William Perry and Sarah Paine Crook

L-R: William Perry, James Madison Perry, Sarah Paine (Crook) Perry, and Martha (Crook) Dewitt

Looking over the information I have on the Perrys, it strikes me that I need to do more research.  Almost everything I have in my database is research by others:  Vivian Moore, Mary Lou Marshall, Carl Moore, my sister, my parents.  So, I will do this blog post, but want to state up front that I have not verified all that I'm including here.  And, as you will see as you read on in this and future posts, some of the family stories would be very hard to verify now that the original sources are gone.  So take anything that is not a basic, easily verifiable fact with a grain of salt.

That said, I want to especially thank Carl Moore, Jr. for sharing his research and the research of his aunt, Vivian Moore, who died in May 1979, and for giving me permission to use it here.

William Perry was born in July 1824 in either Franklin Co. or Anderson Co., Kentucky.  His parents were William Jackson and Catherine (Young) Perry.   He was also called Billy Perry.

On 17 December 1846 in Anderson Co., Kentucky, William married Sarah Paine Crook (also found spelled Crooke), the daughter of Hezekiah and Elizabeth (Johnson) Crooke. 

Sarah or Sally was born in April 1824 in Franklin Co., Kentucky.   Vivian Moore (a great-granddaughter through William and Sarah's daughter Celeste) claimed that Elizabeth Johnson Crook, Sallie's mother, died giving birth to Sallie.  I am not sure that this is correct since I show Sarah born in 1824 and her mother dying in 1841.   However, this is what Vivian wrote regarding Sarah, "Great-grandmother Sallie Paine, left without a mother, was tended and largely brought up by a slave called Old Syl.  Little Sallie was fair-skinned and Syl would not allow her to go outside without wearing her bonnet.  Syl threatened to cut holes in the bonnet and tie her hair on the outside if she disobeyed.  She was frail but lively child who must have been a trial to her nurse.  She told of spying on Syl when her boyfriend, who belonged to a neighboring family, came courting.  The boyfriend discovered her hidden behind a door and was naturally irritated.  He asked Syl, "Is Miss Sally right bright? Is she all right in the haid?" Syl answered "Yes, Miss Sallie is real bright."  "Well, she has a dark ways of showing it," was his reply.  The remark has come down to us as a family expression.  Among the marriage bonds for Anderson County, I found that William Perry married Sarah P. Crook on December 17, 1846, and that their bondsman was her brother S.F. Crook.  The latter Crooks were not well-off; neither were they very poor.  They seem to have had enough of this world's goods so that they could do as they pleased.  I have nowhere found that they engaged in heavy manual labor.  They were scholarly people who had what I consider the right philosophy of education.  They thought that one learned for the joy of learning and not only for any material advantage that might accrue therefrom.  It seems to me that modern society has put so much emphasis on the monetary value of education that it tends to take the fun out of learning...   The family had some characteristics which I did not admire.  They were so proud, self-contained, and introverted as to be almost anti-social at times.  They were noted for their intellect and their prodigious memories, and nowhere have I ever read a word of scandal concerning one of them except that "Cutter" Crook divorced his first wife.  The Crook wit was sharp and bitter at times.  One incident illustrates this pretty well.  A would-be wit said to Uncle Jesse that it took two Crooks to make a Crank whereupon Uncle Jesse shot back; "But only one Rodgers to make a damn fool."  Mr. Rodgers was crestfallen.  Another person said that when a Crook said anything it seemed so much "so-er" than if anyone else said it. Our mother said they were "droll"...."
Anyway, the Perrys settled along Big Willow Creek in Anderson Co., Kentucky.

The first known child of Billy and Sallie Perry was my great-grandfather, James Madison Perry (pictured standing in the photo at the top), who was born 18 December 1848 in Lawrenceburg, Anderson Co., Kentucky.

Daughter, Cecile, was born 17 May 1849 in Anderson Co., Kentucky.

The 1850 census (taken 25 October 1850) shows the family in Anderson Co., Kentucky.  The family was recorded on page 499, household 876-876:  Perry, William  26  M  Farmer  born KY can't read/write; Perry, Sally P.  26  F  born KY;  Perry, James M.  2  M  born KY;  Perry, Susan?  1/12  M  born KY (this is probably Cecile);  Crook, Martha  27  F  born KY (Sally P.'s sister in the picture at the top).  Living next door was William's brother, Rory Perry.

On 3 August 1852, daughter, Celeste, was born at Big Willow, Anderson Co., Kentucky.

On 10 November 1855, a child, Jesse, was born and died the same day.

A son, William H., was born 3 September 1857.  He does not appear on the 1860 census, so I suspect he died before 1860.  Other research says that he died in childhood.

The 1860 census for Anderson Co., Kentucky, shows the family as: William Perry, 36, Farmer; Sarah Perry, 36; James M. Perry, 12; Cecil Perry (female), 10; Seleste Perry (female), 7; and Martha Crook, 38.

Daughter, Cecil Perry, married Garrett Ward Reed on 21 September 1867.  They had 8 known children:  Charles, Myrta, Thomas, Ann, Martha, Genevieve, Sally Payne, and Cecile.

On the 1870 census for Anderson Co. (taken 12 September 1870), the household consisted of William Perry, 46, Farmer, cannot read or write; Sarah, 46, cannot read or write; James M., 23; Celestine, 17; and J.W. Cozino, 7, male (no identifying information).

