Ahnentafel #516 - Jacob Perkins

Jacob Perkins

Born: 1624, Warwickshire, England
Baptized: 12 Sept. 1624 St. John the Baptist Church, Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England
Died: 27 Jan. 1699/1700, Ipswich, Essex Co., Massachusetts

Buried: Old Burying Ground, Ipswich, Massachusetts

Married: 1) Elizabeth Lovell ca. 1647
2) Demaris (--?--) Robinson after 1677, widow of Nathaniel Robinson

Occupation: Farmer - He was the youngest son, and by his father's will was to come into possession of his homestead and lands after his mother's death. His lands lay at the eastern part of the town near the river and also near to.  Manning and Jeffries' necks. Jacob was literate and signed his name on several documents. 

Military Service: chosen sergeant of the military company of the town in 1664.


Records:

1630, Dec. 1 - The ship Lyon left England for the New World with the John & Judith (Gater) Perkins family aboard.

1631, Feb. 5 - The ship Lyon, Mr. William Peirce master arrived at Nantasket. She brought Mr. Williams (a godly minister) with his wife, Mr. Throgmorton, (--?--) Perkins, (--?--) Ong, and others, with their wives and children, about twenty passengers and about two hundred tons of goods. She set sail from Bristol, December 1. She had a very tempestuous passage [Winthrop's History of New England, Vol. 1, p. 42]

Upon the 5 of February arrived here Mr. Peirce with the shipp Lyon of Bristow with supplyes of victualls from England who had sett fourth from Bristow the first of December before. Hee had a stormy passage hether, and lost one of his saylors not farr from our shore who in a tempest having helped to take in the spirit saile lost his hold as hee was comeigne downe and fell into the sea, where after long swimming hee was drowned, to the great dolour of those in the shipp, who beheld so lamentable a spectacle, without being able to minister help to him. The sea was soe high and the shipp drove so fast before the wind, though her sailes were taken down . . . And by the reports of those who came hether in this shipp to abide with us (which were about 26) that those who went discontentedly from us last yeare, . . . have raised many false and scandalous reports against us. [Letter, Gov. Thomas Dudley to Countess of Lincoln, 3/1631]

Having followed up the clues to the four families mentioned in the text the following incomplete listf the passengers of the Lyon has been made up

• Mr. Roger Williams
• Mrs. Mary Williams, his wife
• Mr. John Throgmorton
• John Perkins aged 47
• Judith Perkins, his wife, aged 42
• John Perkins Jr. son of John & Judith aged 22
• Elizabeth Perkins, daughter of John & Judith aged 20
• Mary Perkins daughter of John & Judith aged 15
• Ann Perkins daughter of John & Judith age 13
• Thomas Perkins son of John & Judith aged 9
• Jacob Perkins son of John & Judith aged 3
• (--?--) Onge
• Frances Onge, his wife
• Simon Onge, son of (--?--) & Frances aged 6
• Jacob Onge, son of (--?--) & Frances aged ----

Thus accounting for fifteen out of the twenty-six passengers

1633 - Jacob moved from Dorchester to Ipswich with his parents. He was 10 years old.

1634 - Of the Ninth Church of Christ, gathered at Ipswich

This Towne is scituated on a faire and delightfull River, whose first rise or spring begins about five and twenty Miles farther up in the Countrey, issuing forth a very pleasant pond.  But soone after it betakes its course through a most hideous swamp of large extant, even for many Miles, being a great Harbour for Beares: after its coming forth this place, it groweth larger by the income of many small Rivers, and issues forth in the Sea, due East over against the Island of Sholes, a great place of fishing for our English Nation.  The peopling of this Towne is by men of good ranke and quality, many of them having the yearly Revenue of large Lands in England before they came to this Wildernesse, but their Estates being imployed for Christ, and left in banke, as you have formerly heard, they are well content till Christ shall be pleased to restore it againe to them or theirs, which in all reason should be out of the Prelates Lands in England.  Let all those, whom it concernes (to judge) consider it well, and do Justice herein.

This Towne lies in the Saggamooreship, or Earldome of Aggawam, now by our English Nation called Essex. [The General Court in 1643 organized four shires or counties, Essex (northward from Boston to the Merrimac), Middlesex, Norfolk (northward from the Merrimac to the Piscataqua), and Suffolk (present Suffolk and Norfolk).]  It is of the River, some Marchants here are, (but Boston, being the chiefest place of resort of Shipping, carries away all the Trade).  They have very good Land for Husbandry, where Rocks hinder not the course of the Plow:  the Lord hath been pleased to increase them in Corne and Cattell of late; Insomuch that they have many hundred quarters to spare yearly, and feed, at the latter end of Summer, the Towne of Boston with good Beefe: their Houses are many of them very faire built with pleasant Gardens and Orchards, consisting of about one hundred and forty Families.  Their meeting-house is a very good prospect to a great part of the Towne, and beautifully built; the Church of Christ here consists of about one hundred and sixty soules, being exact in their conversation, and free from the Epidemicall Disease of all Reforming Churches, which under Christ is procured by their pious Learned and Orthodox Ministery, as in due place (God willing) shall be declared . . .

