First Generation  

1. Simon ORCHARD, son of Simon ORCHARD and Elizabeth HOOPER, was born on October 23, 1716 in Week Saint Mary, , Cornwall, England.^1,2

The parish of Week St Mary is situated in the deanery of Trigg Major and the Hundred of Stratton. It is bounded on the north by Marhamchurch, on the east by Whitstone, North Tamerton and Boyton, on the south by North Petherwin (which was in Devon) and a detached part of Jacobstow, and on the west by Jacobstow and Poundstock.
The name has Anglo-Saxon origins: wic meaning settlement. The word "Week", "Wyke" or "Wick" which is found in so many English place names is an Anglo-Saxon form of the Latin "vicus" meaning dairy farm or village, and St Mary is the dedication of the village church, so that Week St. Mary was in the old days know as St. Mary Week to distinguish it from other villages, like Pancrasweek a few miles away in Devon. It seems to have been of some importance for centuries; just west of the village is a flat topped circular hill know as Ashbury - all round it can be seen earthworks which surrounded a prehistoric fort dating from the Iron Age. Later the Normans settled in what was then hostile country.The parish is in north-east Cornwall between the Devon border and the coast.

Simon married Prudence WADE about 1738.³ Prudence was christened on August 23, 1713 in Jacobstow, , Cornwall, England.⁴

Jacobstow is situated in the deanery of Trigg-Major and in the Hundred of Stratton. It is bounded on the north by Poundstock, on the east by Week St Mary and the detached part of Warbestow, on the south by Warbestow, and on the west by St Gennys. There was an isolated portion of the parish which was bounded by Week St Mary, the detached part of Warbestow, and North Petherwin. This parish is located in the north-east of Cornwall on the Bude to Boscastle road. The name has Saxon origins, meaning the 'holy place of St James' (Jacobus being the latin for James).

Children from this marriage were:

+ 2 M    i. William ORCHARD was christened on February 3, 1739 in Jacobstow, , Cornwall, England.³

   3 M    ii. Simon ORCHARD was born in 1742 in , , Cornwall, England ³ and was christened on January 9, 1742 in Jacobstow, , Cornwall, England.³

+ 4 M    iii. Abraham ORCHARD was born in 1743 in Sudcott Farm, Week St. Mary, Cornwall, England ² and was christened on October 14, 1743 in Week Saint Mary, , Cornwall, England.²

   5 M    iv. John ORCHARD was christened on March 29, 1747 in Week Saint Mary, , Cornwall, England.²

John married Agnes (__?__).

   6 M    v. Thomas ORCHARD was christened on February 15, 1749 in Week Saint Mary, , Cornwall, England.²

Thomas married Grace SMEETH.

   7 F    vi. Elizabeth ORCHARD .