Great Grandmother, Eliza Jane Jeffries

My dad's mother's mother, Eliza Jane Jeffries (or Jefferis) was adopted in England by the Peacock family. She was only a Jeffries until she was less than four years old. The 1851 census finds Eliza living with John and Hannah Peacock in Kelston, Somerset, England. I haven't been able to find anything on Eliza's original family, however here's a little history on the name Jeffries:

Ancestry.com says that Jeffries is English, from a Norman personal name that appears in Middle English as Geffrey and in Old French as Je(u)froi. Some authorities regard this as no more than a palatalized form of Godfrey, but early forms such as Galfridus and Gaufridus point to a first element from Germanic gala ‘to sing’ or gawi ‘region’, ‘territory’. It is possible that several originally distinct names have fallen together in the same form.

Searchforancestors.com says that Jeffries is corrupted from Geoffrey or Godfrey, which is German for "from God" and fried for "God's peace", or from Gau and fried, "joyful peace." This name was borne by the chief of the royal house of Plantagenet.

From Jeffrey.com we learn that Rhodri Mawr, or Rodrick the Great was the first recorded monarch of all Wales, he died in 893. On his death, he gave Wales to his three sons, Anarawd became king of North Wales, Cadalh became king of South Wales and Mervyn became King of Powys, or mid-Wales. The history of the name Jeffrey also emerges from these same welsh chronicles. It was first found in Herefordshire where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 AD.

From some of the many early records researchers examined, manuscripts such as the Doomsday Book, the Pipe Rolls, the Black Book of the Exchequer, the Curia Regis Rolls, the family name, Jeffrey was traced in many different forms. Although our name was mentioned in the different records, it was spelled Jeffreys, Jeffereys, Jeffries, Jeffers, Jefferis, Jefferyes, Jefferys, Jeffry, jeffs, Jefries, Jefery.

Well, that's what I know so far. Unfortunately, what I don't know is just what family little Eliza Jane came from. Oddly enough, on the 1841 census the Peacocks were living right next door to the "Jeffry" family, Joseph and Ann, who had a little daughter named "Mary." Did the Jeffry family have another daughter in 1847 (Eliza's birthdate) and then all but Eliza die in some terrible tragedy before 1851? I know the family doesn't show up in the 1851 census. Did the neighboring Peacock family feel sorry for the lone newborn survivor and adopt her?

Or is there another explanation? For instance, my research has turned up a family of "Jefferies" living in the workhouse in Siston in the county of Somerset, only 6 miles from the Peacocks home in Kelston in 1851. Even more interesting, John Peacock claims to have been born in Siston. Could the family in the workhouse have been acquainted with the Peacocks? Might they even have been one-time neighbors? Perhaps the Peacocks offered to help the family out by adopting the new baby whom the Jefferies could ill afford to maintain in the workhouse. Only three adult women, one a grandmother, and six other children are listed in the workhouse. No adult male shows up. Intriguing!