An examination of the records and registers in Prince street, Edinburg, Scotland, reveal some interesting facts concerning the Peddie family whose descendants are many and prominent in the United States. The records show that they are an ancient Scottish family who were formerly called McDougald; that they rebelled against state authority; that they possessed a claim to noble blood and had a coat-of-arms granted them, and other interesting facts. Tradition says the name was changed to Peddie to avoid banishment from Scotland for their rebellious acts against the laws that oppressed them. In the United States a notable member of the family was Hon. Thomas B. Peddie, whose monument in the city of Newark, New Jersey, is Peddie Memorial Baptist Church on Broad street, one of the most magnificent churches in that city. Another prominent representative of the family is Rev. John Peddie, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These families trace from the same ancestry as the Peddies of Montgomery county, New York. The family was founded in the Mohawk Valley after the revolution and the first settlement made in the town of Perth, Fulton county, where the Scotch emigrants sought the rough and heavily timbered lands rather than the meadow land along the streams that attracted the Dutch to the town of Palatine, Montgomery county. Amid the surroundings more in keeping with the soil and conditions of the land they had left the Scotch emigrants throve and prospered and left a posterity that are the hardy, substantial citizens of that locality. Among the emigrants to Perth was William Peddie, the founder.
(I) William Peddie was born in Perthshire, Scotland, about 1767. He grew up in his native shire, where he married Nelly McIntyre, of an old Perth county family. Shortly after their marriage they joined the tide of emigration that was even then beginning to flow to the United States, whose independence recently gained was the talk and wonder of the whole Eastern world. They came on a slow sailing vessel with other Scotch emigrants and settled in Fulton county, New York, where they named their home in the New World — Perth — after the Scotch home they had left. William and his wife possessed those admirable Scotch traits, industry and frugality, therefore it is not strange that they soon had a home on a cleared farm to which each year a new field was added, literally "wrested from the wilderness." They lived to be old people and to see their three sons and two daughters settled in homes of their own. Children:
- James, studied law after a boy and youthful manhood passed on the farm. He became a well-known and prosperous lawyer of Palmyra, New York, where he died unmarried in 1892, at the age of seventy-eight years.
- Duncan, who left the farm and settled in New York City, where he was superintendent of the Crystal Palace during the exhibition held there and afterwards. He married and left a daughter Lizzie, now married.
- Eliza, born as early as 1820; married William Fisher, and died without issue.
- Helen, died unmarried, at the age of eighty-nine years.
- Daniel, see forward.
(II) Daniel, son of William Peddie, was born on the Perth homestead farm in Fulton county, in 1822, died in April, 1896, is buried with others of the family in Perth cemetery. He was of the same industrious, thrifty habits as his ancestors and was known as a good and just man. He followed the soil all his years and accumulated a goodly estate. He married (first) Mary Barker, daughter of parents who were members of the Society of Friends who had made a settlement of members of that faith at Granville. Mary Barker was reared to the faith and always dressed "plain," until the day of her marriage, when she laid aside the outward garb of her religion, but the admirable traits of the Quaker character were always hers. She died at the early age of twenty-nine, in 1866. Children:
- Dr. William J., see forward.
- Ella Jeannette, born in 1860; married George Nash, of the leather firm of Lynk & Nash, Albany, New York; child, Lydia, wife of Francis Hollister, an electrician of Schenectady, New York.
- Charles, born in 1868; graduate pharmacist of Glens Falls, New York, member of the drug firm of Leggett & Peddie; married Jeannette MacFarland; child, Roy.
Daniel Peddie married (second) Mary F. Lent, who survives him. Children of second marriage:
- Edgar L., a sketch of whom follows.
- Sydney Fisher, born 1871; foreman of a knitting mill department in Amsterdam; married Freelove Sprung, of Amsterdam; children: Edgar C., Roy, Gladys and Ethel.
- Honey Marvin, born December 24, 1874; married Sarah Welch, of Waterville, New York.
