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Wednesday, 19 March 2025

John Perry and Elizabeth Brown

The Mast House and Brunswick Dock at Blackwall, drawn, engraved and published by William Daniel, London, October 20th, 1803, and dedicated to John Perry. 

John Perry (b. Tuesday, 4 Jan 1743, bap. 25 Jan 1743 at St Dunstan's, Stepney), Batchelor, son of John Perry and Ann Watlington, married his first cousin Elizabeth Brown (b. Wednesday, 3 Jul 1745, bap. 11 Jul 1745), Spinster, Minor, daughter of John Brown and Elizabeth Perry, at St Dunstan's, Stepney on 19 Mar 1765. They were married by Licence dated 6 Mar 1765. Witnesses to their marriage were John Brown, Elizabeth's father and Philip Perry, John's older brother. John Perry's father, also John Perry, was the brother of Elizabeth Perry, Elizabeth's mother, so both were grandchildren of Philip Perry and Elizabeth Flemming. And if any further confirmation of this were needed, it's literally spelled out in a Codicil to the Will of their uncle, Ephraim Seehl, where he leaves bequests "... to my nephew John Perry and also to my niece Elizabeth Perry his wife ... as had given and bequeathed before in the Will to their fathers John Perry and John Brown".

For the absence of any doubt, this is the 'famous' John Perry, Shipbuilder credited as the founder of the Blackwall Yard, where he built ships largely for the East India Company (although due credit needs to be given to his father, John Perry, and grandfather, Philip Perry, before him). [The Perry Family: Shipbuilders at Blackwall.] The information on their shipbuilding appears to be pretty well documented, but the family history is scant and not at all accurate. My reasons for researching this family are two-fold: initially, because John Perry's sister, Elizabeth Perry, married my 1st cousin seven times removed, Elnathan Ayres, so we're distantly related by marriage, but whomever, these people deserve to be remembered as accurately as possible.

John and Elizabeth Perry had nine children:

  1. Elizabeth Perry b. 15 Jan 1767, bap. 16 Jan 1767 at St Dunstan's, Stepney, as Elizabeth, daughter of John Perry Junr of Poplar Ship Builder & Elizabeth at 1 day old. Reputedly died on 25 Jan 1767, there is a burial of Elizabeth Perry at St Dunstan's, Stepney on 27 Jan 1767.
  2. John Perry b. 27 Jun 1768, bap. 28 Jun 1768 at St Dunstan's, as John, son of John Perry Junr of Poplar Ship Builder & Elizabeth, 1 day old.
  3. Philip Perry b. 7 Feb 1770, bap. 8 Feb 1770 at St Dunstan's, as Philip, son of John Perry Junr of Poplar Ship Builder & Elizabeth, 1 day old.
  4. Elizabeth Perry b. 15 Jan 1772, bap. 16 Jan 1772 at St Dunstan's, as Elizabeth, daughter of John Perry Esq of Poplar & Elizabeth, 1 day old.
  5. Sarah Perry b. 20 Sep 1776, bap. 22 Oct 1776 at St Dunstan's, as Sarah, daughter of John Perry of Poplar Ship Builder & Elizabeth, 2 days old.
  6. Richard Perry b. 2 May 1779, bap. 31 May 1779 at St Dunstan's, as Richard, son of John Perry Shipwright & Elizabeth of Poplar, 29 days old. This Richard Perry died, at the age of 17, and was buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church) on 29 Jun 1796.
  7. Thomas Perry b. 13 Jun 1781, bap. 13 Jul 1781 at St Dunstan's, as Thomas, son of John Perry Ship builder & Elizabeth, 30 days old.
  8. Charlotte Perry b. 28 Oct 1783, bap. 30 Oct 1783 at St Dunstan's, Stepney, as Charlotte, daughter of John Perry of Poplar Ship Builder & Elizabeth at 2 days old.
  9. Louisa Perry b. and bap. 4 Aug 1785 at St Dunstan's, Daughter of John Perry of Poplar Shipwright & Elizabeth born the same day.
Portrait of John Perry from
The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard
The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard (PDF) by Henry Green and Robert Wigram (published 1881), which is never that accurate on the Perry family history, says that in 1796, "At Blackwall, Mr. Perry's first wife, Elizabeth, died on the 25th of January at the age of forty-nine. Elizabeth Perry had actually died in 1795 - at which date she was indeed 49 - and the parish records of St Dunstan's, Stepney list the burial, on 2 Feb 1795, simply as 'Elizabeth Perry at Poplar', this being Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church). A tablet to her memory in Poplar Chapel records "... the goodness and sincerity of her heart and her parental and conjugal virtues."


