If you have been doing genealogy research for some time, I’m guessing that you are like me in that you have used the county histories to locate biographies of a family member. These histories provide a wealth of clues about the life of an individual. They often provide information about the spouse and children of the person. If one is lucky, they might also provide information about the parents and in-laws.
For me, those biographies have been about the men in the area. Thus, I was surprised to find a biography of a woman, Anna H. Wells, wife of George Talbot Perry. While this biography could easily have been written with George Perry as the focus, it begins with information about Anna and her family before including information about George.
Perry, nee Anna H. Wells, p.o. Chittenango, N.Y., born March 6, 1825, eldest daughter of Ozias and Mary (Kennedy) Wells, a prominent family in years gone by. Both the Wells and Kennedy families came from New England. The Wells family trace their descent back to Elder John White, who came from England and landed in Boston on ship “Lyon,” September 16, 1632. They are also closely related to the well-known Thurston and Green families, so prominent in Revolutionary days. December 24, 1848, Anna H. Wells married St. George Talbot Perry. he was the fourth in direct line to bear the name. His mother was Amanda Herkimer, grand-
Smith John E., Editor, Our County and Its People, a Descriptive and Biographical Record of Madison County, New York (N.p.: Boston History Company, Publishers, 1899), page 96; digital images, FamilySearch.org, http://www.familysearch.org Film 934838 Item 1 : viewed online 12 June 2022.
page 97
Smith John E., Editor, Our County and Its People, a Descriptive and Biographical Record of Madison County, New York (N.p.: Boston History Company, Publishers, 1899), page 96; digital images, FamilySearch.org, http://www.familysearch.org Film 934838 Item 1 : viewed online 12 June 2022.
daughter of Capt. George Herkimer, who fought with his brother, Gen. Nicholas Herkimer, in the noted battle of Oriskany. The Perrys came from England and settled in Rhode Island some time in the year 1600. To George T. and Anna H. Perry were born three children: Hattie Simms, now the wife of Hon. R. C. Briggs, resident of Rome, N.Y.; Georgia Talbot, now the wife of Charlse S. Button of Chittenango; Edward Sims, named in honor of good old Deacon Sims whose wife was cousin of Mrs. Perry, and in whose family much of her childhood was spent; he died January 31, 1864, aged four years. Mr. Perry in early life was associated in business with the late Alfred Bellamy in Chittenango. For over twenty years he was engaged in business in New York city where his abilities commanded the highest salaries. He was a conspicuous example of a self-made man and won the respect and friendship of a very large circle of friends. In politics he was a steadfast Republican. He was an active member of Strong Place Baptist Church, Brooklyn, NY. His death occurred November 15, 1865. Since then Mrs. Perry has made her home in Chittenango.
