Benjamin Perry (1669)
BENJAMIN PERRY, son of EZRA and ELIZABETH (BURGESS) PERRY, born in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts,15 January 1669; died in Stoughton, Norfolk, Massachusetts, 25 August 1740; married in Sandwich, 17 January 1694, DINAH SWIFT daughter of WILLIAM and RUTH SWIFT, born in Sandwich, about 1670; died probably before 1733 (See Torrey).
BENJAMIN probably built his home in Sandwich about the time of his marriage. He and his sons BENJAMIN and ABNER appear on a list of Sandwich householders in March 1730. BENJAMIN Sr. sold his property to GIDEON ELLIS about 1733: ABIEL and ELNATHAN ELLIS razed the house in 1767. By deed of 11 October 1733, BENJAMIN PERRY of Stoughton bought from his son, BRNJAMIN, a tract of 386 acres in Stoughton, in the 25th Division. There is no record of how the son, BENJAMIN, acquired this land, but WILLIAM SWIFT's will, dated 17 June 1705, gives only "moveables" to his "daughter DINAH PERRY." SWIFT was for many years a member of the General Court and it was usual for such representatives to acquire lands in undeveloped areas. One hypothesis, then, might be that after DINAH's death, undivided land belonging to the WILLIAM SWIFT estate might properly fall to her eldest son. This possibility is consistent with the fact that BENJAMIN PERRY sold the tract, 15 October 1735, to the three youngest sons -- JOSIAH, NATHANIEL, and ELIAKIM PERRY. No record has been found of a will or settlement of the estate of BENJAMIN PERRY in probate indexes of Suffolk, Bristol, or Barnstable Counties. See Brownson, NEHGR 115:98. See also Journal of American Genealogy, Vol. 2, no. 1.
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