James K. Perrin and Town Creek
I have already discussed Thomas Perrin, his putative wife Sally, and examined the fate of eight of his children. A ninth, Eliza, exists only in the anonymous family record presented earlier; her death was given as 1837.
There is not a lot of information regarding Thomas after 1830. Outside of the deeds and wills discussed below, I have only one record: Allegany County designated Thomas as the supervisor of county road no. 10, "From John Crabtrees to the District line between 7 & 9" in 1837 and 1838 Allegany County Board of County Commissioners Minutes v. 1 (1813 - 1839), 393, 426. viewed at http://gov.allconet.org/bcc/historic_collection.htm. Now it is time to discuss the other two sons, James K. and Upton Perrin.
Town Creek by 1840

Excerpt of 1840 census record from Town Creek
The 1840 census record shows the two Perrin sons living next door to each other. James K. in this record is between 30 and 40 years of age. His birth date was actually March 25, 1809, as posted in the anonymous genealogy for Thomas Perrin's family, as well as inscribed on his grave stone in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. In 1835 he married Ann Letitia Athey, born March 6, 1813 Lawrence F. Athey, Captain George Athy (of Galway and Maryland) and his descendants: a guide to the first six generations of the Athy, Athey, Atha, Athon family in America, 3rd edition (Houston, TX: privately published by Lawrence F Athey); Margaret D. Cupler, Allegany County, Maryland records : Allegany County Court House, Cumberland, Maryland : marriage licenses (Cumberland, MD: Cresap Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1971-74). There were two children in the household by 1840. But others are living there. The man in his seventies would be Thomas Perrin, who the anonymous record states lived until 1847; his wife had apparently died by this time. The second woman in her twenties in this household will prove to be Ann's sister, Susan F. (Foster) Athey, born April 13, 1815.
Next door was Upton Perrin, born in 1814 and married on September 20, 1837 to Nancy Newman Margaret D. Cupler, Allegany County, Maryland records : Allegany County Court House, Cumberland, Maryland : marriage licenses (Cumberland, MD: Cresap Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1971-74). He had one son and one daughter at this point. Immediately above Upton was Mark Stuart, husband of Thomas' daughter Deborah, with their ten children.
Missing from this census are a number of the original settlers of the valley. William McLaughlin had died in 1834 Allegany County, Maryland Wills A: 242, accessed at familysearch.org and his wife Laney some time after that, leaving his son Berriman living with seven of his siblings at the McLaughlin homestead in 1840. Lewis Crabtree similarly had died in 1834 Allegany County, Maryland Wills A: 249, accessed at familysearch.org, with his wife Catherine still occupying the original house in 1840, but his sons having received various portions of his extensive properties. Finally, George French had died in 1831 Allegany County, Maryland Wills A: 232, accessed at familysearch.org, leaving his wife Jane French and his daughter Pheobe, now married to Lewis Shryock.
It is a helpful digression to look at George French's estate records Maryland, Probate Estate and Guardianship Files, 1796-1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XKJV-1L9 : accessed 14 Mar 2013), George French, 21 Dec 1831 for a number of reasons. He was an affluent man, so it is possible to see from his accounts what constituted wealth in the Maryland countryside at the time. You can look at the original images of them here. His estate inventory (conducted by Thomas Perrin and son-in-law Mark Stewart), while containing some livestock and perhaps 20 acres of wheat in the ground, is most notable for the accumulation of tools, furniture and appliances such as a candle maker and waffle iron. From a local store there are his unpaid accounts from 1831 for luxuries such as sugar, coffee, spices, even chocolate, as well as staples such as rice and muslin. The estate itself was billed by Mart Stewart 75 cents for two gallons of whiskey, presumably consumed at his funeral.
Missing from the census record shown above is the slave schedule. Two of Thomas Perrin's neighbors owned slaves in 1830. William McLaughlin owned one young male; George French, two females. In his will George freed one of his slaves, Grace. The inventory shows the second slave, named Calya, age about fifteen, valued at $250 (equivalent to six young horses) out of a total estate valued at $776.

