Richard Perry III (bef. 1617 - aft. 1660)

Born before 9 May 1617 in Cordwainer Ward, London, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died after 1660 after age 42 in County Tipperary, Ireland [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message], Susan Fitzmaurice [send private message], and Tim Perry [send private message]

Richard Perry III migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 261) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Not the Richard Perry of Fairfield, Connecticut

A man of the same name was in Fairfield, CT at about the same time. His origins are unknown. Along with the several proofs (cited by Jacobus and Price) that the Richard of New Haven returned to England, there is a date conflict with the man of Fairfield. The last of Richard of New Haven's children was christened there in September 1649. Richard of Fairfield received a land grant (not a purchase but a grant from the town) in March 1649. That would mean that he was established in town and was likely a member of church and possibly a freeman. Richard of Fairfield married two women, the first unknown (mother of 3 children) and the second Grace, the widow of John Nichols (mother of four children) according to Jacobus cited here. See "Research Notes" for more on this topic.

Biography

Richard Perry III immigrated to New England between 1621 and 1640 and later departed for England

Birth & Christening

This man , known as "Richard III" for convenience of generational numbering to match the Jacob Price book quoted here (he did NOT use this number in his lifetime so please do not delete the suffx), was christened 9 May 1617 as son of Richard "Perrin" at St. Mary Abchurch,^[1] the home parish of "Richard II" as noted on his 1615 parish marriage record to Dewnes or Duance HIcks. "Perrin" was a mis-spelling; no other Perrin christenings were found in the register and his younger brother John was christened there in 1619 as son of Richard "Perry".

He was the son of a merchant and trader originally from Exeter, Devon: Richard Perry 1580-1650 and Dunes/Dewnes/Duance Hicks of London. Both their wills listed a son Richard and his children Mary and "Micajah". Richard the elder aka "Richard II" and Dewnes were married in 1615 at her home parish of St. Pancras, Sopor Lane, London with the register noting that Richard's home parish was St. Mary Abchurch in London. Christening records for sons Richard "Perrin" and John "Perry" in 1617 and 1619 in St. Mary Abchurch have been found. Subsequent children, from Ruth onwards are all found at St. Antholin, Cordwainer, London (christening with the mother's name listed and in burial records for those known to have died young). Transcribed wills for both parents are linked below.

Some of the narrative of this profile comes from the book "Perry of London: A Family and a Firm on the Seaborne Frontier, 1615-1753" Author: Jacob M Price which is an amazingly well researched and sourced book about this family, it is far from the typical "vanity publication" of unsourced family lore. Unfortunately it cannot be posted here due to copyright restrictions.^[2] That book is the source of the numbering of Richard 1, 2 and 3 sometimes seen on the internet and the author makes it clear those numbers are just to keep the generations straight, the men at the time did not use those numbers. Much of the narrative of this bio comes from that book which has 10 pages of primary sources for Richard I, II and III.

Marriage & Children

Richard Perry III married Mary Malbon(e);^[3] daughter of Richard Malbon who was an original settler of New Haven.^[4] A primary record of this marriage has not yet been found, Jacobus supports it through letters and other documentation as does Price. The marriage likely was 1639 or early 1640 making him 22 or 23 years old at the time (his son Micajah also married at 23).

Children of Richard Perry and his wife Mary (Malbone) Perry were all baptized in New Haven: ^[3][4][5]

1. Mary baptized October 4, 1640
2. Macajah baptized October 31, 1641^[4][6]
3. Samuel baptized June 8, 1645
4. John baptized July 11, 1647
5. Grace baptized September 2, 1649.

Colonial Life

Richard Perry was an original signer of the New Haven Fundamental Agreement. He was freeman 29 Oct 1640; took the oath of fidelity in 1644; was clerk of the New Haven Trainband in July 1644; Secretary May 1646 and Oct 1646. April 1647 he was taking a voyage for the comfort of his family and resigned the office of Secretary. He bought land in Sept 1647 and the next month was allowed to leave on the "Phoenix." In Sept 1649 he sold house and lot to Thomas Kimberly.^[7]

He settled in New Haven and was an original signer of the New Haven Compact of June 4, 1639;^[8][6] made a freeman on October 29, 1640; taking the oath of allegiance in 1644.^[4]

In 1639 as "Richrd Perry, Junior" he "was granted 5t damages for the long wanting of the 27t, weh should have bene formerly p4, & was deferred vntill the weeke past, & the trouble about it."^[9]

In 1639 two of Perry's servants, Thomas Manchester and Nicholas Tanner were punished by the court for drunkenness and for abusive words to their Master. Manchester was put in stocks for a certain time and Turner was whipped.^[10]

On August 5, 1640 Perry was given a warning and fine a shilling for being late to his watch, although it says, "tho the watch was not neglected."^[10] Also in 1640 he was one of several men who were appointed to view the meadows and appraise their value before the lots were cast.^[10] On page 91 of Hoadly's "Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven" under "Rich:Pery" he is in the list of land owners in New Haven Colony Records.^[10]

