amuel Perry was designated as the eldest son in the will of Edward¹ Perry, was to inherit his father’s dwelling house and land belonging thereto upon the death of his mother. Samuel Perry and his brother Benjamin Perry chose to move to Rhode Island. On 21 Dec 1696 Samuel Perry was listed as a freeman of Kingston, Rhode Island. Apparently he continued to own land in Sandwich, Mass. at least until 1702, when his name appeared on a list of freemen of Plymouth Colony. A somewhat younger Samuel² Perry, son of an Ezra1 Perry, was also a freeman of the colony and was designated "Samuel Perry Junr." in order to distinguish the two different men. Samuel was born about 1664 in Sandwich. (A Martha Benns collected records of many R. I. families; her records are owned by the Rhode Island Historical Society. Her notebook "The Perry Family" dated 1924, shows the birthdate of Samuel Perry as 2 Mar 1665, but unfortunately Mrs. Benns did not cite her sources. We have not been able to find verification of the date she gave as of this time). Samuel² Perry died 2 Jul 1716. The Quaker record of deaths show that Samuel, aged 52 years, died at Samuel Holmes’ house in Newport, Rhode Island. The Quaker Records show that Samuel Perry married 9 May 1690, perhaps in Newport, R. I., but probably in Dartmouth, a Mary Tucker. Samuel was among the original purchasers of the Shannock Purchase (now Richmond, R. I.) in 1709. He owned other lands as well, totaling approximately fifteen hundred acres at the time of his death. Samuel built a grist mill on Mill Pond and his home was nearby. The mill, probably moved by Samuel’s son James Perry, is apparently the one still standing on Moonstone Beach Road. There is a restored schoolhouse off School House Road in Matunuck, R. I. built between 1696 and 1716, which is called the Samuel Perry House. There is some question whether it was built by this Samuel Perry, or whether it may have been the home of a Perry of a later generation. The house, carefully restored and preserved, is still occupied. (See Historic Buildings of South County - Pettaquamscutt Historical Society, 1976). In May 1716 a Samuel Perry was appointed a Justice of the Peace in Kingston, Rhode Island. The appointment may have been of Samuel³, his son, who later held that office in Westerly. The Quaker Lot cemetery at the junction of Route 1 (southbound) and Tower Hill road was purchased in 1710 by a group that included a Samuel Perry. It seems reasonable to suppose that he and Mary Tucker his wife are buried there. Samuel’s will, written in Newport, R. I., "16th, 4m, 1716" (actually 16 Jun 1716), was proved 16 Jul 1716 in South Kingston, Rhode Island. The will is recorded in the town records of South Kingston. Samuel’s children's birth order was made clear on his will. Edward³ was called the "second son" in his father’s will, and Simeon³ was called "fourth son". Each was given certain lands. Two deeds recorded in the land evidence books of Westerly, Rhode Island show that on 18 Sep 1718, the three brothers; James³, Samuel³, and Benjamin³, divided among themselves the tracts of land which had been left to Edward³ and Simeon³. Edward³ and Simeon³ Perry probably died prior to September 1718, without issue and intestate. There is no record of them after 1716. The above notes were taken from Rhode Island Descendants of Edward Perry by Rosemary Canfield of Pacific Grove, CA, 1988. Some references Rosemary used were: Vital Records of Dartmouth, Mass., 2:355 by James N. Arnold. [STACYN.GED]

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