Wells Family - Person Sheet
Wells Family - Person Sheet
NameJane English
Birthabt 1796, New York
DeathDec 1869, Wayland, Steuben Co, NY
Misc. Notes
Jane had a daughter, Sarah English (b. 1838 NY), by her first marriage.
Spouses
Birth22 Oct 1787, Saratoga, Saratoga Co, NY
Death12 Nov 1856, Geneseo, Livingston Co, NY
OccupationFarmer
FatherChristopher C. Perkins (1758-1813)
MotherRebecca Palmer (1756-1795)
Misc. Notes
He married Lydia Rowland, founded Perkinsville, NY a small town outside of Wayland in Steuben County, where he was a farmer and ran a sawmill.
He is mentioned in French's GAZETTEER OF NEW YORK STATE.
GENESEE COUNTY EXPRESS - Thursday 28 June 2001 By Marion Scott, Wayland Town Historian
Where is Benjamin Perkins? Wayland Historian searching for answers
“ I was born and raised in Palmyra in Wayne County, so when I was appointed Wayland Town Historian in 1960, my first task was to learn the history of Wayland. I soon was able to find much information on such people as the founder John Hess and his cohort Myron Patchin. But there was not as much information concerning Benjamin Perkins.
  He was said to be the first while man to have come to our region. I have never found a deed for him for land in the area. It is said that a child named Bridget was buried in the old cemetery in Wayland in July 1812. This of course places him here at least by that date.
  I prowled all the local cemeteries and in Springwater, South Dansville and Cohocton, but have never found a grave for him, so I thought perhaps he had left the area. Many early settlers went west and I thought perhaps he had. I never really gave up on him, and one day recently I called Steve Malter and inquired about the possiblity of there being a grave in Sacred Heart Cemetery without a stone. I had searched St. Peter's records to no avail. Although there are stones in that cemetery for both Hattie and Jacob, there are no dates on them and no clue in the church records concerning them. And although there are many Perkins buried in the area, no Benjamin.
  However, with Steve I struck gold. He loaned me a copy of a Perkins history put together by Maureen Perkins Lawrence of Louisville, KY, which had been given to him. This lady had done a good deal of research on the origins of the Perkins family. The first entry in this treatise was for John Perkins who was born in Warwickshire, England in 1583. His son John was the first to come to America settling in Ipswich, Mass. Our Benjamin is of the eighth generation from that first John. He was the son of Christopher Perkins and wife Rebecca Palmer, the fifth child of their 10 children. Rebecca died and Christopher married again to Hannah Carpenter and had seven more children. (Little wonder Ben left home.)
  He was born in Saratoga, NY, just north of Albany, on Oct. 22, 1787 and married on Nov. 19, 1809 to Lydia Rowland. It is said that he came on foot following Indian trails. Although, as I mentioned, I have searched for deeds to land he took up here, I have found none deeded to him. However, I did find a deed from him and wife Lydia to Isaac and Anson DeLamalter in South Dansville. Back in this period of time, most of the land in Western New York was owned by the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. They had land contracts with many of the early settlers who did not have the money to actually purchase land. If Ben had purchased land, he most likely had not filed a deed. He took up land on what is known as the "flume" and built a sawmill. He was well known for his kindness to other early settlers.
  By his wife Lydia, he had 13 children: Rebecca, Bridget, James, Samuel, Mary, John, Lydia, Lucretia, Christopher, Benjamin Jr., Palmer, Paul, Matilda, and Allen. Lydia died Nov. 12, 1844 and he married second wife Jane Inglish. Benjamin died in Geneseo on Nov. 10, 1856 at the home of his son Samuel. However, what they did with him is still a mystery as I can find no grave for him even in Genesco. Nor do I find graves for his two wives. There are a great many Perkins graves in the area, most of them are without a doubt descendants of Benjamin. (The present Chief of Police, Charles Perkins in Dansville is a direct descendant.) Although Mrs. Lawrence has a great deal of information in this little booklet, I wonder about some of it. For instance, she places Perkinsville in Livingston County.
  One son, Palmer, married Emmaline Zimmerman and is the ancester of most of those that stayed in this area."

Benjamin married (2) Jane English. There was a notice published in the 29 Aug 1846 edition (page 2, column 7) of the Rochester (Monroe) New York DAILY DEMOCRAT:  "In Dansville on the 18th last, by the Reverand Elder Cross, Benjamin Perkins Sr, Esquire, to Mrs Jane English (b. abt 1796 NY), both of South Dansville, Steuben County."  Jane had a daughter, Sarah English (b. 1838 NY), by her previous marriage.
Benjamin, Jane and Sarah are listed in the 1850 census for Wayland, Stueben Co, NY.
Marriage18 Aug 1846, Dansville, Livingston Co, NY
Last Modified 9 Aug 2015Created 5 Aug 2023 using Reunion on a Mac