Father: John Perkins
Mother: Mary *****
Spouse-1: Elizabeth Ford
m: 27/Aug/1700 - New Haven Co., CT
Child-1: Joseph
2: Elizabeth
- b: 10/Nov/1703 - New Haven Co., CT - d: 22/May/1760
m: James Bishop - 27/Feb/1728(1729) - New Haven Co., CT
3: Lydia
- b: 24/Nov/1705 - New Haven Co., CT
d: 22/Dec/1767 - Oxford, New Haven Co., CT
m: William Wilmot - 23/Dec/1725 - New Haven Co., CT
4: Thankful
- b: 17/Apr/1708 - New Haven Co., CT
d: 24/Dec/1788 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
5: Mary
- b: 31/Mar/1712 - New Haven Co., CT - d: - New Haven Co.,
CT
m: Daniel Ford - 13/May/1736 - New Haven Co., CT
6: Stephen
- b: 14/Jun/1716 - New Haven Co., CT
d: ~1720 - New Haven Co., CT
7: Timothy
- b: New Haven Co., CT
Spouse-2: Anna Howe or How
m: 12/Nov/1729 - New Haven Co., CT
Child-1: Annah - b: 26/Mar/1731 - New Haven Co., CT
m: Thomas Berry - 3/Jun/1752 - New Haven Co., CT
m: Abijah Mitchell - 15/May/1759
2: Stephen
- b: 6/Jul/1732 - New Haven Co., CT - d: Oct/1815
m: Sussanah Curtis - 12/May/1756 - Wallingford Twp., New Haven, Co.,
CT
3: Sybil
- b: 28/May1734 - New Haven Co., CT - m: ***** Miles - ~1760
- New Haven Co., CT
4: Tabitha
- b: 12/Apr/1736 - New Haven Co., CT
d: 24/Apr/1755 - New Haven Co., CT
m: Eldad Curtis - 6/Feb/1754 - Wallingford Twp., New Haven Co., CT
5: Elisha
- b: 8/Oct/1740 - New Haven Co., CT
m: Mehitabel Merriam - 9/Jun/1768 - New Haven Co., CT
6: Kersina
Happock (Keran) - b: 8/Oct/1740 - New Haven Co., CT
d: Oct/1809 or 1829 - Rutland Co., VT
m: Samuel Pond - 1767
7: Content
- b: 31/Jul/1745 - New Haven Co., CT
Biographical Details:
It seems reasonably certain that Stephen Perkins was born April 7, 1680, in or near New Haven, Connecticut. The identity of his mother is not known except that her given name was Mary. His father was John Perkins. According to Jacobus, Stephen Perkins was baptized by the First Congregational Society of New Haven on July 8, 1688. However, if these dates are correct they imply an interval of eight years between his birth and baptism. This seems hardly likely upon consideration of the theological teachings of the time, in particular the Doctrine of Original Sin, which provided the basis for baptism of infants and generally would have motivated devout parents to minimize the interval between the birth and baptism of an infant child.1 Therefore, since the birth date seems more certain, it is probable that 1688 is in error and that both the birth and baptism of Stephen Perkins occured in 1680. (It is possible that he has been confused with his younger brother, Elisha, who was born in 1688.)Source Notes and Citations:Stephen Perkins and Elizabeth Ford were married on August 27, 1700, by Major Moses Mansfield presumably in New Haven. Apparently they settled near Round Hill, which probably can be identified with a location near Paynes Corners, approximately five miles northwest of the present city center of New Haven.2 Accordingly, Stephen Perkins was a farmer and was involved in several land conveyances in this area between 1707 and 1727 involving the Sperry and Thompson families as well as his Perkins relatives among others. He was admitted to membership in the First Congregational Church of New Haven on August 22, 1714.
It appears that Elizabeth Ford Perkins died in the early or middle 1720's. Subsequently, Stephen Perkins married Anna Howe (or How) of Wallingford, Connecticut, on November 12, 1729. She was apparently a much younger woman and they had at least seven children. An inventory of the estate of Stephen Perkins was taken by Samuel Barnes and Thomas Mansfield on December 30, 1753, and was valued at sixty-seven pounds and two shillings. Clearly, this implies that he probably died in late 1753, perhaps, November or December. However, this is in conflict with a statement made in C. E. Perkins' published genealogy which asserts that, "In 1755 the expense for maintenance of Stephen Perkins and his wife Anna was divided between their children. The date of his death is uncertain." Within this context, it is probable that the year has been transcribed in error from some hand written record. Alternatively, Anna Howe Perkins was likely still living in 1755 and, perhaps, this statement indicates a modification of an existing arrangement that was made prior to Stephen Perkins' death.
