Source: Year Book – Volume 2 – Pasquotank Historical Society – Elizabeth City, N.C. Edited by John Elliott Wood (1958).
Tag: West
THE PERRY FAMILY – by Benjamin Brodie Winborne
CHAPTER II
PHILLIP PERRY, SR.
During the second quarter of the 17th century Phillip Perry, Sr., came to America from old England and settled within the boundries of Isle of Wight County, Va. This county was one of the eight original shires of Virginia, as the counties were then called, and embraced the territory of Southampton County, Va., up to 1748, and bordered on the North Carolina line.
Phillip Perry represented some of the most sterling and worthy families of the Old Country who grew tired and weary with the tyranny, oppression and cruel wars of England, to gratify the bloody ambitions of dishonorable schemers to gain power that they might revel in disgrace and crime.
He became a large landowner and a prominent and respected citizen of Isle of Wight County. He served with honor his county and province in several important official positions. He was the uncle of the old London merchant, Micajah Perry. Phillip was a cherished family name, as shown by the persistency of the family in retaining it through generations.
Among the old records of Isle of Wight County, Va., we find the will of Phillip Perry, dated November 20, 1667,and probated October 9, 1669. He gives his age as “70 years or thereabouts,” and mentions his wife, Grace, and sons Phillip and John, under age. In July, 1686, Thos. Green, of Isle of Wight County, consigns his tobacco to Micajah Perry and Thomas Lane, London, for sale. In 1693 John Perry, of the same county, son of Phillip Perry, deceased, conveyed a tract of land in that county to Col. Joseph Bridger, lying in Whitemarsh.
Capt. John Perry, of Westmoreland County, Va., was a prominent man in his section prior to 1661. Whether he was the brother of Phillip Perry can not be ascertained, nor can we trace the relationship, if any, between them. Phillip Perry, Sr., had other sons than Phillip and John. James Perry, Jacob Perry and Joseph Perry were also his sons.
After the 17th century many of the well-to-do families of Virginia left the colony and moved to the more attractive lands and homes in the old Albemarle section of North Carolina. Among those who were attracted by the rich soil, beautiful homes, delightful climate and good government were several of the members of the Perrys of southwestern Virginia, as it will now appear.
In the old records of Edenton, N.C. we find a grant of land from Jeremiah Perry and wife, Jane, to Christian Blount, dated October 8, 1694.
Francis and Jeremiah Perry are familiar names in the Virginia and North Carolina familes. Capt. Henry Perry, of Northampton County, Va., was closely connected with Capt. Francis Pott’s family, and Captain Perry and wife are mentioned in the will of Captain Pott, which is dated in October, 1658.
The Francis Perry, the Jeremiah Perry and the John Perry to whom the Earl of Granville granted lands in Franklin County, N. C., about the middle of the 18th century, were from Chowan and Perquimans counties, N.C. The Perrys of Virginia were also connected by marriage with the leading Virginia family of Kennons, who intermarried with the Bullocks of Granville County, N.C. They were also connected by marriage with the old Broadnax family of the Old Dominion.
In 1707 Daniel Pugh, of Nansemond, conveyed a tract of land to Samuel Smith lying on Middle Sawmp, adjoining the lands of John Perry and others. Serveral of the Perrys owned land on this swamp. In 1719 James Perry and wife, Patience, of Nansemond County, conveyed land on Middle Swamp, that runs out of Bennett’s Creek in Chowan County, N. C., to his brother, John Perry of Nansemond County, Va., and Jacob Perry is one of the witnesses to the deed. In 1715 Francis West, of Nansemond County, in his will speaks of Judith and Thomas Perry. Judith Perry married Abram Hill, of Nansemond County, Va., and they moved to North Carolina. On July 26, 1740, they conveyed to John Perry, of Bertie, 100 acres of land, and in 1756 they conveyed to Josiah Granberry a tract of land in Bertie (now Hertford) on Meherrin Swamp, which was purchased from John Perry, of Bertie County.
