Holbrook line: John Perrin 1701-1770

 I like John Perrin for one reason, which family historians will appreciate: He was born, lived, and died in the same small town in Connecticut.  Thank you, Grandfather John!  

John was the son of Samuel and Mehitable Child Perrin, and was born March 18, 1701/1702 in Woodstock, Connecticut, except that it was Massachusetts at the time.  He was the fifth of at least eight children born to the couple, and the family multiplied so that by the time John died, his own children and those of his siblings were numerous in the town.  This makes it "fun" because it looks like there were at least two other John Perrins who lived in Woodstock, and some records seem to be confused.  They are certainly, to me, confusing.  There was a John who died in 1770 (ours), one who died in 1773, and one who died in 1803, among possibly others. 

We owe a debt of gratitude to the Perrin family in general, for many of the men fought in the French and Indian War, and in the Revolutionary War.  I found no reference to our John having served in either conflict, but John would have been in his 50's when the French and Indian War broke out.  There is a possibility that he fought in King George's War, (1744-48) but I've not found a record yet. I'm not sure whether he would be in Massachusetts or in Connecticut records, since the transfer to Connecticut took place in 1749.  That search continues.

John married Abigail Morris, daughter of Samuel and Dorothy Martin Morris, shortly after December 28, 1725, the date their intentions were published.  At the time, Abigail was noted as being "of "Mianoxit", which I haven't been able to identify.  John was about 24 and Abigail was about 18 years old.  Their first son was born soon after, on April 17, 1726.  John and Abigail had at least fourteen children together, with an apparent gap between 1748, when number 13 was born, and 1753, when the last son is reported to have been born.  There is room for an additional pregnancy between those two dates but I've not located a record for a child born then.  At any rate, Abigail in 1753 was 46 years old and probably had her hands full.  

John's father, Samuel, had been a founder of the town and served in several civic offices.  John appears to have not served to the same extent, but he did leave some records.  We know that he lived in the southwest section of Woodstock, that he and Abigail were admitted to full communion in the Woodstock church in 1727, and that he was a part of the (Congregational) church in West Woodstock and he was apparently assigned per number 5 in 1747, , indicating a degree of respect in the community.  His name is on a petition in 1750 for a division of school districts, asking for a new school to be built nearer to his part of town.  

We don't know what John did for a living but he likely farmed.  He did have several parcels of land at his death, and it seems that he may have given some of his older children land or money as they married and left home.  

John died without a will on April 5, 1770.  Ancestry has a copy of the estate papers.  The older children mostly agreed to renounce their claims in favor of the younger children, but I didn't find out what happened to Abigail.  I didn't see her name mentioned anywhere, although I have a death date for her of June 14, 1787, and she is mentioned on Find a Grave as the widow of John Perrin.  There are also records in 1803 which seem to me to be for a different John Perrin, although some of the same names are in those records.  Surely settling the estate didn't take 33 years?

John is buried at the Bungay Cemetery in West Woodstock.  Engraved on his tombstone are the following lines: "Let not the dead forgotten lie Lest men forget that they must die."

John's family was obviously close, as siblings named their children after not only their parents, but their parent's siblings.  John was undoubtedly proud of the men who went off to war, as well as those who stayed behind.  And we are proud to be his descendants.

The line of descent is:

John Perrin-Abigail Morris

Benjamin Perrin-Mary or Marcy possibly Osborn

Mary Perrin-David Fay

Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard

Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants