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John Perkins (bp. 1583–1654)

Judith Gater (bp. 1589–aft. 1654)


John, the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Sawbridge) Perkins, was baptized on 23 December 1583 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire. [1] He died in 1654, age 64, in Ipswich. [2] He married Judith Gater on 8 October 1608 in Hillmorton. [1]

Judith, the daughter of Michael and Isabel (Baylie) Gater, was baptized on 19 March 1588/9 in Hillmorton. [1][3] She died after 28 March 1654.

See Walter Goodwin Davis [4] for a detailed account of John's ancestry. The British History Online website has information about Hillmorton and its church. The St. John the Baptist Church website has photographs and information about the church in Hillmorton.

John, Judith, and their children arrived in Nantasket on the Lyon on 5 February 1631. [5] They settled in Boston and John and his wife were admitted to the church in early 1631. [1] John was admitted a freeman on 18 May 1631. [5] After two years, John and his family moved to Ipswich. [5]

John owned a large island at the mouth of the Ipswich River. [5] His house was at Manning's Neck, close to the river. [5]

On 3 April 1632 the court ordered that no one was to shoot fowl on Pullen Point or Noddle's Island. Those places were reserved for John Perkins to catch fowl with nets. [1]

John was a representative for Ipswich in 1636. [5] John Perkins the elder (or sr.) was on the grand jury on 28 December[?] 1641, 26 September 1648, 28 September 1652. [6, 1: 37, 144, 260]

John Perkins, Sr., being over 60, was excused from ordinary training on 29: 12: 1649. [6, 1: 186]

Ancestry of John Perkins [4]

Thomas Perkyns of Hillmorton was possibly born about 1475. He died between 3 April 1528, when he made his will, and 21 April 1528, when it was proved. He married Alice Unknown. She died between 31 July 1538, when she made her will, and 15 October 1538, when it was proved.
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Henry Perkins was presumably born about 1500 in Hillmorton. He died before 16 June 1546, when his will was proved.
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Thomas Perkins was presumably born about 1525 in Hillmorton. He died between 15 September 1588, when he wrote his will, and 11 May 1592, when it was proved. He married Alice, possibly Alice Kebble.
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Henry Perkins was probably born about 1555 in Hillmorton. He was buried there on 11 March 1608/9. He married Elizabeth Sawbridge on 29 November 1579.

John Perkins the Elder of Ipswich being "sick and weake" made his will on 28 March 1654. Most of his bequests were in the form of livestock. His eldest son John Perkins received the foal of his young mare and a ewe; John's sons John and Abraham each got a yearling heifer. His son Thomas Perkins received a cow and a heifer. His daughter Elizabeth Sergeant was left a cow and a heifer. He left his daughter Mary Bradbury a cow and a heifer or a young steer. His daughter Lydia Bennett received a cow and heifer or a steer. His grandson Thomas Bradbury received a ewe. He left his son Jacob Perkins his dwelling house and its out-housing and all his land after the death of his wife. The rest of his estate he left to his "Deare wife Judeth Perkines," whom his made his sole executrix. [7]

Probate was on 26 September 1654. His inventory consisted of his dwelling house, barn and out-housing; eight acres of land around the house; various parcels of land amounting to about 52 acres; a mare and foal; six milch cows, four yearling heifers and a steer, a young calf and a cow; six ewes and five ewe lambs; a sow and three pigs; a bed and bedding; ten pounds of money; a cart, plow and harrow with lumber; a cask, tub, shears, axes, hoes, and other implements; kettles, pots, and dishes; wearing apparel. It was valued at 250 pounds and five shillings. [7]

Children of John Perkins and Judith Gater: The first six baptized in Hillmorton [1]

i. John Perkins was baptized on 14 September 1609. Quartermaster John Perkins died on 14 December 1686 in Ipswich. [2]

John Perkins kept the first ordinary or inn in Ipswich. He was quartermaster of the Ipswich company. [4]

In September 1633, John was a young man living in a hut on his father's island. One day, when most of the men of Ipswich had gone into the bay, a friendly Indian named Robin came and told John that other Indians had hatched a plan. Early in the morning, four Indians would come and draw him down the hill, to the waterside, to trade with him. If he went, then he and all who were near to him would be cut off and there were forty birch canoes, out of sight under the brow of the hill, full of armed Indians who would attack. John informed Mr. John Winthrop, who lived nearby, of this. Winthrop told John that if such Indians came, to threaten to shoot them and that if they would not leave to strike up the drum and discharge his muskets so that six or eight young men who were mowing the marshes nearby and who had their guns might sound the alarm. Then the Indians would realize that their plot had been discovered and flee. This was done and the Indians fled to sea in their forty canoes. [5][8]

