John Peterken and Sarah Pitchland

Church of St. Boniface, Nursling
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Martin - geograph.org.uk/p/5935019

John Peterken married Sarah Pitchland (bap. 14 Jan 1703 in Romsey, Hampshire) at the church of St Boniface, Nursling, Hampshire on 3 Mar 1727. John Peterken was a soldier, which is confirmed on the original marriage record.

John, it appears, was born on 8 Aug 1698 and baptised on 19 Aug 1698 in Drainie, Morayshire, the son of Thomas Peterkine - the extraneous final 'e' was common at this time - and Margaret Nicoll. A wide variety of spellings show up in the records. John was Peterkine at baptism, but Peterken when he married. My feeling is that the surname was actually Peterkin and became Peterken once it was written down as that's what it sounded like to southerners hearing his Scottish accent.

Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Pitchland and Sarah Cooper, and her ancestors appear to continue back several further generations in Romsey & Andover.

John and Sarah had seven children:

1. Thomas Peterkin bap. 22 Jul 1733 *
2. Thomas Peterkin bap. 19 Dec 1734
3. Sarah Peterkin bap. 13 Mar 1736. Sarah, daughter of John Peterkin (sic) was buried on 21 Sep 1744 at St Thomas of Canterbury, Portsmouth.
4. James Peterkin bap. 26 Dec 1738, James, son of John Peterkin (sic) was buried on 26 May 1739, also at St Thomas of Canterbury, Portsmouth.
5. Mary Peterkin bap. 27 Apr 1740
6. Ann Peterkin bap. 4 Apr 1742
7. James Peterkin bap. 11 Mar 1743

All of them were baptised at Saint Thomas, Portsmouth - now the Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury (Portsmouth Cathedral).

* There's a burial of Thomas Peterkin, son of John Peterkin, on 3 Mar 1733. As this is before the baptism, my thoughts are that maybe the baptism was carried out posthumously, or what we think is the first Thomas, was actually the second.

John Peterkin was buried on 2 Feb 1765, at Portsmouth, St Thomas.