Pierre (Morlaix) de Morlaix (1312 - 1384)

Born 1312 in Morlaix, Bretagne, France

Died 1384 at about age 72 in Shropshire, England

Biography

Do not confuse Pierrie De Moralix with Peter Morley alias Perkins

This "person" is part of a legend that has been perpetuated by an essay written by James Fulton Perkins.^[1] I have asked for his sources, and have received no reply.

The Legend

Said to be the same as Peter Morley alias Perkins of Shropshire, Sergeant to Lord Hugh de Spencer of the Manor of Shiptonin, Oxfordshire.

Beware of dates posted with this ancestral line of his descendants given at PERKINS-L [Perkins] http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/PERKINS/2002-02/1013470270: Pierre Morlaix, b. 1358, Morlaix, Brittany, France. He married Agnes Taylor, b. 1320 [?], England, d. 1376-1415. Pierre died 1391, Shropshire.

An unidentified writer at Squidoo.com (www.squidoo.com/Hillmortonperkins - broken link not on archive.org 27 March 2024) says this: There are a number of conflicting theories about the origin of the name Perkins. If you have any interest at all in the family, then you probably already know that most work on the name have suggests that it comes from "Pierre de Morlaix", a French ally and then Great Steward of the Despensers in the mid 14th Century. The son of Pierre was called 'Pierrekin', which literally means 'little Peter.' The name was retained by further generations, until it became an official surname.

I am not completely convinced by this; firstly, I have found evidence on the patent rolls that suggests that Perkin was surname dating from March 3 1309:

Commission of oyer and terminer to John de Crumbwelle, William de Ormesby and John de Insula, on information that Richard de Fuleshirst, William de Fuleshirst, Hugh de Fuleshirst, Ranulph de Fuleshirst, William Matheu of Becherton, Richard Adecock, Ralph Russel, Ranulph son of Roger, William son of Clement Matheu, THOMAS PERKIN, Robert le fiz Bace, William de Fonte the younger, Richard de Marchumleye, Robert Samyn, Robert le Cachepole, Nicholas le Cachepol, Richard Bacun the younger, Elyas Boghewrythe, John le Noble, William Spurstowe le Somenur, Thomas le fiz Hychekyn, William Mariot the younger, Hamo le Taillur and William his brother, Richard le Sadler of Hereford, Richard Fycock, and Robert Hereward the younger, with others of the town of Nantwich (de Wychio Maubari), killed Richard de Dounes, prior of the abbey of Cumbermere, at Nantwich, co. Chester, and burned the manor, granges, cornand goods of the abbey

In addition, the story of Perkins' name suggests, in an age when French was the common language of the court (and of noble households in general), and Anglo-Saxon was despised, that an upper-rank servant such as a Steward would take on the name Per-kin, and allow that name to be used in official documents. An ambitious and aspiring man would surely adopt the name "FitzPeter". I would also wonder at a noble master who would allow his servants to take on lowly peasant names; the Despensers were one of the peers of the realm, closely related to the King. Even supposing the rest is true, there is no need to imagine a French origin for Pierre.

All of this suggests that a second solution is more likely - that the name Perkins originates from the same root as the names Perkiss and Perkes, perhaps coming from the Norman word Perch - a term of measurement. Of course names that sound similar may have completely different origins, but for the moment I propose that Perkins has English or Welsh origins, rather than the eye-raising use of a peasant term by a high-ranking official.

Note: Research of ancient manuscripts, which include the Doomsday Book by Duke William of Normandy in 1086 A.D., the Ragman Rolls of 1291-1296 authorized by King Edward 1st of England, the Curia Regis Rolls, The Pipe Rolls and The Hearth Rolls of England, found the first record of the name Perkins in Leicestershire, England. The name Perkins, in one form or another (i.e.: de Morlaix/Morley), first appears on the census rolls taken by the Kings of England beginning about 400 A.D.

The family name Perkins is one of the most distinguished of the ancient world during a time of Kingdoms, Kings and Knights. If we are to believe Bede, the Chronicler of the Saxons, this founding race of England was led by the Saxon General/Commanders Hengist and Horsa and settled in Kent during this time and was a Anglo/Saxon race. However, there is evidence to support the claim that the name is of Celtic/Welsh origin. Based on British history we know that after the last Roman Legions left the continent in the early part of the 5th century the Saxons, Angles and other Low German tribes settled in Southeastern England around Kent. However, the Ancient Britons (Celtics) were the true natives of the area and it is an amalgamation of the Angles, Saxons and Celtic Britons who became what we refer to today as the Anglo/Saxons. The truth is that the Angles and Saxons may have "moved in", but the Britons were there in far greater numbers, thus accounting for the claim that the blood line is far more Celtic than any other. Therefore it should be concluded that the origins of the Perkins "Clan" are Celtic/Welsh.

The Anglo/Saxon five-century domination of English society was an uncertain time and the nation divided into five separate kingdoms. By 1066 King Harold had come to the throne of England and was enjoying reasonable peace and prosperity. How ever, the invasion from France and their victory at the Battle of Hastings, found many Englishmen moving.

By the 13th century the family name Perkins emerged as a notable English family in the county of Leicester, where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated as Lords of the manor and estates in that shire. They had branched to Ufton Court in Berkshire and Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire, later branching to Nuneaton, Marston and Hillmorton, Warwickshire. The main stem of the family continued at Orton Hall in Leicestershire, where it remains to this day. Notable amongst the family at this time was Perkins of Leicester. For the next two or three centuries bearers of the surname Perkins flourished and played a significant role in the political development of England.

It is at this point where we pick up the story of the present day Perkins. The last generation to use the original spelling of Morlaix in or around 1331 was the family of one Pierre de Morlaix of Shropshire, England. He appears to have been born 1312 in Bretagne, Morliax, Normandy, France and died about 1384 in Shropshire, : England. His name indicates that although originally from Morlaix, Normandy, France he was part of the Celtic/Welsh group previously mentioned who migrated to England. During this time period surnames were not in common use. Everybody was known by some personal characteristic such as what they did, who there father was or where they came from, hence Pierre de Morlaix was from Morlaix, France. Attaining a high position within English society, Pierre became the High Steward of the Hugo de Spencer Estate of Oxfordshire, England (later known as the House of Spencer, of whom Princes Diana was a daughter).

Pierre changed his name to the English translated version "Peter Morley" when Charles V, the Black Prince of France renewed the Hundred Years War with England. This war was disrupting English shipping, compromising trade with Spain and the Netherlands and persecuting English subjects on the mainland in many ways. Because of the French victory at the Battle of Hastings, Frenchmen became persona-non-grata in England so to conceal his French origins Pierre changed his name to the English translation, Peter Morley. (1312-1384)

Unwilling to end the heritage of the deMorlaix name, when Peter (Pierre de Morlaix) Morley married Agnes Taylor, daughter of John Taylor of Madresield, Worcestershire, England, they had a son. He was to be named Henry Pierrekin (meaning "first son of Pierre", born 1340 in Shropshire, England and died in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England). The "kin" suffix indicates the eldest son in a family and any subsequent sons are simply called with the suffix "son", as in "Pierreson". Hence, the first son is Pierrekin and the second son of Peter (Pierre) Morley would be "Pierreson". The above was found at: RootsWeb (ancestry.com) Perkins Essay Part 1

Note: Web content by Kristin C Hall (©1992-2004 Kristin C. Hall) also found in
the Perkins Register Report

Sources

1. ↑ at http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kiddiecampus

Acknowledgements

This person was created through the import of Weaver.ged on 03 January 2011.