Land owners in lower Town Creek, circa 1840
The Methodist Church in Town Creek
In 1837 there was an unusual deed involving the Perrins Allegany County, Maryland Deed Book T: 198-200:
At the request of Thomas Perrian & others this deed was recorded this 5th day of May 1837
This Indenture made this seventh day of March in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty seven Between Lewis G. Shryock and Phebe Shryock his wife and Jane French widow of George French deceased of the one part and Thomas Perrin James K. Perrin Nathan Wilson Isaiah McLaughlin and Thomas R. C. Martin all of Allegany County and State of Maryland Trustees in trust for the uses and purposes herein aftermentioned of the other part Witnesseth that the said Lewis G. Shryock and Phebe Shryock his wife and Jane French widow of George French dec'd for in consideration of the sum of one dollar specie, to them in hand paid at and upon the sealing and delivery of these presents; the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, have given granted bargained sold released confirmed and conveyed, and by these presents do give grant bargain sell release, confirm and convey unto them the said Thomas Perrin Jas. K. Perrin Nathan Wilson, Isaiah McLaughlin and Thomas R. C. Martin and their successors (Trustees in trust for the uses and purposes herein after mentioned and declared) all the estate right, title interest property, claim and demand whatsoever in law or equity which they, the said Lewis G. Shryock and Phebe Shryock his wife and Jane French widow of George French dec'd have in, to, or upon all and singular a certain lot or piece of land, situate, lying and being in the County and State aforesaid, bounded and butted as follows, to wit;
Beginning at a stone standing on the west side of the Town Creek road, and about one hundred and fifty yards North west from the dwelling house of said Lewis G. Shryock and running paralel with the said Road North twenty eight degrees West ten perches to a stone, then South eighty one degrees West eight perches to an ironwood bush marked with three notches and to the Division line between the Lands of French and Crabtree, then South twenty eight degrees east ten perches with said division line of French & Crabtree to a tree & post with four notches each and then to the beginning by a straight line containing half an acre of Land more or less the same being a part of a Tract of Land called "Crabtrees Folly" together with all and singular the houses, woods, water ways, privileges and appurtenances thereto belonging or in any wise appertaining: To have and to hold all and singular the above mentioned the above mentioned and described Lot or piece of Land situate lying and being as aforesaid together with all ad singular the Houses woods waters ways and privileges thereto belonging or in any wise appertaining unto them the said Thos. Perren James K. Perren Nathan Wilson Isaiah McLaughlin and Thos. R.C. Martin and their successors in Office forever, in trust,
that they shall erect and build, or cause to be created and built thereon a house or place of Worship, for the use of the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America according to the rules and discipline which from time to time may be agreed upon and adopted by the Ministers and preachers of the said Church at their general Conferences in the United States of America and in further trust and confidence that shall at all times forever hereafter, permit such Minister and preachers belonging to the said church as shall from time to time be duly authorised by the general Conferences of the Ministers and preachers of the said Methodist Episcopal Church, or by the yearly Conferences authorized by the said general Conference to preach and expounds Gods holy word therein;
and in further trust and confidence that as often as any one or more of the trustees herein before mentioned shall die or cease to be a member or members of the said Church, according to the rules and discipline as aforesaid then in such case it shall by the duty of the Stated Minister or preacher (authorised as aforesaid) who shall have the pastoral charge of the members of the said Church to call a meeting of the remaining trustees as soon as conveniently may be; and when so met, the Minister or preacher shall proceed to nominate one or more Persons to fill the place or places of him or them whose office or Offices has (or have) been vacated as aforesaid. Provided the person or persons so nominated shall have been one year a member or members of the said Church immediately preceding such nomination, and at least twenty one years of age and the said trustees so assembled shall proceed to elect and by a majority of votes appoint the person or persons so nominated to fill such vacancy or vancancies in order to keep up the number of five trustees forever; and in case of an equal number of Votes for and against the said nomination the stationed Minister or preacher shall have the casting vote
Provided nevertheless that if the said trustees or any of their or their sucessors be obliged to pay the said sum of money they or a majority of them shall be be authorised to raise the said sum or sums of money by a mortgage on the said premises or by selling the said premises, after notice given to the pastor or preacher who has the oversight of the congregation attending divine service on the said premises, if the money due be not paid to the said trustees or their successers within one year after such notice give. And if such sale take place, the said trustees or their sucessors after paying the debt and other expences which are due from the money arising from such sale, shall deposit the remainder of the money produced by the said sale, in the hands of the Steward or Stewards of the society belonging to or attending divine service on said premises, which surplus of the produce of such sale, so deposited in the hands of the said Steward or Stewards, shall be at the disposal of the next yearly conference authorized as aforesaid; which said yearly conference shall dispose of the said money accord-ing to the best of their Judgment for the use of the said society.