As also about this time for further incouragement in this work of Christ, hee sent over the Reverend servant of his Mr. Lothrop [Rev. John Lothrop, ancester of John Lothrop Motley.] to helpe on with the planting of Plimoth, which increased but little all this time, although shee be the elder sister of all the united Colonies; Some reasons in due place may be rendered.  This Reverend Minister was soone called to Office by the Church of Christ at Scicuate [Scituate].

pp. 95-98 - Jameson, Franklin. Johnson's Wonder-Working Providence 1628-1651

He mentions in his will the portions he had given each of his sons on their marriage.

1665/66 - March 23 - Jacob gave his son Matthew a deed of gift of a house and one quarter of an acre of land within that ye gate that ye highway leads to Jeffrey's neck, on his marriage with Lieut. Thomas Burnham's daughter.  The deed was witnessed by Thomas Lovell, Sr. 

1668 - August 9 - His father's original house, which Jacob lived in, was destroyed by fire, through the carelessness of a servant, who knocked the ashes from her pipe upon the thatch of an outbuilding.  Another house was erected at or near the same spot, which is standing at this day, though in a miserably decayed condition.  The well near by has been, and is still called, Jacob's well.  The servant was imprisoned and afterward brought up before the magistrate to answer for her deed. As it will be of interest to know the manner of the destruction of this house, we give the account of her examination at some length, as it is found upon the court files. 

The examination of Mehitable Brabrook aged about 16 years taken on the 15 day of August 1668:

This examinate saith that on Thursday last was  seaven-night her master Jacob Perkins and his wife gon to Towne she was left home alone. about 2 or 3 a clock in the afternoon she was taking tobacco in a pipe and gott upon the owen on the outside and backside of the house to looke if there were any hogs in the corne and she layd her right hand upon the thatch of the house to stay herself and with her left hand knocked out her pipe and imediately went down into the corne field to drive out the hogs she saw in it, and as she was going toward the railes of the field toward Abraham Perkins house she looked back and saw a smoke upon her Mrs [master's] house in the place where she had knocked out her pipe by which she was much frighted and went into the sd Abraham Perkins house to intreat her to help me about a kettle of cloathes and goodwife Perkins sent her to the barne to call her mayd to come and look to the child whilst she went to help this examinate and when I came with the mayd the sd goodwife Perkins and this examinate went towrd Mr. Jacob Perkins. in the way we saw the smoake from the house and then ran and coming to the house found the fire in the place above the owen where I had knocked out my pipe.  I ran for a paile of water but before I could get out of the well the thatch flamed and for want of ladders and helpers being ready the house was burned down. being demanded why upon her first seeing the smoke she did not aquaint goodwife Perkins, she said she was loath to fright her, and asked why when first she saw it she did not go back to quench it. she answered she was so frighted she durst not. she further said as she was coming with goodwife Perkins towards the house she said to said goodwife Perkins why do the woods look so blew beyond our house, and so there was a great smoke behind the house. 

Mehitable [her X mark] Brabrook

This confession was taken  made and signed the day and year above written before me - Daniel Denison. 

This examinate further addeth that about an hour before the fire kindled on the house the chimney was on fire a little above the wing at which she was frighted, but she quenched it with Lye she had upon the fire in a kittle of cloathes. 

This addition was made the day above written before me - Daniel Denison.

Goodwife Perkins [mentioned above was Hannah, the wife of Abraham Perkins] gives substantially the same facts. After some search she found the fire and attempted to quench it, but it gained upon them so rapidly that they ceased their efforts. 

Several other witnesses were called, but only one could offer any testimony that the fire was set designedly. (This paper is in a very bad condition and some of the words are nearly illegible).

1668 - Sept. 29 - The deposition of John Williston aged 20 years or thereabouts saith that one morning a little a fore Jacob Perkins house was burnt Mehitable Brabrook, as I was Going into the meddow to make hay and Mehitable Brabrook toald me her dame was angry with her but she ----- she had ------- her now for she had put a Great toade into her kittle of milk, which she toald me the next morning after she had put the toade in the milk.  it was about the latter end of last July, and further saith not. 

Sworn in Court held at Ipswich the 29 of Sept. 1668 - attest. Robert Lord cleric.

