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. 
The first ship masted here on the 25th October, 1791, was the "Lord Macartney," East Indiaman. The whole suit of masts and bowsprit were raised and fixed in 3 hours 40 minutes. [Source]

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 Sep 1776 at St Dunstan's: 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.

In 1793 (here it says 1797) the estate of Moor Hall, Harlow (Moor Hall, near Harlow, Essex, [later] the Seat of Thomas Perry, Esquire) was bought by John Perry, ship owner from Blackwall, in Poplar. The family made it their home, enlarged the house and improved the grounds, especially when it was occupied by John Perry-Watlington. Moor Hall was an important estate located on the north side of Harlow near Matching Tye Road. 

In 1795, John Perry bought the head lease of the Orchard House Estate for £1,657. Orchard House, had been a moated property comprising a house and a large orchard, which formerly occupied much of the eastern peninsula, where the River Lea joins the River Thames at Leamouth, in Blackwall.

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."

In 1798, John Perry of Moor Hall, Harlow was High Sheriff of Essex.  

"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."

St Pancras Old Church, seen in 1815

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 accepted and repeated on many family trees, and at Wikipedia it says John Perry married 'Green's sister Mary', but was she really George Green's sister? The record says otherwise. 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 hard to imagine 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 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:

10. Richard Perry b. 14 Feb 1801, bap. 14 Mar 1801 at St George's Church, Bloomsbury, London Borough of Camden
11. George Perry b. 2 Jun 1802, bap. 1 Aug 1802 at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow, Essex
12. Mary Ann Perry b. 23 Aug 1803, bap. 1 Oct 1803 at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow, Essex
13. 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.
14. Charles Perry b. 17 Feb 1807, bap. (date not transcribed) at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow, Essex
15. Amelia Perry b. 15 Nov 1808, bap. 16 Jan 1809 at St Mary's Church, Battersea

When the Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard wrote about the construction of Brunswick Dock, in 1789, "This basin, which in honour of King George he named the Brunswick basin, though by nearly everybody else it was called "Perry's Dock," it went on to say, "At the time of its construction, this dock, which belonged entirely to Mr. Perry, was the only dock of its kind in London, though there were several at the out ports. Its construction occupied two years, which were to Mr. Perry two years of the deepest anxiety and toil; the work was successful, but the trouble attending it laid the foundation of a heart complaint which some years later terminated fatally." 

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 the inscription on 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. Pure speculation, but if someone later just knew his birthday (not that they celebrated birthdays then) was shortly after 'the beginning of the year' (in the 1st month), but then remembered that the year had started at the end of March previously, I can see how they might conflate it to a date in early April, because April was the 1st month of the year at the time he had been born. 

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 [Charles] 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.''

Photo © DS Pugh (cc-by-sa/2.0)

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. That year, Richard Perry (40) Barrister at Law, was at Moor Hall, Harlow; while Charles Perry (~30) Clergyman, was then resident at Trinity College Cambridge.

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, seemed a little strange. Nevertheless, I believe I have the explanation for this: In many cases I've seen first wives buried with their husbands (as we see here with Elizabeth and John), but second wives are often buried with their family of origin. In fact, I was hoping to find Mary's burial to get clues to her origins. In this case, I think it's the lack of a burial record that's the clue in itself and suspect she was buried at the Trinity Independent Chapel, the construction of which had been financed by George Green in 1840-41. George was buried there and this is known, because George Green's tomb still exists in Trinity Gardens, Poplar. His son Richard Green was buried there, and I suspect George's second wife. Elizabeth (née Unwin), was too. Trinity Chapel was destroyed by a V-2 rocket in 1944. Historical documents for the chapel, deeds, etc., it's thought are held at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives, but so far, I've found no trace of the parish records for the chapel, which could have been lost with the building and, if so, would explain why no records are coming up for any of these burials. 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, on 27 Jan 1830 from All Saints Church, Poplar. He is also buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church).
3. Louisa Perry [photo], 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. 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. Amelia, was for many years known at Blackwall as a most active, regular, and intelligent member of the managing committee of her uncle George Green's Schools, for which she maintained the deepest interest until her death in 1874. 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 (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.

Further links:

• John Perry (shipbuilder)
• John Perry (1743-1810) at Three Decks
• Blackwall Yard at Three Decks
• 'View of Mr Perry's Yard, Blackwall'
• Poplar History up to the 19th Century
• The East India Docks: Historical development
• Poplar High Street: The church of St Matthias

George Green and Sarah Perry

Trinity Chapel, Sailors Home &c., East India Road, Poplar. This is the Chapel and Sailors' Home endowed by George Green, who built the Congregationalist chapel, and his son Richard. They were both buried in the chapel. The Green company house flag flies on the Home to the right.

