No birth record for Peregrina has been found in Dedham or Medfield, nor has any record of her birth been found in England. Early genealogical writings for the Wheelock surname often report that Rebecca Wheelock gave birth to a daughter at sea during their 1637 voyage to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. If there is any truth to this story, then it must have been Peregrina, since the births of the other children are accounted for. The name "Peregrina" is suggestive. The word peregrinate means "to journey or travel from place to place". It is derived from the Latin peregrinari which means "to travel in foreign lands". Ralph, schooled in Latin, might very well have chosen this name based on the circumstances of her birth.