"Travelling from Blackwall to Harlow, Mr. Perry's road lay through Epping Forest, which was considered both a long and dangerous journey. Mr. Perry drove this with his own horses, and frequently stopped to dine at Woodford ; he always took his own wine with him, but at the same time he made a point of paying at the inn for the amount which he might be supposed to have consumed. In the neighbourhood of Woodford he had a great friend. Sir Robert Preston, a large shipowner and Deputy Master of the Trinity House, who used to send him the dessert for his dinner."

Next, John Perry, of this parish, Widower and Mary Green of the same parish, WIDOW, were married, by Banns, at Saint Pancras Parish Church (St Pancras Old Church, which is reputed to be the oldest Christian church in Britain) on 31 May 1798. Witnesses were Mary Hutchinson and Mary Green[1]. 

Once more a year out, The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard, claim that in 1799, "About this date Mr. Perry, having purchased the estate of Moor Hall, Harlow, married for his second wife Mary, the sister of his son-in-law, George Green, forming thus the double connection of father and brother-in-law." This assertion is repeated, unchallenged, on many family trees, and at Wikipedia it says John Perry married 'Green's sister Mary', but was she George Green's sister? The record says otherwise. As we see, upon her marriage to John Perry, Mary was clearly identified as a widow, so this would mean that Green was her previous married name, not her maiden name. It's unlikely that the church would call her a widow by mistake and both of them signed their own names, so were presumably able to have challenged any error; Mary was 29 at the time of this marriage, an age at which, back then, she was less likely to have been a spinster too. The most plausible explanation for the situation then would be if she was the widow of George Green's brother. 

People considered a sister-in-law as an actual sister in those days. We only have to reference Elizabeth Bennet's conversation with Wickham, in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which was of this era, at Longbourn (when he and her sister Lydia visit after their 'infamous elopement') and Wickham, now her brother-in-law, is attempting to retell history to his own advantage, and Lizzy retorts, "Come, Mr. Wickham, we are brother and sister, you know."

So, did George Green have a brother, who had died? Yes, apparently, he did. An elder brother, John Green, bap. 29 Oct 1764 in Chelsea, who is purported to have died in 1786 "At Sea", Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia. In one family tree he is even shown represented by the flag of the East India Company (for whom the Perrys built ships). I'd like it a lot better if I'd seen a record from a primary source substantiating this, but as yet I have not. Similarly, it would be horrendously difficult to absolutely prove as there are probably thousands of marriages between a John Green and a Mary 'something', but one marriage record looks tantalisingly promising: that of John Green and Mary Spooner, both of the parish of St Andrew, Holborn, City of London on 6 Jan 1785. Interestingly, one of the witnesses to that marriage was a Richard Perry.

[1] Mary Green is listed as being Mary's mother in both John's and Mary's wills, but I still don't think this is a discrepancy, nor is it 'proof' that she was Green at birth, because if Mary had indeed married John Green, she would have become part of that family and been considered as a daughter.

John and Mary Perry had a further six children:
  1. Richard Perry b. 14 Feb 1801, bap. 14 Mar 1801 at St George's Church, Bloomsbury, London Borough of Camden
  2. George Perry b. 2 Jun 1802, bap. 1 Aug 1802 at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow, Essex
  3. Mary Ann Perry b. 23 Aug 1803, bap. 1 Oct 1803 at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow, Essex
  4. Caroline Perry b. 5 Sep 1805 (allegedly). Caroline Perry of Poplar (7m), was buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church) on 1 May 1806.
  5. Charles Perry b. 17 Feb 1807, bap. (date not transcribed) at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow, Essex
  6. Amelia Perry b. 15 Nov 1808, bap. 16 Jan 1809 at St Mary's Church, Battersea
John Perry Esquire (66) died on 7 Nov 1810 in Battersea, at his house there, Terrace House (now Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11). "... built in 1699 and probably replacing a house called Stanlies. This is late 17th, plain but substantial. It was restored, by Vernon Gibberd, in 1972-4. A carved frieze with globe and instruments may refer to Samuel Pett, Controller of Victualling to the Navy who lived here in the 17th. There is a sundial with the date 1699. The house was occupied by a series of industrialists and business people – many connected with shipbuilding and with Pett family connections. In the early 19th this included member of the Perry family, and George Green of Blackwall Yard lived nearby as an apprentice." [Source]. John Perry had bought the house in 1810 and "Changes to Perry’s will make clear that the Terrace House was intended as his permanent residence, but he died soon after his purchase in 1810, leaving it to his second wife Mary." [Source] (More recently it was owned by billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes. It last sold, for a mere £8M, in 2020.)