George Green (b. 2 Nov 1767), son of John Green and Mary Pritzler, married Sarah Perry (b. 20 Sep 1776, bap. 22 Sep 1776 at St Dunstan's, Stepney), second daughter of John Perry and Elizabeth Brown, at St Dunstan's, Stepney on 18 Feb 1796. Sarah was then nineteen, a minor. The marriage record reads "George Green Esq. of this Parish Bachelor and Sarah Perry of this Parish Spinster by and with the consent of John Perry Esq. the natural and lawful father of the said minor were married in this church, by Licence." Witnesses were John Perry and John Perry Jnr, Sarah's father and brother.

George Green, it is alleged, was born in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. This is stated in the Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard (PDF) by Henry Green and Robert Wigram, published in 1881, over 100 years after the event. The family could have had a 'country seat' in Cheshunt, but I find it curious that there appears no mention nor evidence of such. However, one assumes it was then based on truth as at least they won't have been hampered by the sheer deluge of wildly differing information there is online alleging to refer to his family, in trees at Ancestry and elsewhere. For example, at FindAGrave, George Green's grandfather, William Green, was not only listed as having been an Overseer of the Poor of Chelsea and the owner of the Lotts Brewery of Chelsea, but he had died at the age of TWO. I've heard of such thing as a child prodigy, but ... obviously (not to them) someone has added those details to the wrong burial. This is one of many items causing difficulties identifying the correct records and is a question I'll inevitably come back to, if or when I research his parents and earlier ancestors and try to unpick some of the mess.

With George Green's father having been a brewer in Chelsea and Sarah's maternal grandfather John Brown was a brewer in Poplar, I wonder if this could have been the original means of introduction between the families?

It's often quoted that Green had originally been Perry's apprentice and the Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard says that, "In the year 1782, George Green, of whom we shall say more presently, came to Blackwall yard at the age of 15, and was apprenticed to his future father-in-law, Mr. John Perry." The record in UK, Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices' Indentures, 1710-1811, which is dated 7 Nov 1782, shows that George Green was actually apprenticed to Samuel Huxtable of Stepney, Middlesex, Shipwright. "From at least the 1770s the shipwrights working within Blackwall Yard were not employed directly by the Perry family. Various master shipwrights worked with their own men in teams, and agreed with the Perrys to work on specific orders." [Source] One assumes that Huxtable was one such master.

The Chronicles continue with: "He is spoken of at this time as having been particularly active, intelligent, and trustworthy, and he soon began to make himself useful in the drawing-office and mould loft, where he was employed in designing and laying of ships, A proof of his activity is given in the fact that for some time he was in the habit of frequently walking from his mother's house, near Battersea, to Blackwall Yard, arriving there at six o'clock in the morning and walking back again after six o'clock in the evening. In the busy times that were now coming on, George Green was frequently detained at the Yard until late in the evening, working in the mould loft, and at such times Mr. Perry and his family would often walk through from the adjoining house to see how things were going on. Report says, further, that Miss Sarah Perry took a somewhat lively interest in these proceedings, and would show her interest by rubbing out and otherwise disturbing the lines which young George Green had just completed. However this may be, an attachment soon sprang up between them, they became engaged, and were married at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, on February 18th, 1796."

These were then the usual hours. "For the men working in the yard during the later eighteenth century conditions were very similar to those experienced by the employees of the East India Company in the yard's earliest days. In 1781 all labourers worked from 6 o'clock in the morning until 6 o'clock at night. In winter they came half-an-hour later and left at 5.30." [Source]

Again the Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard tell us that, "Five children were born of this marriage, John, George, Joseph, Mary, and Richard. Of these, Joseph and Mary died in infancy" As we see, only Richard survived:

1. John Green b. 21 Nov 1796, bap. 19 Dec 1796 at St Dunstan's, Stepney. John Green died, at the age of nine, on 19 May 1805, and was buried, on 25 May 1805, at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church)
2. George Green b. 7 Jun 1799, bap. 8 Jul 1799 at St Dunstan's, Stepney. George Green of Blackwall died, aged 15, on 29 May 1814, and was buried on 6 Jun 1814 at at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church). "George, described as a boy of good promise, died at Brighton, at the age of fifteen, from the effects of bathing while heated after riding." [Source]
3. Joseph Green b. ~1801 and died in infancy. Not found any records for this child, neither baptism, nor burial and would not have known of him, except the children being listed, in this order, in the Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard. A History of George Green, written by George Green's 3x great-grandson, Johnathan Green, in Nov 2018, also states that there were five children of this marriage, although the names are not listed.
4. Mary Green, b. 28 May 1802, bap. 24 Jun 1802 at St Dunstan's, Stepney. Mary Green of Poplar was buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church) on 28 Apr 1803. The burial record lists her as 8 months old, but as we can see, she must have been nearer 11 months.
5. Richard Green b. 5 Dec 1803, bap. 31 Dec 1803 at St Dunstan's.

