from The History of Ufton Court
Reverend William Perkins, of Topsfield, Massachusetts was the son of William Perkins, merchant tailor, of London, and Topsfield, Katherine his wife...
William, born August 25, 1607; emigrated to New England; afterwards of Topsfield, Mass....
William Perkins sailed for New England in the William and Francis, Mr. Thomas, master, leaving London March 9, 1632, and arriving at Boston June 5, following.
In March, 1633, with the illustrious John Winthrop, junior, and twelve others, he began the settlement of Ipswich; was admitted freeman September 3, 1634, and removed to Roxbury, where he married Elizabeth Wootton, August 30, 1636.
October 10,1638, he was one of the surveyors appointed to survey and run the southerly line of the patent. October 7, 1641, because of his father's gift of £50 to Harvard College, he was granted 400 acres of land by the General Court. In 1642 he removed to Weymouth, and while there was leader of the military band; was also a lieutenant in 1642, and captain in 1644, in which year he represented the town in the General Court.
He was one of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, and was chosen commissioner "to end small controversies in Weymouth." From 1650 to 1655 he was preaching to the inhabitants of Gloucester; in 1651 he gave his testimony in regard to a lost will of Walter Tibbet, of Gloucester, upon which the Court allowed a copy (so called) to be proved.
From Gloucester he went to Topsfield; and after preaching a few years, William spent the remainder of his life in the calm pursuits of husbandry.
He was probably one of the most accomplished men among the first Topsfield, settlers of Topsfield; a scholar and a man of business; a clergyman; a Mass. soldier and a legislator; and, during the latter part of his life, a farmer.
In each of these relations, so unlike, and, according to present notions, so incompatible, he bore himself, so far as we can learn, with ability and discretion.
He often revisited his native country; was there in February, 1640; in October, 1646; in the spring of 1667 ; in April, 1670, and during the winter of 1673-4.
January 20, 1671, he mortgaged to Thomas Clark, "late of Plimouth, but now of Boston, merchant," all his house and seven acres of land in Topsfield, on the northerly side of which stood a grist mill, etc....
He died at Topsfield May 21, 1682, leaving a widow and nine children surviving. The date of his widow's death has not yet been ascertained.
The children of Rev. William and Katherine (Wootton) Perkins were:
1. William, born October 12, 1639; died December 23, 1639.
2. William, born in Roxbury, February 26, 1640-1 ; married Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Clarke, of Topsfield, October 24, 1669; died October 30, 1695, aged 54.
3. Elizabeth, born in Weymouth, June 18, 1643; married John Ramsdell, of Lynn, May 31, 1671.
4. Tobijah, born in Weymouth, October 20, 1646 ; married Sarah Denison, November 4, 1680; died in Topsfield, April 30, 1723, aged 77.
5. Katherine, born in Weymouth, October 29, 1648; married John Baker, of Ipswich, May 13, 1667.
6. Mary, born in Gloucester, February 17, 1651; married Oliver Purchas, September 17, 1672. His first wife, Sarah, had died October 21, 1671.
7. John, born in Topsfield, April 2, 1655; married Anna Hutchinson, August 29, 1695; settled in Lynnfield and died there January 12, 1712, aged 57. His widow died in 1717.
8. Sarah, born in Topsfield, March 2, 1656-7; married John, son of Governor Simon Bradstreet, June 11, 1677.
9. Timothy, born in Topsfield, August 11, 1658; married Edna Hazen, of Rowley, August 2, 1686.
10. Rebecca, born in Topsfield, May 4, 1662; married Thomas, son of Captain Fiske, of Wenham, November 3, 1678; and died before 1719.
