Origins of the Pike Family

The roots of this family, like many other families that came to Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries, are not known beyond the father of the first settler in Ireland. The first Pike of this family in Ireland was Richard Pike of Sarsfield Court. Richard was the son of Richard Pike of Newbury, Berkshire. Richard Pike Sr. was a wealthy landowner with, 'considerable estates in that that co., (Berkshire) a portion of which he offered to settle on his son' (as recorded repeatedly in every edition of Burke's Landed Gentry).
An alternative explanation to how Richard Pike came about ownership Sarsfield Court is offered. Richard Pike was a Corporal of Horse and one of Oliver Cromwell's 'Ironsides.' These officers were given land in Ireland in 1649 instead of pay, Richard Pike being given Sarsfield Court. At some point Richard Pike converted to Quakerism and his lands were forfeited, Richard no longer being any use to Cromwell as a pacifist.
Richard Pike Sr. is sometimes referred to as 'Sir'. Whether or not he really was a knight is unknown, it could just be a family story.
The Pike family motto is 'Vrai a la fin', meaning 'True at the end.'
Richard Pike of Newbury, Berskshire (b.1598), married and had issue:
1. Richard Pike (1627-April 1668) m. (1655), Elizabeth (1636-1688), daughter of J. Jackson (presumably Joseph) of London
An alternative explanation to how Richard Pike came about ownership Sarsfield Court is offered. Richard Pike was a Corporal of Horse and one of Oliver Cromwell's 'Ironsides.' These officers were given land in Ireland in 1649 instead of pay, Richard Pike being given Sarsfield Court. At some point Richard Pike converted to Quakerism and his lands were forfeited, Richard no longer being any use to Cromwell as a pacifist.
Richard Pike Sr. is sometimes referred to as 'Sir'. Whether or not he really was a knight is unknown, it could just be a family story.
The Pike family motto is 'Vrai a la fin', meaning 'True at the end.'
Richard Pike of Newbury, Berskshire (b.1598), married and had issue:
1. Richard Pike (1627-April 1668) m. (1655), Elizabeth (1636-1688), daughter of J. Jackson (presumably Joseph) of London
Pikes in Ireland
Richard Pike of Sarsfield Court possibly returned to live Newbury after having his lands in Ireland confiscated. He was arrested and died in prison in 1668. By his wife, who was descended from Chief Magistrates of London, he had three sons (four as mentioned in the Landed Gentry is incorrect) and two daughters:
1. Joseph Pike (15/01/1657-07/11/1729), ancestor to the Pikes of Besborough (now Bessborough) m. (April 1682), Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Rogers, merchant of of Cork/Bristol
2. Richard Pike (1659-1739) m. (1695), Sarah (-1745), daughter of John Watson of Kilconnor, Co. Carlow
3. Ebenezer Pike (Mixed up with his brother Joseph in the Landed Gentry between the 1879 and 1912 editions.)
4. Elizabeth Pike
5. Sarah Pike
The second son, Richard Pike of Summerhill, County Cork, left by his wife, two sons and four daughters (again, please contact me if you have any information on the missing children):
1. William Pike (1695-1756) m. Deborah (-1766), daughter of John Pim of Edenderry, Co. Offaly (King's County) and his wife, Mary Barcroft
2. Samuel Pike
3. Unknown daughter
4. Unknown daughter
5. Unknown daughter
6. Unknown daughter
William Pike of Summerhill, the elder son, issue by his wife:
1. Richard Pike (26/04/1748-1810) m. (25/07/1773), Anne (19/07/1752-1793), daughter of Jonathan Wilkinson of Riversview and Loweswater, Cumberland, England and Elizabeth ___
2. William Pike (15/12/1755-02/03/1853) m. (26/07/1781), Margaret, daughter of John Christy and Deborah Thompson
Richard Pike resided at Summerhill and also at Fuller's Court, Co. Kildare and in Lurgan, where he may have set up a linen business. By his wife he had six children:
1. Elizabeth Pike (18/04/1774-)
2. Deborah Pike (23/03/1776-)
3. William Pike (22/07/1778-)
4. Jonathan Pike (01/08/1780-16/02/1860) m. (1813), Sarah (15/03/1792-03/04/1860), daughter of James Nicholson of Cranagill and Lydia Clibborn
5. Richard Pike (01/08/1783-)
6. Anne Pike (29/05/1785-)
Jonathan Pike resided at Beechgrove, Co. Tyrone, where he had a linen business and owned large amounts of land. He was expelled from the Quaker order in 1810, for having a child by a serving girl. Jonathan was readmitted to the Quaker order in 1828. He had five children by his wife, three sons and two daughters:
