Perkins of Hillmorton

There are a number of conflicting theories about the origin of the name Perkins. If you have any interest at all in the family, then you probably already know that most work on the name have suggests that it comes from "Pierre de Morlaix", a French ally and then Great Steward of the Despensers (famous noble family in the middle ages) in the mid 14th Century. The son of Pierre was called 'Pierrekin', which literally means 'little Peter'. The name was retained by further generations, until it became an official surname.
I am not completely convinced by this; firstly, I have found evidence on the patent rolls that suggests that Perkin was surname dating from March 3 1309:
Commission of oyer and terminer to John de Crumbwelle, William de Ormesby and John de Insula, on information that Richard de Fuleshirst, William de Fuleshirst, Hugh de Fuleshirst, Ranulph de Fuleshirst, William Matheu of Becherton, Richard Adecock, Ralph Russel, Ranulph son of Roger, William son of Clement Matheu, THOMAS PERKIN, Robert le fiz Bace, William de Fonte the younger, Richard de Marchumleye, Robert Samyn, Robert le Cachepole, Nicholas le Cachepol, Richard Bacun the younger, Elyas Boghewrythe, John le Noble, William Spurstowe le Somenur, Thomas le fiz Hychekyn, William Mariot the younger, Hamo le Taillur and William his brother, Richard le Sadler of Hereford, Richard Fycock, and Robert Hereward the younger, with others of the town of Nantwich (de Wychio Maubari), killed Richard de Dounes, prior of the abbey of Cumbermere, at Nantwich, co. Chester, and burned the manor, granges, cornand goods of the abbey
In addition, the story of Perkins' name suggests, in an age when French was the common language of the court (and of noble households in general), and Anglo-Saxon was despised, that an upper-rank servant such as a Steward would take on the name Per-kin, and allow that name to be used in official documents. An ambitious and aspiring man would surely adopt the name "Fitz Peter". I would also wonder at a noble master who would allow his servants to take on lowly peasant names; the Despensers were one of the peers of the realm, closely related to the King. Even supposing the rest is true, there is no need to imagine a French origin for Pierre: the Despencers were owners of Morlais Castle in Wales, pictured in the photograph above.

All of this suggests that a second solution is more likely - that the name Perkins originates from the same root as the names Perkiss and Perkes, perhaps coming from the Norman word Perch - a term of measurement. Of course names that sound similar may have completely different origins, but for the moment I propose that Perkins has English or Welsh origins, rather than the eye-raising use of a peasant term by a high-ranking official.