John Perkins of Boston and PERKINS Ipswich, who figures as one of the notable characters in early colonial history in New England, was born probably in Newent, Gloucestershire, England, in 1590, and came to America in the "Lion" in 1630, with his wife and five children and landed at Boston, February 6, 1631. It was a notable colony that William Pierce, master, brought over in his ship, few in numbers but strong men in character, among them those who were to play an important part in the history of the region which it was their purpose to settle. Roger Williams himself was a passenger in the ship with our ancestor.

John Perkins remained in Boston about two years, was made freeman there in 1631, and in 1633 settled permanently in Ipswich, where he had lands granted him on various occasions, and where he fulfilled several important offices, chiefest among which was that of deputy to the general court in 1636. He died in 1654, leaving an estate which amounted to two hundred and fifty pounds. His wife's name was Judith and of their six children five were born in England and one in Boston : John, Thomas, Elizabeth, Mary, Jacob and Lydia.

(II) Quartermaster John Perkins, son of John and Judith Perkins, born England, 1614, died Ipswich, Massachusetts, December 14, 1686. It was he whom a band of Indians sought to kill while he was living "in a little hut on his father's island," but was forewarned of his danger by Robin, a friendly Indian. He opened the first publishing house in Ipswich, also engaged early in the fisheries, and by reason of his connection with the trainband gained the title of Quartermaster Perkins, by which he ever after was addressed. He married Elizabeth , who died 1684, having

borne him nine children : John, Abraham, Jacob, Luke, Isaac, Nathaniel, Samuel, Thomas and Sarah.

(III) Corporal Jacob Perkins, son of Quartermaster John and Elizabeth Perkins, born Ipswich, 1646, died there in 1719, having lived most of his life near Perkins' island, where he had a farm and was a malster as well as husbandman. He married (first), 1667, Sarah Wainwright, who died February 3, 1688; he married (second), 1688 or. 1689, Sarah Kinsman, born 1659. He had eight by his first and seven by his second wife, all born

in Ipswich : John, Phillis, Francis, Westy (died young), Sarah, Mehitable, Mary, Elizabeth, Jacob, Eunice, John, Robert, Westy, Joseph and Jeremiah.

(IV) John Perkins, son of Corporal Jacob and Sarah (Kinsman) Perkins, born at Sagamore Hill, Ipswich, October 17, 1693, married, in June, 1718, Elizabeth, daughter of Zerub- babel and Grace (Symonds) Endicott, of Box- ford. John Perkins was a husbandman and inherited part of his land from his father. He had ten children: Sarah, Elizabeth, John, Eunice (died young), Robert, Hannah, Zerub- babel, Anna, Mary and Eunice.

(V) Captain Robert Perkins, son of John and Elizabeth (Endicott) Perkins, baptized Ipswich, 1728, died May, 1797. He was a farmer and from the fact that he is frequently mentioned as Captain Perkins it is probable that he followed the sea, fishing or trading, and he may have gained his title as did others of his family a generation or two later, by the fame they achieved in piloting vessels in and out of the harbor at Salem. Captain Perkins never accumulated any property for his children and is said to have died insolvent ; hence his children became scattered and some of them went down to live in Maine. His first wife was Elizabeth (Brown) Perkins, daughter of James Brown, a merchant of Ipswich. They married July 9, 1753, and she died in 1763. The baptismal name of his second wife was Sarah. He had seven children, all by his first wife: John (died young), Elizabeth, James, Sarah, Joseph, John and Robert.

(VI) James Perkins, son of Captain Robert and Elizabeth (Brown) Perkins, was born in Ipswich about 1756-57, and removed to Maine, settling at Damariscotta.

