• HOME
• NARRATIVE
  • Foreward
  • Genealogical Sources
  • Beginning in Somerset
  • John the Mariner in Bristol
  • Edward the Quaker
  • Edward and the Slave Trade
  • Thomas, Merchant of London
  • Thomas Perrin in Pennsylvania
  • John Perins, Planter of Maryland
  • John Perins, Later Years and Thoughts Concerning Origin
  • Edward Perrin and Mary Cherry in Frontier Pennsylvania
  • John, Jr. in Bedford County
  • Joseph Perrin and Land Sales
  • John and Edwards children in Ohio
  • Thomas Perrin in Town Creek
  • Amos and Deborah
  • James K. and Upton
  • James K.'s Family in Brownsville
  • Upton G. M. and William H. in Pittsburg
  • F. R. C. Perrin and family in Crafton
  • Lea Perrin
  • Berta Perrin Day
  • Sarah Perrin's Vision
  • Lazear Family in Maryland
  • Powell Family in Maryland
  • Maxwell Family
  • Kramer Family
  • Wentz Family
• THOUGHTS
  • Space and Time
  • Ancestor Veneration
  • Seduction of Genealogy
  • The Land Forgets
  • Death and Syntax
  • The Books Are Free
  • Brownsville
  • Where's Thomas
  • This Should Be Investigated
  • Closure
  • Epilog
  • Reviewing the Land
• DATABASES
• MAPS
• SITEMAP

Beginnings in Somerset

Introduction

I will begin this history in county Somerset, England, around the year 1614. I must state that while the persons named Perrin in this and the next three sections are clearly not fictional, their relationship to my Perrin family in America is not documented, so their inclusion here is clearly not rigorous genealogy. But as my brother John has stated, so long as we believe these people are our ancestors little else matters. If genealogy be a form of ancestor worship, then we can certainly rationalize our attention to these people. In that case the reader can consider this my twenty-first century version of the nineteenth century historical biography. But I think we can do more than just claim a relationship, as I hope to show in the following sections.

Before presenting the first reference to Thomas Perrin of Backwell, let us establish some background. The year was 1614, the place Backwell parish, Bedminster with Hartcliffe Hundred, county of Somerset, England. The new vicar for this parish, a John Humphries Jenkins, had seen it necessary to specify exactly what he expected from his congregation in the way of tithing. At that time tithing was essentially the tax levied on the congregation to fund the vicar and the other ecclesiastic duties of the parish George Streynsham Master, Collections for a Parochial History of Backwell (Bristol: Lavars & Co., 1898), 34-36:

A true and perfect Terrier of all the glebe lands, howsinge Backwell Vicaria and description of tythes belonging to the Vicaridge of Backwell Baise within the dioceses of Bath and Wells, and also the manner of payment of tythes accordinge to the custome of Backwell Baise aforesaid, taken upon oathe by Commission out of Chancery of divers ancient men which once lived in Backwell Baise and Backwell Sore.

Imprimis, the Vicaridge howse one hall and a parlour and a little butterye and entry and a chamber belonginge, a kitchinge on the west side and three chambers overhead, with a study adjoininge to the same, and one orchard on the south side of the howse and a little garden on the north side, and also one barne and a little splat of grounde walled rounde with two oxen shoote in a shoote grounde called Otefield belonginge to the Vicaridge of Backwell Baise.

Following this description of the vicarage and the basic tithe, the document proceeded to itemize, for any possible type of farm produce, what its tithe should be. Shown below is the most important item, the cow.

Item, for the offeringes of every communicante in the tythinge of Backwell Baise two pence a peece payable at Ester followinge att the end of every yeare.

Item for cow . . . every parishioner of Backwell Baise aforesayde is due to pay a penny for every cowe or heyfor that gives milk to the Vicar att Ester att the end of every yeare in lieu of all tythes.