In 1728 Benjamin Perry conveyed to Thomas Lane, the old London merchant, 140 acres of land lying on the Chowan River and Deep Run. Susannah Perry, his sister, is a witness to the deed. Thomas Speight, of Nansemond, in 1700 conveyed land in North Carolina to John Perry. I have been unable to locate this land, but it was in the Albemarle section.
In 1734, 1735 and 1736 we find William Perry signing as witness to deeds for lands in Chowan and Bertie counties. Several of the children of Phillip Perry, Sr., of Isle of Wight County, Va., and several of his brothers moved to Perquimans County. His grandson, Phillip, died in Perquimans in 1751, leaving a will in which he speaks of his son Jesse, and Phillip, brothers John and Joseph and Jacob Perry, son of his brother Joseph. In 1759 Joseph and Benjamin Perry witnessed the will of Joseph Riddick, of Perquimans.
In 1749 Jacob Perry, Sr., Israel Perry and Jacob Perry, Jr., witnessed the will of Issac Wilson in Perquimans, who married the daughter of Jacob, brother to Israel, Phillip and Benjamin Perry.
ISRAEL PERRY
Israel Perry, son of John Perry and wife, Mary, and grandson of Phillip Perry, Sr., died in 1779, leaving a will. His sons were Josiah, Israel, John, Cader, Jacob, Jesse, and daughters, Millicent, Ruth, Rachel, Ann and Priscilla. He had other children. He appointed his brother Phillip Perry and Thomas Twine his executors, and Jacob and Benjamin Perry are witnesses to the will.
Ruth Perry married Micajah Hill, of Perquimans County, May 12, 1763. Rachel married Richard Skinner December 11, 1770. Priscilla married Thomas Twine.
Jacob Perry, the brother of Israel and Phillip, died about 1777. His will is dated March 4, 1775, and probated in October, 1777. His children mentioned are Jacob, Israel, Reuben, Dempsey and John, and daughters, Priscilla, wife of Dempsey Welch, Ann, wife of Caleb Winslow, and grandson, Isaac Wilson, son of Isaac Wilson, Sr., and daugher Hepzibah, wife of Hardy Stallings. Jacob Perry, Sr., the son of Benjamin Perry and wife, Susan, who made the conveyance of land in 1728, was brother of Benjamin Perry II, and died in 1790. He mentions in his will his wife, Mary, sons, Miles, Leah, Lawrence and Benjamin Perry, and daughters Hepsebeth and Sally Mariah Bunch, Mary Perry and granddaughter, Priscilla Perry, daughter of Leah Perry.
His brother Benjamin is one of the witnesses to his will.
Jacob’s daughter, Mary, died unmarried in 1797, and she speaks in her will of her mother, Mary, cousins Mary and Hannah Bunch, and cousin John Perry, the son of Israel, cousin Jacob Boyce and brother, Lawrence Perry.
Jesse Perry, son of Israel Perry, married December 12, 1777, Miss Elizabeth Lindner.
STEPHEN B. WEEKS
Sallie Perry, daughter of Jacob Perry,Sr., married about the year 1790, shortly after the death of her father, Lemuel Weeks. There were six children by this marriage–John, James, Hugh, Polly, who married Cornelius Raper, a daughter who married a Benton, and Nancy.
James and Hugh died young and without issue.
Lemuel Weeks died in the year 1803, leaving his wife, Sally, and son, John, and several granchildren surviving him. The widow died in 1826 at the home of her son, John Weeks, on Little River in Pasquotank County, N. C.
Lemuel Weeks was the son of Thomas Weeks (who died in 1808) and wife, of Perquimans County, N. C.
John Weeks, the son of Lemuel Weeks and wife, Sally, was the grandfather of Stephen B. Weeks, the distinguished writer and historian of North Carolina.