John was the five times great-grandfather of President Millard Fillmore through his son Jacob Perkins (c. 1646–1719). The descent is as follows. Jacob was the father of Philippa Perkins (c. 1646–1719), who was the mother of Mary Emerson (1704–1777), who was the mother of Philippa Story (1726–aft. 1796), who was the mother of Hephzibah Wood (1747–1783), who was the mother of Nathaniel Fillmore, Jr. (1781–1831), who was the father of President Millard Fillmore. [3]

ii. Elizabeth Perkins was baptized on 25 March 1611. She died before 18 September 1670. She married William Sergeant.

iii. Mary Perkins was baptized on 3 September 1615. She died on 10 December 1700. [4] She married Captain Thomas Bradbury about 1636. [1][9] Thomas, the son of Wymond and Elizabeth (Whitgift) Bradbury, was baptized on 28 February 1610/1 in Wicken Bonant, county Essex. [9] He died on 6 March 1694/5 in Salisbury. [9]

Kirk [10] provides a royal ancestry for Thomas, tracing him back to Edward I.

Captain Thomas Bradbury of Salisbury was the town clerk, school master, justice of the peace and representative to the General Court in 1651 to 1656. [9]

Mary Bradbury was tried for witchcraft and convicted in 1692, but her execution was delayed and she was later released. Her husband, her clergyman and 117 of her neighbors signed a petition in her defense. [4] Her husband's statement (modern spelling) was: [8]

July 28: 1692 - Concerning my beloved wife Mary Bradbury, this is what I have to say: We have been married fifty-five years, and she hath been a loving and faithful wife to me. Unto this day she hath been wonderfully laborious, diligent and industrious, in her place and employment about bringing up of our family (which hath been eleven children of our own and four grandchildren) she was both prudent and provident, of a cheerful spirit, liberal and charitable. She being now very aged and grieved under her affliction, may not be able to speak much for herself, not being so free of speech as some others may be. I hope her life and conversation have been such among her neighbours as gives a better and more real testimony other than can be expressed by words.

iv. Anne Perkins was baptized on 5 September 1617. There is no further record of her. [1]

v. Deacon Thomas Perkins was baptized on 28 April 1622. He married Phebe, the daughter of Zacheus Gould. [1]

In his will of 11 December 1685, Thomas bequeathed the farm he had from "my father Gould" to his son Zacheus. [1]

Thomas settled in Topsfield. [5] He succeeded Isaac Cummings as the deacon of the Topsfield church. [8] He was selectman in Topsfield several times. [8]

Thomas's son Thomas was a member of the Salem witchcraft jury in 1692; along with other jurors he signed a declaration of repentance in 1696. [4]

vi. Sergeant Jacob Perkins was baptized on 12 July 1624. He died on 29 January 1699/1700. He married first Elizabeth Unknown. He married second the widow Damaris Robinson.

vii. Lydia Perkins was baptized on 3 June 1632 in Boston. She died before 18 February 1678/9. She married Henry Bennett.

References:

1. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I-III," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 1431–3.

2. Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, 2 vols. (Salem: Essex Institute, 1910), vol. 1: 285–91, vol. 2.: 334–340, 644–7.

3. Gary Boyd Roberts, "Ancestry of Millard Fillmore," The American Genealogist 63 (1988): 46–55.

4. Walter Goodwin Davis, The Ancestry of Dudley Wildes 1759–1820 of Topsfield, Massachusetts (Portland, ME: The Anthoensen Press, 1959), 81–90.

5. "Some Notices of the Perkins Family in America," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 10 (18560: 211–6.

6. George Francis Dow, ed., and Harriet S. Tapley, trans., Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, 9 vols., digitized books, Salem Witch Trials: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project (http://salem.lib.virginia.edu).

7. George Francis Dow,The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, (Salem: Essex Institute, 1916) , vol. 1: 190–1.

8. George Augustus Perkins, The Family of John Perkins of Ipswich, Mass.(Salem: Salem Press, 1889).

9. Robert Charles Anderson and John B. Trelfall, "Ancestor Table for Thomas Bradbury of Agamenticus and Salisbury (1611–1695)," The American Genealogist 55 (1979): 1–4.

10. Marshall K. Kirk, "A Probable Royal Descent for Thomas Bradbury of Salisbury, Massachusetts," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 161 (2007): 27–36.


 

19-May-2023