In 1805, the Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard recount, "We have here to record, on May 18th, 1805, the premature death, at Blackwall, of Mrs. George Green, at the early age of 28 years; her son John, aged 9 years, dying on the following day, they were buried together, with the other members of her family, in the grounds of Poplar Chapel. She left two sons, George and Richard, but of these only Richard Green arrived at maturity." The causes are not mentioned, but with two family members dying at the same time, one cannot help wonder if it was from the same infectious pathogen. Sarah Green was buried, on 25 May 1805, at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church).

Though presumably unrelated in cause, in 1814, George Green Jnr was buried just a week prior to his first cousin, Mary Ann Layman, daughter of Sarah's sister, Elizabeth, the two burials being on the same page of the records.

George Green, Widower of the Parish of St Dunstan's, Stepney then remarried to Elizabeth Unwin of this Parish, Spinster, by Licence, at St Mary's Church, Bromley St Leonard's (more history here), on 6 May 1806. The witnesses to this marriage were a William Unwin and a Matthew Oliver.

George and Elizabeth Green added a further six children:

6. Henry Green, son of George and Elizabeth Green, of Blackwall, b. 21 Jan 1808, bap. 19 Feb 1808 at Stepney, Bull Lane (Independent)
7. Elizabeth Green b. 10 Oct 1809, bap. 3 Nov 1809 at Bull Lane (Ind)
8. Emma Green b. 6 Mar 1811, bap. 3 Apr 1811 at Bull Lane (Independent) 
9. Clara Green b. 15 Jul 1813, bap. 9 Aug 1813 at Bull Lane (Independent). Clara Green of Blackwall died, aged 1, was buried on 4 Nov 1814 at at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church). It is said that Clara died "from the results of an accident". [Source] What type, they don't say.
10. Frederic Green (sic) b. 25 Sep 1814, bap. 21 Oct 1814 at Stepney Meeting (Independent)
11. William Green b. 17 Apr 1816, bap. 8 May 1816 at Stepney Meeting

Stepney, Bull Lane (Independent) was a Nonconformist (Dissenting) church, also known as the Stepney Meeting House, established in Stepney, London, around 1644, it was a significant site for Puritan and later Independent (Congregational) worship. There's more here on The Stepney Meeting and the 380-year ‘Dissenting’ tradition in Stepney and the East End.

There was an unusual clue in an obituary for George Green in The Illustrated London News of 3 Mar 1849, which (wrongly) listed his second wife as "Miss Onwhyn, daughter of Mr Onwhyn, for many years coroner of the eastern division of Middlesex." That's a weird spelling, and with little specific detail, but enough. Elizabeth's parents were William Unwin and Mary Wright, m. 10 Jul 1770 in Thorley, Hertfordshire. Elizabeth was a twin: Their baptism record states, "Baptised February 19th, 1777, Mary and Elizabeth the twin daughters of William and Mary Unwin of the parish of Sawbridgeworth." They were baptised at Water Lane-Independent, Bishops Stortford, which appears to have then been Congregational. Elizabeth's father, William Unwin (b. 29 Oct 1742), son of John Unwin and Tryphena Tealon, was baptised on 29 Nov 1742 at the Dunmow Chapel-Independent, Great Dunmow, Essex (Quaker / Congregational to which a different branch of my family had links). Again the Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard claims that, "In 1842 Mr. Green, who about this time appears to have left the Church of England, built Trinity Chapel, in the East India Road ..." Clearly, he'd already left to give the children of his second marriage non-conformist baptisms, around 30 years earlier and we can see where the infuence came from.

(Incidentally, Elizabeth's elder brother, John Wright Unwin, who married Hannah Sims, followed in his father's footsteps as coroner of the Eastern Division of Middlesex between 1804 and 1830 [Source] (see case in 1818); her twin sister, Mary, married William Sims and their son, William Unwin Sims, later became Chairman of the Great Western Railway and a Director of the Bank of England, amongst other things, until he ended his own life.)

Richard and his brother Henry were in 1816 at Doctor Cogan's school, at Higham Hill, Walthamstow and in 1822, "Henry Green, the second son of George Green, Esq., was in accordance with old custom, apprenticed to his father as a shipwright, at the age of fourteen, his elder brother Richard being at this time in Edinburgh, where he studied for several years at the University."

In 1838, Mr. George Green retired from active business.

