were promptly answered, and the corrections, when necessary, were made. Others were not answered until the work was in the press, too late for corrections or additions, except at the end of the book.

After the records and historical matter were printed, it was again read through, and such errors as were found, whether typographical or otherwise, however small or of little consequence, were pointed out. This was preferred, rather than leave them to the conjecture and query of the reader, as is sometimes done in such works.

Another source of much difficulty and unpleasant feeling in collecting this kind of information is the little interest felt in the subject by many. Some, when called upon, would appear to think it an imposition to be asked for a record of their families, or to be supposed to know their ages, or to know the name of their grandfather, or to care who their ancestors were, or where they came from. Such persons were generally anxious to know if there was any "property anywhere coming to the Pecks that I was after," evidently thinking more of counting their dollars than keeping records of their families. Others, when called upon, would express an interest in the subject, and a willingness to send me, at some future time, records of their families, if they could only know who their ancestors were, how far back I had traced them, etc., but, when given the information, which perhaps had cost me months or years of labor, would forget their promises, and it would be the last I should hear of them or their records.

But those who have done the most to delay and injure the work and me, are those who have expressed an interest in the subject they seem never to have felt, made promises only to break them, and those who, when written to with the return postage, etc., inclosed, have neglected or refused to answer my letters and return my circulars. I would forget these gentlemen, and the unkindness to call it by no other name - which I have received from some of them, if I could. Although there have been many things unpleasant and discouraging in the preparation of the work, it has not all been so. In my travels, as well as in my correspondence, I have found many friends, who have lent me their aid and assistance, and treated me with a kindness and generosity that can never be forgotten. Some have subscribed for a number of copies, and furnished me with engravings of their likenesses for the work. To all such I return my sincere thanks, especially to those who have had them engraved especially for the work.

The book is larger than it was at first expected to be. When my circulars were issued for subscribers, it was supposed, as stated in

them, that it would contain about 350 pages, and about 6,000 names, including those who had become allied with the Pecks by marriage, and others; but much was afterwards added, and it now contains, notwithstanding I have condensed it all I could, 440 pages and over 11,000 names.

It was at first designed to arrange the names of the children in single columns, but, by leaving out the surname Peck and substituting b. for born, and using smaller type, they have been put in double columns. This reduced the size of the work about one quarter, and improved its appearance. In the appendix the names of the children follow each other, like other matter. There were so large a number of children in these branches of the name whose births and deaths I could not obtain, that to arrange them in columns made the work too open and broken to look well.

In condensing the work, foreign matter only has been left out. I have endeavored to retain all the names and dates, places of residence, early settlements, and such wills, deeds and papers as were thought to be of interest and best worth preserving, with the references and data by which the persons contained in the work might be traced out, and a more extended history of them learned, if desired. Had the work been arranged and printed as open as such works sometimes are, the descendants of the female branches traced out, more history and biography of the different individuals given, and matter foreign to the subject admitted, it would have been so large and expensive as to be purchased by but a few. It is now within the reach of every one. It will be found to contain the descendants of Joseph Peck, who emigrated to this country with his family in 1638, now generally known as the Massachusetts Pecks; with an appendix containing an account of the Boston and Hingham Pecks, also of the descendants of John Peck of Mendon, Mass., Joseph of Milford, Conn., Henry of New Haven, Deacon Paul of Hartford, and an account of some of the descendants of Deacon William of New Haven.

When I commenced my investigations I supposed that all the Pecks of this country were the descendants of Joseph of Massachusetts, but afterwards found that there were others by the name who early emigrated to this country and became progenitors, leaving descendants.

The extensive race of Pecks from Connecticut, now mixed in their settlements with each other and with the Massachusetts Pecks throughout the country, are from other ancestors, who early settled there. To

separate these different branches of the same patronymic has been a work of much labor and perplexity. It has been in tracing out the descendants of the different ancestors, separating them from each other, and placing them in their proper positions or families and generations that the most of my labor has been required, and the difficulties and perplexities encountered.

Had all the Pecks of this country been the descendants of one emigrant ancestor, my labors would have been little in comparison to what they now have. The reader will find on examination that the descendants of Joseph, John, Nicholas, Samuel, Nathaniel and Israel Peck, who settled in Rehoboth, and John of Mendon, Mass., Deacon Paul of Hartford, Deacon William and Henry of New Haven, and Joseph of Milford, ancestors of the Connecticut Pecks, have been separated from each other and arranged under their respective heads as separate ancestors.

