Martha Perry

(Abt 1701 to aft 1748)

     She has also been listed as born abt 1710 and 1715.¹  There is more information on Martha's son James than her.  Martha married Rev. Edward Arnold (abt 1696 to September 1764) sometime before 1730.  Since James Arnold was born in 1730², Martha and Edward must have married before that time.  James Arnold, Esq. received Perrymount in James Perry's will of 1751³.  Martha is not mentioned directly in the will of James Perry and may have died before 1753.⁴  What is known is that she was living in 1748,⁵ but had died sometime before her husband Edward's will was written in 1761⁶.

     A short biography of Edward is in "Succession Lists of the Diocese of Dromore" (1933) by Henry B. Swanzy.  It states that Edward was born in Hillsborough, County Down and was the son of Thomas, gent.  He received an education from Mr. Clarke of Lisburn and then attended Trinity College in Dublin.  Edward started on May 18, 1722.⁷  He received his BA in 1726 and became curate of Tullylish in 1730.  Edward became curate of Dromore in August of 1748 until his death.  He also became Master of the Diocesan School in Dromore in 1754.  Edward made his will on October 28, 1761.  He asked to be buried near his wife in the Waringstown Churchyard.  He got his wish and was buried there on September 29, 1764.  His will mentions his children James, Richard, John, Margaret, and Anne Frances.⁸  His daughters were not yet married.  Edward's will was exhibited in the diocese of Dromore on September 11, 1765.

Children of Martha Perry and Edward Arnold

James Arnold, Esq.

     James Arnold was born around 1730 in County Down, Ireland and died sometime after 1777 at Perrymount, Down, Ireland.  The estate known as “Perrymount” was occupied in 1777 “by Arnold Esquire”.⁹  This was James Arnold, the son of Martha Perry Arnold, daughter of James Perry.  James Arnold and his new wife Elinor were given Perrymount according to James Perry's deed.  Swift Perry, who was an attorney and the eldest son of James Perry, contested the deed.  The records for that case are lost, but with the Arnold family living there in 1777, James Arnold appears to have won the case to receive Perrymount as he is listed as a resident for many years thereafter.¹⁰  James married Elinor Gwyn abt November 20, 1751 in County Down, Ireland.  Elinor was the daughter of Mark (Donaghcloney of Magherana)¹¹ and Mary Gwyn (Donaghcloney of Magherana)¹².  Several records for James Arnold appear between 1781 and 1814¹³. Additional information has surfaced about possible descendants of James and Elinor that is currently being researched.¹⁴

Richard Arnold

     All that is known about Martha’s children besides James is their names from Edward Arnold’s will.  James was the eldest child.  Richard, John, Margaret, and Anne Frances were born sometime after 1730.  Margaret and Anne were still unmarried when Edward wrote his will in 1761¹⁵ and thus probably were under the age of twenty-five.

John Arnold

Margaret Arnold

Anne Frances Arnold

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