In 1841, George Green (73) was the head of the household at Blackwall Yard, Poplar, London with Elizabeth Green (63). Against both their names the column has a Y for Yes, claiming they were born in the county (of Middlesex). This appears not to be correct, in either case. Living with them were Richard Green (36), Daniel Britton (34), Emma Britten (29) - Daniel Britton and Emma Green had married in 1832 - Emma Britton (9) and Forester Britton (4). The household had three female and four male servants living in.

Elizabeth Green died at the age of 69 on 2 Nov 1846 (1846 D Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 269). Found no record of her burial, but suspect that she will have been buried at Trinity Congregational Chapel.

George Green died aged 81, at Blackwall, on 21 Feb 1849 (1849 M Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 296), and it's known that he was buried at Trinity Congregational Chapel, because George Green's tomb still exists in Trinity Gardens, Poplar. Again, there's no burial record available online. (NOTE: There are several errors on the page at FindAGrave.)

In 1851, Richard Green (~45) Shipowner, was head of the household at Blackwall Yard, Poplar. Visitors there were Daniel Briton (sic) (42) Annuitant; Emma Briton (38), E E Briton [Emma Elizabeth] (18), Fred [Forester] Briton (13) and R Briton (7) [later Rear Admiral Richard Frederick Britten].

In 1861, Richard Green (~56) Shipowner of Blackwall was a visitor in the household of William Phillips (63) Shipowner in Church Street, Reigate.

Richard Green Esquire of Blackwall died, aged 59, on 17 Jan 1863 (1863 M Quarter in MARYLEBONE Volume 01A Page 407) at 7 Hanover Terrace, Regent's Park (which appears was the home of his half-sister, Emma and her husband, Daniel Britten). Richard Green, who never married, was also buried at Trinity Congregational Chapel, next to his father. A statue to Richard Green, shows a "seated figure of Green shown in relaxed pose with his Newfoundland dog, Hector, sitting at his feet, the dog's head resting on its master's left knee." Probate on "The Will with three Codicils of Richard Green late of Blackwall in the Parish of All Saints Poplar in the County of Middlesex and of Walmer in the County of Kent …" list his estate as under £350,000 (worth around £57,000,000 today.)

Thomas Fossey and Esther Elizabeth Evans

St George the Martyr, Southwark
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Stephen Craven - geograph.org.uk/p/1733209

Thomas Fossey (b. 1789 purportedly in Poplar, Middlesex) married Esther Elizabeth Evans (b. 20 Jan 1793), daughter of William Evans and Esther Gabbaday, at St George the Martyr, Southwark on 6 Feb 1810.

As far as I can tell, Thomas and Esther had 12 children:

1. William Fossey b. 4 Dec 1810, bap. 20 Jan 1811 at St Dunstan's, Stepney, son of Thomas Fossey and Elizabeth
2. Thomas Fossey b. 10 May 1812 (reputedly, still to see confirmation)
3. Sarah Fossey b. 26 Mar 1814, daughter of Thomas Fossey, Lighterman, and Esther Elizabeth, bap. 25 Apr 1814 at St Dunstan's, Stepney
4. Charles Henry Fossey b. 26 Feb 1816 in Poplar, son of Thomas Fossey, Lighterman and Esther, bap. 5 May 1816 at All Saints Church, Poplar
5. Edward Fossey b. 3 Feb 1818, son of Thomas Fossey, Lighterman and Esther, bap. 26 Apr 1818 at All Saints, Poplar. (Assume died in infancy).
6. George Edward Fossey b. 15 Feb 1820, son of Thomas Fossey, Lighterman and Esther, bap. 11 Jun 1820 at All Saints, Poplar
7. Edward Fossey b. 2 Dec 1821, son of Thomas Fossey, Lighterman and Esther, bap. 20 Jan 1822 at All Saints, Poplar
8. Esther Fossey b. 10 Jun 1824, daughter of Thomas Fossey, Lighterman, and Esther Elizabeth, bap. 25 Jul 1824 at All Saints, Poplar
9. Anna Eliza Fossey, daughter of Thomas Fossey, Lighterman, and Esther Elizabeth, bap. 11 Feb 1827 at All Saints, Poplar
10. Walter Fossey b. 27 Sep 1828, son of Thomas Fossey, Lighterman and Esther, bap. 2 Nov 1828 at All Saints, Poplar
11. John Henry Fossey b. 23 Jan 1831 (reputedly, still to see confirmation)
12. Julia Fossey b. 2 Apr 1833, daughter of Thomas Fossey, Timber Merchant, and Esther Elizabeth, bap. 22 May 1833 at All Saints, Poplar

Records of Thames Watermen & Lightermen confirm that on 2 Feb 1804, Thomas Fossey, had been bound as an apprentice to William Fossey.