On 27 May 1877, daughter, Celeste Perry, married Lewis Dudley Goens (or Goins) at Big Willow, Anderson Co., Kentucky.  They apparently moved in with Celeste's parents.  They had five known children: Madison Henry, Effie Hudson, William Garrett, Cecil Thomas, and Paul.

Lewis Dudley Goens and Celeste (Perry) Goens ca 1877

The 1880 census for Anderson Co., Kentucky, shows:  Perry, Wm.,  55, M, farmer, born KY, father born KY, mother born KY; Perry, Sallie P., 56 F  keeps house, born KY, both parents KY; Perry, James M.,   28  M  merchant, born KY, both parents born KY. Listed in the same house but as another family were Lewis D. Goins, 33, farmer born KY; Bettie, his wife, 28, born KY, and their son, Madison H., age 2.  Bettie was the nickname for Celeste; Lewis was her husband; Madison H. was their son.

On 27 December 1894, daughter, Cecil (Perry) Reed, died.  She had given birth to daughter, Cecile, in November, so it is possible she died of complications from childbirth.  She is buried at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery in Franklin Co., Kentucky.

On 15 September 1898, their son, James Madison Perry, married Alice Myrtle Rodgers.  They were my great-grandparents, so I will do a separate post about them.

The 1900 census was taken 25 June 1900.  The Perrys were listed in Bald Knob Dist. Enum Dist 74, Sup. Dist 7, page 173A, household 260-266 as:  Perry, James, head, married 1 yr, (age not shown), dry goods merchant, can read & write, owned farm; Perry, Myrtle, wife, born July 1878, 21 yrs old, married 1 yr; Perry, Mortimer, son, born June 1899; Perry, William, father, born July 1824, 75 yrs old, married 53 yrs, cannot read or write, born KY, both parents born KY; Sallie P. Perry, mother, born April 1824, 76 yrs old, married 53 yrs, 5 children, 2 living; can read & write; born KY; both parents born KY. and Martha Dewit, Aunt, born June 1818, widow, no children.  This entry includes my great-grandparents, James M. and Alice Myrtle (Rodgers) Perry, and their son (my grandfather) James Mortimer Perry.

At this point, I have no further information on William or Sarah.  I don't have their death dates, but we have not found them on any census records after 1900, so we believe they died after June 1900.  We know that they were buried in unmarked graves at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery, in Franklin Co., Kentucky.

Celeste (Perry) Goens died in 1917 and is buried at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery in Franklin Co., Kentucky.

William Perry, b. Jul 1824 at Franklin Co., KY, d. after 1900 at Franklin? Co., KY

+Sarah Paine Crook, b. Apr 1824 at Franklin Co., KY, m. 17 Dec 1846 at Anderson Co., KY, d. after 1900 at Franklin? Co., KY

├── James Madison Perry, b. 18 Dec 1848 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 8 Jun 1914 at Franklin Co., KY

│   +Alice Myrtle Rodgers, b. 17 Jul 1878 at Franklin Co., KY, m. 15 Sep 1898 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 16 Aug 1943 at Marion Co., IN

│   ├── James Mortimer Perry, b. 26 Jun 1899 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 21 May 1986 at Delaware Co., IN

│   └── Venus Perry, b. 19 Nov 1900 at Franklin County, KY, d. 22 Mar 2002 at IN

├── Cecille Perry, b. 17 May 1849 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 27 Dec 1894 at Franklin Co., KY

│   +Garrett Ward Durling Reed, b. 23 Nov 1847 at Mercer Co., KY, m. 21 Sep 1867 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 9 Dec 1925 at Franklin Co., KY

│   ├── Charles Good Reed, b. 20 Jan 1869 at KY, d. Oct 1889 at KY

│   ├── Myrta Duncan Reed, b. 11 Dec 1870, d. 11 Dec 1957

│   ├── Thomas Orville Reed, b. 2 Mar 1873 at KY, d. 14 Nov 1944 at Franklin Co., KY

│   ├── Ann Sargent Reed, b. 5 Dec 1874 at KY, d. 6 Jul 1955

│   ├── Martha Bell Reed, b. 2 Jan 1879 at KY, d. 25 Jul 1941

│   ├── Genevieve Howard Reed, b. 10 Oct 1882 at KY, d. 29 Dec 1967 at Franklin Co., KY

│   ├── Sally Payne Reed, b. 12 Nov 1891 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 6 Sep 1975 at Franklin Co., KY

│   └── Cecile Reed, b. Nov 1894 at KY, d. Aug 1895 at KY

├── Celeste Perry, b. 3 Aug 1852 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 1917 at Franklin Co., KY

│   +Lewis Dudley Goens, b. May 1848 at Madison Co., KY, m. 27 May 1877 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 12 Jun 1913 at Franklin Co., KY

│   ├── Madison Henry Goins, b. 9 Apr 1878 at KY, d. 24 Oct 1952 at Franklin Co., KY

│   ├── Effie Hudson Goins, b. 5 Apr 1881 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 9 Sep 1951 at Franklin Co., KY

│   ├── William Garrett Goins, b. 4 Jul 1884 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 4 Jan 1919 at Franklin Co., KY

│   ├── Cecil Thomas Goins, b. 10 Jun 1888 at KY, d.23 Apr 1935

│   └── Paul Goins, b. 27 Aug 1893 at KY, d. 16 Jun 1944 at Franklin Co., KY

├── Jesse Perry, b. 10 Nov 1855 at Anderson Co., KY, d. 10 Nov 1855 at Anderson Co., KY

└── William H. Perry, b. 3 Sep 1857 at Anderson Co., KY