By July 1644, Richard Perry was Clerk in the New Haven Trainband; secretary of the Colony< in October 1645 and May 1646 but in April of 1646 he resigned his office making plans to go on a voyage for the comfort of his family.^[4]

Land was purchased by Richard Perry in September 1647 and sold September 1649 to Thomas Kimberly. It was written in February 1650/1 that Mr. and Mrs. Perry "are goeing away." Then the following month we find that Mr. Perry wanted to bring some things to England which his father-in-law, Mr. Malbon, had requested in writing. After that time, there are no further records of Mr. or Mrs. Perry in New England. Jacobus suposses on page 472 of "History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield" that he returned to England in 1651.^[4] Anderson in "The Great Migration Directory" agrees, he "returned permanently to England in 1651."^[11][6]

Return to England, Scotland and Ireland

In February 1650/1 it was stated that Mr. and Mrs. Perry "are going away"; the next month, Mr. Perry desired to carry some things to England which Mr. Malbon had asked for. After this he is gone from the New Haven Records.^[7]

Price records much more about Richard's return to England although the date and location of his demise is still not known. Richard III was likely back in England by about 1652 and his mother's will of early 1654 bequeathed to him without calling him "of New England" although this is hardly proof. However, proof does come in October 1656 when his son Micajah was apprenticed to Robert Carter of the Haberdasher's Company (note that the family had earlier lived in Cordwainer Ward in London, an area known for shoe and clothing makers). Micajah's father was described in the contract as "Richard Perry of Glasgow, Scotland, gentleman". Sure enough, Glasgow records show Richard Perry as collector of customs and excise in 1656 and that he had lived there since 1654. He continued to appear in Glasgow records until September 1657.

He next surfaced in Clonmel, county Tipperary, Ireland where he held a post in Cromwell's civic administration and was a merchant. Why Ireland? Price notes that Richard's cousin William (of Limerick, Ireland) spent part of his time in Stepney, London where he (William) owned a residence i.e. very close to Richard II and Richard III. Bequests in wills from the 1620s through 1650s between the Perrys of Limerick and the Perrys of London indicate that these families remained close during this time. Richard III's brother Peter had also been a trader in Ireland in the 1640s before his death. Price details other Irish family connections with the Hutchinsons as well who were also cousins to Richard Perry and also had a family member return to Ireland from New England (Edward Hutchinson). Richard lived close to the Hutchinsons in Tipperary.

So Richard III and his children (except for Micajah, apprenticed in London) moved to Tipperary between 1657 and 1660 and Richard & son John apparently went into the business of general trade, raising cattle, and accumulation of land.

Unfortunately Richard III's ultimate fate does not appear to be known.

Research Notes

Savage and others believed that the Richard of New Haven moved to Fairfield. Jacobus, however, in "Families of Old Fairfield" page 472 says "this does not appear probably, for the Fairfield man was certainly there before 1650, and not one of the five children recorded at New Haven appear in Fairfield records."^[4][6] To be clear, Jacobus states that Richard Perry of Fairfield received a land grant there on 18 March 1649 (double year not stated). That was before Grace (above) was baptized in New Haven. Could he have received a land grant before actually living in Fairfield? Jacobus clearly thought not and also said that none of the above 5 children appear in Fairfield records which does seem to make a good argument.

Anderson's Directory sources: ChTR 22; TAG 10:61-62, 20;^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 City of London St Mary Abchurch 1558-1736 1617 baptism of Richard Perrin $subscription and free image courtesy of Ancestry.com
2. ↑ Perry of London: A Family and a Firm on the Seaborne Frontier, 1615-1753 Author: Jacob M Price Publisher: Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1992.Google Preview
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Donald Lines Jacobus. "Families of Ancient New Haven" C. Smith, Rome, N. Y. (1923). Vol. 6, p. 1439.see at archive.org
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} Donald Lines Jacobus. "History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield" Vol. 1b. p. 472.see at familysearch.org.
5. ↑ ”Baptisms in New Haven, Conn. NEHGR 9:362
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) Vol. 10 (1933) p. 61, 62. Book Review. "American Colonists in English Records. First Series. A Guide to Direct References in Authentic Records. Passenger Lists not in Hotten," Published by George Sherwood, 210 Strand, W. C. 2, London, Eng., 1932.subscriber$
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Jacobus, Donald Lines, MA (compiler, editor.) History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield. Fairfield, Conn.: The Eunice Dennie Burr Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, 1930.
8. ↑ Wikipedia "Fundamental Ageement of the New Haven Colony"see at wikipedia
9. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet. "Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England" W. White, Boston, printer to the commonwealth (1853). p. 270.see at archive.org
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3} Charles J. Hoadly. "Records of the colony and plantation of New-Haven from 1638-1649." Printed by Case, Tiffany & Company, Hartford (1857). pp 26, 39, 41, 91. see at archive.org
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Robert Charles Anderson. "The Great Migration Directory, Immigrants to New England 1620-1640." New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA. (2015). p. 261.

See Also:

• Charlestown Town Records, p. 22
• The Massachusetts Bay Company and Its Predecessors by Frances Rose-Troup Genealogical Publishing Com, 2002 p. 151 Google Books preview