On 18 Sep 1816, The Proceedings of the Old Bailey inform us that a JOHN WILLIAMS was indicted for stealing, on the 10th of June, a pepper-box, value 10s. the property of Thomas Fossey. ESTHER FOSSEY: "I lost a pepper-box in the latter end of May last, out of our house; it had been in the parlour at the back of the shop. The prisoner had come for a hat, and had been asked into the parlour. After he was gone, it was missed." JOHN MACHIN: "I am a silversmith and jeweller. The prisoner brought this to me for sale; it was very much bruized (sic), and I gave him ten shillings for it." John Williams was found guilty, fined 1 shilling and discharged. From this, we can deduce that Esther Fossey kept a shop that sold hats and that they were doing well enough to own a pepper box that was still worth 10 bob, even battered.

The Binding Records of the Thames Watermen & Lightermen show that on 6 Apr 1820, Charles James Evans - Esther's brother, who would then have been the right age of 15 - was bound as an apprentice to Thomas Fossey.

Thomas Fossey (38) was on a List Of Free Watermen in Apr 1827.

In 1841, Thomas Fossey (~50) Timber Merchant, was living in Ferry Road, All Saints Poplar, with Esther Fossey (45), George Fossey (20), Edmund Fossey (15), Walter Fossey (12), Esther Fossey (15), Anna Fossey (14), John Mills (20) Clerk; Frederick Daycot (15) Apprentice and Elizabeth Weathursh (15) F.S. [Female Servant]. (Sarah and Charles having already left home.) Julia Fossey (7) was in the household of John and Eliza Jane Tolley in Lamb Street, Whitechapel (Eliza Jane was her aunt; her mother's youngest sister.)

The Morning Post of 25 Dec 1844, reported, under POLICE INTELLIGENCE, THAMES OFFICE- Yesterday Thomas Smith, a shipwright and barge builder, of Spratley's Row, Millwall, Poplar, who is in affluent circumstances, and has long maintained the reputation of being a respectable tradesman, was brought before Mr Broderip for final examination, charged with stealing a quantity of deals from the premises of two of his neighbours, Mr Thomas Fossey, timber merchant, and Mr Thomas Snook, shipbuilder, both of Millwall.

Mr Pelham attended for the prisoner.

It appeared in evidence that the premises of the prisoner are about a hundred yards from Mr Fossey's. About the 7th instant Mr Fossey missed several deals from his wharf, and two days afterwards he missed three fifteen feet deals. On Saturday, the 14th instant, two deals, having the same marks as those he missed, a spruce batten and a pine plank were brought to Mr Fossey's yard to be cut up for a person named Philpot, who is a pattern maker, for castings, and lives at No. 7 Regent Street, Limehouse. On Mr Fossey identifying his own wood which had been returned to him in such a singular manner, he made inquiries of Philpot, who brought four deals of the prisoner on 3d (sic) of December, for 12s., and was to give him 12s more for a second lot, which he had not yet paid him. Mr Fossey waited on the prisoner, and on asking him to account for his possession of the property, he said he bought them of a man named Tom Kent, who said he had picked them up. Mr Fossey accompanied the prisoner to several houses in Narrow Street, Ratcliff, where Smith alleged Tom Kent was in the habit of coming, but they could hear of no such person. This account did not tally with the one he gave to Mr Philpot when he sold the deals, and to whom he stated that a bargeman had been repairing his barge, and they were surplus deals, and at the same time he exhibited two more of the second lot in his boat shed in his premises. The prisoner had previously offered deals of a similar description for sale to various other persons. On being taken into custody on Monday the 16th instant, by Mr Evans, a Thames police inspector, he said the man of whom he bought the deals was a lighterman, about his own size and appearance, that he had known him for two or three years, and that he worked for Mr Gabriel, in the Regent's Canal. On the previous day, in a conversation with Webb, another inspector of Thames police, whom he called upon, he said he was in trouble about some deals which turned out to be stolen, and that he was in the Torrington Arms, Millwall, on the previous Thursday when a man came in and asked for Mr Smith, and said he had some deals for sale, and that he bought them for twelve shillings, and sold them for the same price. The prisoner said nothing about the other four deals sold to Mr Philpot until Tuesday morning, when he made some vague excuse. A man named Pink, in the employ of Mr Snook, the ship builder, said he missed four deals from a pile on his master's premises, and they were numbered on the ends. He afterwards saw two of them, 7 and 8, in the possession of the Thames police, who received them from Mr Fossey. The prisoner had been frequently on his master's premises.

Mr Thomas Ward, examined for the first time yesterday, said he had been fourteen years in the employ of Mr Gabriel, and that no person named Tom Kent was in his service during that time.

Mr Snook identified his property, and said he was very sorry to see the prisoner in such a position. Mr Smith had served his apprenticeship to his (Mr Snook's) father, and was afterwards employed by him for many years. He never heard anything against the prisoner's character before.

