"The PEYTON family is of high antiquity in the mother country. It is said that its founder was William DE MALET, one of the great barons who accompanied William the Conqueror to the conquest of England, and as a recompense received, among other grants, the lordship of Peyton's Hall in Norfolk. Sir Henry PEYTON was knighted by James 1, and was a gentleman of the Privy Chamber of Prince Henry in 1610, and was a member of the London company to whom King James granted a charter, "to make habitations in that part of America commonly called Virginia." John, son of Robert PEYTON of this family, is suppose to have been the first who made the voyage to Virginia in 1622, and to have settled in the colony in 1644. He married Ellen PACKINGTON and left two sons, Henry PEYTON of Acquia, Westmoreland County, a Colonel in the British army. From Henry PEYTON was descended the Sumner County PEYTONS.

Ephraim PEYTON married a daughter of Jonathan JENNINGS. He was one of the party that accompanied James ROBERTSON across the mountains from the Watauga to the Cumberland. His wife came with the DONELSON party by water in one of boats of her father. While on the voyage, on the 7th of December, 1779, she gave birth of a child, which was accidentally killed in the confusion incident to an attack on JENNING'S boat by Indians. Mr. PEYTON settled in Sumner County and was killed by the Indians at Bledsoe's Lick. He was the father of Balie PEYTON and Joseph H. PEYTON, both of whom were members of Congress.

Jonathan JENNINGS selected a site for his home opposite the head of the first island above Nashville, and was just beginning improvements on the place when he was killed by the Indians in 1781. He was one of the signers of the "Cumberland Compact," and was a man of some prominence. He was born in Virginia, and was a descendant of the English nobility, whose homes were Edrington Castle and Acton Place. A member of the family, Sarah EDRINGTON JENNINGS, married Duke of Marlboro, and as Duchess of Marlboro was the bosom friend and confident of Queen Anne. Three brothers JENNINGS emigrated to America in the reign of George 11 and settle in Virginia. The BLEDSOES, JENNINGS, LUSKS, PRICES, and GRANTS of Kentucky are descended from one of these brothers. Several generations after the migration of these brothers one of their descendants, Lillian JENNINGS PRICE of New York, married John, Duke of Marlboro, the direct descendent of Sarah JENNINGS and John CHURCHILL, the favorite soldier noblemen of Queen Anne. Thus through their grandmother, the daughter of Jonathan JENNINGS, the PEYTONS of Sumner County were connected with the CHURCHILL family of England. Then again, another Duke of Marlboro, the reigning Duke, married Consuela VANDERBILT, a great-great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Anthony BLEDSOE, one of the founders of Sumner County.