Item for the caulfes fallen in Backwell Baise every tenth for want of tenn, the nynth and for want of nyne, the eighth and for want of eight, the seaventh due and payable to the Vicar aforesayde, and the owner is to keep the tythinge caulfes untill they come to the age of seaven weeks ould, and the Vicar is to allow the breeder three haufe pence for the three odd caulfes to make upp the tenth, and if any caulfes fall within Backwell Baise under the number of seaven, then the owner is to pay to the Vicar one haufle penny a peece for the fall of every caulfs att Ester followinge (but if the owner selleth any under the number of seaven, then the tenth penny is due to the Vicar payable at Ester followinge) but if the owner killeth any under the number of seaven then the Vicar is to have the left shoulder to tythe.

Item for lambes which are fallen in Backwell Baise are due to the Vicar the tenth, nynth, eighth, or seaventh, the breeder is to choise two and the Vicar is to choise the thirde lambe, and after the thirde the breeder to choise nyne more, and the Vicar to take the tenth if there be seventeene, and the Vicar is to pay the breeder a haulfe penny a peece for the odd lambes above seaven to tenn, and if any fall under seaven, then the breeder is to pay to the Vicar a haulfpenny a peece for the fall, and the tythe lambe or lambes are to bee taken upp att St. Marke's day followinge.

Item for the fall of every coulte within the tythinge of Backwell Baise one penny a coulte to the Vicar for tythe payable att Easter followinge.

Item for pigges fallen within Backwell Baise every tenth, nynth, eighth, or seaventh, the owner to choise two, the Vicar to choise the third to tythe, and the Vicar is to pay the breeder a farthinge a pigge, for the odd pigges under tenn and above seaven to tenn, and the tythe pigge to bee taken away from the breeder att the age of three weekes ould (but if there be any fallen within Backwell Baise aforesayde under seaven then the owner has to pay the Vicar a farthinge a pigge at Ester followinge).

Item for our wole which is fallen within Backwell Baise when it is shorne and orderly broken and made upp into fleece, then the tenth pounde of the fleece so made upp is due to the Vicar, and no otherwise.

Item for the gardens of every householder in Backwell Baise a penny in lieu of the tythes payable to the Vicar att Ester att the end of every yeare.

Item for our orchards in Backwell Baise for appells peers and plumbes when they are gathered, tythe in kinde to the Vicar.

Item for eges in Backwell Baise payable on Good Fryday to tythe if they be demanded, every housekeeper is to pay three eges for the cock, and two eges a peece for every henn to the Vicar.

Item for all our lande meadow in Backwell Baise (below hill) which is ancient land meade and hath not been plowed in the memory of man, is due to the Vicar two pence an acre, and a penny an acre for every acre of moore meadow in Backwell Baise to the Vicar in lieu of all tythe of the parisioners aforesayde, payable at Ester followinge, except some tenements in one hamlet called Downside, lying in Backwell Baise aforesayde, which are to pay to the Vicar to tythe for all their meade of every tenement, a certayne sume of money, some more or less, according to their ancient coustome, payable att Ester following at the end of every yeare.

Item there is due to the Vicar to tythe from Gaynge Lane and Moore Lane westward, all the tythe corne in Backwell Baise and from Gaynge Lane and Moore Lane eastward, all the corne in Backwell Baise is due to the impropriator, and when any of these groundes which are by east Gaynge Lane and Moore Lane are lett lye from tyllage, then all the tythe arisinge out of those groundes belongeth to the Vicar.

The document is signed:

Per me
John Humfridus Jenkins, Vicarius ibidd.
Richd. Arthur, Churchwarden.
Thos. Perrin, Sideman.
John Webb.	John Reade.
Richard Voakes.	Robert Tovey.
Edmund Parsons.	John.
Edwarde Bullocke.	James Cole.
John Hillsey.	Robt. Psons.
Roger X Wilmot.	John X Psons.

