Joseph Perry

Joseph Perry

(Abt 1704 to bef 25 Jun 1785)

     Joseph was born about 1703/04.  He started schooling at Trinity College in Dublin on July 3, 17211.  Unlike Adam before him, Joseph did not complete his degree.  Instead, he came to America sometime in the 1730's and married Isabella Charlton.  He was the first of this Perry family to come to America.  It is very possible that he lived in Londonderry Township, Chester County, PA.  That is where Isabella's father Thomas made his will.2  Sometime shortly after their marriage, Joseph and Isabella moved to Frederick County, MD.  Isabella's mother Alice also seems to have moved to Maryland after the death of Thomas.  This was the time of the border problems between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

     On June 29, 1737, Captain John Charlton launched a skirmish into Nottingham, Chester County, PA armed with guns and swords.  It seems that his brother-in-law Joseph Perry was among his men.  In this, Elisha Batchell, a magistrate, was captured, beaten, and taken by force back to Maryland.  On October 26, 1737, John Charlton raided the county jail in Lancaster, PA to release some of the prisoners, in which, Joseph may have also been involved.3

     According to the Internet article, "Our Perry Family History" by B. Wilson (http://www.joycewilson.org/index.htm), Joseph acquired land in the Antienam Hundred and named it "Perry's Retirement".  He was a constable in the Antienam Hundred in 1751.  In 1754, Joseph bought land called "Deceit" in Leitersburg District, Washington County, MD from John Darling.  It was resurveyed on February 17, 1761, which increased the acreage to 658.  In November of 1774, Joseph was appointed representative to the Continental Congress and in 17754; he served on the Committee of Observation and was appointed to solicit subscriptions to purchase weapons and ammo by the Committee of Correspondence in Upper Antienam, Frederick County, where he still lived.

     Joseph and Isabella had eight children5, one son and seven daughters.  One of the daughter's names is unknown.  Joseph made his will on August 30, 1777 in Washington County.  He died on or shortly before June 25, 1785 and the probate occurred ten years later on June 9, 1795.6  It may have taken that long to sale his "real and personal estate". 

Isabella Charlton

Isabella was born sometime before 1725 in Ireland or Pennsylvania.  She was the daughter of Thomas Charlton and Alice Charlton; cousins.  Isabella received "one shilling sterling" in her father's will in 1743 and the "remainder to my daughters Isabella and Mary" in her mother's will in 1761.  The "remainder" must have been what was left after the home, land, two bedroom suites, large pot and crock, Bible, five shillings for each of the children of John and Ann (who had died), and 10 pounds for funeral expenses.7  Isabella took a third of her husband Joseph's estate instead of all that he listed for her in the will (1785).  This was probably done to increase the amount that her children would get.  The affairs of Joseph Perry's will were taken care of in 1795 and nothing more is known about Isabella after that time.

     The Charlton family kept close ties to the Perry family for some time.  Some of them moved to the same area that the Perry family went to in Greenbrier, Monroe, and Augusta Counties in VA.  Isabella died sometime after her husband's will was probated in 1795.  Her brother Arthur Charlton was the grandfather of Francis Scott Key, who wrote "The Star Spangled Banner".8

Children of Joseph Perry and Isabella Charlton

Martha Perry

Coming Soon!!!

Jane Perry

     Jane’s birth year, like most of her siblings, is unknown, but she was probably born in the 1740’s or 50’s.  She was unmarried in 1777 and left an annuity of 18 pounds, but she was not named in the 1785 list of legatees in her father’s will.  This may have been due to an early death.

Isabella Perry

Like Jane, Isabella’s birth year is unknown.  It has been listed as 1742 online, but has not been confirmed.  She also was unmarried in 1777 and left an annuity of 18 pounds.9  Also like Jane, she was not named in the 1785 list of legatees in her father’s will.  This may have been due to an early death.  Nothing more is known about Isabella or Jane.

Ann Perry

Coming Soon!!!

Eleanor Perry

Eleanor married Daniel Perry, possibly her first cousin.  He is believed to be the possible son of Rev. John Perry.  Go to Daniel Perry’s page for further information.

Alice Perry

Coming Soon!!!

James Perry

According to several sources, James was the only son of Joseph and Isabella.  These same sources state that he died as a child.  I haven’t yet found any information that proves this.  He is probably confused with James, the son of another Joseph Perry10 in Maryland. Perhaps records will eventually be found to solidify this belief.

Female Perry

This child’s name is unknown.  Apparently no records exist to tell us her name, only that the child was a female.  It seems that she died as an infant or a small child.  It is family tradition that tells us that this female and James were part of this family.

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1PE 1.02 p.5-8, 1.03 p.7-8.

2Will of Thomas Charlton of Londonderry Township, Chester Co., PA 6 Sept 1742.

3The Usher Sisters of Early Augusta County, Virginia (Debrett Ancestry Research Ltd, c2005) p.19

4B Wilson, Our Perry Family History c2002 http://www.joycewilson.org/index.htm.

5Loc. Cit.

6Debrett, op. Cit. p.20-1.

7Ibid.

8Ancestral File; for Francis Scott Key, LDS.

9Will of Joseph Perry of Washington County in the State of Maryland, 30 Aug 1777.

10Various Records of one Joseph Perry of Frederick Co., MD (diff. Joseph) researched by D. Pennington.