SOME OF THE ANCESTORS OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY OF LOWELL, MASS. Part I. PERRY ANCESTRY COMPILED BY MRS. F. W. BROWN BOSTON, MASS. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY CHARLES H. PC,J?E POPE BUILDING 1911 Perry Ancestry EDWARD PERRY, of Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, was a .Quaker, and probably fled from England about 1650 to escape the persecution which was then fiercely raging there. The little town of Sandwich was a favorite resort of that persecuted sect; and though Plymouth Colony afforded less liberal conditions than Rhode Island, yet her settlers fared far better than those in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The first mention of Edward Perry in the Plymouth Colony Records presents him as on the "Grand inquest," at the court held June 7, 1653; it is probable that he had been living several years in the town and was favorably known. The next entry containing his name shows that he had been married by the Quaker ceremony, which was not con­ sidered legal. It reads: "Edward Perry, for vnorderly proceeding, contrary to order of Court, about his marriage, is fined fiue pounds. And Mr. Prence is ordered by the. Court to see his marriage ratifyed as hee goeth home ............ "Thomas Tupper, for his negligence in not causing Edward Perry of Sandwidg to bee by him orderly married, being by the Court appointed to marry psons there, was required henceforth to desist, and is not entrusted with that business any more.'' This court was held the 7th of March, 1653-4. Following the list of cases presented by the Grand Jury to that court is the statement by the jury: "Wee vnderstand that the honored Court hath taken notice of the marriage .0f Edward Perry, and therefore for the psent wee leaue it." The wife's name does not appear in these records. She w&s Mary, the daughter of Mr. Edmund Freeman, one of the most prominent men in the little town; he was one of the "tenn men of Saugust" (Saugus, now Lynn) appointed by the Court in 1637 to " view a place to sitt downe & haue sufficient lands for three score famylies'' ... a grant which was preparatory .to the founding of Sandwich. Edmund 3 4 PERRY ANCESTRY Freeman, Jr., Mary's brother, married a daughter of the Governor, Thomas Prence, who was instructed by the Court to see Edward Perry's marriage "ratifyed as he goeth home.'' The services of the Governor were refused, and accord­ ingly at the next session of the Court, 6 June, 1654, "Edward Perry, for refusing to haue his marriage rattifyed before Mr. Prence according to order of Court, is fined ·fiue pounds for this psent Court, and so fiue pounds for euery Generali Court that shall bee during the time of his said neglect for the future." That the threat was not effectual may be inferred from the 1.ist of fines ordered August 1, 1654: To Fines:- Edward Perrey 05: 00: 00 . Edward Perrey . 05: 00: 00 Meanwhile, the bitterness against the Quakers was gaining strength in all of Massachus~tts, and the refusal of the in­ dependent sect to submit to the laws of church and colony with meekness was becoming more marked. In 1653 Plymouth Court requests "that there bee some appointed to require the oath of fidelitie in euery townshipp"; in 1655 it complains that "sundry qf our townes . haue noe majestrate"... to receive the oath, "and alsoe wee haue noe list whoe haue taken the same.'' Magistrates were appointed and lists made out accordingly, particularly in the more independent towns, and the first of June, 1658, Edward Perry and thirteen other men all of Sandwich, appeered (before the Court) to giue a reason for twice refusing to take the oath of fidelitie to this goument and vnto the state of England, which againe being tendered them in oppen Court, they refused, saying they held it vnlawfull to take any oath att all. George Webb engaged to depart the goument in a short time; the other [s] liable to pay the fine in that case amerced. On the 10th of this month (June, 1658) the Treasury Account states: "We haue not heerin meddled with fines about the oath of fidelitie, nor any fines condemned by this psent Court, held PERRY ANCESTRY 5 June the fift, 1658. Att which Court . Edward Perrey (and twelve others) all of Sandwich, fore refusing to take the oath of fidelitie, fined euery [one] of them the some of £10, in all .............................•........ £130: 00: 00" It was in this year, 1658, that the "Monthly Meeting" of the Quakers was established at Sandwich, which so many Quakers were fined for attending. Fines were now so numerous and complaints so urgent that in June, 1658, a "marshall" was chosen to help the constable. "In regard of the more then ordinary occation that frequently falls out in the towne of Sandwich, soe as theire cunstable is not able alone to discharge and pform.e all such thinges there which respect his office by reason of many desturbant psons there residing." The man who was chosen for this office was one George Barlow, whose vindictiveness and bigotry are shown clearly by a study of the court records. Mr Freeman refused to assist him in his nefarious work, and was taxed therefor. Barlow accused Edward Perry of killing a steer that belonged to the colony, and several items appear about it before the matter was settled by Barlow's owning himself mistaken. Barlow thus made himself very obnoxious to most of the colonists. In Oct., 1658, the court fined Edward Perry and ten others, all of Sandwich, five pounds each "to the collonies vse,'' "for refusing to take the oa~ of fidelitie"; in June, 1659, Edward Perry and nine others "appeered, being summoned to answare for theire refusing to take the oath of fidelitie, and remaining obstinate, were fined according to order''; in Oct. there were ten beside Edward Perrey, who usually heads the list, and each was fined five pounds. At this court "Edward Perry for useing threatening speeches to the aboue-sd. marshall is fined to the use of the collony twenty shillings.'' The account of the "Sufferings of the Quakers'' in New England says: " The following Perfons had their Goods taken from them, 6 PERRY.ANCESTRY fom·e for refuting to fwear, and others for going to Meetings in the Years 1658, and 1659, viz.· £ S. D. Edward Perry 89. 18. 0 William Allen 86 17 0 (Other names follow) (Total) 660. 7. 6 " The following March, 1659-60, seven men were summoned, and " being required to make answare whether they would take the oath ... severally refused." Edward Perrey and Matthew Allin "absented themselues"; three others "appeered" but "said they were not [duly] summoned." There is no record that any of them were fined this time. The 13th of June, 1660, Edward Perry and eleven others were summoned, "appeered,'' and on being "severally of them demaunded whether they would take the oath . all of them refused so to doe." The Treasurer's Accounts show that they were fined five pounds each, but this is the last record of their being fined for refusing to take the oath of fidelity, and there is no further record of their being sum­ moned about it. The court held· June 10, 1661 found by the treasurer's accounts there were £288: 09: 09 owed to the colony "pr. fines that wee think are desperate" [hopeless]; and as it well knew some of them had been unjustly levied they evidently considered such fining had gone far enough. 6 Dec. 1659, "an execution was issued forth to arest the goods or chattles of Edward Perrey ymediately, to satisfy vnto Henery Saunders the sume of flue pounds and ten shillings and charges, whereof the sai~ Perrey is convict in course of law." At the June Court, 1662, Edward Perry complained that "the marshall'' had attached his "meddow'' "on the account and att the suite of Henery Saunders, it being a mistake in the marshall' '; the court ordered judgment for Edward Perry. The first of June, 1663, "It is ordered by the Court that Edward Perrey bee called to account in convenient time for a rayling letter which he wrote to the court." The early colonists were· very particular as to who among them should have the privileges of being "inhabitants," and who should hold office. The court at various times PERRY ANCESTRY 7 repressed those who had illegally assumed the privileges of freemen, but Edward Perry was not mentioned. He was appointed one of the "Survayors for the High­ wayes" for "Sandwidge" June 3, 1657, and again June 3, 1674. The fifth of June, 1671, he was appointed with two others for Sandwich "to view the Damage done to the Indians by the Horses and Hoggs of the English," and on the same day, also by the court, he was chosen with one other for Sandwich "to have inspection of ordinaries," to prevent the "excessiue drinking of liquors'' -an office which would require a person of judgment and influence. In 1675, the town of Sandwich voted the 23d day of the 2d mo. (April) "to record the names of all those that can make appear their just right to the privileges of the town," and the name of Edward Perry appears in the list recorded. It was not until six years later, 7 July, 1681, that the Great and Generali Court took similar action: "Whereas seuerall of the ancient inhabitants of the towne of Sandwich, called Quakers, exhibited a petition vnto this Generall Court by the hands of Wiltam Newland, this Court graunts liberty that such of them as haue bin ancient inhabit­ ants and haue expended monies in purchasing of those lands lying within theire townshipe, shall haue libertie to voate in the disposall of such lands, and shall haue libertie to voate for the choise of rators and shalbe capeable of makeing of rates, if legally chosen thervnto by the towne and psons aforsaid soe long as they carry ciuilly and not abuse theire ~bertie." "It may be that Edward Perry was the earliest in the annals of Sandwich authorship.