This document is fascinating in the fine detail offered of rural life in England of that time. But its significance here comes from its signing by Thomas Perrin. His birth in 1590 is the earliest certain material I have found for my Perrin lineage. Thomas referred to himself as a sideman of the church; the meaning of the word then was the same as now (e.g., Before forming their own groups, both Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock were sidemen for Miles Davis). Another signer, Master Edward Bullocke, will appear again at the end of this section.

North Somerset

Geography

The old county of Somerset is situated just south of Wales and west of Bristol in southwestern England. The topography of the land consists of low hills interdigitated with flat land (moors) only slightly above sea level. To the north and west is the Bristol Channel, whose shape creates tidal bores second only to the Bay of Fundy in Canada. Twelve foot tides are not uncommon, and the low lying moorland around Clevedon and Kenne flooded easily in storms. The parish church at Chelvey, at elevation 28 feet above sea level, experienced a five foot flood in the tsunami of January, 1606/7 EA Bryant S and Haslett, Catastrophic Wave Erosion, Bristol Channel, United Kingdom: Impact of Tsunami?, The Journal of Geology, 115 (2007): 253-269.

Most settlements west of Bristol, such as Nailsea, Wraxall and Backwell (Blackwell on the map above) are slightly outside of the moor on higher ground. These manors and parishes date back to Norman times (and probably before). Nailsea was originally part of the Wraxall parish and manor, and only in the eighteenth century had its "chapel" upgraded to parish church. Now Nailsea, population 20,000, is the largest town in the region; it is a model postwar bedroom community to Bristol.

I can provide a more detailed map of the region, realizing that with detail one sacrifices orientation. The 1815 survey map shows topography and place names without clutter. To fully appreciate it you will need to open it in another window.

Post feudal rural English Society

In the times before and after the Norman conquest of England (1066) the social structure for the countryside was quite straightforward. There were lords (Saxon, then Danish, then Norman), and there were serfs. The Normans replaced the previous lords in Wraxall, Chelvey and Backwell with their own people, and the subsequent owners of these manors are well chronicled George Streynsham Master, Collections for a Parochial History of Wraxall (Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith, printer, 1900); Norma Knight, A Short History of Chelvey (Nailsea: Nailsea & District Local History Society, 1996); George Streynsham Master, Collections for a Parochial History of Backwell (Bristol: Lavars & Co., 1898). Indeed the genealogy of the English nobility has been and remains a national obsession, a remnant of the English recognition of status due to hereditary class in society.

Until 1551, if you weren't nobility you didn't officially exist. At that time King Henry VIII ordered the parish churches to keep registries of births, marriages and deaths. The latter change occurred at the same time Henry VIII "nationalized" the Catholic church, forming the Church of England.

In the sixteenth century serfs were no longer legally tied to the land. However, the commoner still needed to rent land from a large landowner, and pay tithes to the parish, to survive. By the seventeenth century rich peasants (known as yeomen) owned some of their own property, while continuing to rent from the nobility.

In the seventeenth century some, but not all, of the original manors were flourishing. A good example of a successful manor would be Wraxall. Sir Edward Georges was lord of Wraxall and Charlton until 1624; he was succeeded by his son Robert George until 1636, and then by his other son Samuel George, who had married Jane Cotterell, daughter of John Cotterell (of Long Ashton) George Streynsham Master, Collections for a Parochial History of Wraxall (Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith, printer, 1900).

Other manors were in flux. The small estate of Chelvey was sold by John Ashye to his brother-in-law Edward Tynte somewhere around 1620. Edward was the brother-in-law of Ferdinando Georges, brother of Sir Edward. The Tynte family is now known best in this region for the nineteenth century mansion in Wraxall named Tyntesfield. Meanwhile, in Backwell, the dynasty of the Rodney family came to an abrupt end when its heir committed suicide in 1601. A protracted legal battle, the confiscation of some of the estate by the King (the property of any person committing suicide reverted to the crown by law) and sales of significant portions of property probably kept this estate in relative anarchy and poverty for the next sixty years.

