Peter Gilkey

History can be exciting and fun. This book proves it. Imagine a dangerous ocean crossing, a shipwreck in which few survive. Join the hunt for clues to solve a criminal mystery. Watch as the husband, wife, and their small children, housed together in prison, struggle to survive. A real-life treasure hunt for valuable coins causes a frenzy. It's all here in this amazing but true story. Colorful illustrations bring it all to life. The reader becomes an eyewitness.

Who was Peter Gilkey? Some will say he was that counterfeiter who lived before Prospect, Connecticut was a town. But he was far more than just a counterfeiter.

The reader will follow Peter Gilkey's journey from his boyhood in Northern Ireland and then across the Atlantic in a perilous voyage to America. As he grew to a young man, he served in two military conflicts, survived a shipwreck going to Cuba, and settled into family life as a husband and father while working as a cobbler. But then came the counterfeiting of milled Spanish dollars, which changed his life forever.

If Prospect was not yet Prospect, then where did he live? Five towns in Connecticut could rightly lay claim to him: Milford, Wallingford, Cheshire, Waterbury, and now Prospect. His family settled in Milford when he was a boy. Then, as a young man, he made his mark in Wallingford, which later became Cheshire. In another few years, he became infamous in Waterbury. After his death, Prospect was incorporated. It absorbed the parts of Wallingford, Cheshire, and Waterbury where Peter Gilkey spent a considerable portion of his life. Prospect can now claim him for all time.

Significant progress has been made in the past few decades in researching the genealogy of Peter Gilkey's family. In the past, we only knew about the middle of his life. Now we have a much more complete picture. We have a beginning, and we have an end.

We encourage the reader to look for clues throughout this book that could potentially answer some questions. A decent history book will provide facts about what, when, where, and who. This book aims to enhance the reader's comprehension of the reasons behind Peter Gilkey's actions. Why did Peter Gilkey do what he did? Readers may also want to focus on identifying the individuals who served as everyday heroes in this drama. Some may be obvious; others not so much. Hint: One was a person with special needs. Finally, think about the victims. Who were they? The intention of this book is not to answer all of these questions. We will leave that to the readers.

Indeed, the most fascinating part of Guevin's book details Gilkey's brief career as a counterfeiter - how and why it came about, as well as what punishment was meted out to him (and his family) after he was caught.

When Gilkey was a young man, he joined the Connecticut Regiment and was sent to take part in the English siege of Havana in 1762. His vessel was caught in a hurricane and dashed to pieces off Cuba's coast. Through his and his shipmates' quick actions, a raft was fashioned from pieces of wreckage and every man made it safely ashore, where they camped for several days before being rescued. Many of the men later died from tropical disease, but Gilkey regained enough strength to be part of the successful storming of the Spanish garrison at Havana.

After returning to Connecticut Gilkey moved to "New Cheshire," an area carved out of Wallingford and Waterbury. The seed for his counterfeiting scheme had already been planted during his time in Cuba, when and where he'd become familiar with Spanish currency, especially the milled dollar - "pieces of eight" - that he was certain he could replicate.

Alas, Gilkey's counterfeiting scheme was uncovered by a passerby who alerted the local sheriff. With the help of a "savant," they found the trap door leading to the cellar. Gilkey and his mates were quickly convicted of counterfeiting.

But here's the Dickensian twist: the whole family was sent to prison with Gilkey (wife, young son, and newborn infant) to serve his time.

John R. Guevin became interested in writing while publishing a monthly newsletter for an industrial filtration company, where he worked for most of his career. In 1991, he founded Biographical Publishing Company. Since then, he has authored five books. In addition to his own books, he has assisted nearly 100 authors in getting their works published. Beginning with local authors, Guevin expanded his reach to authors from all over the United States, as well as several other countries. His clients include authors who have struggled to find publication elsewhere. Authors praise the customized services they receive. The company provides individual attention to each book to ensure its success. Books from Biographical Publishing Company cover fiction and nonfiction works of all genres. Guevin is currently assisting several incarcerated individuals, allowing them the opportunity to see their writing talents displayed in print.

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