Alfred Perkins (1795 - 1874)

Born 26 Sep 1795 in Vermont, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Miller) Perkins — married 1823 in Québec, Lower Canada

Descendants

Died 12 Feb 1874 at age 78 in Wisconsin, United States

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Biography

Alfred was born in 1795 to parents Theodore Perkins, a purported Revolutionary War soldier, and Martha Conant. In 1823 in Québec, Canada ^[1] he married Mary Miller and they were the parents of as many as seven children ^[2]; their first three children were born in Canada.

A birth record ^[3] for Alfred states as follows: Alfred, ch. Theodore (“[who] went to Kentucky in 1798,” brother of Thomas, s. Thomas) and Martha (d. [daughter of] Nathan Conant), Aug._____, 1793 (? In Bridgewater), C.R.2. Thus, from this, it states Alfred was born in Aug 1793, he was the son of Theodore Perkins, who was son of Thomas Perkins Sr., and he had a brother named Thomas Perkins Jr.; Theodore went to Kentucky in 1798. Theodore was the husband of Martha Conant; Martha’s father was Nathan Conant. While the entry in the Bridgewater MA vital record has a question mark as to the birth in that town, two other purported children (born in 1785 and 1788) of Theodore and Martha (Conant) Perkins are purported to be born in Vermont, and the Find A Grave ^[4] memorial for Alfred states he was born in Vermont. Relevant census documents state that he was born in Vermont, as well. Why Alfred’s birth was recorded in Bridgewater (the birth location of his father) vital records is unknown, but it does show some useful genealogical information; if not for this vital record, his paper trail would have been lost as his father moved around a a lot, owing to potentially modest wealth. Also, an Iowa death record for Alfred’s son Theodore Joseph Perkins states his father was born in Vermont. Because Alfred’s Find A Grave memorial states that he was born 26 Sep 1795, but his unusual vital record from Massachusetts states Aug 1793, the 1795 information is used in this record.

One possible explanation for the 1793 birth date is that there was a first Alfred born, in Massachusetts, who died, and they named their next child Alfred as well; this is all hypothesis.

Alfred died 1874 and is buried at the Newark Cemetery at Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin ^[5]. The only source for Alfred’s date of death is the Find A Grave memorial.

Sources

1. ↑ Ancestry.com: Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968
2. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LCQZ-HH9 : FamilySearch.org Public Genealogy Tree for Alfred Perkins
3. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2495/images/41254_265479-00251?pId=81124750: Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 for Bridgewater, Vital Record Transcripts
4. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51051809: Find A Grave Index Alfred Perkins
5. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51051809: Find A Grave Index Alfred Perkins