1. James Nicholson Pike (-1849) of Derryvale m. Sarah ___ and had issue.
2. Richard Pike (18/06/1815-03/02/1885) m. (1842), Margaret McKeighan (1823/1824-1886)
3. Anne Pike (30/03/1814-29/12/1891) m. (1835), Henry Bewley (04/07/1804-28/06/1876), son of Samuel Bewley of Rockville and Elizabeth Fayle
4. William Pike of Glendarary (04/09/1819-1881) m. (26/08/1843), Marion (1824-1866), daughter of John Watson of Liverpool and Mary Ann ___. He was father to, among others, Major General Sir William Watson Pike (10/03/1860-26/06/1941)
5. Lydia Clibborn Pike (-22/03/1900) m. (10/03/1841), her fourth cousin through the Pike side of the family, Ebenezer Pike of Besborough (25/03/1806-29/03/1883)
1. Joseph Pike (15/01/1657-07/11/1729), ancestor to the Pikes of Besborough (now Bessborough) m. (April 1682), Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Rogers, merchant of of Cork/Bristol
2. Richard Pike (1659-1739) m. (1695), Sarah (-1745), daughter of John Watson of Kilconnor, Co. Carlow
3. Ebenezer Pike (Mixed up with his brother Joseph in the Landed Gentry between the 1879 and 1912 editions.)
4. Elizabeth Pike
5. Sarah Pike
The second son, Richard Pike of Summerhill, County Cork, left by his wife, two sons and four daughters (again, please contact me if you have any information on the missing children):
1. William Pike (1695-1756) m. Deborah (-1766), daughter of John Pim of Edenderry, Co. Offaly (King's County) and his wife, Mary Barcroft
2. Samuel Pike
3. Unknown daughter
4. Unknown daughter
5. Unknown daughter
6. Unknown daughter
William Pike of Summerhill, the elder son, issue by his wife:
1. Richard Pike (26/04/1748-1810) m. (25/07/1773), Anne (19/07/1752-1793), daughter of Jonathan Wilkinson of Riversview and Loweswater, Cumberland, England and Elizabeth ___
2. William Pike (15/12/1755-02/03/1853) m. (26/07/1781), Margaret, daughter of John Christy and Deborah Thompson
Richard Pike resided at Summerhill and also at Fuller's Court, Co. Kildare and in Lurgan, where he may have set up a linen business. By his wife he had six children:
1. Elizabeth Pike (18/04/1774-)
2. Deborah Pike (23/03/1776-)
3. William Pike (22/07/1778-)
4. Jonathan Pike (01/08/1780-16/02/1860) m. (1813), Sarah (15/03/1792-03/04/1860), daughter of James Nicholson of Cranagill and Lydia Clibborn
5. Richard Pike (01/08/1783-)
6. Anne Pike (29/05/1785-)
Jonathan Pike resided at Beechgrove, Co. Tyrone, where he had a linen business and owned large amounts of land. He was expelled from the Quaker order in 1810, for having a child by a serving girl. Jonathan was readmitted to the Quaker order in 1828. He had five children by his wife, three sons and two daughters:
1. James Nicholson Pike (-1849) of Derryvale m. Sarah ___ and had issue.
2. Richard Pike (18/06/1815-03/02/1885) m. (1842), Margaret McKeighan (1823/1824-1886)
3. Anne Pike (30/03/1814-29/12/1891) m. (1835), Henry Bewley (04/07/1804-28/06/1876), son of Samuel Bewley of Rockville and Elizabeth Fayle
4. William Pike of Glendarary (04/09/1819-1881) m. (26/08/1843), Marion (1824-1866), daughter of John Watson of Liverpool and Mary Ann ___. He was father to, among others, Major General Sir William Watson Pike (10/03/1860-26/06/1941)
5. Lydia Clibborn Pike (-22/03/1900) m. (10/03/1841), her fourth cousin through the Pike side of the family, Ebenezer Pike of Besborough (25/03/1806-29/03/1883)
Richard Pike resided first at Torren Hill, sometimes Torrent Hill, before returning to his father's residence Beechgrove where he continued the family linen business. He also had a considerable amount of stocks and shares. As of yet, I have been unable to discover more about Richard's wife or her family. Margaret was not a Quaker. The surnames Barrington and Busby may or may not crop up in her ancestry, as these names are given to two of her children. However, Barrington also appears in another Pike line, though I can't see why. By his wife, Richard had thirteen children:
