| BIRTH & BAPTISM | John was born in 1583 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England[9,10] and was baptized there on 23 December 1583. |
| DEATH | He died in Ipswich, Essex co., MA sometime between 28 March 1654, when he wrote his will, and 26 September 1654, when that will was probated; he was 71[8,10]. |
| EDUCATION | I originally averred that John was not educated enough to write, as seen by the fact that he signed his will with a mark. However, Glodean Gates has correctly pointed out that "...in an earlier document, he signs his name clearly, so [one] would guess that he used a mark because at the time of the writing of the will in March 1654, he was "'sick and weake in body yet...retaining my understanding and memory.' The earlier document [mentioned] is dated June 21, 1637 and was the petition of remonstrance against the departure of John Winthrop, Jr. from Ipswich. John Perkins, Sr. signs his name along with other citizens. The petition and signature page is shown following p. 50 in Vol. 1, Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by Thomas Franklin Waters. John Perkins, Sr. was quite prominent in Ipswich and one of what Waters describes as an 'extraordinary circle of cultured and conspicuous settlers.'..." She is correct. |
| MIGRATION | John & Judith and their five surviving children, Anne having died John, aged 22; Elizabeth, aged 20; Mary, aged 16; Thomas, aged 15 and Jacob, aged 7 boarded the Lyon, William Pierce, master on 1 December 1630 for its first trip to the New World. They embarked in Bristol, England and arrived in Nantasket, Suffolk co., MA on 5 February 1631[9]. |
| RESIDENCE/i> |
The Perkins Family homestead still exists and is located in what is now Wenham,
Essex co., MA. It's resident can trace her lineage straight back to John '
Judith. How cool is that?
The Perkins clan settled first in Boston, Suffolk co., MA[3,9] where Lydia was born in 1632. John took the Freeman's Oath there on 18 May 1631[3,9,13]. John either lived in or had some rights concerning Pullen Point & Noddle's Island (both now under Logan International Airport), since on 3 April 1632 a Court of Assistants ordered "that no person whatsoever shall shoot at fowl upon Pullen Poynte or Noddle's Ileland, but that the said places shall be reserved for John Perkins to take fowl with nets"[8,14]. In 1633, John Winthrop & others planned a settlement on what is now Cape Ann. John was well-regarded enough by this company to be included with the group of planters for this new settlement[3,9]. For years, there was some dispute about this because in the 1 April 1633 list of men authorized by the court to begin the settlement of Ipswich, the eighth name is "William Perkins"[15]. However, as Robert Charles Anderson points out in The Great Migration, this "...must be an error for this John Perkins, inasmuch as William Perkins was at Roxbury at this time and would not move to Essex County for nearly two decades more[11]..."
Ipswich land grant & inventory records tell us that John was the recipient of
the following Ipswich land grants[9,17]: On 10 December 1644, "John Perkins of Ipswich in America" and Thomas Perkins exchanged land in Ipswich[9,18]. |
| CHURCH MEMBERSHIP | Further evidence of John & Judith's good standing in the fledgling Puritan community is seen by the fact that "John Perkins and Judith his wife" were admitted to the Boston church as members #107 and #108 in early 1631[9,23]. |
| TOWN SERVICE |
In addition, John was appointed to the committee to set the bounds of Roxbury and
Dorchester on 7 November 1632[9,20].
John also continued the tradition of community service expected from every Freeman. "John Perkines", John Tuttell, John Crosse, Thomas Howlett and Robert Mottley took inventory on the estate of Sarah Dillingham of Ipswich, Essex co., MA in 1636. It was a well-documented and contested case with many Brahmin ancestors involved[16]. On 25 May 1636, he was appointed Deputy to the General Court for Ipswich[19]. He served on the Essex Grand Jury on 28 [December] 1641, 26 September 1648, and 28 September 1652[9,21]. Finally, he earned the following mention in Essex co. records: On 26 March 1650, "John Perkins Sr., being above sixty years old, is freed from ordinary training[9,22]." This training was the monthly meeting and drill of the town militia. This usually consisted of a couple of desultory laps around the common and then the "milishy" retiring to the local pub for a pint. |
| ESTATE |
John wrote his will on 28 March 1654. It was probated on 26 September 1654.