CHAPTER III
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BENJAMIN PERRY
There were three Benjamin Perrys among the older members in Perquimans. Benjamin Perry I died March 11, 1788. His wife was named Susan, and they had several children, among them were Benjamin II, who died January 10, 1784, and his wife, Hannah, died November, 1791. Benjamin Perry III represented Perquimans County in the House of Commons in 1790. The first Benjamin had a son named Ezekiel, who moved to Hertford County prior to the Revolutionary War and settled in the St John’s section.
Joseph Perry, of Perquimans, died in 1801, and Jesse died in the same year. Jesse left the following children: Mary, Elizabeth, Millicent, Rachel, who married a Nicholson, Benjamin, John and Josiah; Margaret, Christian, Martha, Sally, Asenith, William and Robert.
Jesse was a son of Phillip Perry, Sr. and uncle of Josiah Perry who mored to Bertie County the latter part of the 18th century and settled near the Powellsville section.
Robert Perry, the son of Jesse, represented Perquimans County in the House of Commons in 1817, 1818, 1819 and again in 1826 and 1827, and Josiah, his brother, represented the county in 1834.
Jesse Perry married Miss Elizabeth Lindner December 12, 1777.
Phillip, the son of Jacob Perry, died in 1809, leaving sons, Isaac, Seth, Daniel, John; daughters, Millicent, Chloe Riddick, Christian White and Elizabeth Saunders.
Thomas Perry died in 1814, and speaks of his mother, Millicent, and brother, James.
Jacob Perry died in 1814, leaving his wife, Sarah, and brother, John, surviving.
Benjamin Perry III married Millicent Riddick, of Perquimans, December 13, 1785, and they had the following children : Mary, born October 26, 1786; Thomas, born January 27, 1789; James, born August 13, 1792; Joseph, born December 20, 1796; Christian, born December 20, 1798.
William Hollowell married Mary Perry July 6, 1778. She was probably a daughter of Israel Perry, Sr. The latter had several daughters and sons whose names are not on the old memoranda before me.
Reuben Perry married Elizatbeth Pearson January 18, 1780.
Amos Perry married his cousin, Elizabeth Perry, February 10, 1783.
Thomas Stanton married, also, a Miss Elizabeth Perry August 28, 1784.
Israel Perry, Jr., married Miriam Hollowell April 4, 1785.
Seth Perry married Mary Riddick December 29, 1785.
Susannah Perry married Moses Howard June 2, 1790.
Leverne Garriss married Sarah Perry December 27, 1791. She was the daughter of Jacob Perry, Sr.
Jacob Perry married Ruth Chappell August 18, 1791, and Reuben Perry, his brother, married Dorcas Chappell January 11, 1791.
William Perry, heretofore mentioned, married Ferebe White April 21, 1791.
The Perrys of Tidewater Virginia not only sent representatives of their families to northeastern North Carolina, but some of them moved to other parts of Virginia and North Carolina. Franklin County, N. C., and that section of the State became the home of several of them, I have been careful in giving the names of the heads of the several families and the children to show that the North Carolina Perrys are of the same families that settled in Tidewater Virginia in the 17th century.
I shall now proceed to give a sketch of Ezekiel Perry’s family, of Hertford County, and of Josiah Perry’s family, who settled in Bertie County near the Hertford County line in the latter part of the 17th century.
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Source: The Perry Family of Hertford County, North Carolina by Benjamin Brodie Winborne, published in 1909.
THOMAS HARVEY (1729 Will)
Will of
THOMAS HARVEY
1729
NORTH CAROLINA, SS.
