According to census records, Peleg was born in England (date unknown). He immigrated to the American Colonies probably before the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. It is not known if he came over with his parents and where he first settled in the Colonies.
Peleg was a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War. A Loyalist was a colonist who wanted to stay loyal to the King of England and did not want to separate the Colonies from the control of England. He served in the British Calvary Regiment called King's American Dragoons which was raised on Long Island, New York in March, 1781. This unit was the last Loyalist Regiment to enroll in the King's service and thus had little opportunity to distinguish itself. This regiment was one of the very best disciplined and uniformed of all the British Regiments, although they never served in any battle or skirmish during the war. They were at Staten Island, New York on 25 July 1781; head of Goose Creek, South Carolina on 23 January 1782; Dorchester, South Carolina in January 1782; Wambaw Bridge, Santee, South Carolina on 24 February 1782; and Tydiman's Plantation, South Carolina on 25 February 1782. After the war, in May 1783, this regiment was sent to the Saint John River area in Nova Scotia (now New Brunswick). The King's American Dragoons first camped in the heights back of Carleton or West Saint John and then moved to their land grant above Fredericton. They were the first units to be sent to this area, paving the way for thousands of Loyalists to follow. This regiment was disbanded on 10 October 1783.
Peleg probably meet and married his wife Susannah in New Brunswick, where they would have been married before 1793. They lived on a 200 acre tract of land (Lot No. 6) on the north side of the entrance of Belleisle Bay in the Kingston Parish (now Kars Parish) of Kings County, New Brunswick. Kars Parish was originally part of Kingston Parish until it was established in 1859. They sold this tract of land to Edmund Price on 1 November 1798 for 37 pounds 10 shillings.
Peleg Underwood, along with his family and three other families, moved from New Brunswick, Canada to Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1801. The names of these families are as follows:John Cronk, Sr.
Abigail Cronk
John Cronk, Jr. age 40 yrsJohn Williams, Sr.
John Williams, Jr. 37 yrs
Elenor Williams
William Williams, age 10
Elisabeth Williams, age 8
Catherine Williams, age 6 yrs
James Williams, age 4 yrs
Ann Williams, age 1 yrPeleg Underwood
Susannah Underwood
John Underwood, age 8 yrs
Peleg Underwood, Jr., age 6 yrs
Joseph Underwood, age 3 yrs
James Underwood, age 1 yrJeremiah Travass
Elisabeth Travass
William Travass, age 10 yrs
Mathew Travass, age 8 yrs
Whitney Travass, age 6 yrs
Joshua Travass, age 4 yrs
Elisabeth Travass, age 2 yrs
Daniel Travass, age 1 yrAccording to a letter written by Thomas Barclay Esq. (Counsul General) in New York, dated 16 Sept. 1801 to Lieut. General Hunter, the above families are connected with each other by several intermarriages. Possibly Peleg's wife Susannah's maiden name was Cronk, Williams or Travess.
Peleg and his family moved to Indiana sometime between 1807 and 1812. He appears on a 1813 Tax list of Harrison County, Indiana.
In Floyd County, Indiana, John Underwood applied 4 Oct. 1830 for administrator of estate of his father Peleg Underwood, deceased. Security was by Mason C. Fitch. John was approved as administrator 4 Nov. 1830.
In the Louisville Public Advertiser dated 20 August 1825, Peleg Underwood offered a reward for his stray mare.
It's possible that this Hannah Guest was the wife of Peleg Underwood, Jr. and
not this Peleg Underwood, Sr.