1. Wilhelmina Pike (11/11/1842-07/10/1916) m. (16/02/1864), Benjamin Glasgow of Drapersfield
2. Margaret Pike (29/12/1843-07/09/1908) m. (25/08/1869), Jonathan Hogg Barcroft of Grange Lodge
3. Sarah Pike (31/01/1846-27/12/1899) m. (1869), John Wood
4. Anna Maria Pike (25/11/1847-11/09/1885) m. Joseph Pike
m. (03/07/1878), John Barcroft, brother of the above Jonathan Barcroft
5. Charlotte Pike (12/03/1849-06/10/1910) m. (03/09/1867), Rev. William Henry Greer of Rhone Hill
m. (25/04/1876), Robert William Scott of Bloomhill
6. Marion Pike (18/12/1850-03/12/1915) m. (16/04/1873), Robert Daniel
7. Jonathan Pike (18/05/1852-13/01/1882) m. (22/07/1875), Susan Uprichard
8. Elizabeth Barrington Pike (01/01/1854-21/06/1887) m. (05/08/1879), Henry Francis Greer
9. Jane Nicholson Pike (21/06/1854-10/12/1924), m. (15/10/1879), Thomas Wakefield Pim
10. Richard Pike (13/07/1856-01/04/1890) m. (12/03/1885), in Australia, Marrina or Marrian Richards
11. Mary Busby Pike (04/04/1858-1891) m. (30/09/1880) Charles Alexander Grey
12. James Nicholson Pike (13/08/1859-28/12/1908)
13. Lilian Ethel Pike (c.1863-27/06/1901) m. (17/01/1883), Francis Henry Greer, brother of the above Henry Greer
1. Wilhelmina Pike (11/11/1842-07/10/1916) m. (16/02/1864), Benjamin Glasgow of Drapersfield
2. Margaret Pike (29/12/1843-07/09/1908) m. (25/08/1869), Jonathan Hogg Barcroft of Grange Lodge
3. Sarah Pike (31/01/1846-27/12/1899) m. (1869), John Wood
4. Anna Maria Pike (25/11/1847-11/09/1885) m. Joseph Pike
m. (03/07/1878), John Barcroft, brother of the above Jonathan Barcroft
5. Charlotte Pike (12/03/1849-06/10/1910) m. (03/09/1867), Rev. William Henry Greer of Rhone Hill
m. (25/04/1876), Robert William Scott of Bloomhill
6. Marion Pike (18/12/1850-03/12/1915) m. (16/04/1873), Robert Daniel
7. Jonathan Pike (18/05/1852-13/01/1882) m. (22/07/1875), Susan Uprichard
8. Elizabeth Barrington Pike (01/01/1854-21/06/1887) m. (05/08/1879), Henry Francis Greer
9. Jane Nicholson Pike (21/06/1854-10/12/1924), m. (15/10/1879), Thomas Wakefield Pim
10. Richard Pike (13/07/1856-01/04/1890) m. (12/03/1885), in Australia, Marrina or Marrian Richards
11. Mary Busby Pike (04/04/1858-1891) m. (30/09/1880) Charles Alexander Grey
12. James Nicholson Pike (13/08/1859-28/12/1908)
13. Lilian Ethel Pike (c.1863-27/06/1901) m. (17/01/1883), Francis Henry Greer, brother of the above Henry Greer

The fifth daughter, Charlotte Pike had three children by her first husband, William Henry Greer:
1. Richard Ussher Greer (28/07/1868-23/06/1915), Rector of Seapatrick Parish m. (28/04/1898), Elizabeth Lindsay Greer. He was father to William Derrick Lindsay Greer (28/02/1902-30/09/1972), Bishop of Manchester from 1947-1970
2. Edith Sophia Greer (03/07/1869-14/09/1942) m. (07/01/1899), Gervais Bolton Jones
3. Marion MacGregor Greer (15/11/1870-08/05/1916) m. (1897), Robert Campbell Pierce
Charlotte had six children by her second husband. See Scott Family.
1. Richard Ussher Greer (28/07/1868-23/06/1915), Rector of Seapatrick Parish m. (28/04/1898), Elizabeth Lindsay Greer. He was father to William Derrick Lindsay Greer (28/02/1902-30/09/1972), Bishop of Manchester from 1947-1970
2. Edith Sophia Greer (03/07/1869-14/09/1942) m. (07/01/1899), Gervais Bolton Jones
3. Marion MacGregor Greer (15/11/1870-08/05/1916) m. (1897), Robert Campbell Pierce
Charlotte had six children by her second husband. See Scott Family.
Information Sources:
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/family-show.jsp?id=480
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/big-houses-of-ireland/bessborough-house-and-est/index.xml
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http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/big-houses-of-ireland/bessborough-house-and-est/index.xml
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