The Parish Register of St Dunstan's, Stepney lists his burial on 15 Nov 1810, as "John Perry Esquire of Popar at Poplar". He's buried with his [1st] wife in the family vault at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church). 

A note about John Perry's date of birth: It's said that he was born on 6 Apr 1743, but the only source for that appears to be his grave. That date has been accepted without question by many, but by that time, somebody must have remembered incorrectly, because the contemporary baptism record cannot lie: John Perry was baptised on 25 Jan 1743 at 21 days old, meaning he was born on 4 Jan 1743. Or at least it was 1743, on the Julian calendar, then in use. Before 1752, the year began on March 25th, not January 1st. Thus entries between January 1st and March 24th of a given year would be, confusingly, one year behind our calendar. His birth, in the modern Gregorian calendar, would be in the 1st month of 1744. The calendar change happened when John Perry was about eight and in the same year that his mum is reported to have died. Little wonder then that he might get it wrong later. And people didn't celebrate birthdays anyway then. Pure speculation, but if someone later just knew he'd been born shortly after 'the beginning of the year', but then remembered that the year had started near the end of March when he was born, I can, just, see how they might conflate it to a date in early April. 

Of other details I've been able to learn about John Perry from this research is that he's listed as having attended Harrow School; he retired in 1803, "In this year Mr. Perry retired entirely from business, selling his remaining half of the yard and his interest in the business to Messrs. John and William Wells.", and, apparently, his hobby was felling trees. I can see why this might be because he'll have worked with a lot of wood. From NOTES AND QUERIES Series 11 - Volume 6 tn s. vi. AUG. 24, 1912: The Mast-house at Blackwall. The Mast-house at Blackwall was an ugly building used by the firm of Perry, shipbuilders of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, for preparing masts. "Masthouse," I may remark, is a "dictionary word," and is found both in ' The New Oxford Dictionary ' and in ' The Century Dictionary.' The Mast-house at Blackwall' was taken down by the East and West India Dock Company in 1862. Those who may be further interested in the history of this matter, and in the firm to which the Mast-house belonged, should refer to " Chronicles of Blackwall Yard, by Henry Green and Robert Wigram, Part I. [no more issued], 1881." This book is one of great interest and research, and gives many delightful biographical details of John Perry (born 1743; died, Battersea, 7 Nov., 1810), whose dockyard was " more capacious than any other private dockyard in the Kingdom, or probably in the world." In the ' Chronicles of Blackwall ' (facing p. 42) will be found an oval portrait of the head and shoulders of John Perry, revealing him as possessed of a very handsome face. His hobby was felling trees. One of his sons, Richard, wrote: "I think I see my father now, with his face slightly elevated and beaming with intelligence (he was one of the handsomest men of the day), issuing from his hall door armed with a saw or billhook attached to a long pole, with which he operated on the top branches of lofty trees." One of John Perry's sons was Bishop of Melbourne and a Senior Wrangler. Further details of the family and of their connexion with Blackwall and Moor Hall, Harlow, Essex, will be found in early editions of Burke's ' Landed Gentry.' There are several illustrations of the Mast-house in the British Museum. A. L. HUMPHREYS.

