The Pease Family
The Pease family, it would seem, from such earliest record as there is,
dates to the period circa 1485, starting with one Robert Pease. He is placed as living in
Essex, in the area of Great Baddow, which these days, is a southern suburb of the town of
Chelmsford and which was presumably at one time, a much smaller community than it is
today. It has been suggested by two sides of the family, that the origins go back further
still, to either Germany or Holland. The Hull branch of the family incline to favour
Germany, which is suggestive by the incorporation of a Germanic crest within an
early variant
of their arms. However, the Darlington branch hold to the Dutch origin. The truth has yet
to be established.
Some members of the Pease family dispersed from nearby Great Baddow in the late 1400's or shortly
thereafter. A few it is believed, remained behind, whilst others moved onward to America.
One branch from Great Stambridge, moved northwards to Yorkshire, where they settled at Sykehouse near Fishlake, a
few miles South-east of Pontefract. For some two hundred years they remained within that
district, with some members of the family returning South to establish themselves in
Woolwich (London) and others moving to the neighbouring Great Preston area and also to
Felkirk and Shafton, some 5miles north-east of Barnsley. Others moved to Darlington
in County Durham. The Sykehouse and Fishlake Peases, having embraced the Quaker philosophy
as espoused by George Fox, became firm adherents to the Society of Friends, which owing to
its requirement that members married within the Society, became linked to many other well
established Quaker families over many generations.