The Perrine Family

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

The Perrine Family

Source: J. Percy Crayon, Rockaway Records of Morris County, N. J. Families, (Rockaway, N.J., Rockaway Publishing Co., 1902)

The PERRINE (PERRIN, PERINE, PERRYN), families of New York, New Jersey and Virginia are the descendants of Daniel PERINE, a French Huguenot, who sailed from the Isle of Jersey in ship Philip, July 29, 1665, in the train of Sir George CARTERET.

Count PERRIN, a refugee from France, is supposed to have been the head of the PERINE family of which Daniel PERINE, of Staten Island, is supposed to be a member. However, it is impossible to obtain consecutive records of the Huguenot families, owing to the general destruction of the Protestant churches, the houses and the private papers of these heroic religionists.

In anticipation of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which professed to allow the French Protestants free exercise of religious worship, and full ownership of their estates, thousands of the best families of the kingdom of Louis XIV began a gradual exodus from their beloved country about the year 1680, avoiding the reign of dire persecution where marriages were declared void, property forfeited to the crown, children imprisoned in convents and preachers murdered.

England, Holland, Brandenburg, Switzerland, and some of the Channel Islands had long given protection to the pious victims of confiscation and banishment, glad to extend welcome and adoption to soldiers and scholars, craftsmen and artificers expelled by an unwise nation.

Since the massacre of St. Bartholomew 1572, colonists of the Reformation had dwelt in peace and seclusion in these alien lands. To these distressed brethren another decree of destruction and death, like the knell of Saint Germain d’Amperriors, dinned its appalling peals through the century long night of anxious miserableness and the panic of flight for life began.

The West Indies and the American colonies had also given refuge to hopeless men women and children of French nationality, many of their descendants having settled in Morris county. Previous to the advent of Daniel PERINE, of Staten Island, John PERRYN, aged 21, from London, Aug. 10, 1635, who appears to have been a kinsman of Daniel, had resided at Baintree, Mass.

The first marriage license issued in the Elizabethtown plantation of New Jersey, Feb. 18, 1666, was for Daniel PERINE, of Staten Island, and Maria THOREL, a French Huguenot, was signed by Philip CARTERET, and the ceremony was performed by Rev. James BOLLEN. Daniel was born 1630, died 1700.

Children: Joshua, Peter, Henry, Daniel, William, died young, and Frances. Married (2) Elizabeth ____, had three daughters: Sara, married (1) William STILLWELL, of Cape May, the son of Nicholas Cook STILLWELL and Ann VANDYKE, of Staten Island; (2) James BOSTER, of Staten Island. Elizabeth, married John STILLWELL, brother of William; and Marie, who married Johnnes STEEM, of Staten Island.

Peter, son of Daniel, married Ann HOLMES 1704, had children: Henry, born 1706; Mathew, James, William and Peter, Jr., who married Margaret DAY 1730.

Daniel, (2) was born 1672, married, (name unknown), 1699, died about 1745. Children: Peter, born 1701, died Nov. 13, 1756, married Mary ____ 1724. She was born 1700, died Aug. 18, 1756. He was captain of Troop, Staten Island Militia. His will dated Mar. 18, 1752, proved Nov. 4, 1756. Children of Capt. Peter: Peter (2) born 1724; Sarah, born 1725, died July 21, 1796, married John LEE, of Hemstead, L. I. 1746; Majorie, born 1728, married John BOILLON; Edward, born 1729, married Ann HOLMS 1758; Henry, born 1730; Dinah, born 1731, married Thomas LEE, brother of John, sons of Joseph LEE and Abigail PRICE, of Hempstead, L. I. – See LEE Family. James, William and Mary, all born 1740.

Joseph, son of Daniel (2), had son Charles, born 1743, Capt. Peter, born 1748, died 1833, and William. Charles removed to New Jersey and had son Daniel, born 1771. This Peter and William were at Princeton, Monmouth and Germantown, and were made homeless by the Hessians.

Henry, son of Daniel (2), married Judah WARDEN, of New Jersey, removed to New Jersey and afterward to Virginia. Had children: Rebecca, married, married Ephriam ETON, of England, died 1817; Rachel, married Reuben COX; Jane, Abby, Elizabeth, Judah, Sarah, Mathew, Anthony and Joseph, who died 1860.

Daniel, son of Daniel (2), born Sept. 16, 1719, married Elizabeth POULLON, of Staten Island, Oct. 10, 1737, died Nov. 1748. Had son Peter, born Jan. 20, 1738, who married (1) Catharine C. ENYARD, had Daniel, Elias, Peter, Abraham, Elizabeth, Mathias and James. Married (2) Susannah Jones and had Martha, Charles, Sarah and Judith.

Henry PERRINE, son of Peter, born 1701, had a son John and settled at Perrineville, who had son Daniel at battle of Monmouth, NJ. This John had son John, born July 15, 1771, died Nov. 17, 1848, married Anne ANDERSON, who was born Oct. 14, 1775, died Sept. 24, 1849. Children of John and wife Anne: Joseph, born Apr. 23, 1794; Gertrude, born Nov. 11, 1796; John, born Nov. 7, 1798; Anne, born Nov. 12, 1798; Lewis, born Oct. 9, 1802; Catharine, born Nov. 17, 1803; Robert, born Feb. 28, 1806; Elizabeth, born June 19, 1808; Margaret, born Oct. 24, 1810; William, born Aug. 13, 1815.

The PERRINE family was represented in the Revolution by the names: Capt. Peter, John, Andrew, Daniel, Henry, Joseph, Mathew, William, James, Daniel (2), Henry (2), Job, Lewis, Nicholas and Silas.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)