Deacon Elijah Perry

DEA. ELIJAH3 PERRY (John,2 Ezra1), born 2 April 1701, died in Sandwich, Mass., 18 Aug. 1773. He married in Scituate, Mass., 7 March 1722/3, HANNAH DAMON (Sandwich Vital Records), born there about 1700, died in Sandwich 17 Aug. 1790, "aet. 90" (gravestones of both in the Bourne Cemetery), daughter of Lt. Zaehariah2 and Martha (Woodworth) Damon of Scituate and sister of Abigail Damon who married John3 Perry (q.v.).

In 1723 Elijah Perry built a mill for iron works on the stream which had its source above his house and flowed to Cordwood Creek. He also built a dam across the creek, thus forming a sizable pond. This and the pond below the Falls were known as Big Mill Pond and Little Mill Pond. He later built a grist mill north of Little Mill Pond, moving his iron works to the grist mill yard where it was used as a blacksmith shop. In 1773 he leased the grist mill to his son John Perry (Thomas G. Perry's Note Book; Keene's History of Bourne). He was given both personal and real estate under his father's will, 1727. Elijah Perry's name appears on the list of Sandwich householders dated March 1730.

In September 1730 his father-in-law, Zachariah Damon, died intestate in Scituate. The estate was distributed 10 April 1732 when "Hannah Perry, daughter of Zachariah Damon" was assigned a one-seventh share of the real property in Scituate (Plymouth County Probate, vol. 6, pp. 165-9), The mother-in-law, "Martha Damon of Scituate, ... widow of Zachariah Damon, ... deceased," conveys a portion of her dower share of real estate there to "my daughter Hannah Perry wife of Elijah Perry of Sandwich" in return for a 30 shilling annuity, 27 May 1732 (Plymouth County Deeds, vol. 27, p. 88). Elijah Perry of Sandwich and his wife Hannah sold their Scituate land 27 May 1732 to Nathaniel Turner for £100. (ibid., pp. 88-9). The children: "Joshua, Elijah, Daniel and Caleb, of Elijah & Hannah Perry" were baptized in 1733 (Sandwich Church Records). Elkanah Lyon and Sarah Hewins, widow, both of Stoughton, Mass., sold for £130. 95 acres in the First Division there, 13 Nov. 1734, to "Elijah Perry of Sandwich." Deed witnessed by John Perry and Benjamin Perry (Suffolk County Deeds, vol. 49, p. 118). Further deed registry research is needed here. His will shows that he acquired land also in Middleborough, Mass., and the following deed shows that he also had land in the section of Worcester County first known as "Naquag" or Rutland (1714), which in 1753 was set off as the "Rutland District" (incorporated in June 1774 as the town of Hutchinson; name changed in November 1776 to Barre, Mass.): "Elijah Perry of Sandwich ... husbandman ..." conveyed by deed, 19 May 1760, to his "son [in-law], Denison Robinson of Rutland District," four acres, bounded to the North by "land he [Robinson], now lives on." Elijah Perry personally acknowledged this deed before the Worcester County Court, same day (Worcester County Deeds, vol. 44, p. 48). On same date he deeded a tract of land there to "Watson Freeman of Hardwick" bounded east and south on land of Elijah Perry (ibid., vol. 45, p. 324). He witnessed the will of his sister-in-law, Abigail (Damon) Perry in Sandwich in April 1763. Elijah Perry's house, built in 1723, is still standing (1960) on County Road and is believed to be the oldest house in Bourne, Mass. Except for two brief interludes it has been and is at present occupied by his direct descendants.

The will of Elijah Perry is dated in Sandwich 30 May 1768. He is described as "husbandman, being advanced in years." He gives to his "beloved wife Hannah" life-time use of portions of the house, household goods and livestock; and directs that their sons Caleb and John shall provide certain goods and services to her annually. To his son Elijah he gives a share of his lands in Sandwich and Middleborough, personal apparel, etc. To his son Joshua he gives wearing apparel, cancels his debts, but only "the use and improvement of the house, lands & meadow which are now in his occupation" and "if she survive him" to Joshua's wife Patience, during her widowhood. But he gives to Joshua's children by his wife Patience "and to the children he shall have by her, and to their heirs," etc., the disposal of the real estate. To his son Phineas he gives "all my lands and real estate lying in Rutland District," £14. 6s. 8d., and "my Great Bible after my wife's decease." To his "daughter Martha Robinson all the goods which I have already let her have and likewise ½ my household goods ... to take after my wife's decease" (and to Martha's children if she should die before her mother). To "my three grandchildren Jemima Swift, Abraham Swift & Hannah Swift, the children of my daughter Hannah Swift, deceased besides what I have given my said daughter in her life time," the other half of his household goods. To son Caleb all testator's real property "on Monument Neck, ... lying about half a mile northwest of my dwelling house in Sandwich," also lands bought of John Blackwell near the latter property, and "all my shoemaker's tools and land lying in Sandwich." To son John "a piece of land and meadow lying at the lower end of my other Neck ... in Sandwich." "To my two sons, Caleb and John Perry, to he equally divided between them," land lately bought of Nehemiah Bessey and the pew in the Sandwich Meeting House. He gives half of the residue of his Sandwich real estate to each of these two sons, also half all other assets of the residual estates to be equally divided between them, and makes them his co-executors. He directs that they should be responsible for all debts, legacies and "what I am obliged to do for my brother Jacob." Witnessed by: Thomas Bumpas, Zachariah Perry, Abraham Williams, who acknowledged the instrument 28 Dec. 1773 (Barnstable County Probate, vol. 17, pp. 127-130). Six weeks before his death "Elijah Perry of Sandwich" (deed dated 1 July 1773), "for £100. paid by my son Phineas Perry of Rutland District, County of Worcester" assigned "forever all my lands, buildings and real estate whatsoever," there, "which the said Phineas now lives upon and improves, referring for the boundaries ... to the deed given me by Lewis Turner and his wife of said land, and my deed to Chipman and to Denison Robinson of part of the land I bought of said Turner and his wife." Witnessed in Barnstable by Rowland Cotton; Abraham Williams, recorded 1 Oct. 1773 (Worcester County Deeds, vol. 71, p. 127).

[Ezra Perry of Sandwich, Mass. (c. 1625-1689), By Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson, of Buzzard's Bay, Mass., and Maclean W. McLean, of Pittsburgh, Pa., NEHGS 115 (1960)]

Elijah built a mill at Bourne, for iron works in 1723. His house was still standing in 1960. In his will, he left "to my two sons, Caleb and John, to be equally divided between them... the pew in the Sandwich Meeting House." [PERRY.TXT]

 Noted events in his life were:

• Will, 30 May 1768, Sandwich, Barnstable, MA. 139

Elijah married Hannah Damon, daughter of Lt. Zachariah Damon and Martha Woodworth, on 7 Mar 1722/23 in Scituate, Plymouth, MA.139 (Hannah Damon was born about 1700 in Scituate, Plymouth, MA 139 and died on 17 Aug 1790 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA 139.) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16475269

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Aug 31 2016, 19:47:59 UTC