These three Bibles are in the Special Collections at William and Mary College in Virginia. The dates range from 1748 to 1902. It turns out the first Perrin Bible is connected to a royal gateway ancestor. Update: Links to images of original Bibles are now included!
There are three Bibles: one dated 1751, the other 1819, and the third 1838. Scroll down for the offer of reward.
1751 Bible
Note: According to Richardson’s Royal Ancestry, John Perrin married Mary Booth, daughter of Thomas Booth, a royal gateway ancestor. His son of the same name married Susanna Cooke (she was married before). John Perrin left behind a few records in York Co. and Gloucester Co., Virginia.
Here’s a key one:
12 Dec 1747
Deed of Gift
John Perrin Sr. to John Perrin Jr. I John Perrin of Gloucester Co. for the natural love and affection which I bear to my son John Perrin Jr. do give one moiety or half of every sea vessel which I am now possessed of & 22 negroes; wit: James Mitchell, Mary Moody, James Mills; rec. York Co. 20 June 1748; test Thos. Everard (York Co. deeds 1741-54, p. 251)
Source: Polly Cary Mason, Records of Colonial Gloucester County, Virginia, vol. 2 (Baltimore Publishing, 1994).
Here is the second John Perrin’s Family Bible:
Original images in PDF file:
Transcription begins:
Memorandum October the 29th 1748 John Perrin was married to Susannah Cooke
October the 8 1749 John Perrin was born
July 20 1751 Elizabeth Perrin was born
June 27 1753 Susannah Perrin was born
November the 23 1755 Frances Perrin was born
March the 2 1759 Ann Perrin was born and died about six months old
January the 6 1761 Sarah Perrin was born and died about eight days after
New Hand on Same Page:
Frances Lewis departed this life the 17th October 1783
Elizabeth Washington Perrin daughter of John Perrin and Nancy Wodrosse [sic or Wodrope] was born January 15 1798
Same Page and Handwriting as Above
John Perrin was born December the 4 1721 and died 15 Feb’y 1770
Susannah Perrin his wife was born May the 3 1728 and died March the 22 1782
Same Page and Different Handwriting
John Perrin was married to Elizabeth Washington February the 21 1771 in the county of Fredericks by Rev. Mr. Thornton
Thomas Perrin was born 15 June 1772 and departed this life October 1774 [no day]
Sept. 17 1773 John Washington Perrin was born and died September 22 [? correction superimposed on digits] 1807
March 9 1778 Henry Perrin was born [written again: 1778] and died Feb’y 29 1809
March 14 1779 Ann Thacker Perrin was born 1779
Elizabeth wife of the above John departed this life March the 16 1781
John Perrin was married to Elizabeth Carter Kinnon 11th October 1783 by the Rev. Ja’s M. Fontaine and died November 24 1791 five O’clock morn.
Blotched out: John Whiting was married to Frances Perrin the 23rd of May 1773
February 26 1774 Susanna Whiting was born
April 28 1776 Frances Perrin Whiting was born
Transcription ends.
Perrin Slaves
Transcription begins:
January ’99 Ananias son of Clitty suppose to be 14 years
January ’99 Dick son of Dido suppose to be 13 years old
January ’99 Phile son of Betty suppose to be 11 years old
January ’99 Wilks son of Betty was suppose to be 10 years old
January ’99 Pheby daughter of Milly was suppose to be 8 years old
3 May ’95 [sic] Harry son of Cady was born
15 January ’99 Randol son of Mily was born
20 January ’99 Sukey daughter of Lucy was born
26 October 1799 [no name after]
I’m not sure which Bible those above slave names appear in.
1819 Bible
It is not clear (to me) if this family in this Bible is related to the 1751 Bible.