(III) Dr. William J., eldest son of Daniel and Mary (Barker) Peddie, was born January 7, 1858. He was reared on the farm in Perth, where he remained until after the death of his mother and his father's second marriage. He was ambitious and desired to become a physician. He entered Amsterdam Academy, where he completed his academical studies. He made the acquaintance of Dr. Albert Vander Veer, of Albany, who, learning the boy's ambition and limited means, became very much interested in him. He gave him an introduction to Hon. Webster Wagner, then state senator, who was so impressed with his earnestness and determination to win his profession that he stood security for his education at the Albany Medical College, from which he was graduated Doctor of Medicine in March, 1882. He never forgot the kindness of Senator Wagner, whom he reimbursed for the money expended on his education, and always retained as his friend. On the advice of Dr. Vander Veer, Dr. Peddie located his office in Fultonville, where he began his wonderfully successful professional career that continues to the present day. His skill is well known to a large clientele.
Dr. Peddie married (first) in Albany, New York, April 26, 1883, Ella Gardner, born in 1864, died November 13, 1885. He married (second) in Perth Center, New York, Carrie McIntyre, born in Perth, October, 1868, daughter of John D. and Sarah (Ferguson) McIntyre, born in Perth, of Scotch ancestors who settled in the county one hundred and fifty years ago, with the first Scotch settlers from Perth. The McIntyre family have always been represented in the county, where they are prominent and numerous. Carrie McIntyre was educated at Amsterdam and later at Utica Academy, taking special courses in music. Dr. and Mrs. Peddie are prominent in the social and public life of the village, where he has always taken a special interest in local affairs. He has served as village president and member for several years of the board of education. He is a member of the American Medical Association; the State Medical Society, and the Amsterdam Medical Club. He has been United States pension examiner for sixteen years, and for several years coroner of Montgomery county. He is a Republican politically. He is past master of Fultonville Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; member of Johnstown Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Lenton Lodge, Knights of Pythias; Fonda Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Red Men.
Child of first wife: Burton G., graduate of Troy Business College and an expert machinist, residing in Cohoes, New York, married Catherine Lent, and has a son, Lewis W. Children of second wife:
- Jay McIntyre, born December 12, 1887, graduate of the Business College, now department city clerk of Gloversville, New York;
- Edith, born June 26, 1889, married, September 22, 1910, Jessie R. Rickard, of Schenectady, of the firm of J. Rickard & Co., wholesale and retail dealers in sporting goods, Schenectady;
- Harold C., born 1891, died at the age of four years;
- Donald D., born June, 1897.
(III) Edgar Lent, son of Daniel and Mary F. (Lent) Peddle, was born in Broadalbin, Fulton county, New York, December 21, 1869. He was educated in the public schools, and after completing his education was taken into his father's store, where he remained for three years; then was employed in a knitting mill for four years, followed by a year in the Gloversville Glove Factory and two years in the Amsterdam Knitting Mills. He finally settled in Cohoes, where he entered the employ of the Victor Mills Company, where he is foreman of a department. Since coming to Cohoes he has been active in the Republican party organization; and in 1900 was elected alderman from the sixth ward. His course in council received the endorsement of his ward and he was four times re-elected, serving eight years. In 1909 he was elected from the sixth ward as their representative on the board of supervisors. He was chosen leader of the first district, sixth ward, in 1905, at the primary elections, and still continues the choice of his district. He served in the common council of Cohoes with great ability, and was chairman of the committee on streets for seven years and member of the finance, poor, lamps and gas, sidewalks and parks committees. He attends the Presbyterian church, but is not actively connected with it. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Cascade Hose Company, No. 3, and the East Side Social Club. Mr. Peddie married, May 14, 1895, Mary Ledwith, born in Crescent, Saratoga county, New York, daughter of Michael and Katherine (Kane) Ledwith, natives of Ireland. Michael Ledwith was engaged in the stone quarry business with his father, resigning to enter the employ of the state in canal work; he was an active Republican; he died June 23, 1908. Children of Edgar Lent and Mary (Ledwith) Peddie: Alma H. and Alice M.