And the said Lewis G. Shryock and Phebe Shryock his wife and Jane French the Widow of George French deceased, do by these presents warrant and forever defend, all and singular the before mentioned and described Lot or piece of Land with the appurtenences thereto belonging unto them the said Thomas Perrin James K. Perrin Nathan Wilson Isaiah MLaughlin and Thomas R.C. Marten and their successors chosen and appointed as aforesaid from the claim or claims of them the said Lewis G. Shryock and Phebe Shryock his wife and Jane French the widow of the said George French deceased have hereto set their hands and seals the day and year aforesaid
Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of us
Lenox Martin Lewis G. Shryock seal John North Phebe Shryock seal Rec'd this day of the date of the above written indenture the consideration mentioned in full
Witness
Lenox Martin Lewis G. Shryock seal John North Phebe Shryock seal State of Maryland Allegany County to wit
Be it remembered That on the seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven personally appeared before us two of the Justices of the peace in and for the County of Allegany and State of Maryland the within named Lewis G. Shryock and Phebe Shryock his Wife and acknowledged this written deed of trust to be their wish and for the uses and purposes therin mentioned and declared; and the said Phebe Shryock wife of the said Lewis G. Shryock being seperate and apart from her said husband by us ex-amined declared that she made the same acknowledgement freely and with her own consent without being induced thereto through fear or threats of her said husband or fear of his displeasure, at the same time also came Jane French widow of George French deceased before us and acknow-ledged that she freely renounced all her Right of Dower of in and to the aforesaid Lot and premises contained in the written Deed of Trust in favour of the Trustees therein xxxxx mentioned In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals the day and year first above and within written _ We also certify that Lewis G. Shryock & Phebe Shryock and Jane French who signed and acknowledged this Deed are the same persons who are named in the body of the said Deed
N. Bene the dates in this deed of acknowledgement was altered from 3nd. of Dec. 1836 to the seventh of March 1837 before the execution and acknowledgment of the same
John North seal Lenox Martin seal
With this deed George French's son-in-law Lewis Shryock, his wife Phebe, and the widow Jane French sold one half acre of land to Thomas Perrin, James K. Perrin, Nathan Wilson, Isaiah McLaughlin, and Thomas R. C. Martin for one dollar, for the expressed purpose "that they shall erect and build, or cause to be created and built thereon a house or place of Worship, for the use of the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America." Furthermore it gives a good enough description of the property to allow some guesses as to its location:
Begining at a stone standing on the west side of the Town Creek road, and about one hundred and fifty yards North west from the dwelling house of said Lewis G. Shryock and running paralel with the said Road North twenty eight degrees West ten perches...
The survey suggests that some of the boundary was coincident with the boundary between the French and Crabtree land. The Crabtree family at that point owned the third portion of Crabtree Folly as well as a second tract, Lewis and Phebe west of Town Creek valley. It is possible to align the tract described above with the border between the French land and Lewis and Phebe. The map below shows a possible location; it could just as well be anywhere along that land boundary, but satelite images suggest this as the most likely spot.
Similar deeds were drawn up elsewhere in the county, typically using the same boilerplate language regarding ownership and its transfer within the trustees of the church. The driving force for this movement was probably Lenox Martin, discussed previously. Lenox had even hosted Francis Asbury when he came through Old Town in 1808. At this time he was a Justice of the Peace, and his son R. C. Martin was one of the church trustees.
Membership lists are available for both 1838, and February, 1840 for the Methodist Church in Allegany County. The first list is best looked at in the original transcription First Methodist Episcopal Church Collection, MSA SC 3885. A copy resides at the Allegany College of Maryland, Cumberland, Maryland, because I believe, through some misunderstanding, its rendition on some internet sites is incorrect. The original page 13 of this document looks like this:
Register of Member Names 1838 (Alleghany Circuit) Flintstone Benjamin Wigfield Rebecca do 260 Elizabeth Mose Darkey Willison Amy do Nelly Welfish Nancy Lahmen Moses do Adam Switzer Wm. Tipton removed to West Mary Tipton do do do Mary King 270 David House Priscilla Switzer Crabtrees Thomas Perrin James Perrin Leony McLaughlin Phebe Shryoch Catherine Crabtree Elizabeth McLaughlin Mary McLaughlin Leony McLaughlin 280 Rosana McLaughlin Deborah McLaughlin Isaiah do Elizabeth Dean Benjamin McLaughlin Nancy Hoover George McLaughlin Lewis Shryock
The word "do" stands for ditto. On the left hand side of the page are numbers which are a running total of the number of members. The way I read this page is that there are two separate congregations, one in Flintstone, the other known as the "Crabtrees".