More needs to be said about Sir Ferdinando Georges. Having made a name for himself in the military, and having survived the palace intrigues of Queen Elizabeth's court, he became the military head of the port of Plymouth in 1602. From that position he sponsored voyages that explored the New England coast looking for places to settle. In the process he received two American natives captured in Maine in 1605, caring for them for two years before they were returned to America. He was involved with the Pilgrim settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and ultimately founded the colony of Maine in the 1630s. His experience with the New World led to the publication of a book:

The big political event of these times, the English Civil War, will be discussed in the next section. For the purposes of this section it was significant for a oath promulgated by Parliament in 1641. As result there exists a list of all the households in each parish who pledged to protect the Church of England and the constitutional monarchyCressy, David, "The Protestation Protested, 1641 - 1642", The Historical Journal (June, 2002) 45(2): 251-279. In 1641 Nailsea had 28 households, Wraxall 18 and Backwell 25 Howard, A.J. The Somerset Protestation Returns and Lay Subsidy Rolls, 1641-1642, Bristol: T. L. Stoate, 1974.

Perrin Parish Records in Backwell and Vicinity

I have had the opportunity to personally review the Backwell and Chelvey church registries, which are available on microfiche in Taunton at the Somerset Heritage Center. In addition, I have relied on those portions of the Nailsea and Wraxall parish records which have been transcribed and posted online, or else shared personally, by Mary Mason. A word about completeness: the records for these parishes vary in legibility. in Backwell only the records from 1580 to 1610, and then from 1620 to 1640, were readable by me. Even so I am not certain I have found all the recorded entries. Furthermore, the marriage registry for Backwell from 1644 to 1651 no longer exists. Fortunately Ms. Mason has offered on her internet site a very faithful rendering of the transcripts from Nailsea and Wraxall.

ß

All of the early wills of Somerset entrusted to the diocese of Bath were destroyed in 1942 by German bombing. However, most of the wills from England that I cite had been submitted to the Archbishop of Canterbury. This typically occurred when there was significant property in the estate.

The earliest Nailsea records

Mary Mason has kindly provided me with unposted records from Nailsea which suggest a very early presence for the Perrin family in that parish:

Location	Date	Event	Names	Reference
Nailsea	July 20, 1562	Baptism	Edward to John Peryn	Mary Mason, personal communication
Nailsea	April 1, 1565	Baptism	daughter to John Perrin	Mary Mason, personal communication
Nailsea	August, 1565	Baptism	John to Thomas Perin	Mary Mason, personal communication
Nailsea	1566	Baptism	daughter to John Peryn	Mary Mason, personal communication

These records show a John Perrin (Peryn) as well as a Thomas Perin of John's generation, with a son named John. While I can guess that John and Thomas were brothers, I know nothing else of these two.

Edward Perrin of Backwell

Slightly later, an Edward Perrin is found in Backwell with two children, Thomas born in 1590 and John in 1595. Given the timing for these births, I think it is reasonable to believe that Edward is the son of John Perrin of Nailsea.

Location	Date	Event	Names	Reference
Backwell	September 18, 1590	baptism	Thomas, son of Edward Perrin	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	April 14, 1595	baptism	John, son of Edward Perryn	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	December 22, 1623	burial	Edward Perryn	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a

William Perrin of Nailsea

This William is of uncertain ancestry; he could be the son of either John or Thomas Perrin of Nailsea.

The Nailsea church registry noted in two places that William was a warden of the church in 1601 viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/nailsea1600.htm. William Peryne, of Nailsea, yoeman wrote his will in 1613 National Archives U. K., Catalogue Reference PROB 11/121, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Image Reference 536. He mentioned his wife Margaret, along with sons William and John, and daughters Mary, Jane, and Ellen. Wife Margaret and William, Jr. received most of his property, including

the Tenement Lande Meadows and Pastures their belonginge which I bought of Sir Edward Georges Knight

Of the four named executors for William's will, one was Edward Perrin. It is my belief that Edward Perrin of Backwell was this William's brother.

