I believe that I am descended from this same Peter and Nancy Perry. There are some new dna results which place the Hart Co., KY Perrys in the Watertown, MA Perry family. It appears that a branch of this family left Massachusetts in the 1740s or 1750s and migrated to Halifax Co., VA. Later they lived in nearby Granville Co., NC before migrating to KY.

Rev. John Perry, b. 1581, of Farnborough, Hampshire, England and his wife Judith are the progenitors of this family. Their son John (1604-1674) settled in Watertown, MA. I am missing several generations between John and Peter. Peter was born about 1760, possibly in Halifax Co., VA. There was a John Perrey listed on p. 22 of the 1782 tax list of that county. This John could be a close relative of Peter. Also, listed on the same page is William Rowlett. Judith Rowlett married William Perry in 1803 in Halifax Co. William later moved to Barren Co., KY which divided into Hart Co., KY.

Family structure (sketchy at this point):

John Perrey b. before 1760; possible father or brother to Peter.

Peter Perry b. 1760 VA; married Nancy Perry 1783, Granville Co., NC; migrated to Barren Co., KY around 1807/1808 (listed on a tax list) then moved to Christian Co. and died there 1827. Married 2nd to Elizabeth Carlton.

Peter's children:
1) David b. 1784, married Nancy Clark 1812 Barren Co., KY, moved to Christian Co.
2) Bartlett b. 1786, Granville Co., NC (probable son), married Sally Clarke 1813 Barren Co., KY, died in Hart Co. after 1860.
3) Dicey
4) Nancy - possibly the one who married Thomas Mobley in 1810, Barren Co., KY
5) Tracey - possible daughter, married Richard Davidson in 1806 in Barren Co., KY
6) Nathan b. 1795

Children by second wife Elizabeth Carlton:
7) Maria
8) Oliver Hazard
9) Joanna

William Perry, mentioned above, was born around 1770/1775 and may be a younger brother of Peter. William died in Hart Co. after 1840. His wife was Judith Rowlett. Many of the Perrys lived near the town or village of Rowletts in Hart Co.,KY.

For more information on the families of Bartlett and William Perry of Hart Co., KY, see the book Ancestors and Descendants of Henry Thomas Perry 1893-1950 and Pearl May Greenup 1895-1983, Third Edition, by Cortes L. Perry. I contributed some material to this book.


Frank Merriman