John Perry met King George III, who, "it is related, was fond of inspecting the embarkation of his troops, and would at such times ask Mr. Perry many very pertinent questions". "So courteous was the old King to Mr. Perry on all occasions, that at last he was jokingly stilled (sic) among Mr. Perry's intimates, 'The friend of the family.'" The Prince of Wales "did not show him the same kindly consideration as his Royal father." Mr. Perry's career was throughout marked by extreme liberality and by a magnanimous and public spirit. His family believed that he might have obtained a peerage [given his achievements, this had occurred to me too], and he is stated to have refused a baronetcy.

The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard suggest that the following lines inscribed on his monument are worth recording:
"If private worth, combined with public zeal,
Demand a tribute of the love we feel;
If honor, truth, nobility conspire
To form examples which the just admire,
This frail memorial may awhile suspend
The swift oblivion that succeeds our end;
Preserve some record for the stranger's eye
Of generous virtues that should never die,
Of active merits mixed with ardent mind,
Which made his own the good of human kind,
Diffus'd around the bounty Heaven bestows,
And sooth'd the sharpness of malignant woes;
The poor attest it, whom he clothed and fed.
The sick he nourished on their dying bed ;
The friends he succcur'd, and the youth he reared.
To Christian hope by Christian promise cheered;
In deeds like these, revere his honor'd name,
In Brunswick Dock his arduous skill proclaim
That bold achievement of his useful toil
Which bless'd with consequence his native soil.
First taught this humble spot with wealth to smile.
And rise Emporium of the British Isle;
May such benevolence, from Earth removed,
Await its destiny from God he loved.
Celestial grace and mercy guard his tomb.
And endless glory seal his final doom.''
Chester Terrace, Tuesday, 24 September, 2024
Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

In 1841, Mary Perry (age rounded down to 70), was living at 18, Chester Terrace, St Pancras, London. (The Grade I listed terrace has the longest unbroken façade in Regent's Park.) Sadly, this is the only Census she appears on, so although there is a N (for NO) indicating that she was born outside the County (of Middlesex), there is no indication of where she actually was born. Living with her was her youngest daughter Amelia Perry (~30) Ind (of independent means) and they were attended by Milly Ward (25) and Elizabeth Hall (35) Female Servants and William Blondell (25) Male Servant. 

Mary Perry, widow of John Perry, Gentleman, died, aged 74, on 23 Mar 1843 (1843 M Quarter in SAINT PANCRAS Vol 01 Page 275) from Inflammation of the Lungs. Her death was registered on the same day by Elizabeth Capon, Servant, present at the death at Chester Terrace. However, I can find no burial record for Mary Perry anywhere, which given her family and position, seems a little strange. Neither have I found any newspaper announcement, which I would also have expected. Probate was granted on the Will of Mary Perry, of Chester Terrace, Regent's Park, Widow of John Perry, late of Moor Hall, Harlow, to her son Richard Perry on 15 Apr 1843.

NB: John Perry's Will with 4 Codicils, which runs to 13 folio pages of period handwriting and Mary Perry's Will of a further five handwritten pages, will be the subject of further research (at some unspecified time in the future). Any new information discovered therein will be added here in due course.

