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Perkins Folklore

Enquiring minds want to know or do they!
As is the case in most families, the Perkins family is no different in its folklore, stories, infamous characters and extremely interesting members.  The following is just a sample of Perkins relatives of certain notoriety.

The DeSpencers, with whom our families association dates to the Pierre DeMorliax days were seized and hanged during an invasion staged by Roger Mortimer and the wife of King Edward II, Isabella.  Edward Lord DeSpenser became King Edward III.  In 1329 men loyal to the King found out Mortimer and Isabella, he was hanged and she imprisoned for life.  The fortunes of the DeSpencers were restored to its heirs.  This set the stage for our Pierre DeMorliax to become High Steward of the DeSpencer Estate.  Unfortunately, how he got the job is not necessary what we might consider acceptable today.

John Perkins, born 1390, became High Steward for the Earl of Gloucester, Humphrey Plantagent, brother of King Henry V.  At this time the Earl was taken to Calais and murdered by King Henry V. Being convinced by the Earl of Richmond that Plantagent was a threat to his reign, the King eliminated him and redistributed many of the estates.  During the redistribution,Thomas DeSpencer became a beneficiary and the benefactor to the Perkins Family.

Unfortunately, Thomas DeSpencer didn't fair much better.  He was executed on the block at Bristol in 1399.  His wife, Constance of York, fled to Wales with the rightful heir, the 12 year old Earl of March.

Sir Edmund Mortimer, uncle of the young Earl of March rose against Henry V and the DeSpencer Family along with the Duke of York were returned once again to their estates.  Of course, the Perkins Family went right along.

William, son of John, born in 1390 and didn't make out much better.  As bailiff for Abington he called for confiscation of church lands, became a enemy of the Duke of Gloucester, is arrested by William Warbleton at Oxford and is drawn and quartered along with five others as heretics.  It wasn't until 1441 that the Duke was executed for his error.  Williams's son Thomas became an armor bearer for a knight and apparently made out much better.

Thomas's son, John born 1450 began to advance the family and became known as the true patron of Ufton.  Unfortunately, this was largely due to
inheritance from his wife and not though any personal accomplishment.

When Edward VI became King a contemporary of his was William Perkins an Oxford scholar and minister.  The American colonists later read his writings widely.

Henry Perkins, born in Hillmorton in 1555 married Elizabeth Sawbridge.  Their oldest son Thomas left in his will an inn called "The Bell".  In addition there is a "Perkins Tavern" in Gloucestershire, which has the Perkins Coat of Arms on it. These still stand today.

Of the Puritans who moved to the New World, John Perkins and Judith Gator and the passengers of the shop "Lyon" were part of this Great Migration. Interestingly enough the Puritans were very strict in their dogma and members who did not follow these beliefs were cast out.  Such was the fate of fellow passenger Roger Williams, who went on to found the State of Rhode Island.

Puritans, as was John Perkins, were called Roundheads due to the shape of their haircuts.

In 1633 Quartermaster John Jr. owned an island, "Perkins Island" on the edge of the Anisquam River.  Today it is called Treadwell's Island.

In 1635 John Perkins is granted title to an island, "More's Point".  Today it is owned by Van Edward Perkins of Melrose, Mass.


In 1681 Luke Perkins, son of John Jr., married Elizabeth Jaye.  She was sentenced for opprobrious and scandalous words and was severely whipped on the naked body and set in an open place in front of the public meetinghouse in Ipswich.

John Perkins, Sr., besides holding town offices and occupying other positions of trust, was on the original board of government for Ipswich. 
Surviving from his will is his silver headed walking cane, now on display at the Whipple House in Ipswich.

In 1633 Quartermaster John Perkins Jr. was licensed to keep am ordinary (tavern).  It is quite possible that the old saying "mind your P's and Q's originated here.  Alcohol was sold in pints and quarts and a slate was hung on the wall to keep track of each customer's consumption and they would pay when done drinking.  It was unlawful to get drunk and the local constable used to check to see if any were loitering in the tavern, he would check the slate, hence the expression.