Mr Pelham contended that the second case was a very slight one indeed and not sufficient to send the prisoner for trial.

Mr Broderip said both cases must go to the sessions.

Mr Pelham said the two cases were made up principally of informers, and really they were not, prima facia, very strong to send before a Jury. He hoped, at all events, bail would be taken for the prisoner.

Mr Broderip was reluctant to say anything prejudicial to a prisoner, but he could not help saying the facts were very strong. He declined taking bail, and committed the prisoner for trial.

In 1851, Thomas Fossey (62) Retired Timber Merchant was living at 6, Burch Road, Northfleet, North Aylesford, Kent with Esther Fossey (59), Julia Fossey (18) and Mary Moon (27) General Servant from Cliffe, Kent.

Esther Fossey died, at 65, in 1858 J Quarter in NORTH AYLESFORD Volume 02A Page 187). Esther Elizabeth Fossey (née Evans) of Burch Road, Rosherville, was buried on 21 May 1858 at Gravesend Cemetery from St George's Church, Gravesend. (It appears that the grave stone suggests a date of death of 27 May 1858, but the burial date, in the correct sequence, on the original record clearly quotes the burial date being six days previously.)

In 1861, Thomas Fossey (71) Retired Timber Merchant, Widower was still living at 6, Burch Road, North Aylesford, Kent attended by Martha Hems (58) Widow, and Emily Taylor (18) both House servants.

Thomas Fossey died. at 73, on 6 Dec 1862 (1862 D Quarter in NORTH AYLESFORD Volume 02A Page 200) and was buried, on 12 Dec 1862, at Gravesend Municipal Cemetery, with his late wife.

Burch Road, Rosherville
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Chris Whippet - geograph.org.uk/p/3677977
The house 2nd from the left hand/far end is currently number 6.

Philip Perry and Elizabeth Flemming

Photo © John Salmon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

St Mary, Church Road, Little Ilford - Chancel

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Mr Philip Perry (b. ~1678) married Elizabeth Flemming (purportedly b. ~1685) at St Mary the Virgin, Little Ilford, Essex, on 6 Feb 1706. This couple were paternal grandparents of the 'famous' John Perry, Shipbuilder credited as the founder of the Blackwall Yard, which built ships largely for the East India Company. (Philip and Elizabeth Perry were also the grandparents of John Perry's first wife, Elizabeth Brown, as John married his first cousin.) It was Philip Perry who began the family's connection with Blackwall Yard.

Philip and Elizabeth Perry had eight children:

1. Thomas Perry b. 7 Dec 1708, bap. 14 Dec 1708
2. Philip Perry b. 3 Oct 1710, bap. 22 Oct 1710
3. John Perry b. 13 Dec 1712, bap. 1 Jan 1713 (Gregorian)
4. Elizabeth Perry b. 27 Feb 1714, bap. 27 Mar 1715
5. Susanna Perry b. 1 Mar 1715, bap. 27 Mar 1715
6. Fleming Perry b. 4 Jan 1717, bap. 12 Jan 1717. Fleming, son of Mr Philip Perry, buried 21 Oct 1720 at St Margaret's, Barking
7. Sarah Perry b. 27 May 1719, bap. 14 Jun 1719. Sarah, daughter of Mr Philip Perry, buried 26 May 1720 at St Margaret's, Barking
8. Sarah Perry bap. 12 Mar 1720 (Julian) 1721 (Gregorian). Sadly, the church official had stopped putting in the actual birth dates.

All of the baptisms took place at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich. Elizabeth and Susanna, baptised together in 1715 (Gregorian), were presumably born in different years, but the record doesn't show which. Elizabeth is listed first on the baptism, as well as later in her father's Will, so I'm assuming she was the older of the two. St Margaret's Church, Barking a.k.a. the Church of St Margaret of Antioch is where Captain Jonathan Collett, to whom Philip Perry left a bequest, was baptised and later buried. Susanna Perry would seem to have been named after Collett's wife, Susanna Hill (whom he had married at Saint Helen Bishopsgate, City of London on 6 Jul 1706).

The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard (PDF) by Henry Green and Robert Wigram (published 1881), claim that in 1708: "About this time the manager of Sir Henry Johnson's Yard was a certain Philip Perry, whose history and introduction to Blackwall has been given as follows. In or about the year 1690, Philip Perry was a carpenter on board of one of His Majesty's ships. During a severe storm the vessel was in much danger of foundering from a bad leak, but in consequence of Philip Perry's skill and ingenuity the ship was saved and brought safely back to port. The Commissioners of the Admiralty, to mark their appreciation of his service, gave him an important post at Plymouth Dockyard, whence he was transferred to Deptford, where he greatly increased his reputation. This position he is said to have relinquished to superintend Sir Henry Johnson's business at Blackwall."

