Rev.-Capt William Perkins, 9th Great Grandfather

May 19, 2013 — ancestor, Colonist, Topsfield, William Perkins

Perkins coat of arms

William Perkins was born in England, educated at Cambridge, and moved to New England in 1632.  He served in the military and taught school after arrival. He was a very well educated man.

1. Rev.-Capt. William Perkins, son of William Perkins Merchant Taylor and Catharine Unknown, was
born on 25 Aug 1607, was christened in All Hallows, Bread Street, London, Eng., and died on 21 May 1682 in
Topsfield, MA at age 74.
General Notes: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: immigrants to New England
1620-1633, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1995, Three volumes.
From George Walter Chamberlain, History of Weymouth, Boston, 1923.
“Capt. William Perkins, the first schoolmaster of which there is any record, was voted ?10 for six months
schoohng, 10 Mar. 1651 (Weymouth Town Records.) He entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, as a
pensioner at Michaelmas Term, 1625; afterwards immigrated to Christ’s College from which he
graduated, A.B., at lent term, 1627-28.
“He was son of William Perkins, a merchant tailor, of London, and was born 25 Aug. 1607, and came
in the ship William and Francis, leaving London, 7 Mar. 1631-32. This ship arrived at Boston, 5 June,
1632. (Drake’s, The Foumders of New England, 11.) He was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay
Colony, 3 Sept. 1634. He married at Roxbury, 30 Aug. 1636, Elizabeth Wootton, and removed to
Weymouth in 1643, where he resided till 1652, when he removed to Gloucester, and in 1655 to
Topsfield. He became the first munister of the latter place. He was deputy from Weymout in 1644 and
Captain there in 1645. He died at Topsfield, 21 May, 1682, aged 75 years.
“The General Court entered the following record on 7 Oct. 1641: ‘Mr. Willi Perkins, for his fathers
50, is granted 400 acres of land.’ (Massachusetts Bay Colony Records, 1:338.) He was to ‘have power to
end small causes at Waymoth,’ 29 May, 1644, and again, 14 May, 1645. (Ibid. 2: 73, 97.) He was a
deputy at the General Court, 29 May, 1644, and was called ‘Lieut. Wm. Perkms’ (Ibid. 66) and ‘Capt.,’ 4
Nov. 1746 (Ibid. 184.).”
——————–
William Perkins, 1607-82, A Study, The Essex Genealogist, vol 3, pp 65-76, May 1983, iss.2

We know from the Cambridge Alumni association that he was a preacher and a teacher:

Adm. at EMMANUEL, 1624. S. of William, merchant tailor, of London. B. there, Aug. 25, 1607. Schools, London and Colchester (Mr Danes). Matric. Michs. 1625. Migrated to Christ’s, Nov. 15, 1626. B.A. 1627-8. Went to New England, 1632. Resided at Roxbury, Mass., adm. a freeman of the Massachusetts Colony, 1634. Moved to Weymouth, Mass., 1643. Sent as deputy to the General Court, 1644; lieutenant, 1644, and captain, 1645, of the local military company; served as schoolmaster and preached occasionally. Removed to Gloucester, Mass., and taught school there, 1651-5. Retired to Topsfield, Mass., 1655. Died there, May 21, 1682. (Peile, I. 378; J. G. Bartlett.)