1668 - September - After the destruction of this old mansion, Jacob Perkins, built another house not far from the site of the first; this house was standing in 1885, but in a very dilapidated condition and not tenantable and was then taken down. The western half had blown down some years before. 

The house built by Jacob Perkins was of two stories with two large-sized rooms and a bed-room upon each floor and a "lean-to" upon the back, as was the fashion of the time. In the middle of the house was an immense chimney, the bricks of which were laid in clay mortar as high as the roof. The portion above the roof, which was exposed to the weather, was laid in lime mortar; all the lime of those days was prepared by burning clam shells - some portion of these imperfectly burnt shells could be seen in the mortar.  The frame of the house was of oak, the floor timbers were fourteen inches square. Just in front of the door and quite near it was a well of water; this has been known for many years as "Jacob's Well;" it is still to be seen [1885], though choked with rubbish and soon all vestige of the old mansion will have disappeared. 

1671 - His house was struck by lightning on a Sunday "while many people were gathered there to repeat the sermon, when he and many others were struck down, and had his waistcoat pierced with many small holes, like goose-shot, and was beaten down as if he had been dead for the present."

1687 - March 7 - Jacob deeded land to his son Jacob, Thomas Lovell served as witness. 

1693 - March 20 - Deed to sons Matthew & Jacob:

I, Sargt. Jacob Perkins, sen. Having grown old & decrepid and not able to manage my farm, I give the other portions of my land to my two sons, Jacob and Mathew, provided they support me & my now wife [Demaris (--?--) (Robinson) Perkins], with whom I made an agreement when we married," etc., etc.  

1669/1700 - February 9 - Inventory of Jacob Perkins' estate:

This is A tru[e] inventory of the Estate of Jacob Perkins Senr of Ipswich Lat[e] desed are as followeth:

• It. by his warrin [wearing] cloths £5.00.00
• It. by 27 bushils & half & half a peck of indgin  [Indian] corn 2.15.03
• by 1 bushel of peas 0.03.00
• by 60 weight of pork at ten per pound 12.06
• by 60 weight of beef at 2 per pound 10.00
• by 23 bushels and half of barley at 2 per bushel 2.07.00
• by 1 cow at 2.15.07
• by 1 swine at 8/10 and ?/100 barrels cider at 18 1.08.00
• by old caske at 6 6.00
• Total - 15.16.09

The 'prisers are William Baker, Thos. Newmarch

• The acompt of funeral charge 11.01.10
• by the Doctor and nus [nurse?] 01.01.06
• by Conl Wainwright 4.08.10
• by Nathaniel Treadwell in 14.00
• Thomas Treadwell 10.00
• Sylvanus Tripe 5/6 nciols pola 3/4.6 al at 10.06
• henry spiller ?/4. William Stevens 8/3 (?) d/6 at al 7.06
• William backer 1.10
• Total - 19.02.00

Jacob Perkins, Mathew Perkins Administrators

1700 - June 10 - Inventory turned into Essex County Court

Essex fs. Before ye Hon'ble Jonathan Corwin Esqr. Judge of Probate of Wills &c. June 10, 1700

p Jacob Perkins and Matthew Perkins Adm'rs. Exhibited this Inventory and made oath that ye same is a true and pr'fect Inventory of ye estate of their father Jacob Perkins dec'd. so far as has come to their knowledge and to add what more shall come to their knowledge.  Sworne attest: John Higginson, Rec. 

Children by Elizabeth Lovell:

Elizabeth b. 1649, d. 1718 md. Thomas Borman 1667 a farmer and bondsmen for his brothers-in-law during the administration of his father-in-laws' estate. 
John b. 1652, d. 1717 md. 1) Mary Fisk, 2) Elizabeth Prythatch 1696, 3) Mary (White) Hooper 1711 

• Thomas b. ca. 1689 md. 1) Hannah Woodbury, 2) Elizabeth Fowler 1730, children by Hannah: Mary, Hannah, John, Elizabeth, Thomas & Abigail. Children by Elizabeth: Hannah, Jacob, Martha, Joseph, Sarah, Meriam, Richard, Esther
• Anna b. 1692 md. her cousin John Perkins 1711.  He was the son of Luke Perkins. Children: John & Nathaniel.
• Esther b. 1695, md. Benjamin Gilbert 1716, children: Benjamin, John, Esther, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Daniel, Lydia, Joseph, Isaac & Martha
• Rebecca md. Thomas Howe, Jr. 1715
• Mary md. Robert Quarles 1709
• Elizabeth md. William Rogers 1698
• Sarah md. John Edwards, Jr. 1709
• Martha probably never married

Judith b. 1655, d. after 1717 md. Nathaniel Browne 1673 a sap-boiler by trade [probably pine sap to make tar]

• John lived in Preston, Connecticut
• Nathaniel md. 1) Elizabeth Fiske & 2) Lydia
• Elizabeth, b. ?, d. before 1766 md. William Stasy [Stacey?], 1702
• Jacob b. ?, d. 1769 md. 1) (--?--) Burnham 1707, 2) Elizabeth Brown 1761
• Mary md. John Hubbard 1710
• Hannah md. Edward Cogswell
• James b. 1685, d. 1735 md. Jemima Quarles
• Thomas (?)
• Joseph (?)