Ship's carpenters went on voyages to make running repairs, so I suspect there may be some truth in the story, but it bears all the hallmarks of family making it sound more dramatic than reality. If we were to be really pedantic, the reigning monarchs in 1690 were William III and Mary II, who ascended the throne after the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, so a reference in 1690 should have been to one of 'Their Majesties' Ships'. It seems more likely this event was after the death of Mary II in 1694, and before the accession of Queen Anne in 1702. Besides, if Philip Perry was born in 1678, then he'll have been around 12 in 1690, which is plenty old enough to be at sea, but a later date would be more reasonable given the skill and ingenuity they suggest. Of course this could all just be a completely romanticised family myth. 

Green & Wigram's chronology is pretty sketchy with regard to this period, but the earliest reports confirm that Perry's career began in Plymouth and this, I feel, helps make a case for him originally being from that area. Both British History Online and Three Decks think he was born in 1678 (the latter will have got the information from the former). If so, there's a potential baptism of Philip Perry, son of John Perry (and reputedly grandson of Philip Perry) in 1679, in Maker, Cornwall (just across the Tamar from Plymouth), which several people have accepted and I agree that, circumstantially, this looks incredibly reasonable, but may be unlikely to be absolutely proven.

"Perry, a working shipwright, was employed in the Naval Yard at Plymouth during the first years of the eighteenth century.", according to British History Online. He was then posted to Kinsale in 1702, where he was appointed Master Shipwright and there are references to substantiate him being in Kinsale from Mar 1702 until Jun 1705. He'd been sent to Ireland with other shipwrights for the purpose of 'their taking shipping there' at the beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession. Records listed at The National Archives (not downloadable) also confirm these postings: on 18 Mar 1702 "Plymouth Officers on behalf of Philip Perry, Shipwright. A testimonial of the good service of Phillip Perry." Then on 25 Sep 1702 "Philip Perry, Shipwright, Kindsale, Petitioner. He asks to be registered at Kinsale as a skilled man and to receive a higher level of pay." And "Kinsale Officers for Philip Perry, Shipwright, provide a Testimonial on behalf of Phillip Perry, Shipwright."

Then on 6 Aug 1705, "Philip Perry, Sheerness. Regarding his service in Kinsale where he acted as Foreman and assisted in repairs to masts and boats. Requests an allowance to take into consideration his 13 years service, including two spells in Kinsale." And on 17 Aug 1705 "Philip Perry, Sheerness. Further request for acting foreman pay for his time at Kinsale."

The other question that arises is, where and when did he meet Elizabeth? He'd only been in the London area for eight months when they married, but could he have known her longer? Could she have been from Plymouth? It seems that I'm not the first person to suggest this, but no evidence was offered.

A view of the Thames and Woolwich Dockyard in 1698, prepared for King William III.
The church of St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich is on the mound to the left.

The church where all of their children were baptised, St Mary Magdalene Woolwich, is right next to Woolwich Dockyard, also known as The King's Yard, Woolwich, "where many ships were built from the early 16th century". It's some distance (~4 miles) from Deptford Dockyard, the nearest church to which is St. Nicholas, on Deptford Green, so surely attending the church in Woolwich suggested Philip Perry was employed at Woolwich? And indeed, confirmation is in a record listed at The National Archives (not digitised so not downloadable), dated 1708, "Folio 396: Philip Perry. Petition for employment as Boatbuilder at Deptford Yard. Places mentioned: Kinsale, Woolwich. People mentioned: Mr. Stacey, Mr. Philips, Commissioner Wright."

Mr. Stacey was Richard Stacey, English shipbuilder and ship designer. In 1695, Stacey was Master Boat Builder at Plymouth Dockyard; "In 1698 he transferred briefly to Kinsale (until Apr 1705). He then worked for a few months at Sheerness Dockyard in 1705 before being appointed Master Shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard in November 1705." From 1709 until 1715, Richard Stacey was Master Shipwright at Portsmouth Dockyard and this is the only time Perry doesn't go with him. Then in 1715, Stacy was Appointed Master Shipwright at Deptford Dockyard. Stacey, being around 15 years older than Perry could have been his master (with whom Perry served his apprenticeship), or Perry was a highly trusted employee, but they must have known each other, because Perry generally went wherever Stacey went. Did Philip Perry work at Deptford perhaps with Stacey after 1715?

