Katherine Fletcher - Perkins Family History: European Royalty to Tennessee

Perkins Family History: European Royalty to Tennessee

Katherine Fletcher

Published by Katherine Fletcher, 2019.

PERKINS FAMILY HISTORY

European Royalty to West Tennessee

By

Katherine Fletcher

2015 Copyright All Rights Reserved Katherine Fletcher

INTRODUCTION

This particular Perkins family line goes back an amazing forty nine generations. My humble family line from West Tennessee who were small farmers actually came from ancient Kings and Queens of France and England. Follow the journey from the year 600 AD and this familys journey from Germany, France, England and America.

This American branch settled in Jamestown, VA and Baltimore, Maryland. Some lived in Bladen, North Carolina and parts of South Carolina and Washington and Carter Counties in Tennessee. My branch lived in Hardin County (Sardis), Tennessee.

PERKINS FAMILY HISTORY

Perkins is one of the most notable surnames from the European genealogical research of Anglo/Saxon surnames, and is an influential surname of the middle ages. It should be noted at the beginning that the original spelling of the name was not Perkins. The name was originally deMorlaix as the manuscripts of this time period were, most always, written in Latin or French. The later translators Anglicized the name from deMorlaix to Morley. In future generations the Perkins (deMorlaix/Morley) name was spelt Pierrekin, Pierkyn, and Perkyn. Not until the late 14th century did the spelling take on the now accepted form.

Research of ancient manuscripts, which include the Doomsday Book by Duke William of Normandy in 1086 A.D., the Ragman Rolls of 1291-1296 authorized by King Edward 1st of England, the Curia Regis Rolls, The Pipe Rolls and The Hearth Rolls of England, found the first record of the name Perkins in Leicestershire, England. The name Perkins, in one form or another (i.e.: deMorlaix/Morley), first appears on the census rolls taken by the Kings of England beginning about 400 A.D.

The family name Perkins is one of the most distinguished of the ancient world during a time of Kingdoms, Kings and Knights. If we are to believe Bede, the Chronicler of the Saxons, this founding race of England was led by the Saxon General/Commanders Hengist and Horsa and settled in Kent.

However, there is evidence to support the claim that the name is of Celtic/Welsh origin. Based on British history we know that after the last Roman Legions left the continent in the early part of the 5th century the Saxons, Angles and other LowGerman tribes settled in Southeastern England around Kent. However, the Ancient Britons (Celtics) were the true natives of the area and it is an amalgamation of the Angles, Saxons and Celtic Britons who became what we refer to today as the Anglo/Saxons. The truth is that the Angles and Saxons may have "moved in", but the Britons were there in far greater numbers, thus accounting for the claim that the blood line is far more Celtic than any other. Therefore it should be concluded that the origins of the Perkins "Clan" are Celtic/Welsh.

By the 13th century the family name Perkins emerged as a notable English family in the county of Leicester, where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated as Lords of the manor and estates in that shire. They had branched to Ufton Court in Berkshire and Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire, later branching to Nuneaton, Marston and Hillmorton, Warwickshire. The main stem of the family continued at Orton Hall in Leicestershire, where it remains to this day. Notable amongst the family at this time was Perkins of Leicester. For the next two or three centuries bearers of the surname Perkins flourished and played a significant role in the political development of England.

The last generation to use the original spelling of Morlaix in or around 1331 was the family of one Pierre de Morlaix of Shropshire, England. He appears to have been born 1312 in Bretagne, Morliax, Normandy, France and died about 1384 in Shropshire, England. His name indicates that although originally from Morlaix, Normandy, France he was part of the Celtic/Welsh group previously mentioned who migrated to England. During this time period surnames were not in common use. Everybody was known by some personal characteristic such as what they did, who there father was or where they came from, hence Pierre de Morlaix was from Morlaix, France. Attaining a high position within English society, Pierre became the High Steward of the Hugo de Spencer Estate of Oxfordshire, England (later known as the House of Spencer, of whom Princes Diana was a daughter).

The Perkins of Ufton, Berkshire, are generally believed by genealogists to be the parent branch from which nearly all the Perkins of England and America are descended.

From William Perkins (1495), of Hillmorton Parish, Warwickshire, was descended the John Perkins who possibly was the one that settled in Ipswich, MA and was the progenitor of many American branches of the Perkins Family.

GENERATION ONE

Zona Louise Perkins (1887-1959) and Charles Walter Rice (1886-1973)

They married in 1904. Zona ran the post office for many years. Charles Walter (my great grandfather) was an excellent carpenter. I have an heirloom hand made cedar chest that he made for my mother when she got married. Walter and Zona ran the first telephone company in Sardis for many years.

Sardis, Tennessee

Their children:

Rupert Kerry Rice 1913-1923 died of ruptured appendix at age 12

Mildred Nellie 1919-1919 died as a baby of cholera

Howard 1912

Oral Holland (my grandfather) 1912-1993/ married Margaret Ruth England

Millie Lucille "Lucy" Rice 1925 - married Paul Everette Martin

Paul (1921-1991) married Mildred Martin

** THE RICE GENEALOGY IS ALSO COMPLETED AND AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.

Heres some great pictures of Zona Perkins and her boys and husband.

Charles Walter Rice

GENERATION TWO

Charles (Mack) Perkins (1860-1936) and Lydia A. Hopper (1862-1936)

In 1880 they lived in Henderson, TN age 19.

Born in Henderson, Tennessee - died in Decatur Co, TN.

Lydia Hopper's parents are David Crockett Hopper and Martha Ann Pearly Bridges.

Their children:

Emma 1879-1970 married Luther Wilmer Johnson

Thomas Valentine 1883-1937 / married Ida Bivens

Willie Paul 1898-1980 married Vida Kennedy

Robert 1887

Zona 1887-1959 she died of pellagra

Jesse 1891

He divorced Lydia before 1900 and He also married in 1908 to Betty J. Tipton and had children:

Frank J.

Opal Flossie 1911-1992

GENERATION THREE

William Green Perkins (1833-1909) and Asley (Elsie) Robertson (1834)

William Green was born in Tennessee and died in Henderson Co, TN.