It was this same tavern, which was used by John Hancock and Samuel Adams as a regular meeting place of the "Sons of Liberty"

During the first season at Ipswich John Perkins, Jr. had occasion to rescue the town for an Indian attack.  Forty birch canoes full of armed Tarrantine Indians were set to attack the Town of Ipswich.  John, son Thomas, and John Winthrop, founder of the Town, armed themselves and drove the Indians back to sea for which they were paid by the Town at the rate of 12 pence a day.

In 1650 the governors of Ipswich instructed John, Jr. to put together 40 men to clear and section woods on Jeffrey's Neck and plant grass.  Along the heavily indented New England coast, neck was used to identify a section of land, hence
derived the expression "in this neck of the woods".                   

Thomas Perkins married Catherine Towne, their son, Timothy presided over the Salem Witch Trials.

A descendent of Thomas, Jacob Perkins, born July 9, 1766 was an engraver.  He designed and made the die for Massachusetts's first coinage, the 1787 penny.  These were minted shortly before the first official U.S. coinage in 1789. In addition he devised a steel plate for printing bank notes, which made counterfeiting extremely difficult.  In 1809 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed a law compelling banks to adopt the form of note invented by Jacob Perkins.  Sailing to England he opened the business
Perkins, Fairman & Heath developing the first stamps used and his process was used for the next forty years. Also an inventor, in 1790 he devised a machine to cut and head nails and tacks in a single operation.   In addition, he
Invented a method of ventilating ships holds and received a medal by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts.

In November of 1675 John and Samuel Perkins were pressed into service in the Indian War with Narrangaset Indians.  Both survived.  The product of this collaboration was the design of a garrison house of which the second floor projected one or two feet out from the first floor so that the Indians could not scale the house.  This design became know as the " Cape Cod" style house we know today             

Mary Perkins Bradbury.  Just the name invokes a lot of stories and questions.  The truth of the matter is not quite as romantic.  Jacob Perkins sister, Mary, married Thomas Bradbury.  In 1692 Mary was convicted as a witch along with a number of other.  As most know a petition was circulated to get signatures for her release, which was accomplished.  Most don't know why.    The
testimony against her came from Richard Carr and Zarubabel Endicott.  The truth of the matter is a broken love affair between Mary and Richard Carr's father.  Mary had chosen Bradbury over Carr and the testimony was false.  However, as was the custom, proven false testimony, petitions and favorable influence by individuals was not enough to get an aquittal.  Mary Bradbury was found guilty on September 9,1692and sentenced to be executed on September 22,1692.  She was 70 years old at the time.  Jacob Perkins and
Thomas Bradbury broke her out of the Ipswich jail and she fled to Amesbury where she died two years later.  Of the other sentenced to die with Mary, the sentence was carried out on September 22 as scheduled.  This was the last witch trail, sentencing and execution, as then Governor Phipps put an end to the Court of Oyer and Terminer in October of 1692.

The Governor convened a grand jury to investigate these witch trails and on this jury was Jacob Perkins, Jr.

Daniel Perkins, born April 28, 1758, great-great-great grandson of Thomas Perkins, in East Windsor, Vermont was a fifer in the Revolutionary War. Indians surrounded him and as they started to kill the soldiers with hatchets, he started
playing his fife, which so please the Indians they spared his life.

Henry Coit Perkins graduated from Harvard in August 27,1954.  As an astronomer he took his MD in 1827 and established a Perkins professorship of  Astronomy at Harvard.

Deputies of Christopher Barker printed the Perkins Family bible of John Perkins, recorded in the Historical Genealogical Register and known to antiquarians as the Geneva or Breeches Bible, in London in 1599.  In 1708 Elisha Perkins owned it.  In 1885 it came into the possession of Horatio N. Perkins of Melrose.  It has since disappeared.

Joseph Perkins married Martha Morgan on May 22,1700.  Their children were influential in establishing the settlement of Newent in
Connecticut, later to become Lisbon. Through the influence of Perkins the Newent Congregational Church was formed in 1723.

Dr. Joseph Perkins graduated from Yale in 1727 and was the first of 36 of the name Perkins who had taken degrees at the college between 1727 and 1858.