The Nailsea parish records I believe document William's marriage, the baptisms of four of his children, the marriages of two of his daughters, and his burial (allowing for creative spelling and the inability to be certain what was written).

Location	Date	Event	Names	Reference
Nailsea	June 19, 1578	marriage	William Perrin & Margaret Whiting	viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/nailseaearlymarr.htm
Nailsea	October, 1589	baptism	Wm Pirren	viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/nailsea1585.htm
Nailsea	January 22, 1597/98	baptism	John Perry	viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/nailsea1585.htm
Nailsea	June 14, 1601	baptism	Mary daughter of William Perrin	viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/nailsea1600.htm
Nailsea	May, 1604	baptism	Jane daughter of William Perry	viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/nailsea1600.htm
Nailsea	March 20, 1613	burial	William Perrin	viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/nailsea1600.htm
Nailsea	February, 1616	marriage	John ?en??yet & Marie Perrin	viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/nailsea1600.htm

Thomas, son of Edward, Backwell

The Backwell registry contains a lot of information regarding Thomas Perrin. There were seven children recorded. Of the first three, two died in infancy, with only Thomas surviving. All the available information implies that then there was a second wife, Joan, with four children: Anne, Dorothy, Samuel, and Edward.

Location	Date	Event	Names	Reference
Backwell	June 18, 1621	baptism	Samuell, son of Thomas Perryn	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	July 15, 1621	burial	Samuel, son of Thomas Perren	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	April 15, 1623	baptism	Edward, son of Thomas Perrin	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	February 27, 1623/4	burial	Edward, son of Thomas Perryn	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	July 10, 1625	baptism	Thomas, son of Thomas Perrin	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	May 2, 1628	burial	Katheren, wife of Thomas Perrin	Norma Knight, The Sperrin Family in Backwell, Pennant (The Local History Journal of Backwell, Nailsea, Tickenham and Wraxall) 22(2002): 27
Backwell	July 19, 1631	baptism	Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Perren	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	November 1, 1633	baptism	Anne, daughter of Thomas Perren	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	November 22, 1635	baptism	Samuel, son of Thomas and Joane Perren	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	April 8,1637	baptism	Edward, son of Thomas and Joane Perren	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a

On the northwest side of St. Andrews in Backwell there is a small tombstone among the newer, larger stones:

While not easy, the stone can be partially read. It refers to a Katheren, wife of Thomas Perrin, and was dated May 2, 1628. While I did not see the burial entry in the parish registry for her, others have The stones at this church have been cataloged (John Brain and Dennis Stansfield, St. Andrew's Church, Backwell: Memorial Inscriptions and Tombstones (2005)); these authors recorded this stone as Hester Perrin, 1626. However Norma Knight, [The Sperrin Family in Backwell, Pennant (The Local History Journal of Backwell, Nailsea, Tickenham and Wraxall) 22(2002): 27] has both found the burial record in the registry and re-examined the stone, reaching the above conclusion. Using photoshop enhancement, I agree with her interpretation; the date fits well for the death of Thomas' first wife, and his remarriage one year later.

I can convince myself that the overlaid text above is accurate, and can interpolate the rest to say "Here lyeth the body of Katheren Perrin the wife of Thomas Perrin of Backwell who deceased on the 7 day of May Anno 1628".