1. "The Pilgrims believed baptism was the sacrament which wiped away Original Sin, and was a covenant with Christ and his chosen people (as circumcision had been to God and the Israelites), and therefore children should be baptized as infants. This was in opposition to the Anabaptists, who believed that baptism was essentially an initiation ceremony into the churchhood of believers, and therefore could only be administered to believing adults who understood the meaning of the ceremony. The Pilgrims, on the other hand, believed that 'baptism now, as circumcision of old, is the seal of the covenant of God,' and they felt that groups like the Anabaptists who did not baptize their infants were depriving Christ's flock of all its young lambs. They further believed that at least one parent must be of the faith for the child to be baptized into the church." (Caleb Johnson, Religious Beliefs of the Pilgrims, www.mayflowerhistory.com/History/religion.php, 2004.)
back to bio.2. Caroline Erickson Perkins, The Descendants of Edward Perkins of New Haven, Conn., Rochester, NY, 1914: pgs. 9-11. (Reprint available from the Higginson Book Co., 148 Wash. St., P. O. B. 778, Salem, MA, 01970)
"October 27, 1707, for £19 he bought of Wm. Thompson 23¼ acres of land lying west of Roundhill, bounded in part on Sperry's land. May 26, 1708, he bought of Sam'l Thompson 20 acres near Roundhill, it being one-third of that lot laid out to John, father of said Sam'l Thompson.
May 12, 1707, he and John Watson exchanged five acres of land near Chestnut Hill bounding on Sperry. April 13, 1709, he and John Thompson divided and staked their several shares in third division at Roundhill. February 14, 1711-12, he bought of Daniel Johnson two rods and seven feet of land bounded partly on John Perkins. April 7, 1712, for 2s 6d he bought of Abigail Burr of Fairfield seven and one-half acres at a place called Holme's Race. June 16, 1874 (sic - 1724 is undoubtedly the year that was meant), he and Eben'r Lines conclude an agreement concerning a 7-acre lot at Haycock Plain, next to Peter Perkins' land. March 26, 1724, he and his brother Peter deed land from Benj. Wood.The following items are abstracted from the Proprietors' records:
February, 1725-6, Stephen Perkins may take in the highway against his house provided he carry the way upon good ground in his own lot and the highway to be the same width of the former. * * * That Stephen Perkins have his right in the next division joining to Glover's lot.
March 12, 1725-6, laid out to Stephen Perkins 16½ acres, leaving 4 rods west for an highway, the whole length of said five rods.
March 14, 1726-7. Then laid out an highway and exchanged land with the proprietors and Stephen Perkins beginning a little westerly of his old house and five or six rods south * * * near the saw mill.
There appears to be no settlement of his estate on the New Haven records."
back to bio.
Additional Citations:
3. New England Genealogical and Historical Register, Vol. 17, pgs. 63-64, 1863.4. Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Ancient New Haven - Vols. 1-9, Printed by Clarence D. Smith, Rome, NY, 1923 & 1929: Vol. 3, pg. 611 & Vol. 8, pgs. 1421, & 1985; also appeared as "New Haven Genealogical Magazine", Vols. I-VIII, 1922-1932. (Reprint available from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD, 21202-3897)
5. Vital Records of New Haven, 1649-1850, pub. by Connecticut Society of the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hartford, CT, 1917-1924: Vol. 1, pg. 128. (cited by Steven Curtis Perkins, "Ancestry of Jabez Perkins", freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~scperkins/jabez.html, 1989-2001.)
6. Records of the First Congregational Church, New Haven , CT: No. 708. (cited ibid.)
7. New Haven Dist. #8161; New Haven Probate Packets, 1683-1880, Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT, (microfilm: roll #1024363 (904)). (cited ibid.)
8. Paula Perkins Mortensen, English Origin of Six Early Colonists by the Name Perkins, Gateway Press, Baltimore, MD, 1998.
9. Clarence Almon Torrey (with a revised introduction by Gary Boyd Roberts), New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, MD, 1985: pg. 572.