James K. Perrin was called a class leader in the 1838 lists. In 1840 this congregation was relabeled "Town Creek" and now included two of the Stewart children, three Bucys, four Twiggs, as well as Ann Lititia Perrin and Sarah F. Athey First Methodist Episcopal Church Collection, MSA SC 3885. A copy resides at the Allegany College of Maryland, Cumberland, Maryland. The remaining Atheys were associated with a different congregation on Green Ridge.
Later land documents show this church named Paradise, and to be in election district #3 as of 1939 Allegany County, Maryland Deed Book 184: 610, 1939, which would place it south of Bear Hollow. The church may have been also used as a school house, for the County lists of school houses included, starting in 1837, "Shryocks Meeting House" Allegany County Board of County Commissioners Minutes v. 1 (1813-1839), 401; viewed at http://gov.allconet.org/bcc/historic_collection.htm. The supervisor for this school was Jas. K. Perrin, starting in 1837 and continuing through 1840 Allegany County Board of County Commissioners Minutes v. 2 (1839-1860), 26; viewed at http://gov.allconet.org/bcc/historic_collection.htm.
The Fate of Upton
Following the formation of the Methodist Church, Thomas sold the Crabtree Folly land to James K. and Upton in June, 1839 Allegany County, Maryland Deed Book W: 606. James K. patented Pine Orchard, Wheat Hill, Buck's Lodge and Plenty of Timber, properties which had been previously surveyed for Thomas Perrin but never officially patented, in 1840 Pine Orchard, MSA S1188-2115: Patent recorded GGB 4: 495; Patent Certificate: 2053 (Allegany County), February 20, 1840. Wheat Hill, MSA S1188-3030; Patent recorded GGB 4: 508; Patent Certificate: 2952 (Allegany County), February 20, 1840. Bucks Lodge, MSA S1188-392; Patent recorded GGB 4: 510; Patent Certificate: 367 (Allegany County), February 21, 1840. Plenty Of Timber, MSA S1188-2152; Patent recorded GGB 4: 518; Patent Certificate: 2090 (Allegany County), February 27, 1840. The locations and surveys for these properties were discussed above. What occurred next in the land records I do not entirely understand. In 1843 it is recorded that Upton sold his share of Crabtree Folly back to Thomas Allegany County, Maryland Deed Book DD: 435. Following that entry is the sale of Upton's other possessions Allegany County, Maryland Deed Book DD: 436, namely
one Bonsharn [either Ransome or Plowshare] plow, two Cows and Calves, two bed Bedsteads and Bedding - have a dozen Chairs One Cupboard - one Stand one two plate Stove one Short plow: two Seats horse gear, two riding Saddles and ten acres of Corn in the ground
to Ralph Newman, who was his father-in-law. Then Upton sold his share of the land again to James K. on May 20, 1847 Allegany County, Maryland Deed Book 3: 475. As this coincides with the previously reported time of Thomas Perrin's death in March of that year, I assume that Upton had just inherited his share of the land back, and was selling it again. To me all of this implies that Upton was unable to work, possibly due to injury or sickness, for a number of years. His date of death in the anonymous Thomas Perrin genealogy was 1849.
Ralph Newman was in the 1850 census in Springfield Township, Hampshire County, (West) Virginia, age 62, occupation toll keeper, with two children named Hannah and Ralph, ages twelve and seven respectively. This is rather odd, since he and his wife had no children in the 1840 census. Ralph's will of 1855 has been abstracted Clara McCormack and Laura Sage Jones, Early Records Hampshire County Virginia (Now West Virginia) ( Delavan, WI: 1939; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1976), 127, and it referred to "Hannah, Charle Wesley, and Ralph Perrin, children of Upton Perrin and grandchildren of Sally, Ralph's wife". There is no clear reference in any of this to Upton's wife Nancy. In the 1860 census these three children can be found under their original names. Hannah and Ralph Parrin were living with Sarah (Sally) Newman in Springfield Township. Meanwhile, Charles was probably the "Westley Parrin" found in the Western District of the same county.