What the relationship between the ancestor of the Massachusetts Pecks and the ancestors of the Connecticut Pecks was, or where they came off from the main branch of the name, has not been learned; but it is hoped that some of their descendants will now follow them back, and learn the connecting link. I would have been glad to have attempted this; but to obtain information from the other side of the water requires much time, is very expensive, and none of them offered to assist me, although many of them are men of wealth. Among many of the descendants of these Connecticut Pecks I found a coldness and indifference to the subject that I did not anticipate, and which was very discouraging to me. Although I found some who lent me their aid and assistance, and treated me with a generous kindness that will long be remembered, I found others who I felt treated me with a lack of generosity and an unkindness that I shall try to forget.

In addition to the history in this country of the descendants of Joseph Peck, the ancestor of the Massachusett Pecks and records of their families, the work will be found to contain not only a pedigree giving a record of his own, his father's and grandfather's families, with the names of his ancestors back from him in regular ascent for twenty generations, with the coat of arms, but also a copy of his own, his father's, his brothers', and his uncles' wills. I think it will be found that but few have been more successful in connecting their name with their English ancestry, or who have done so with any more certainty of correctness. Others may have been more successful in tracing out their names in this country, but I think few have devoted more time and labor to the subject.

The work was not commenced as an enterprise by which to make money. The collection of the material was at first commenced from a love of the subject, and a desire to learn who my ancestors were, and where they came from. After having traced back my own branch of the name to Joseph Peck, the immigrant ancestor to this country, and learned that he was of English descent, I desired to connect him with the name there. This, after a long time, was accomplished, but with much expense. When my friends learned what I had done, they urged me to trace out their branches of the name, and arrange them into families and generations with their proper connections. This I should have never attempted, had I anticipated the great amount of labor and time it required, and the expense attendant upon it. After this was accomplished, and my friends learned the amount and character of the information and material collected, they desired its publication, and offered me their assistance by subscribing for the work, and otherwise, some generously offering to contribute their likenesses for it; and I consented to prepare it for the press.

Although the collection of the material for the work was commenced without the expectation of any assistance or remuneration, its publication was assented to and undertaken with the promise and expectation of the co-operation and assistance of those of the name, by subscribing for the work or otherwise, so far at least as that I should lose nothing by it more than my time and labor. But in this I fear I am to be disappointed. As a means of obtaining subscribers, I have sent out to those of the name circulars for signatures, each containing a request that they should be returned, that I might know whether the person to whom they were addressed received them or not, and whether they would become subscribers. With each was enclosed the postage or return envelope, making the person to whom they were addressed no expense to return them, and as little trouble as I could. Notwithstanding this, less than one half of them have been returned. Of those who returned them, many did not become subscribers. A few not only subscribed themselves, but with much. kindness obtained other names. This want of interest in the subject, and unkindness in refusing to return my circulars, was not anticipated; had it been, they never would have been issued. I have obtained a less number of subscribers than was expected, and the work has cost me much more.

The price of the book is lower in proportion to the number of names, the amount of information, and the number and excellence of the engravings it contains, and the present price of publishing, than

such works usually are, or than any one of the kind with which I am acquainted. The engravings, which are upon steel, the most of which were done expressly for the work, cost, with the prints, over one thousand dollars. The price, which was limited to four dollars, and the postage in the circulars sent out for subscribers, is too low for the expense of the work. It was fixed when it was supposed the work would contain only about three hundred and fifty pages and six thousand names, and a few engravings, which my friends at first proposed should be lithographs, an inferior and much cheaper engraving, although such as are often used in books of the kind. It was at first designed to only give the ancient arms of the Pecks printed in black lines, as is usually done in such works, at an expense of eight or ten dollars; but they are now given with the quarterings, crest and motto in colors, and the ancient arms embossed upon the cover, at an expense for both of over one hundred dollars.

Many of my friends have advised me to raise the price of the book in proportion to its increased size and cost; but I have preferred to let the price remain to my subscribers, as limited in the circulars sent out for subscriptions, at four dollars and the postage, and trust to their generosity and sense of justice to contribute towards its increased size and value or not, as they may feel disposed. The price to those not subscribers will be fixed at five dollars. Should any of my subscribers feel generous enough to forward that sum for their books, it will be thankfully received; and, as I must rely upon the sale of other copies in addition to those subscribed for to meet the expenses of the work, I hope many of my friends of the name not subscribers, and others who may chance to become its readers, will purchase it. All who will do so at any time, and assist in its sale, will do me a kindness for which I shall be thankful. Its completion and publication, the collection and arrangement of the additional material and information, and the execution of the engravings, the last of which was finished but a few days before the work was given to the binder, occupied more time than was expected; but it has all been to the advantage of the subscriber.

The arrangement of the book has been made plain and easy to be understood. The explanations which follow and those at the commencement of the Index will enable the reader to find the names of the different persons in the work, and trace them forward and find their descendants, or trace them back and find their ancestors, with ease and without confusion.