Rachel Perry (abt. 1747 - bef. 1781)

Born about 1747 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Knowlton — married May 1777 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died before 8 May 1781 before about age 34 in Republic of Vermont

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jk Knowlton [send private message], Living Brock [send private message], and Dan McGeorge [send private message]

Biography

Rachel was born in 1752.

In May 1777 she married Robert Knowlton. ^[1][2]

Rachel Perry died about 1800.^[3]

Research Notes

No direct mention of Rachel's death has yet been found; however there is circumstantial evidence to assign a date prior to 8 May 1781.^[4]

Robert Knowlton sold to Ebenzer Kingsley for 62 Pounds a Pease of land lying in the South Part of Woodstock bounded as follows (vis) Beginning at the North Corner of Daniel Perry's land thence North twenty seven degrees & twenty minutes East thirty Six Rods to a Stake and stone thence North Sixty five degrees west Eighteen Rods to a corner thence North twenty eight Degres East fourty two Rods to a Stake and Stones thence North Sixty five degrees west Sixty Eight Rods to the Road thence South Nineteen degrees West fourty two Rods to a stake and Stones thence South Sixty five degrees East one & a half Rods to a stake and Stones thence South thirty six degrees west fourty Rods and fifteen links to Daniel Perry's Northw est Corner thence on the North only line of To" Perrys to the Place of beginning Containing thirty six acres one hundred and fourty Rods be the same More or less. ( The justice of the peace signed off on it March of 5 1782 that Robert Knowlton personally appeared...)

Only Robert Knowlton signs the document. Old English law required the wife to sign the land deed when the land was sold to relinquish her dowry rights. If a man sold his land and died shortly afterward, his widow would have a claim on that land unless she had surrendered her rights. Most buyers would not accept an indenture without her signature. The fact that Rachel did not sign likely could indicate that she was deceased at the time of the land sale. When I talked to the town clerk in Woodstock he said it in his experience he had not seen a land deed where he knew the wife was living and had not signed. If Rachel was living her signature should have been on the document. . . . If she died prior to May of 1781 only William would be her child. There is some question regarding when Daniel (second child of Robert) was born, see entry under Daniel. If this were the case only William would be the son of Robert and Rachel and the other children an unknown mother, which according to Stocking is ?? Pratt. Pratt was a common name in the Woodstock area. [notes by Dean Case]

Born

29 SEP 1752. Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. ^[5][6]

Marriage

2 MAY 1777. Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States. ^{[7] [8]}

17 MAY 1777. Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. ^{[9] [10][11]}

• Fact: Baptism (29 Sep 1752) Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage: "Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850" Family History Library; Salt Lake City, UT; Film # 0873753 Ancestry ca Record 7853 #521045 (subscription required, accessed 7 October 2022) Robert Nolton marriage to Rachel Perry on 17 May 1777.
2. ↑ Marriage: "The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1847-2011" New England Historic Genealogical Society. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: The New England Historic Genealogical Society; Page number: 271; Volume Number: 115 Ancestry ca Record 2129 #541648 (subscription required, accessed 7 October 2022) Robert Nolton marriage to Rachel Perry on 2 May 1777 in Dartmouth, USA.
3. ↑ A source for this information is needed.
4. ↑ Windsor Co., VT Land Records (pg. 84, deeds)
5. ↑ Source: S177
6. ↑ Source: S197
7. ↑ Source: S177
8. ↑ Source: S197
9. ↑ Source: S177
10. ↑ Source: S175
11. ↑ Source: S223 New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Vital Records of Dartmouth, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1850

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 22 December 2022, 14:08), entry for Rachel Perry (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LHLJ-6RC ); contributed by various users.
• AMTID 24200645748:1030:1023088.
• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/Q29L-RH5M : 3 November 2017), Rachel Perry, 29 Sep 1752; citing Birth, Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 775,836.
• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FHNR-2L9 : 18 October 2017), Robert Nolton and Rachel Perry, 02 May 1777; citing Marriage Notice, Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 903,382.
• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FHCL-F8K : 5 November 2017), Robert Nolton and Rachel Perry, 02 May 1777; citing Marriage Notice, New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 574,885.
• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FCMQ-957 : 5 November 2017), Robert Nolton and Rachel Perry, 02 May 1777; citing Marriage, Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 775,496.

• Source: S175 Ancestry.com, Massachusetts, Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005). ovo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp. Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850. Publisher Ancestry.com Operations Inc PubPlace Provo, UT, USA PubDate 2005 Massachusetts, Compiled Marriages, 1633-185022
• Source: S177 Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011). Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
• Source: S190 North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000> (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016). The history and Genealogy of the Knowltons of England and America : volume 1
• Source: S197 The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1847-2011 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011).
• Source: S223 Massachusetts, Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850 (Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018).