Both Charles Wesley and Ralph were in Company A of the 33rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry in the Civil War on the Confederate side NARA records M324 (Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soliers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia). They enlisted on June 6, 1861, and both of them spent at least a month in the hospital at Charlottesville later that year. For Ralph the diagnosis was measles. These records clearly state that Rolph G. Perrin was killed in the second battle of Manassas (Bull Run), Virginia in August 26, 1862. Charles W. was hospitalized a second time on April 26, 1862 at the C. S. A. General Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia. There was no record of his discharge, and others have stated that he died there Humphrey Maxwell, History of Hampshire County, West Virginia : from its earliest settlement to the present (Parsons, WV: McClain Print. Co., 1972), 635. For the sake of controversy I will point out an entry in the 1870 census, Lebanon Township, Meigs County, Ohio that lists Charles W. Perrine, age 29, and Maria Perrine, age 49, born in West Virginia and Virginia, respectively. These ages certainly fit well for Charles and his mother; I at this point have decided that Nancy is a nickname for almost any female in the nineteenth century, and I am not uncomfortable with the name Maria for this woman. I do not know how Hannah turned out.
The Fate of James K.
The next ten years are a virtual data desert regarding James' family. James K. Perrin was listed in the Allegany circuit, in 1852, as attending an unidentified Methodist Church Lists compiled by Hazel Groves Hansrote, from Methodist Church Books, 1965. This reference I saw at the Allegany Genealogical Society in Cumberland, Maryland. Included in the Allegany Circuit is the church called Paradise. In 1852 he and Ann L. Perrin sold all of the Perrin land to Amos McKelfish for $1400Allegany County, Maryland Deed Book 8: 200. Amos was a speculator in land Cumberland Evening Times, December 24, 1907, 5 and probaby did not reside there, for in 1853 he sold the land to Jasper Huff for $1900 Alleg. Co. Deeds 10: 240.
In 1856 Ann and James K. sold, to George Athey, Ann's share of her inheritance from their father John Athey Allegany County, Maryland Deed Book 14: 419. I have no census data for this Perrin family whatsoever in 1850. There are no further pieces of information about this family in Maryland after 1856, aside from a later inscription indicating that Ann died in 1859, and that she is said to be buried in Flintstone Lawrence F. Athey, Captain George Athy (of Galway and Maryland) and his descendants: a guide to the first six generations of the Athy, Athey, Atha, Athon family in America, third edition (Houston, TX: privately published by Lawrence F Athey). This source states Ann died in Allegany County, but gives no further information. The Perrin monument in the Bridgeport, Pennsylvania cemetery also states she was buried in Flintstone, Maryland.. Ann's burial could be in the Huff Cemetery located in Pine Orchard above Town Creek. Aside from four stones dating from 1880 - 1920 there are a number of field stones there which appear to mark graves that are much older. A few photographs of some of them are here.




Photographs from Huff Cemeterey, May, 2011
Commentary
By 1850 intermountain Maryland had changed markedly. The people migrating to Allegany County were going to the new urban or mining areas in the western part of the county. Agriculture was not sufficiently lucrative for the farmers in mountain Maryland to survive in a wider market economy. The lands to the west of the mountains produced better yields, and the railroad meant easy transportation for grain. Indeed, the completion of the railroad to Cumberland in 1847 meant that the National Road through Flintstone was no longer the major arterial that it had been for the previous twenty-five years.
Thomas Perrin could successfully run a homestead in Town Creek in the same way his father John Perrin, Jr. had. Thomas, like John, Jr., had a large family of children who could do the work. But agrarian success may mean that the family expectations were barely above subsidence level.
Circumstances were quite different fifty years later. Thomas' older children had moved away to farm in greener pastures. Only James K., Upton and Deborah remained in Town Creek by 1840. Upton probably became disabled and died before 1850, his wife and family moving in with maternal relatives. Deborah left in 1847.
In 1850 James K. faced managing a 200 acre farm with a wife and six children, five of which were under ten years in age. While this demographic was the same that his father Thomas' family faced in 1800, James K. could not have seen a promising future. He therefore chose a solution which, in looking at other genealogies in my ancestry, was picked sooner or later by each family. Indeed, almost every family in the United States ultimately came to the same solution: move into town. How this played out for James K. and his family will be the subject of the next section.