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. The 10th. Day of Aprell, in ye year of our Lord, one Thousan, Seven hundred & Twenty nine. I, Thomas Harvey, of ye precinck of perquimens & Province of North Carolina, Gent., Being of perfickt mind & memory, Thanks be to Allmitey God. Thare fore, Calling unto Mind ye Mortality of my Body & knowing yt it is apointed once for all men to Dye, do make & ordain this my last Will & Testement, yt is To Say, Principally & ferst of all, I Recomend my Soul into ye hands of God yt Gave it; & my Body I Recomend to ye Earth to be buread in a Decent & Cristeon maner, at ye Descration of my Exetors. Hareafter named, nothing Doubting but Genarll. Resuration, I shall Receive ye Same aGain by ye Power of Allmitey God; and as Touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it bath pleased God to bless me with in ys. Life, I Give & Demise & Dispose of ye Same in ye following maner & Forme:
Imprimis. I will & Desire yt as Sune as my Death, all my Just Debts yt in write or Conchinnces I owe To Eney person or persons be Deschard. & payd, with Justes.
Item. I Give to my Dear beloved wife, Elizabeth Harvey, ye one thuerd part of my personell Estate, to be Equally Taken out of ye Hole, both in quantity & Qualety of ye Same, after all my Just Debts are payd. But all Legeaseys to be payd out of ye other Two Thurdes of my Estate.
Item. I Give to my Beloved wife aforesaid, my Negro Man Called Jamey.
Item. I Give To my beloved Wife aforesaid, My Plantation whareon I now Live, dureing her Natrall Life & at hur desse., To be Injoyd by my soun, Thomas Harvey, and his aires for Ever. My Will is, That ye Said Thos. Harvey, shall not be debard or hindread from bulding or leiving on Eney Part of ye Lands so Sune as he Shall arive to ye Age of Twenty one yers, Ye Clear’d land & Dweling house Exceptd.
Item. I Give To my Soun, Thomas Harvey, my Negro Boy, Callead Ned, and my Negro Gall, Called Dinear, to be Injoyd by him & his ares for Ever.
Item. I Give to my Soun, John Harvey, my Negro Boy, called Frank, and my Negro Gall, called Marey ann., To be Injoyed by him & his ares for Ever.
Item. I give to my Son, Benjn. Harvey, my Negro Boy- Callead Willcock & my Negro Gall Callead Hannah, To be injoyd by him & his ares for Ever.
Item. I Give to my Soun, Miles Harvey, my Negro Boy Callead Jack & my Negro Gall Called fates, & my Negro Gall Callead Pegg, To be inJoyed by him & his ares for Ever.
Item. I Give To my fore Souns, namely: Thomas, John, Benj’n. & Miles, My fore plantions or Pasealls of Land; To my Soun Thos. Harvey, My Plantion whareon I now live, after his Mothers Desese as above said, To be in Joyd for Ever; To my soup, John Harvey, My Plantion, CaHead ye Quarter, with ye Lands beLoing thare to, To be inJoyd by him & his ares for Ever; To my Son, Bejn. Harvey, my Plantion Called Foleks Pint, with the Lands belonging thareto, To be Injoyd by him & his ares for Ever; To my Soun, Miles Harvey, all my Lands on Chowan River, ling in Rockahock neck, ye lands I Bought of Samuel Woodard, To be InJoyd by him & his ares for Ever.
Item. I give to my Brother, Miles Gale, of Boston, in Newengland, one Quarter or forth part of the Slupe Called The two Brothers, whare at this Time I own Three partes & he one.
Item. I Give To Each of Collo. Robad Wests Dafters, which he had by my Sester, Marey Harvey, Namely: Mathe, Sarey & Marcy, one Gold Ring, To Each of them, to ye valey of fortey Shillings Each. And likewise Give to my two Sisters, Elizabeth Clayten, and Penelopy Lettell, Wife of Mr. Willm. Lettell one Gold Ring apes, or fifty Shillings each.
Item. I Give to The Children, or so many of them as is now Living, Belonging to ye Wife of James Settersen, & ye Wife of Willm. Tetterten, fortey Shillings a pese, or to ye Valey of ye Said Money in what my Exceters. hareafter named Shall Tink fitt.