Estate of John Perdins, Sr. of Ipswich "28th of first mo called March 1654 I John Perkines the Elder of Ipswich being at this tyme sick and weake in body yet through the mercy and goodnes of the Lord retaining my vnderstanding and memory: do thus Dispose of and bequeath my Temporale estate as ffolloweth first I Doe giue and bequeath vnto my Eldest sonn John Perkines a foale of my young mare being new with foale if it please the Lord shee foale it well also I give and bequeath to my sonn Johns two sonnes John and Abraham to each of them one of my yearleing heyfers: also I give and bequeath to my sonn Thomas Perkines one cow and one heyfer also I giue & bequeath to his sonn John Perkines one ewe to be delivered for his vse at the next shearing tyne [time] also I doe give and bequeath to my Daughter Elizabeth Sarieant one cow and an heyfer to be to her and her children after her Decease as it may please ye Lord they may increase the proffits or increase to be equelly Devided amongst the satde children also I Doe five to my Daughter mary Bradbery one cow and one heyfer or a young steere to remaine to her & to her children in theyr increase or proffits as it shall please the Lord to bless them and to be equaly Devided to the children: also I Doe give and bequeath to my Daughter Lidia Bennitt one cow and one heyfer or steere to be equaly Devided to her children in theyr increaseproffits after her Decease: I Doe also give vnto my Grandchilde Thomas Bradbery one ewe to be sett apart for his vse at ye next shearing tyne: also I Doe give and bequeath vnto my sonn Jacob Perkines my Dwelling howse together with all the outhowseing, and all my landes of one kinde and other together with all improvements therevpon to be his in full posession & according to a former covenant, after the decease of my wyfe and nott before and so to remaine to him and to his heires forever: all the rest of my estate of one kinde and other I Doe wholy leave to my Deare wife Judeth Perkines apointing and ordaining my sayde wyfe the sole Executrix of this my Last will and Testament Desireing my sayde wife to Dispose of the cattell aboue mentioned according to her discresion as they hsall prosper steeres or heyfers as also to Dispose of somoe of the increase or some of the increase of the sheep to || the || children of my sonn Thomas and of my three Daughters at the Discresion of my sayde wife and this I Doe ordaine as my Last will and Testament subscribed with mine owne hand this twnty eighth Day of he first month 1654: his mark John Y Perkines Witness: william Barthlolmew, Thomas Harris. Proved in Ipswich court 26:7:1653 by the witnesses. Inventory taken by William Bartholomew and John Annable: the dwelling howse and barne wth out howseing, £40 60s.; Land about the hoswe about eight acres, £12; more Land unbroade up about fourteen acres, £21; a pcell of marsh about six acres at 40s. p acres, £12; a pcell of vpland and marsh being much broken about xx acres at 20s. p acre, £20; 12 acres of improved Land at 50s. p acres, £24; one mare with a mare foale, £25; six milch cowes, £30; four yearling heyfers & a steere, £11 10s.; six ewes at 35s. p, £10 10s.; 5 yewe Lambes, £5; one yearling weather and two weather Lambs, £2; one young calfe, 15s.; one cow at the pasture, a sow & 3 piggs, all £8; one feather bed with besteed & furniture, £4; one coverlid with other small thinges being Linen most, £2 10s.; Left in mony at his decease £10; a cart, plowes, a harow with severall goodes of Lumber as caske, tubbes, cheares, axes, hoes, etc., £5; severall ketles, pottes & dishes in the kitchen, £2; his wearing aparell, £5; total, £250 5s. [Essex Co. Probate Files, Docket 21,337][12] |
| MARRIAGE | On 9 October 1608 when John was 25, he married Judith Elizabeth GATER, daughter of Michael GATER & Elizabeth Isabel BAILEY, in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England[7,8,10,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51]. Judith was born in 1588/9 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England and was baptized there on 19 March 1588/9[8]. She died in Ipswich, Essex co., MA sometime after 28 September 1654, when her husband's will was probated, but before 31 December 1654, since her burial record indicates she was buried in 1654[5]; she was 66[8,10]. |
| CHILDREN | 84. | i. | Quartermaster John PERKINS | John was born in 1609 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England and was baptized in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England on 14 September 1609[8]. He died in Ipswich, Essex co., MA on 14 December 1686 [Ipswich Vital Records II:645-citing Court Record]; he was 77. As seen by his title, John served in the Ipswich militia and was elected Quartermaster by his peers. |
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85. | ii. | Elizabeth PERKINS | Please see her own page. |
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86. | iii. | Mary PERKINS |
Mary was born in 1615 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England and was baptized there on
3 September 1615[8]. She died in Amesbury, Essex co., MA on 20 December
1700; she was 85. Sometime before the birth of their eldest child in 1637 when Mary
was 22, she married Thomas BRADBURY, in Ipswich, Essex co., MA[8].