After Katheren's death there was an entry in the Chelvey parish:

Chelvey

January 12, 1629

marriage

Thomas Perrin & Joan Blanch

Chelvey Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\chvy

That the groom was Thomas of Backwell seems likely since several of the later birth records for Thomas in the 1630s referred to Joan as well. Joan died before Thomas' will was written in 1650, and may be buried in Wraxall, where it was recorded:

Wraxall

March 24, 1646

burial

wife of Thomas Perie of Backwell

viewed at http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/wraxall1637.htm

Thomas was listed in Backwell parish in the 1641 subsidy assessment A. J. Howard and T. L. Stoat, The Somerset Protestation Returns; and Lay subsidy rolls, 1641-2 (Bristol: T. J. Stoat, 1975), 222 of Backwell and Chelvey; he was the only Perrin mentioned in that parish.

John Perrin of Backwell

In comparison to Thomas, little is known about the John Perrin of Backwell. I think he was probably the other known son of Edward Perrin, but he may have been the son of William Perrin of Nailsea, or even someone else in the family.

Location	Date	Event	Names	Reference
Backwell	July 20, 1628	baptism	John, son of John Perren	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a
Backwell	January 22, 1630/1	burial	Judith, wife of John Perren	Backwell Parish Registry, Somerset Heritage Center microfiche D\P\back/2/1/1a

Other early records from Nailsea and Wraxall

From Mary Mason and other sources online I have other Perrin records from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, found in the registries from Backwell, Nailsea, Wraxall and Kenn; to see them click the icon to the right.

There was also a Perrin presence in a parish further north, Portbury; these records have been transcribed by Mary Mason and are posted on her web site.

Other records concerning Thomas Perrin

There are other significant records involving Thomas Perrin. The first is a document in the Bristol City Archives entitled Bristol Records Office document AC/36074/36214:

an Account book of sums collected in the hundreds of Bedminster with Hartcliffe, and Portbury, county Somerset by Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Sir Robert Gorges, knts., Thomas Smith, Rice Davys and Richard Cole, esqs., Justices of the Peace for Somerset, towards the repair of St.Paul's Church, London

There follows twenty pages, one page per parish, which list names and pledges. The page for Wraxall can be seen here.

The individual contributions ranged from a whopping one pound by Sir Robert George to six pence by more modest parishioners. (In comparison, no contribution in Backwell exceeded one shilling.) Each page was signed by three of the Justices. At the end of the document is the statement

of which we have made Thomas Perrin of Backwell Collector, the 18th day of February, Anno Dom. 1632 [1632/33].

So while Thomas Perrin did not write this document, he clearly was employed by the local nobility.

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The second document is a lease in 1640 by John Cottrell of Long Ashton, Gent. to Thomas Perrin of Backwell, yeoman, for £120 and an annual rent of 40 shillings Somerset Heritage Center document DD/GB/40/2; also quoted in Ruth Poole, Norma Knight, Phyllis Horman, Wilfred Rew, and Jane Lilly, Mills on the Land Yeo - Further Discoveries (Nailsea: Nailsea & District Local History Society, 1994), 5,

a water mill called Moore Mill with the orchard, garden, course of water and comons to the said tenement and mill belonging, sett and lying and being in Backwell ... as well as a further eleven and one-half acres of land, parts of which are described as adjoining the mill and the yooe .

To see the significance of this lease it is now necessary to examine the detail of the 1815 map.

The river named Land Yeo (unfortunate digression: Yeo is a generic name for river in this portion of England. It derives from the Saxon word "ae", which apparently has as a cognate the French word "eau", which now means "water".) can be seen near the top of the map flowing from right to left, with mills located in this map detail at Backwell Common and Wraxall. While not shown on this map, the borders of the Backwell parish include an extremely short section of the Land Yeo at the site of The Old Mill. So this is quite important real estate for the parish. How John Cotterell got a hold of it is anyone's guess, but it may have slipped into the hands of the George family at some point, reverting to Cotterell as dowry. Finally, do note that while the mill is "leased", that is to say, Thomas Perrin did not own the mill or associated acreage as a result of the document, the terms are such that the annual rent is minimal compared to the purchase of the lease itself. I am not an economist, nor do I understand economic history, but I would say that this sort of an arrangement is one big step away from feudalism and toward modern property rights.