Item. I Give to John Cole, Soun of John Coles, of Nances- mun in Virieny, one tree year old Hores.
Item. I Give to Josway Wherey, Soun of Antoney Wherey, one Bed and Furneture, To ye Valey of Tenn pounds.
Item. I Give to Elizabeth Wherey, Dafter of Antoney Wherey, one feather Bed, To ye Valey of Ten pounds, & Ten pounds in Current Money of North Carolina.
Item. I Give one Hundred Pounds, Current Money of North Carolina, To be Emplid & Lade oute for ye youse & benefett of ye pore & pore Children beloing to ye precinck of Perquimons, Such as are Mentanead by ye paresh Excepted out. But ye money to be Ametadatly Layd out at ye Descretion of my Excetr. hareafter namead, but to ye youse aforesaid.
Item. I Give To Mr. Willm. Lettell of North Carolina, & my Friend, Collo. Edward Moseley, & my Friend, Mr. Thos. Pollock, & To Each of Them, one Gold Ring a pesese to ye Valey of Ten pounds, Currant Money of North Carolina, Each Ring to be purched out of my Estate by my Excetrs. hareafter named.
Item. I Give all ye Rest & Residue of my Estate, Both Reall and Persnall, be it in North Carolina or Eleswhere, be it in wot kind or maner SoEver, To my foure Sounes, namely; Thomas Harvey, John Harvey, Bejn. Harvey, & Miles Harvey, To be Equally Sheard & Devided betwene them & To them & thare ares for Ever. And If Either or Eney of Them shall Diye before thay ARive to ye age of Twenty one Years, that then, & in Such Case, that part of ye Estate as beloingd to ye Desesead, to be Equally Devided among ye Sirvivrs & thare ares for Ever, both rell and persnall. And my will is that the Money ariseing out of my Estate, Either by ye Sale of Good, Hire of Negroes, or by Eney ways or menes wot Ever, To be Emplid in Trade or Lett To Entrest for ye Benefett of my Children after an alownces for thare Edecation.
And Lastly, I do aPint my Brother, Miles Gale, of Boston in Newengland, my Knnsman, Mr. Willm. Lettell, My Friend, Collo. Edward Mosley, Mr. Thos. Pollock, Excters. & my Loving Wife, Elizabeth Harvey, Excetres, of this my Last Will & Testement, To Se it Strickely fullfilld in all its parts, Revocking & disallowing all other will or wills by me mayd, Ratefying & confirming This To be my Last Will & Testament.
In Witness whareof, I Have hareunto Sett my Hand & Sele ye Day & Year above written.
THOS. HARVEY, (Seal).
Sind, Seld, Publeshid, pronounced & Declared by the Said Thos. Harvey, To be his Last Will & Testement, in presences of us ye Subskribers:
THOS. NORCOM. (Seal)
RICHARD SUTTON. (Seal)
JOHN WIAT, Jurat. (Seal)
I, The Thomas Harvey, doth further apoint my friend the Honble. John Lovick, Esq., one of my Executors to this my above will, Provided my Kinsman, Mr. William Little is not Capable Of Acting, In the proformance of this my will, and tis my will that my Sd. friend, John Lovick, Esq., have one gold Ring to the Vallue of ten pounds, current money of No. Carolina.
THOS. HARVEY (Seal)
Singd. Seald, and Delivered In presence of:
CHARLES DENMAN,
his
JOHN X MITCHEL
mark
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Memd. That about Three Dayes before his Death The within Mentiond, Thos. Harvey, payd me to take notice that it was his desire that Mr. Lovick shoed Act with the other extrs., notwithstanding the manner of Expression as to Mr. Little’s Illness or incapacity of Acting, mentioned in the Codicil as a condition wch might imply the contrary.
GALE.
Novbr. 10th, 1729.
Proved This will before me, RICHD. EVERARD.
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Copied from Original Will, filed in the Office of the Secretary of State
Contributed by Nola Duffy
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