The Real Perkins Family

[rooted69]

Hi, I've been researching my family history for a long time now, I can see past most of the rubbish and misinformation out there. like with most families there is always someone trying to link their heritage to royalty or so vague noble Knight before records began. I go after the facts, even some records are recorded wrong but we are only human, mistakes are made.
Now for some unknown reason, I've taken on the task of trying to find the true line of the Perkins family through the Uk. After a surprising DNA test which came back as NO English or French, 71.1% Scandinavian 20.2% Irish,Scottish,Welsh. 7.7% Balkan and 1.0% Greek... that got me thinking so I've done another for my Fathers line and my Mothers. The Greek is my mothers side I'm lead to believe. So seeing as I'm a direct descendent of the Perkins name, I thought it only right to clear up as much of the mess that has been made by Noble hunting and royalty linking in my Family. anyone who wish to join my quest is very welcome. At the moment I'm just doing the Perkins Family county by county as far back as i can go and working from there. If any Perkins or related too can add info I would be very Grateful. sorry for the running on lol

[christanel]

Welcome to the Brit-Gen forums
You have taken on a mammoth job haven't you Perkins being a common name. Now that your post is out there I can see you receiving replies for years to come but how you sort it all out is a big task.
Good luck with your mission
Christina

[rooted69]

Thank you. Sifting through the rubbish is the hardest part. But I like a challenge lol. The Perkins name is a common one but the further you go back it's not... I've manage to plot a lot of members of the early family to 1470s and are all with in walking distance of each other, the largest of which are in Shropshire area and are close to a place called Perthy funny enough which you get the name Perthyn, which is still use today, which means belonging too/ family. The early form of Perkins is spelt Perkyns. It's not a big jump to " the people of Perthy" to the Perthyns! So families had just females. Which the name dies out or all the children died. I don't link anyone to a certain family without proof. If I can't they stay to the side until I can find where they belong. To say you have traced your family back 18 generations is a bit of a leap of faith. It's not impossible but also not that clear cut.. proof is the biggest key, just because they live and born in the same area doesn't mean they are part of the same line. Hopefully I can start to untangle it and my son can carry it on because I don't think I'll get to complete it lol. My line I can go back with confidence to the early 1700s but it is very grey after that. That is why I've start from the bottom up. To pin point a area which we are all common too, is not a great stretch but linking the families with limited record is... crave yard walking and church records are a great way but have limits.but I do think it is possible. In the 1400s to the 1500s little pockets appear which are linked by marriage or blood. Hopefully my next DNA test will help pin pointing my line... but there is plenty to do.

[rooted69]

[Peter Goodey]

You speak as if there's only one Perkins family but as a relationship type name we can expect any number of geographical origins of different lines.

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland recognises Perkins together with Perkin, Parkyn and Parken as variants of Parkin - a pet form of Peres (Peter) see Pearce plus the diminutive -kin.

[rooted69]

No. Perkins in this form is what I'm looking for. They are many variations of the name. If I was to look into them all I'd need several lifetimes. If I ever complete this line, then I start on another, but for the moment Perkins is enough. Perkins means little Peter but depending on who's looking it can be interpreted in any way. I'm open to all. At the moment mine is based on what I already know to be true and DNA.

[rooted69]

People adopt names. Change them. And use them. Parks perks perken Peterkin. Cynn is Anglo Saxon for kin and son in the north is the same. In the end we are all related in some form. People with blue eyes apparently have one common ancestor. But who's to say there wasn't two or three mutations of the gene. It's just to big to concentrate on all at the same time but I'm more than happy to work with anyone on which ever path they are going down. It's complex lol

[rooted69]

Though I do find it hard to believe as some suggest that all Perkins in this form come from the same Peter. If I can spilt the families into non related parts I will. Nothing is easy tho. I don't link families just because I can. It's not right.

[rooted69]

If anyone out there has a Perkins in there family that moved to Norfolk England around the 1700s it would be a great help lol.

[Lesley Robertson]

You do realise that in the 19th century and before, the attitude to spelling of names was pretty fuzzy? You gave your name to the clerk or Minister, and they wrote down what they heard. Even if someone was literate enough to tell one spelling from another, people certainly didn't argue with officials back then.
For example, I have the same surname spelled 3 different ways in a single baptismal record - for the child, father and grandfather (the child was being named for him).
If you rely on a single spelling, you are going to miss a lot. However, it's your choice!