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     Ancill Perley was born on 3 July 1798.¹ He was the son of Jesse Perley and Widow Elizabeth Moulton.¹

He died on 28 December 1831 at age 33, unmarried.¹ He was buried in Harmony Cemetery, East Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts.¹

     Andrew Perley is the son of Eliphalet Perley and Anna Porter.¹

     Anna Perley is the daughter of Allen Perley and Lydia Porter.¹

     Anna Perley was born in Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts.¹ She is the daughter of Benjamin Perley and Apphia Andrews of Danvers.¹

     Annie Perley was born on 3 October 1855.¹ She was the daughter of Stephen Augustus Perley and Eliza Mary Foster.¹

She adopted in 1857 by John W. and Sarah J. Beal.¹

She married George Augustus Frame on 3 September 1873.¹

     Anstess Perley was born on 8 March 1792 or 18 March 1792 in Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts.² She was the daughter of John Perley and Hannah Mighill of Rowley.¹ She and Nathaniel Lambert of Rowley published their marriage intention on 2 November 1822.²

She died on 12 June 1831 or 20 June 1831 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, of white swelling.²

     Apphia Perley was born on 1 July 1780 in Rindge, Rockingham County, New Hampshire.² She was the daughter of Eliphalet Perley and Anna Porter.¹

Apphia Perley sold to Betsey and Clarissa, all spinsters, for $25, 8 Nov 1816, land in the northern part of Fitchburg reserving to my father and mother Eliphalet and Anna the use of it while they live.—Registry, 211: 68; and Israel Witherbee, Jr., carpenter, for $42, sold to Apphia and Susanna Perley single women, 1 Feb 1809, 3 acres, in Fitchburg.—Registry, 173: 259.²

She died on 15 November 1816 in Fitchburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts, at age 36 unmarried. Her father, in a letter to her uncle Henry of Boxford, dated 20 Nov 1816, thus speaks of her: "Daughter Apphia died the 15th, about 6 o'clock in the morning, after a confinement of about a month with a consumptive cough and a fever attending it, which she bore with a submissive patience. She had her reason to the last, and appeared to be fully resigned to death. She left us with consolation under a hope she has made a happy change. . . . Love and respects to sister Phebe and her children."²

     Apphia Perley is the daughter of Jacob Perley and Sarah Andrews.¹

     Apphia Perley was born in Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts.¹ She is the daughter of Benjamin Perley and Apphia Andrews of Danvers.¹

     Artemas Ward Perley was born on 29 January 1776 in East Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, on the present (as of 1906) T. P. Killam place.² He was the son of Nathaniel Perley and Mehitable Perley.¹

Artemas Ward Perley was a farmer and lived on the parental estate. Mr. Perley's Boxford residence was the style that begun about 1670, having the long back roof, two stories high, two large rooms in front and a large kitchen and two bedrooms in the rear, on the first floor. It was destroyed by fire in Apr 1832, together with the barn, which was very large, and other out buildings.

(The house seems to have been predestined to a baptism of fire. Once it caught from the improper disposal of ashes and live coals by the hired girl. Again it was discovered to be on fire by Mr. Perley's son, Haskell, who was returning about 11 o'clock at night from Topsfield, where he was engaged for the season at farming. When some distance from the house, he saw the light and hastening forward found the front room was on fire. Instead of disturbing the family, who were asleep, he soon extinguished the flames. The big back-log of the great fireplace had rolled out of its place and kindled a wicked fire. Haskell retired and in the morning told his parents the tale of their deliverance.)

Mr. Perley then removed to the residence of his brother Amos, who was lately deceased, and whose farm was nearly contiguous. He remained there a few months only.²

He married Eleanor Putnam of Danvers on 20 March 1803 as his first wife.²

He married Elizabeth Gould on 20 May 1823 as his second wife and her second husband.² About 1833, Artemas Ward Perley moved to the ancient Zaccheus Gould mansion in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts , where he spent the remnant of his life except a short time in Hampstead, N. H., where he owned a farm.

The parental estate was his till about 1838, when he sold it to Joseph Hale, who erected a house on the site of the old cooper shop of Mr. Perley's father. Mr. Hale crowned the site of the old house that was burned with a new and spacious one in 1841, and occupied it till 1862. In 1906, it was owned by Mr. Thos. Perley Killam.