There was a picture of this region at the beginning of this section that provides an east to west veiw of this region. In 2018 I took the following picture while standing on a footpath just above Wraxall, so the view is to the south towards Backwell on the other side of the valley. One can appreciate the E. J. Wyatt farm, with its large buildings, in midvalley just past and to the right of the copse of trees. This farm is precisely at the site labelled "The Old Mill" on the Ordnance map.

Thomas Perrin's will

Thomas Perrin wrote his will in May, 1650, and it was proved in August of the same year. Like the wills in the next two sections, this one was filed with the Perogative Court of Canterbury, and therefore available from the U. K. National Archives National Archives U. K., Catalogue Reference PROB 11/213, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Image Reference 443/334. Below is my transcription, with an attempt to interpret some of the stranger words [in brackets].

The nyne and twentieth day of May in the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred and fifty I Thomas Perrin of Portbury in the County of Somerset yeoman being weak of body but of sound and perfect memory praise be to god

Doe make and ordaine my last will and testament in manner and form following

And doe hereby revoke all former wills by me at any time heretofore made

First whereas I am possessed of one chattell Lease of the third part (the whole in three parts equally to be divided) of a messuage or tenement in Backwell in the said county of Somerset, and of our third part of all the Lands thereto bilonging in reverton [reverten -- Of properties, possessions, etc.: to revert to a grantor or his successor in interest] of Ann the now wife of one Edward Bullock for agreate [agreed] number of years determinable upon the deathes of Ann Perrin and Edward Perrin two of my children I give and bequeath the said chattell Lease and all my estate terms and interest therin unto John Perrin my youngest sonne

And if the said John Perrin happen to demase [demise] before he attains to the age of one and twenty years then the same to remain to my said daughter Ann if she be then living

And if they both happen to dye before the said John shall attain to the said age of one and twenty years Then my will and meaning is. that the said chattell Lease and the whole benefitt thereof shall remaine to Edward Perrin my sonne

From my will is, that all the table bords bedstoods, bedbronds and matts thaire and stooles in my house in Moorside shall remaine in the saime house for the equall benefitt of Samuell and Edward my sonnes

Then my will is that all the implements of household and household stuff in my house at Farleigh called the Inn shall remaine in the same house for the equall benefitt of Ann Perrin my daughter and John Perrin my sonne

Item I give to my sonne Thomas Perrin three pounds

Item I give to my daughter Ann my best feather bedd one boulstor [bolster -- extended pillow at head of bed] one paire of pillows and pillow board, one greene Rugg my best paire of blanketts and best pair of sheetes

Item I give to my sonne Samuell Perrin my second best bedd one boulster one paire of pillowes my best coverled [coverlet] one paire of sheets and one paire of blanketts

Item I give to Edward my sonne one bedd one boulster one paire of pillosws one rugg one paire of sheets and one paire of blanketts

Item I give to my sonne John Perrin one bedd one boulster one paire of pillowes one rugg one paire of sheetes and one paire of blanketts

the residue of all my goods and chattells not formerly bequeath I give and bequeath to my loving wife Elizabeth Perrin and to William Tucker the elder of Naylesea and John Fead of Backwell whom I make Executors of this my last will and testament upon this trust and confidence that they shall make sale or dispose of the said goods and chattels in such sort as to them shall seeme most mette [also spelled mete -- suitable] for the best benefitt and behoofe of my said four children Samuell Edward John and Ann equally betweene them

And lastly my will and meaning that all such goods and chatells as were my said weres [?wares] bifore our intermarriage and such rents as are or shallbe due owing at the time of my Demase for any part of her estate shall remaine wholly to my said wife upon this condition and confidence that shee see and procure my Ex.'s to be discharged of one bond of fourescore pounds principall debt wherein I stand bound for payment of part of her childrens porcions [portions]

In wittnes whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the day and year above written

There were a number of properties described in this will. There was a house in Moorside, which would locate it along the border of Backwell and Nailsea. I don't know if that would be the same as the Mill. There also was a house in Farliegh "called the Inn". Given that Farleigh now has only one inn, it seems probable that it is the same establishment which Thomas owned three hundred and fifty years ago. Certainly its name could be that old.