Mary b. 1658 md. 1) maybe Thomas Wells 1669-1700; 2) John Annable

• John Annable b. 1678
• Matthew Annable b. 1682 md. Mary Annable 1711
• Mary Annable b. 1684 md. Thomas Baker 1703
• Joseph Annable b. 1690
• Judith Annable b. 1701 md. Benjamin Stone 1721
• Robert Annable b. 1703 md. Bertha Knowlton 1721
• Joanna Annable (?)
• Mehitable Annable (?)

Jacob b. 1662, d. 1705 md. 1) Elizabeth Sparks 1684 2) Sarah Treadwell. He was a weaver and a farmer.  Children by Elizabeth:

• Jacob b. 1685, md. Lyda (--?--) moved to Cape Neddock, Maine
• John b. 1687 moved to Norwich, Connecticut
• Elizabeth b. 1690 md. David Burnham 1711, children: Elizabeth, David, Sarah, Abigail, Westly

Children by Sarah:

• Elisha b. 1694 md. Abigail Newmarch 1722, children: Elisha, Abigail
• Sarah b. 1696
• Mary b. 1698
• Hannah b. 1701
• Judith b. 1705

Matthew (?) b. 1665, d. 1738 md. Esther Burnham 1685/86

• Matthew b. ca. 1688 md. 1) Martha Rogers & 2) Mary (--?--) Smith. Children by Martha Rogers: Martha, John, Hannah, Jonathan & Sarah. Children by Mary (--?--) Smith: Esther, Ruth, Matthew, John, Brewer, Stephen, Abraham, Stephen
• Esther b. 1690, md. 1) Abraham Perkins 1707-08, son of Abraham Perkins 2) Edward Potter 1721, 3) Dr. Ceasar Aug. Harbin.  Children: Joseph Perkins, Nathaniel Perkins, Abraham Perkins, Esther Perkins, William Harbin
• Joseph b. 1695, d. probably before 1738
• Mary b. 1696 md. Matthew Smith, Jr.
• Elizabeth b. 1702 md. Stephen Glazier 1720

Hannah b. 1670
Joseph b. 1674, d. 1726 md. Martha Morgan 1700

• Elizabeth b. 1701, d. 1703 age 2
• Mary b. ca. 1703, d. 1769 md. Rev. Daniel Kirkland, children: Mary, Daniel, Mary (2d), Hannah, Anna, Elizabeth, John, Jabez, Lydia, Samuel, Joseph
• Joseph b. 1704, d. 1794 md. 1) Lydia Pierce 1728, 2) Mary Bushnell 1730 (daughter of Dr. Caleb Bushnell, a cousin).  Child of Lydia Pierce - Lydia. Children of Mary Bushnell: Joseph, Mary, Simon, Elisha, Andrew, Solomon, Caleb
• Martha b. 1706 md. 1) Thomas Todd 1727, 2) step-brother Solomon Lathrop 1728/9 & 3) Mathew Loomis 1739. Children: Joseph Lathrop, daughter Lathrop, Martha Loomis, Levi Loomis, Mary Loomis, Andrew Loomis, Jerusha Loomis, Mabel Loomis
• John b. 1709, d. 1761 md. 1) Elizabeth Bushnell & 2) Lydia Tracy.  Children by Elizabeth Bushnelll: John & Elizabeth.  Children by Lydia Tracy: Lydia, Ruth, Levi, Civil, Eliphaz, Abijah, Durden
• Jerusha b. 1711, md. Rev. Jedidiah Hyde, children: Martha, Jerusha, Jedediah, Diadema
• Matthew b. 1713 d. 1773, md. Hannah Bishop, Children: Joshua, Hannah, Matthew, Ephraim, Jerusha, Nathan, Susanna, Sarah, Matthew, Enoch, Frederick, Samuel
• Anna b. 1715, d. 1731 age 15 (twin)
• Deborah b. 1715 (twin) md. Benajah Carey, children: Zilla, Deborah, James, Abigil and several who died young
• Hannah b. 1717 md. Lemuel Bingham, children: Hannah, Zeruiah, Lucy, Jedediah, Faith, Elias
• Simon b. 1720, d. 1726 age 5
• William b. 1722 md. Elizabeth Buck children: Elizabeth, William, Philip, Daniel 

Jabez