PEDEN

 

THE PEDENS OF AMERICA

 

By

Eleanor Martha Hewell

1900

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INTRODUCTION

     When Eleanor M. Hewell published "The Pedens of America" in 1900, she called Fairview Church the “Cradle of the Peden race on American soil.”  Certainly, the community of Fairview is rich in Peden heritage.  Many members of the family still reside in the community where their forefathers built their first homes in America.  In the historic cemetery lie several of the original family and many other descendants of John and Peggy McDill Peden.  Here at their reunion in 1899 the Peden Clan erected an impressive monument to their forefathers.  At Fairview Church each July the Pedens now gather for a family reunion.

     This historic setting has doubtless done much to maintain genuine interest in the history of the Peden family now scattered to states throughout the United States. No longer is Miss Hewell’s history available.  Popular demand for this book plus a dedicated desire to preserve family records for future generations has led the authors to write, to travel, to collect data, and to work two years in preparing this edition of The Pedens of America.  The labor has been long, tedious, and in some instances incomplete, but it has also been interesting, challenging, and rewarding.

     The first part of this family history is largely a reproduction of Miss Hewell’s book and the authors claim no honor for this research.  Permission to reproduce the information was granted by Miss Hewell’s nephew, Marion M. Hewell, president of the Peden Clan in 1960. Since so very much material has been sent, the authors have re¬ corded only vital information about each person. It is regretted that much interesting data could not be included. An index seemed imperative.  This has been carefully compiled.  It is sincerely hoped that every name is included.  Any omission is completely unintentional.

     Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following publishers and individuals for permission to reprint material in these books:

1.  The Pedens of America, by Miss Eleanor M. Hewell, published in 1900.
2.  House of Fowler, by Grover P. Fowler, published in 1940.
3.  History of the Wier and Blake Families, by Wm. S. Wier.
4.  History of the Morrow Family, by Rev. T. J. Morrow.
5.  Newspaper clippings, family Bible's, cemetery records, and individuals of the several houses of     the Peden family.

    We wish to thank each individual for his or her help in compiling the data for this history.  If there are any mistakes, please bear in mind they were not made intentionally.  Since the entire project has been undertaken on a nonprofit basis, Evelyn Harvey Deaton deserves especial recognition for her help in typing the index.
 

Historians,

Jessie Peden
Lizzie Peden
Lila Peden Sprouse

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