They had the following children [surnamed BRADBURY]: i. Wyond ii. Judith iii. Thomas iv. Mary v. Jane vi. Jacob vii. William viii. Elizabeth ix. John x. Ann xi. Jabez |
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87. | iv. | Anne PERKINS | Anne was born in 1617 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England and was baptized there on 5 September 1617[8]. Anne died in England sometime before the family embarked for America on 1 December 1630; she was 13 or younger. |
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88. | v. | Thomas PERKINS |
Thomas was born in 1616 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England. At the age of 6,
Thomas was baptized in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England on 28 April
1622[8]. He died in Topsfield, Essex co., MA on 7 May 1686; he was 70.
Circa 1640 when Thomas was 24, he married Phebe GOULD, daughter of Zacheus GOULD, in Ipswich, Essex co., MA[8]. Phoebe was born in 1620 in Devon, Devonshire, England and was baptized in Hemel, Hempsted, England on 20 September 1620.
They had the following children: |
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89. | vi. | Sergeant Jacob PERKINS |
Jacob was born in 1624 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England and was baptized there
on 12 July 1624[8]. Jacob died on 27 January 1699/1700; he was 75.
Jacob was elected Sergeant of Ipswich's militia band in 1664. Like many men
of the time, he continued to use the honorific long after he no longer held the
title itself[3].
Sometime before the birth of their first child in 1649, when Jacob was 25, he first married Elizabeth WHIPPLE[1], daughter of Matthew WHIPPLE and Elizabeth HAWKINS[3], in Ipswich, Essex co., MA[8]. She was born circa 1629 in Bocking, Essex, England and died in Ipswich, Essex co., MA on 12 February 1685/6; she was 56.
They had the following children: Sometime after 12 February 1685 when Jacob was 61, he second married Damaris ROBINSON[8]. She was born circa 1630 and died in 1716; she was 86. |
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90. | vii. | Lydia PERKINS |
Lydia was born in 1632 in Boston, Suffolk co., MA and was baptized at the First
Church of Boston in Boston, Suffolk co., MA on 3 June 1632[8.99].
Lydia died in Ipswich, Essex co., MA circa 1672; she was 40[2].
Circa 1651 when Lydia was 19, she married Henry BENNETT, in Ipswich, Essex co.,
MA[8].
They had the following children [surnamed BENNETT]: |
| GENERATION | Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great (G10) Grandfather |
| FAMILY NUMBER | 8154 |
| SOURCES |
1. Placeholder, This Is,
A Title Of No Consequence Because It Does Not Exist.,
(NeverNeverLand: Spoof Publications),
[PlaceHold], III:1432.
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Return to the Perkins Index page. |
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| Return to the Family Index page. |
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Return to the Surname Index page. |
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Return to the Maddison Side Tree page. |
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