(VII) Captain Joseph Perkins, who is believed to have been a son of James and grandson of Captain Robert Perkins, was born about 1785, probably in Maine, and first appears as a conspicuous figure in Salem history in the capacity of pilot in Salem harbor, having been appointed to that office October 7, 1813. It was he who brought in the American frigate "Constitution" when that gallant ship escaped the British fleet in April, 1814. and under Captain Perkins' direction reached safe anchorage in Salem harbor. At that time Captain Perkins was less than thirty years old and he continued his work for many years in conjunction with his son Joseph, while the latter in turn was succeeded by his own son, also Captain Joseph. The wife of the elder Captain Perkins was Elizabeth (Hunt) Perkins, daughter of Thpmas and Susanna (Palfrey) Hunt, by whom he had four children: Joseph, born probably in Salem, March 27, 1810. Nathaniel Brown, born September 21, 1813. William, born January 27, 1823, a pattern maker. Caroline, who married

Osgood.

(VIII) Captain Joseph Perkins, eldest son of Captain Joseph and Elizabeth (Hunt) Perkins, was born probably in Salem, March 27, 2810, and died there November 20, 1883. He vas licensed pilot April 27, 1827, and continued in active duty until physical infirmities compelled him to give up his office. He was perhaps the most active of the three famous Salem pilots who had the same name, his father, himself, and his own son, and notwithstanding the fact that he weighed nearly four hundred pounds he was remarkably agile and rarely "missed connection" when he saw that his service was needed. And none of the three ever were idle for want of employment, for they all had the confidence and friendship of the Salem merchants and vessel owners, masters felt secure if their ships were in charge of Captain Perkins, whichever of the three it might be. Their services as pilots covered a period of more than three quarters of a century. Captain Perkins, second, married Maria Burnham.

(VIII) Nathaniel Brown Perkins, son of C'aptain Joseph and Elizabeth (Hunt) Perkins, born Salem, September 21, 1813, died in that city February 8, 1885. From early manhood he had been in one capacity or another identified with the banking interest of Salem, having entered the old Exchange Bank when hardly more than a boy, and continued there first as clerk and after as bookkeeper for several years. From that position he went to the Merchants Bank, then a corporation organized under the state laws, and filled the responsible office of cashier of that institution and its successor, the Merchants National Bank of Salem, from about 1848 until July, 1883, when he resigned, after a faithful performance of duty through a period of thirty- r1ve years. In speaking of his qualities as a man of business one of Mr. Perkins's biographers says that he "was endowed with superior mental gifts for an accountant, and was a most methodical bookkeeper, possessing an admirable system, and was a highly valued "fficer.' His exactness and method won for him the distinguished consideration of bankers abroad. In making his returns to the comptroller of the currency at Washington, he fre

quently made valuable suggestions to that officer, and some of which were carried out by the department. He was a man of the strictest integrity and of unblemished character, who was revered and looked up to as their adviser by many young men who received their early banking training at his hands, and all of his young pupils profited by his instructions. Mr. Perkins was the first agent in Salem for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, and for many years held profitable connection with that company. He was a member of the board of trustees of the Salem Savings Bank, for several years a member of the school committee and for four years a member of the common council. In 182rj he became a member of the Salem Light Infantry and was a member of the Veterans Corps at the time of his death. He was a man of strong convictions, outspoken in the expressions of his opinions and withal was genial in companionship, generous in his impulses, and possessed a high moral character. In politics he was originally a Whig, afterward a firm Republican and always was consistent in his party affillations.

Mr. Perkins married Susan E. Breed, who died December 12, 1891, daughter of Holton Johnson and Nancy (Symonds) Breed (see Breed family) and by whom he had nine children: 1. Anna Frothingham, born Salem, June 10, 1840. 2. George Holton, born Salem, August 16, 1842, married Rebecca Moses Floyd and had five children : Cornelia, now d^ad ; Holton Breed, Charlotte, G. Hawthorne and Palfrey. 3. Susan Breed, married William H. Symonds, of Salem, and had Frederick P. and Nathaniel P. Symonds. 4. Horace S., married (first) Charlotte Coffin; (second) Elizabeth P. Kenney, and had Leila B., Beatrice and Dorothea. 5. Charles Willard, now dead, married Sarah E. Fellows, and had Israel F. and Harker S. 6. Walter Palfrey, died young. 7. Alice Delf. 8. Grace Hawthorne, married E. Victor Emilio, and had S. Gilbert and Marguerite Emilio. 9. Edith Allen, married Walter C. Hagar.