the House of Commons

barbados-beaches-plus.com/drax-hall-plantation

A History of the Mansions and Manors of Herefordshire

          By Rev. Charles J. Robinson, M.A.  1873

The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords

          By Rev. Charles J. Robinson 1869

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