Customer Reviews

The family of John Pike of Newbury, Massachusetts (some descendants), 1635-1995

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The ansestors of John Pike of Newbury, Massachusetts owe a debt of gratitude to Allen R. Pike for the substance, content and joy contained in his book. He strikes out from the first ship's manifests, journals, wills, deeds and letters of John and his family upon their arrival and generation by generation builds upon the family story and connection.

Included in this line are: Major Robert Pike, whose force of personality and logical defenses finally put an end to the public madness known as the Salem witch trials; General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, known for his exploration of the southern reaches of the Louisana Purchase lands at the same time that Lewis and Clark explored the north; he who was to discover Pike's Peak in Colorado, the mountain top that provided the inspiration for the song "America" and which provided the early settlers traveling east with a beacon and a slogan "Pike's Peak or Bust"; or there was General Albert Pike, commander in the Confederate army, who resigned his commission rather than carry out an order to enlist the Indians to attack the Union army and he who later became the most celebrated Freemason and whose statue stands at the corner of Third and Indiana Streets in Washington DC.

Family members and historians seeking to know and understand the impact of an early American family on the shaping of the country will find many samples in the stories of the men and women of this family. While not a narrative per se, tracing the lines from generation to generation gives a great account of the forces at work and the personalities.

Decendants should take to heart the importance of keeping a record of the accomplishments and notable accounts of their family members for archive and future studies of the family heritage.

Marshall Pike, Acting Sec.-Treas., Pike Family Association of America

In 1635, at the age of 62, John Pike embarked from Southampton, England to Suffolk, Massachusetts with two grown sons and three daughters. This book looks at their descendants who, after 14 generations, have spread through the United States from the shores of New England to the Gulf Coast and to the Pacific Ocean, covering over 350 years. Families are organized and presented within generations. Brief family histories and individual biographies add greatly to the well-presented family group and personal information. The author's personal insights and explanations increase the book's value and understanding. The index includes some 14,000 names. (Genealogical Helper, May-June 1997, p.198)

Very well written and documented history of the Pike lines stemming from John Pike who came over from England in 1635 and settled in MA. His lines spread mainly through New England and the book covers twelve generations. A genealogy of this type will be of interest primarily to those who have the Pike name in their ancestry. However, if one is starting to prepare a published account of a member of their line, this is an excellent source for study and how to organize material. It is a large book, some 875 pages. However,it is well done and attractive. There is a significant amount of information here that may prove to be of immense value. Different typing fonts are used very effectively in high lighting names, dates, and lines of decent. In many cases, short biographies of numerous individuals are given. This adds an unusual slant and offers an insite into the lives of the people discussed. Wills are reproduced where available and in several cases weddings are described. An appendix is attached and gives family lines for allied groups which tie into the Pike line. Examples are the Carr, French, Bradbury, Plummer, Stockman, Cutts, Worth, Bloomfield, True, Fletcher and Coolidge families. An excellent bibliography is given along with a complete every-name index. Mr. Allen R. Pike is to commended for assembling this material into a usuable and interesting form. It had to be a monumental effort and the result is an exceptional addition to the family history library.

The book begins with John 1 Pike arriving in America in 1635 and proceeds to share with us twelve generations of the descendants, along with excerpts from some of the more well known Pike personalities. The author, a tireless searcher of the past, gives us a well sourced, factual genealogical look at one of the more important families of Newbury, MA, and Woodbridge, NJ. Along the way there are real life stories of our ancestors, telling us what life was like in the past, that we might more fully be able to comprehend the joys of living today. You will know the thrill of hearing one of your ancestors tell you about his or her struggles and then as you share that joy with other new found cousins you will be blessed again. This book is truly a classic which will bring joy to countless generation in the future. It is well indexed and contains the names of other Pike Family members researching other lines. The author has given us a base to build a more complete genealogy of the Pike Family. With 800 plus pages and thousands of persons at your fingertips you will soon be wanting to add your ancestors and descendants to his lists. You then can pass this on as a gift to the future. Thanks to Allen for the thousands of hours of labor he has given to our family.