On June 28,1728, under the direction of Benjamin Franklin, newly appointed Postmaster General, Capt. Jabez Perkins and other leading patriots began construction of a stone arch bridge crossing the Shetucket River.  Because of its
mortorless construction this bridge still stands today on Highway 12.

In October 1776 the 20th Regiment of the Revolutionary War was established under orders of General George Washington.  Of the eleven companies two of the Captains were Jacob and Joseph Perkins  In May of 1777,
Jabez Huntington, great-grandson of Jabez Perkins was made sole Major General of the Connecticut militia.  Some of the Perkins men who served in the Continental Army were:

     Dr. Abijah Perkins, and Lt. Simon Perkins. 
     Seamen from the Perkins family included:
    Capt Zebulon Perkins, Jacob Perkins, and
     Samuel Perkins.

Traditions of the sea run strong in the Perkins Family. 
   Ship Masters Jabez,
Captain Hezekiah Perkins, master of the ship "Hancock" and Captain Matthew Perkins, master of the ship "Charming Lady",

Lt. Simon Perkins died during the Revolutionary War on September 3, 1778.  An interesting discovery was made in 1970 during restoration work on the house, which he built.  Sixty-four cobbler boots and shoes were found between the chimney structure and the wall of the front stairway.  None of the boots or shoes matched!  Also found was an 1817 atlas, newspapers from 1815 and an old hand sewn quilted woman's shirt.  It is assumed that these were the result of
amputations done by Dr. Joseph Perkins or by his son Dr. Joseph Perkins II during the Revolutionary War, but no one knows for sure.

George L. Perkins was paymaster of the Connecticut and Rhode Island troops during the War of 1812.

One of the three large donations to establish Yale University came from Dr. Alfred E. Perkins, MD, and son of Major Joseph Perkins.

Dr. Elisha Perkins of Plainsfield was the inventor of the "metallic tractor" a defamed  medical device used in surgery.

One of the longest living Perkins was Erastus Perkins, son of Jabez Perkins and
Anne Lathrop, born February 17,1752 and died October 18,m1853.

In 1805 the Norwich Channel Company was formed to improve the channel of the Thames River on Connecticut.  One of the managers was Joseph Perkins.

Elias Perkins was born in Lisbon, Connecticut on April 5,1767, graduated from Yale in 1786 and was a confidant of General George Washington.

The most interesting sea faring partnership consisted of brothers Elias and Nathaniel Perkins (sons of Nathaniel Shaw Perkins) and Capt. Franklin Smith.  In 1846 this firm, Perkins & Smith, became the most successful whaling
company with 78 vessels sailing.  Elias Perkins II represented the firm in the Sandwich Islands and was also consul to Islands for the United States.  The Sandwich Islands were later renamed Hawaii and Elias Perkins remained as US Consul eneral.  The building from which this Company operated still stands today and is the location of the Thames Landing Oyster House restaurant.

General Joseph Perkins, born March 1839 died during the Civil War for the North.

Lucretia Shaw Woodbridge Perkins was born 1843 and died 1937 helped organize one of the most powerful of the Unions, the Ladies Garment Workers Union.

The story of the Indian Shadow Top and his relationship with the Perkins family is interesting.  Shadow Top was born in 1807 of the Wolf Tribe.  He married three times, first to Touching Water; second to Blue Water and last to Able One.  Although relations with the Hudson Bay Company were friendly Shadow Top and his wife Able One did not associate with the settlers often. However his two daughters Marion and Ellen were aptized in 1848.  Fredrick William Perkins married Ellen Marie Edwards, daughter of Shadow Top and Able One in 1861. He had rescued her from drowning in freezing water, but not before the cold water had rendered her permanently deaf.   Due to the law it wasn't until 1875 that a Justice of the Peace formally married Dr. Perkins and Ellen.

George Wallbridge Perkins, born January 31,1862 was a influential banker first with the New York Life Insurance Company as Vice
President and later with the banking house of J.P. Morgan.  He was a leader in the formation of the International Harvester Corporation and Northern  Securities Company

 

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