SURNAME ORIGINS

Last name: Buttfield

Recorded in several spelling forms including Bodfield, Botfeild, Botfield, Buttfield, Budfield and  Badfield, this is believed to be an English locational surname. In County Durham there is a  village called Buttsfield, which means the "field where the archery butts were placed". Whether  the surname actually originated from this village is not proven, as it is not recorded in the  county in any spelling. This in itself is not unusual in that locational surnames by their very  nature were "from" names, that is given to people after they moved to another place. It was in  ancient times, and to some extent remains so in the 20th century, that the easiest way to identify  a "stranger" was to call him or her by the name of the place from whence they came. Archery was  the national sport of the Middle Ages, proficiency being necessary both for military service, and  in many cases, hunting for survival. Until the Elizabethan times archery had to be practised every  Sunday by able bodied men, hence "the butts field". Early examples of the surname recording taken  from surviving church registers include Johm Botfield, a witness at St Brides church, Fleet  Street, London, on September 10th 1682, and Mary Bodfield, who married William Davies at the same  church, on August 3rd 1731. The first known recording is probably that of Agnes Butfeild, who  married Richard Babbington, at St Gregory's by St. Pauls, city of London, on June 28th 1573.

Simon BUTFEILD is the earliest BUTTFIELD on this site. He was born around 1620 and  possibly resided in Bedfordshire. His eldest son John was born in 1654 in Leighton  Buzzard, Bedfordshire, and was married to Alicia PITCHFORKE.

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Last name: Perigoe

This unusual and interesting surname is of Old French origin, and is either from a regional  surname from the province of Perigord in south-west France, or from a locational surname from  Perigueux, the capital town of Perigord. Both placenames are derived from the Greek "peri",  meaning around, near, or about, and in this case meaning settlement, and the French "gord",  meaning fish weir, from the Gaulish "gorto"; hence "settlement by the fish weir". The surname may  have been introduced into Britain by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066. The surname  development since 1554 (see below) includes: Gilbert Perrygo (1560, Sussex); Pietro Perego (1577,  Milano, Italy); Angela Perego (1606, Milano, Italy); and Mary Parago (1667, London). The modern  surname is found recorded variously as Perigo, Perigeaux, Per(r)ygo, Perigoe, Perago and Perego,  in France, Italy and Britain, and is particularly well recorded in Sussex; Nicholas, son of Symon  Perigo, was christened on September 30th 1582 at Crowhurst, and Stephen Perigo married Margery  Sparrow on July 26th 1685 at St. Clement's, Hastings. The marriage was recorded in France of  Jeanne Perigo and Charle Jeangoult on January 11th 1707 at Meurthe-Et-Moselle, Gugney-Sous- Vaudemont. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Wyllm Perago,  which was dated December 8th 1554, christened at Horsham, Sussex, during the reign of Queen Mary,  known as "Bloody Mary", 1553 - 1558. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced  personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. 
 Legend has it  the Perigo family can be traced back to the Count of Perigord and the city of  Perigueux, in the historic Province of Guyenne, in South Western France. Due to the considerable  distance and the great difficulty in overland travel to Paris, in contrast to the ease of river and  sea travel, the citizens of Perigord developed a close affiliation with the English. As a result,  during the Hundred Years War between the English and the French, which commenced in 1337, the  ruling Count of Perigord took the side of the English. The Count and his forces fought valiantly  alongside Prince Edward(the black prince), the leader of theEnglish focred, and son of King Edward  III, against the French King Phillip.
 In July 1399, the war in the region of Perigord, and Perigueux swung in favour of the french king.  As a consequence Archambault VI, the then count of Perigord, was deposed and forced to flee to  England. Archambault and his family were given sanctuary and an estate in Kent, England. The family  regarded as traitors for their alliance with the English, never returned to France. It is believed that the Perigoe branch of the family is directly descended from Count Archambault  VI, who was Comte De Perigord in 1399.
  Little is known  about the earliest Perigo (e) on this site. His name was  John  Perigoe and  he was born about 1777. He was living in the parish of Winchelsea,  Sussex at the time of his marriage in 1801, to Henrietta JENKINS. His occupation was a  labourer. John  died relatively young (about 45 years old), 9/9/1822, and is  buried in Winchelsea parish churchyard.
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THOSE WHO DIED IN WORLD WARS:

BUTTFIELD, Alfred James (1893-11/4/1917) Private, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Arras France. BUTTFIELD, Blinman Vincent (1898-13/7/1917) Private, A.I.F. Ypres, Belgium. BUTTFIELD, Edwin Henry Frederick (1912-30/8/1940), Leading Aircraftman, R.A.F. London. WWII BUTTFIELD, John William (1893-5/2/1915) Private, Sherwood Foresters. Western Front, France. BUTTFIELD, Spencer Norman (1893-31/5/1916) Private, A.I.F. Normandy, France. BUTTFIELD, William Saunders (1916-7/4/1945) 1st Lieutenant, US Army. WWII. COOKE,     Thomas Whittle (1887-22/3/1916) Lance Corporal, Northamptonshire Regiment. Loos France. CORCORAN,  James (1912-3/10/1943) Lance Serjeant, Royal Artillery, Bari, Italy. CORCORAN,  Martin 1883-27/5/1916) Lance Corporal, Durham Light Infantry, France. CORCORAN,  Michael(1886-1918) Corporal, Durham Light Infantry, Wounded, Died 2 years later. CRAIGHEAD, Peter Foote (1888-9/4/1917) Private, Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Tees Trench, France. DUNN,      Thomas Beli (10/7/1916), Private, Cameron Highlanders, Somme, France. EABORN,    William Charles (1891-15/6/1918) Private, Worcestershire Regiment, Battle of Assiago, It Italy.
 EKIN-SMITH, Ralph Raymond (1875-3/9/1916)Captain, A.I.F , Bouzincourt, France. HODSON,    Geoffrey Norman (1894-7/10/1917)Private, 1st King Edward's Horse. Flanders. HOGAN,     John (1884-24/6/1917) Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery, Belgium. KELLY,     Thomas Henry (1900-7/6/1917), Private, A.I.F 47th Bn, Ypres, Belgium. RYAN,      Hugh Robert Vincent (1897-21/9/1918), Private, A.I.F. Hargicourt, France. RYAN,      John Bede Harold (1916 -10/2/1942), Private, A.I.F. Singapore.  SMAILES,   George Oswald, (1876-28/3/1916), Engineman, British Naval Reserve, Off coast Dover. STANLEY,   Joseph (1888-8/5/1915) Private, Northumberland Fuliliers, France. WOOLLETT,  Cecil Alfred (1901-29/6/1943), Flight Lieutenant, RAF, England. WWII .........................................