He was a man of means and held in good repute. He was surveyor of highways 1810, 1815, 1820, 1826; on the school board 1811, 1820, and surveyor of highways in Topsfield 1837.²

He married Huldah Gould on 28 February 1833 as his third wife. They were married by Rev. J. F. McEwen.²

He died on 6 January 1862 at age 85.³

     Artemas Ward Perley is the son of Artemas Ward Perley and Eleanor Putnam of Danvers.¹

     Asa Perley was born on 9 July 1772 in Winchendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts.^1,2 He was the son of Lieut. Dudley Perley and Hannah Hale.¹

He married Mary Hunt.¹

     Asa Perley is the son of Thomas Perley and Abigail Towne.¹

     Asa Perley was born on 10 October 1716 in East Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, upon the farm of the late Isaac Hale.² He was the son of Thomas Perley and Sarah Osgood of Andover.¹

He married Susannah Low on 1 January 1737/38 . Dr. Daniel Perley said that eight of their children grew to manhood, and that seven served in the Revolutionary War.³

He became a member of the First Church in 23 Mar 1760.⁴

Mr. Perley by devise possessed his father's homestead and half of his real estate, which was extensive. His home had been his father's; he erected the present (1906) dwelling house, and his sons brought from the woods and set out in front of it, about 1761, a small elm which they could carry easily and which has become the second, perhaps the first, in size in the county, has given celebrity to the estate, and afforded a green and grateful shade to the laborer and traveler from summer's heat.

He was little in public life till his oldest sons were able to carry on the farm. His civil service began with surveyor of highways in his own district, and he performed the duty in 1747, 1761 and 1766. He was field driver in 1751; constable in 1754; hogreeve in 1757. As a man of commanding address, he was moderator of town meetings in 1765, 1766, 1768, 1771, 1773, 1774, 1777, 1786 and 1788; was selectman in 1758, 1764, 1767, 1769, 1771, 1774, 1777, 1778 and 1782 —ten full years; and served on many committees of importance: a committee in 1770, to draft a paper tor the signatures of his townsmen pledging themselves neither to purchase nor use tea or English goods; in 1776 a committee of safety and also a committee on the payment of soldiers; in 1779 a committee to fix the prices of merchandise, produce, labor, etc; in 1782 again a committee of correspondence and safety. In 1771, 1772, 1780 and 1781, he represented the town in the General Court. In 1775, a year that "tried men's souls" he was a member of the Provincial Congress, and the assembly, 1 Jun 1775, "ordered that Dea. Fisher, Mr. Spaulding, Mr. Stickney, Mr. Partridge and Major Perley be a committee to consider the proposal of the reverend clergy, now in convention, to serve in rotation as chaplains in the army."

His grandson Dr. Daniel had the original of the following, which in this connection, though without inscription, explains itself:

"Sir, Having received certain Intelligence of the Sailing of a Number of Troops to re-inforce The Army under General Gage, having 'murdred sundry inhabitants,' this with the industrious Preparations making in Boston for a speedy March into the Country impresses us with the absolute Necessity of convening the Provincial Congress at Concord as soon as may be agreeable to a Vote of Congress at their last Session.—You are therefore requested immediately to repair to Concord, as the closest Deliberation & the collected Wisdom of the People, at this alarming Crisis are indispensably necessary for the Salvation of the Country. Concord April 20, 1775 Rich^d Devens order.

The above is printed, except from the words "to" and the dates and signature at the bottom.

He was prominent in the military; was commissioned a lieutenant of the company in his parish in 1757, was promoted to the captaincy in 1763, and was made major of his regiment uear the close of 1774. He manifested a hearty co-operation in the struggle for independence, in which seven of his sons served.⁵

He married Apphia ---(?)--- on 12 August 1762.⁶

When Samuel Porter, a loyalist, left Salem for England in 1775, he left his papers with Mr. Blaney of Salem, among which was a bond for £20 19s., signed by Asa Perley. Major Perley paid £10 on the bond, 19 May, 1785.⁴ He and Ruth Heard of Boxford published their marriage intention on 10 November 1781.⁶

He married Ruth Heard of Boxford on 8 December 1781.⁶

He died on 10 April 1806 at age 89 . Dr. John Merriam of Topsfield attended him in his last sickness. His will is dated 23 Apr 1792, was witnessed by Aaron Perley, Joseph Hale, Jr., and Thomas Perley, Jr., and proved 6 May 1806. His son Samuel was sole executor, but he dying, Thomas Perley, Esq., was appointed administrator of both the estates. His second wife's daughters, Elizabeth and Anna, had what property she brought with her at marriage.³