The Master Shipwrights House at Deptford, "... was rebuilt in 1708 for master shipwright Joseph Allin who, dissatisfied with his existing house, persuaded the Navy Board to invest in a remodelling. However, Allin overspent on the house and, amidst rumours of corruption, he was dismissed in 1715." [Source]. That's when Richard Stacey was appointed Master Shipwright at Deptford Dockyard, a position he held until 1742, so he will have lived and worked in this magnificent house for 27 years. British History Online, also tells us that, "In the mid-1730s, when it was rumoured that Philip Perry was about to desert Blackwall for Deptford, he was described as 'the Great Builder'." You can quite imagine this rumour being taken seriously. Philip Perry must have visited there during that time and may have worked there too. And Philip Perry's son-in-law, Philip Gilbert, certainly must have done so, as he was briefly Assistant Master Shipwright at Deptford Dockyard in 1740.

Inside The Master Shipwright’s House

"During the 1720s he [Perry] worked as manager for John Kirby and was later employed in a similar capacity by Collett and Boulton." (As an aside, but nevertheless important to note, Philip Perry's granddaughter, Elizabeth Perry and her husband (my cousin) Elnathan Ayres, gave the middle name Boulton to two of their children.) The baptisms in Woolwich suggest the Perrys were still there until around 1720/1, which confirms the statement, "there is no evidence of his being at Blackwall before 1722". By 1722 Perry was living in Blackwall Yard, where he occupied the mansion house 'and garden adjacent with the garden and terrace walk on the east side of the same'. This mansion house was probably the new house erected, between 1677 and 1679, when Johnson (Sir Henry Johnson) paid two builders, John Rogers and Thomas Marchant, for 'the Alterations of the new house and Repairing the ould'. When the new house was built, Richard Gibbs was paid £26 4s 10d for 'painters work' of a highly decorative nature about the property. One room was painted 'olive wood and tortell shell' (sic) and murals depicted battles and ships built at the yard. The new house was probably the detached house to the east of the wet dock which can be seen in Francis Holman's mid-eighteenth-century painting of the yard (below) and which survived into the 1840s. [Source]

Francis Holman (1729-1784) - Blackwall Yard from the Thames

In the parish registers of St Dunstan's, Stepney is the record of the burial of Elizabeth Perry on 21 Apr 1734. I'm certain this is Mrs Philip Perry, because it says "Elizabeth Perry of B'Wall to Poplar", indicating that she was buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church) built by the East India Company in 1654, where her husband, sons and grandson were also later buried.

In his Will, drafted on 20 Jun 1741, "Philip Perry the Elder of Blackwall in the Parish of Stepney in the County of Middlesex Shipwright" ... directed, "My body I commit to this earth to be decently buried by walking burial in as frugal a manner as conveniently may be at the discretion and management of my sons Philip Perry and John Perry and my Son-in-Law John Brown (whom I herein make Executors ...)" A walking burial, I assume, is his coffin taken in procession on foot, without hiring expensive carriages. Philip left £120 to Abraham Cropp Esq., "by borrowing securities to him for my late son Thomas Perry deceased". (Thus Thomas must have died before 1741, but I've not found when or where). He made bequests to his said son Philip Perry the Younger; his son John Perry; Son-in-Law John Brown; Captain Jonathan Collett; Captain Richard Gosfreight (Collett and Gosfreight were the principal ship's husbands for whom he'd built many ships); his sister Sarah Price, Widow; Philip Littlepage* (grandson of my said sister Sarah Price ten pounds to put him out apprentice); George Case the Clerk of Blackwall Yard; and his three daughters Elizabeth Brown, Susanna Perry & Sarah Perry. Philip Perry makes no mention of his wife in his Will, suggesting she pre-deceased him, adding circumstantial confirmation to the above. There are various stipulations as to how his estate should be divided among his children, depending upon what the total amounted to and it's obvious he was pretty well off.

*(Philip Littlepage bap. 3 Jul 1734, was the son of Sam Littlepage of Poplar, Gent, and Sarah Price, who married on 7 Feb 1728 at St John At Hackney, but I've been unable to find a marriage of a Sarah Perry to anyone named Price.)

The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard (PDF) claims that John Perry and his brother, Philip Perry, became Yard Managers at Blackwall when their father, "Philip Perry, died on the 26 Sep 1732, at the age of sixty-one years, and was buried near the first Sir Henry Johnson, in the ground adjoining the East India Company's, or Poplar, Chapel, as it was now called. After his death the business was carried on by his son, who, as we learn from local records, had become by this time a person of considerable influence in the neighbourhood." Philip Perry died in 1742, not 1732 (although I suspect he retired in 1732, as John Perry was managing the yard from then), and this is probably just a 'typo', but it's also not the first time details in Wigram & Green's account just don't add up and, at best, have probably been wrongly remembered.

Philip Perry died on 26 Sep 1742 and was buried on 2 Oct 1742. The parish records of St Dunstans, Stepney lists, "Philip Perry of Blackwall at Poplar", indicating he too was buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church).