Many years ago I came to the realization that I have (self-diagnosed) ADHD-like tendencies. I am easily distracted and often start things that I never finish. The fact that I’ve managed to keep this blog up for ten months is not like me at all. Thusly, I realized recently that while I had introduced John Harding Peach a long time ago in another post, I had never gotten around to giving him his full due. And as I continue to find “new” information about the early Tranthams (which has me twitterpated), I decided to rectify this situation and finish what I started. After all, the Tranthams and the Peaches were thick as thieves at one time methinks.

John Harding is without question the world’s foremost authority on the Peach family and he’s written several books to prove it. I mean it. He knows a lot of about folks named Peach or Peche and that family name goes back a ways. I happened to come across a preview of one of his books online when I was preparing for my grand lecture at our now quinquennial Trantham family reunion. The passage in this particular book dealt with Sealy Trantham who had married John Peach. Together they brought forth a bushel’s worth of more Peaches – ten, in fact.

I emailed John Harding and asked him if his books were still available and, if not, did have any other information about Sealy Trantham that I might be able to share at our upcoming family reunion. She was “kenfolk”. His reply took me by surprise: “Yes, the book(s) are still available…” followed by “Where is your reunion going to be held and when?”

I had not considered the possibility that John Harding was a distant COUSIN. Technically, he is a descendant of John Peach and his first wife. Sealy was John Peach’s second wife. But as John Harding put it, Sealy raised John’s first seven children and gave him ten more. She was mother to them all. I agree.

Just how thick were these thieves? Thick like jam. Sealy’s brother, Jesse Trantham, my 4th great grandfather, even named one of his sons Hardiman Peach Trantham.

Volume 2 of John Harding’s The Peach Genealogies (autographed!) is now a treasured part of my growing genealogy library. Most of the book is devoted to the descendants of John and Sealy (Trantham) Peach.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 5th cousin, 1x removed
Common ancestors: John Harding’s (step) 4th great grandfather was Martin Trantham of Williamson County, Tennessee who is also my 5th great grandfather