And there is one other parcel to be considered. This consisted (as well as I can read this) of one third of a rental which was in the hands of Ann the wife of Edward Bullock. To me this implies that 1) there was a lease which Thomas' father willed to his three children, and 2) this Ann was Thomas' sister. You may recall seeing the names of both Thomas Perrin and Edward Bullocke in the 1614 tithing treatise earlier in this section. Edward Bullock contributed one shilling to the St. Paul cathedral fund in 1632/3 mentioned above Bristol Records Office document AC/36074/36214.

The will defined Thomas' family quite well. Thomas listed five children. Son Thomas was mentioned once, receiving only three pounds. His inclusion in the will makes it impossible for him to object to the paltry inheritance; I assume he received so little because he was the established older son. (We will see this sort of behavior again in a will later, in conjunction with John Perrin, Jr.) The other four children, given (probably in order of birth) in the will as Ann, Samuel, Edward and John. The Backwell baptismal registry had listed Thomas,Ann, Samuel and Edward. In that register there was also a Dorothy; she may have died (or married) as of 1650 resulting in her absence from ther will. Likewise, John was probably born after 1640, which would be a time period during which the registers are virtually unreadable.

Finally, the will described Thomas' current marital status. The mothers of Thomas' children, as named in the baptismal registers, were dead. Thomas had remaried Elizabeth, and he carefully stated that her properties remained with her and her children. The names of the will's executors, William Tucker (the elder) of Nailsea and John Fead of Backwell, should lead us to her ancestry.. While John Fead remains a mystery, William Tucker died in 1656 and left a will National Archives U. K., Catalogue Reference PROB 11/256/369, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. The will was witnessed in 1654 by Elizabeth Tucker. Mary Mason's Nasilsea trsnscriptions show that William was born in either 1594 or 1595, and married Joan Whiting 13 February 1616/17. His father was probably William Tucker, died April, 1608, whose will National Archives U. K., Catalogue Reference PROB 11/112/304, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury  gave property to his children William and Elizabeth, who was born in 1603. Elizabeth Tucker would be a good candidate for Periin's third wife, but I would not expect her to revert to her maiden name when witnessing her brother's will.

Commentary

I believe I can begin this family history with John Perrin in Nailsea, circa 1560. Thomas's father Edward Perrin of Backwell, and William Perrin of Nailsea, were probably sons of this John. Given that both William in Nailsea and Thomas in Backwell wrote wills and had some prominence in their respective churches, I believe that their families had much more than a basic level of status.

The region in which these Perrins lived is mercifully small. The Nailsea, Wraxall, Backwell and Chelvey parishes were no more than a few square miles in area, and judging from the 1641 subsidy rolls had no more than fifty families each A. J. Howard and T. L. Stoat, The Somerset Protestation Returns; and Lay subsidy rolls, 1641-2 (Bristol: T. J. Stoat, 1975), 222 and 253. Thomas Perrin was probably in the top twenty percent of the psrish in terms of wealth. The status of William Perrin of Nailsea in the previous generation implies to me that this wealth was not new. I would be fascinated to know more about the relationship between this family and the local nobility.

Many have assumed that the Perrin family descended from French Huguenots. These Protestants emigrated from France to England to escape religious prosecution. However, the bulk of this emigration occurred after 1570. Since it is possible to trace the family back to 1560, I think it is safe to say that this Perrin family were not Huguenots. I would rather assume that the Perrin name here was Norman in origin, coming to England in the eleventh century.

In any case it will become quite clear that this Thomas Perrin is the father of the Perrins of Bristol, who are discussed in the next section of this narrative.