Several of John Perry's children didn't marry:
  1. John Perry, of Harlow Essex, allegedly died on 5 Jul 1824, at 56, and was buried, on 16 Jul 1824 at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church). 
  2. Philip Perry, of Brunswick Square, died, aged 60, on 19 Jan 1830. He was buried, of 27 Jan 1830 from All Saints Church, Poplar. He is also buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church).
  3. Louisa Perry, I was unable to find in either 1841 or 1851 (abroad maybe?), but in 1861, Louisa Perry (75) Fundholder, was living in Avenue Road, Marylebone, London. She had four servants: a Butler, Cook, Lady's Maid and Housemaid looking after her. The Chelmsford Chronicle of 18 Jun 1869 reported on her death, "PERRY - 11th inst. At 5 Avenue Road, Regent's Park, in the 84th year of her age, Miss Louisa Perry, daughter of the late John Perry, Esq., of Blackwall, and of Moor Hall, in this county." (1869 J Quarter in MARYLEBONE Volume 01A Page 399). She was buried at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow on 18 Jun 1869. On 19 Jul 1869, "The Will with a Codicil of Louisa Perry of 5 Avenue Road, Regent's Park in the County of Middlesex Spinster deceased who died 11 June 1869 at 5 Avenue Road aforesaid was proved at the Principal Registry by the oaths of Amelia Perry of 32 Avenue Road aforesaid Spinster the Sister by the Half-Blood, John Watlington Perry Watlington of Moor Hall Harlow in the County of Essex Esquire Nephew and Charles Cancellor of 7 Token House Yard in the City of London Esquire the Executors." Effects under £35,000 (only ~£5M today).
  4. Richard Perry (40) Barrister at Law, in 1841, was at Moor Hall, Harlow. In 1851, Richard Perry (50) Practicing Barrister was head of the household at Chester Terrace, St Pancras, London with his sister Amelia Perry (42) and Emily A Perry (19) Niece. The household employed a Footman, Housemaid, Cook and Lady's Maid, the housemaid being Elizabeth Capon (39) from Rochester, Kent who had been the informant and present at the late Mary Perry's death in 1843. And in 1861, Richard Perry (60) Barrister retired was still the head of the household at 18, Chester Terrace, St Pancras, London with his sister Amelia Perry (52) Fundholder, and three servants. Richard Perry died at 61 on 24 Apr 1862 (1862 J Quarter in PANCRAS Volume 01B Page 4). The London Evening Standard of 28 Apr 1862 carried the announcement, "PERRY - On the 24th inst., at 18, Chester Terrace, Regent's Park, suddenly, Richard Perry, Esq., aged 61, elder surviving son of the late John Perry, Esq., of Moor Hall, Harlow, Essex and formerly of Blackwall, Middlesex." Richard Perry was buried, on 2 May 1862 at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow. Also on 2 Jun 1862, "The Will of Richard Perry, formerly of Lincoln's Inn but late of Chester Terrace, Regent's Park both in the County of Middlesex Esquire deceased who died 24 April 1862 at 18 Chester Terrace aforesaid was proved at the Principal Registry by the oaths of John Watlington Perry Watlington of Moor Hall in the County of Essex Esquire and the Reverend George Perry of Camberwell in the County of Surrey Clerk the Nephews and the Reverend John Edward Hall of Cleveland Terrace Hyde Park in the said County of Middlesex Clerk the Executors." Effects under £35,000 (less than a paltry £5.5M today.)
  5. Amelia Perry, in 1841, was living with her mother; In 1851 and 1861, in the household headed by her brother Richard Perry. In 1871, Amelia Perry (62) of Private Means was living at 32 Avenue Road, Marylebone, London, with a Cook, Housemaid and Footman to attend her. Amelia Perry died, aged 65, on 27 Feb 1874 (1874 M Quarter in MARYLEBONE Volume 01A Page 476), and was buried on 5 Mar 1874 at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow. On 30 Mar 1874, "The Will of Amelia Perry late of 32 Avenue Road, Regent's Park in the County of Middlesex Spinster who died 27 February at 32 Avenue Road was proved at the Principal Registry by John Watlington Perry Watlington of Moor Hall Harlow in the County of Essex Esquire the Nephew the sole Executor." Effects under £40,000 (virtually a pauper at a value of only around £5.75M today.)
West Ham and South Essex Mail of 20 Nov 1931:
A LONDON SHIPPING FAMILY
An interesting account is given in the November issue of "The P.L.A. Monthly" of the family of the Perry's, so closely associated with docks and shipyards at Blackwall. As early as 1701 [no evidence] there was a Perry shipbuilding at Blackwall, but it was not until 1779 that John Perry "purchased the whole of the Blackwall Yard estate, together with other property in Poplar, for £8,000." About the same time George Green was starting as an apprentice at the Yard which became more famous when he and Wigram were building fine ships there. Brunswick Basin, now incorporated within the East India Docks, was begun in 1789 by John Perry, and was always known locally as "Perry's Dock". Here stood the famous "Mast House" which remained a striking riverside landmark until removed by the East and West India Dock Company in the 1860's. After John Perry retired to a country estate in Essex, he married as his second wife the sister of his son-in-law, George Green, this becoming father-in-law and brother-in-law to his partner. [See notes above] The Blackwall Yard was then owned by John Perry (the third of the name), Philip Perry (also the third of  the name), George Green, and the Wells brothers who had been shipbuilders at Deptford. Various descendant of the Perry family remain, but the surname is borne only by a John Perry - now a very old gentleman - who is a grandson of the second John Perry.

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