Thomas Perkins (abt. 1659 - abt. 1722)

Born about 1659 in Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Wallis) Perkins — married 1 Jun 1683 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died about Apr 1722 at about age 63 in Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

Thomas Perkins Jr. was born about 1659 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Thomas Perkins Sr and Phebe Gould.^[1] Thomas was a weaver and a farmer.^[1]

He married Sarah Wallis^[1] on 6 June 1683 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts.^[2] They had the following children:^[1]

1. Sarah, born 20 Jan 1684/5; married William Makittrick
2. Thomas, bapt. 9 Dec 1688
3. Hannah, bapt. 12 Mar 1692, married David Balch
4. Martha, born 29 June 1695, bapt. 30 June 1695
5. Robert, born 28 Feb 1697; bapt. 7 March 1697; married Elizabeth Towne
6. Samuel, born 22 Nov 1699; married Margaret Towne

Thomas died in April 1722. His widow was still living at the time.^[1] He died testate, leaving a will dated 5 July 1720 and proved 12 June 1722.^[3]

Witch Trials - Massachusetts Remediation

Thomas was a juror in the Rebecca Nurse trials during the Salem Witch Trials and signed the apology letter afterwards.^[4]

1. 17 October 1710, Convictions Reversed, The General Court of Massachusetts Bay, An act, the several convictions, judgments, and attainders be, and hereby are, reversed, and declared to be null and void.^[5]
2. 17 Dec 1711, Compensation to Survivors, Governor Dudley, GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY, approved compensation to such persons as are living, and to those that legally represent them that are dead
3. 28 Aug 1957, No Disgrace to Descendants, General Court of Massachusetts, ...such proceedings, were and are shocking, and the result of a wave of popular hysterical fear of the Devil in the community, and further declares that, as all the laws under which said proceedings...have been long since abandoned and superseded by our more civilized laws, no disgrace or cause for distress attaches to the said descendants or any of them by reason of said proceedings.^[6]
4. 31 Oct 2001, Additional Victims Included, Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives in General Court, AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE WITCHCRAFT TRIAL OF 1692, chapter 145 is hereby further amended by adding Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmot Redd.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Perkins, George Augustus. The family of John Perkins of Ipswich, Mass: complete in three parts. (Salem, Mass.: Salem Press, 1889)., Part II, pages 5 and 10 -11.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29G-VTRB : 18 February 2020), Thomas Perkins and Sarah Wallis, 06 Jun 1683; citing Marriage, Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009575.
3. ↑ Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) Online at AmericanAncestors.org[$]: Thomas, Sr. PERKINS - PERKENS, PARKENS; Probate Record: 1722; Location: Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts; Case Number: 21415; 5 pages; Date of Record: 12 Jun 1722; Case Type: testate; Volume Name: Essex Cases 20000-21999; Page: 21415:1
4. ↑ Witches of Massachusetts, Legends of America website
5. ↑ “Salem Witchcraft : with an Account of Salem Village, and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects : Upham, Charles Wentworth, 1802-1875, Author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, January 1, 1970. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17845/17845-h/salem2-htm.html#Page_ii.480.
6. ↑ https://www.mass.gov/doc/resolves-of-1957-chapter-145/download
7. ↑ https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2001/Chapter122