Jane Perry

(Abt 1707 to aft May 1772)

     Researchers looked for years trying to find out who were the parents of Jane Perry.  Some suggested that her father was William Perry, who may actually have been a brother to James Perry of Perrymount.  The connection was made with James Perry's will abstract¹.  It was made in 1753 and lists Edward Usher as the first husband of "Jane Perry".  Jane was probably born sometime before 1710, as her mother would have been near or past forty years of age.  Jane has also been listed as being born abt 1710 and January 1, 1716/17².  There are no sources to back up either and I cannot find from which they came. 

     Jane married Edward Usher, who lived nearby and may have known Jane's father James for sometime.  Records show an Edward Usher with James Perry on a couple of occasions.  It could have been Jane's future husband or his father³⁴.  Edward and Jane either married in Ireland or soon after going to America.  According to family tradition, Jane and Edward had four daughters and no sons.   One of the daughters died as an infant.  Some researchers mistakenly add a Robert Usher as one of their children, but this is incorrect.  What is known is that they had Ann Jane, Margaret, and Martha⁵. 

     Edward died while his children were still young sometime before February of 1746⁶.  Jane either died around the same time and James did not know of it, which is somewhat unlikely, or she remarried, as the will seems to suggest.  In 1746, Ann Jane Usher, daughter of Jane and Edward, was put under the guardianship of a James Knox⁷.  Her sisters probably were also put under James' care, but were not listed.  This may have been due to the fact that Ann was the eldest child and therefore the most important one to list.  The Knox family had ties to the Swift family going back at least a couple of generations.  Adam Swift, grandpa of Jane, had a son named "Nox"⁸.  James Knox had a wife named Jane and there is some circumstantial evidence to Jane Perry Usher being that wife.  If Jane married James Knox, she had seven more children.  If true, then Jane died sometime after James Knox’s will was written in 1769⁹ since his wife Jane is included.

Edward Usher 

     Edward may have been the son of Edward Usher and Margaret Parkinson.  According to the Registry of Deeds, Edward was a linen draper or diaper weaver from Magheralin Parish, County Down (Draper-makes the cloth; Diaper-a form of fine linen that is woven with a small diamond pattern).  There were two Edward Ushers in the area at the time and confusion can occur between the two.  The elder Edward had a son baptized in 1696¹⁰.  So it seems that the Edward who married Jane Perry was the son of Edward the linen draper.  Another Edward was the son of John Usher and listed in his will in 1757¹¹.  Some researchers confuse him with Edward married to Jane Perry.

     Edward's father Edward was an associate of Jane's father James Perry.  They were listed together on several documents between 1708 and 1725.  It is not known if all of those documents were the elder Edward or a mixture of both Edward's, father and son. 

     Edward, the husband of Jane Perry may have died in 1733 as an Edward is listed in Magheralin Parish records that year.  If it wasn't his father, then Edward may never have lived in America or Jane brought him back to Ireland for burial.  If the latter is true, then the story by Oren Morton¹²¹³ may be correct.  What is known is Edward had died sometime before February 1746 because his daughter Ann Jane Usher received James Knox as her guardian.

Children of Jane Perry and Edward Usher

Ann Jane Usher

  Coming Soon!!! 

Margaret Usher

 Coming Soon!!!

Martha Usher

  Coming Soon!!!

Infant Usher¹⁴

  Researcher Oren F. Morton stated that Jane and Edward had a forth daughter that died in infancy and her name is unknown.  I have not seen any proof of her.

James Knox

     James Knox is believed to have been from Ulster in Ireland.  The Knox family was apparently close to the Swift family as Adam Swift named a son "Nox".  This probably meant that the Knox family was also associated with the Perry family.  James married a woman named Jane or Jean and had seven children¹⁵.  If Jane was Jane Perry Usher or not may never be known, but there is some circumstantial evidence that points to her being the wife of James.  We do know that James became the guardian of Jane's daughter Ann Jane Usher in 1746. 

     The following shows that Ann Jane was still under the care of James Knox in February 1750. 

     “On the motion of John Brown, who is Security for James Knox- Guardian of Anne Genny Usher, praying to be relieved, It is order'd that sd Knox give him Counter Security. Order Book No II, pg. 313, February 27, 1749[/50].”

     James Knox moved from Ireland to Virginia and settled in Augusta County where he had a farm.  James seemed to be close to the Dickinson family¹⁶ and James Steuart, who was the son of Margaret Usher Steuart, who later purchased his farm.  James' sons were also close to these families and some were living close to them in Greenbrier County sometime after the death of James Knox.  According to G. L. Richardson and Phyllis Buchanan, "James Knox owned 254 acres of land on the Cowpasture River, just above its juncture with the Bullpasture River, and 93 further down the Cowpasture River."¹⁷  James sold the 93-acre farm to Edward Thompson in 1761 and Robert Knox purchased about 100 acres from the other lot in 1765.  He then sold it to Thomas Nickell in 1767.  James and Jane Knox sold what was left, about 160 acres, to Patrick Miller in 1769¹⁸.  James Knox wrote his will in 1769 and it was proved on May 20, 1772.

Children of Jane (Perry?) and James Knox

James Knox

   All of the children of James Knox (Sr.) were listed in his will.  James Knox (Jr.), like the rest of his Knox siblings, was born in Augusta County, Virginia.  He was married to Margaret Johnston.

John Knox

Robert Knox

   Robert reportedly married a woman named Margaret, whose last name is not known.  Nothing further is known about Robert or his siblings:  John, Jean, Elizabeth, and Mary.

Jean Knox

Abigail Knox

Coming Soon!!!

Elizabeth Knox

Mary Knox

Home