Original image in PDF file:
Transcription begins:
Page 677
Wm Perrin and Susannah Burwell Page were married April 18 1811
Wm Perrin and Sarah T Nicholson were married Dec’r 31 1833
Wyndham Kemp and Ann L. Perrin the daughter of William K. & Fanny Burwell Perrin were married at Goshen the residence of her father October 24 1837
Penrice (?) Kemp and Louisa R. Smith were married at Hokeland in Harford County Maryland Nov. 8, 1866
Page 678
John Perrin was born December 7 1812
Ann Louise Perrin was born April 30 1814
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Ellen Perrin was born November 17 1817
Wm K Perrin was born November the 6th 1834
John Taylor Perrin was born December 27th 1836
William Perrin Kemp son of Wyndham and Ann Louise Kemp was born October 17 1838
Fanny Page Kemp daughter of Wyndham and Ann Louise Kemp was born on July 13 1840
Wyndham Kemp the son of Windham and Ann L. Kemp was born at Goshen the residence of his grandfather on the 21st day of August 1842
Emily the daughter of Wyndham and Ann L Kemp was born at Goshen the residence of her grandfather on the 21st day of July 1747
The above entry is repeated exactly, so it’s not done here.
Wyndham Kemp the son of Wyndham and Ann L. Kemp was born at Clifford the residence of his father the 30th day of January 1845
Page 679
Elizabeth Washington Perrin daughter of John W Perrin and Nancy his wife was born 15th January 1798
Henry Greenway Kemp son of William Perrin [sic] and Louisa R. Kemp was born at Goshen September 3rd 1867
Mary Gibson daughter of William Perrin [sic] and Louise R. Kemp was born at Goshen April 10th 1870
Emily Page daughter of Wm Perrin [sic] and Louise R. Kemp was born at Clifford April 15th 1879
John Perrin died April 8 1813
Fanny Burwell Perrin wife to Wm Kennon Perrin died May 20 1819
Ellen Perrin died September 10 1826
Wyndham Kemp the infant son of Wyndham and Ann L. Kemp died at Goshen the residence of his grandfather Major Wm K. Perrin on the 15th day of September 1842 aged 25 days.
Ann L. Kemp daughter of Wm K. Perrin and Francis B. his wife died 1 Nov. 1848.
Major Wm R. [sic] Perrin died on the 10th day of December in the 72nd year of his age.
1838 Bible
Original Image in PDF file:
Marriages
Transcription begins:
John Perrin and Susannah Cooke 29th October 1748
John Perrin (son of John Perrin and Susannah Cooke) and Elizabeth Washington 21 Feb’y 1771 in the county of Frederick by the Rev. Mr. Thurston [sic]
The same John Perrin and Elizabeth Carter Kennon 11th October 1783 by the Rev. James M. Fontaine
William K. Perrin (son of John Perrin and Elizabeth Carter Kennon) and Frances Burwell Page were married on the 18th of April 1811
William K. Perrin and Sarah T. Nicholson were married in Middlesex 31st December 1833—the above Sarah T. Nicholson was the daughter of Ralp [sic] Wormley of Middlesex
At Wavsely [?] by Rev. Charles Mann on 20th Dec’r 1866 Wm K. Perrin and Lucy W. Jones both of Gloucester, Va.
At White Marsh by Rev. Chas. Mann on 20th October 1869 John Taylor Perrin and Matild [sic] Prosser Tabb daughter of John Prosser and Rebecca Lloyd Tabb
At Ware Church by Rev. Wm B. Lee on 22 Oct. 1891 Hansford E. Taliferro and Fannie Wellford [?] Perrin
Married at Ware Church Gloucester Co. Virginia October 9th 1902 by Rev. Wm Byrd Lee Walter Catesby Perrin and Georgia Smith Seawell.
Reward
Lucy Lane Erwin is the “dean” of Clopton researchers. In her book, The Ancestry of William Clopton of York County, Virginia, she says on page 146 that a Perrin Family Bible says William Perrin married Mary Clopton, George Perrin married Catherine (Caty) Clopton, and Cassandra Clopton married Josephus Perrin. So three Perrin brothers married three Clopton sisters. These marriages have been confirmed in other records, though the women’s last names are hidden by their husbands.
We have looked everywhere for this Bible at various Virginia colleges and universities, the historical society, and the Library of Virginia. It is probably in a private collection.
So here’s the reward offer:
If anyone can make a copy or take a picture of the cover pages and the family history pages of that Bible, we can offer one hundred dollars ($100.00), payable upon receipt of those key pages.
Related:
William Perrin and Mary Clopton
Robert Anderson and Rebecca Perrin
Perrins of Henrico and Hanover Counties, Virginia
Live as Free People 