The following was found in Usry Bulletin #140, page 2. There is no proof this information is correct.
It is believed by some Perkins researchers that Jean Johnson was the MOTHER of Joseph, and was Samuel's wife. For more information about this theory, visit:
Also see John Perkins Family of Virginia, Kentucky, & Missouri
Mary Pauline Ussery was born July 11, 1796 in Montgomery County, NC to
Peter Ussery and Amelia Jarvis.. She died about 1855 in Oktibbeha County, Miss. On July 12, 1812 in Pulaski, Giles Co., TN she married Joseph Perkins, who was born November 27, 1784 to Samuel Perkins . He died February 14, 1847 in Oktibbeha County, Miss.
Joseph was among the first tax payers in the present-day Lowndes County, MS. In 1821 he paid taxes for one white poll and five slaves in the amount of $5.25.
On Aug. 22, 1825, Joseph bought 79.98 acres of land in the W1/2 of the NW1/4 of Sect. 34, Twp 17 South, Range 17 West. By 1827 he owned 160 acres of land in the same township and range.
The land records in Lowndes County reveal Joseph was planning to move to Oktibbeha County on Nov. 2, 1835 when he sold some of his land to William Kidd. He had completed his move by June 21, 1836 when he sold the remainder of his land to William Kidd. The deed of 1835 had Joseph's residence as Lowndes County and the deed of 1836 had his residence as Okitbbeha County.
It appears three of his sons, Alfred, Thomas and John moved to Oktibbeha County with Joseph in 1835 and his son. William moved there in 1836.(The Commercial Dispatch, Columbus, MS, May 11, 1978)
In 1837, Joseph Perkins built a horse operated grist mill a mile and a half east of Sessums stands, which served the immediate neighborhood. About 1838 Joseph Perkins established the first tanning yard in the county. It was not far from the grist mill. The Askew Crossing road passes north and south through the old site, and the right of way of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, Starkville branch, runs through the northern end of it. Here Perkins bored a deep well, the first artesian well in Oktibbeha County.(Usry Bul #68 pg 6)
As a trade center, Agency, MS, (now abandoned) rivaled, perhaps exceeded Starkville in the middle 50's. It did not equal the county seat in number of stores, but surpassed it in value of trade. Some of the store keepers were John Ussery Perkins, Dr. J.B. Perkins, Gordon Alston, Admiral Warren and Perkins and James. The physicians in Beat 5 during the period around 1858 were: C.W. Jordan, Joseph B. Perkins, E.R. Burt, and J.G. Carroll. Perkins was the son of Joseph Perkins, who began his medical practice in 1852 and continued actively in practice; he moved to Starkville in 1892. He died there in 1899. Carroll came from Carrollton, Alabama, in 1857 and practiced at the Choctaw Agency community until 1894; then he moved to Starkville where he died in 1902.
Children of Mary Pauline Ussery and Joseph Perkins:
Peter Brandon Perkins was born to Joseph Perkins and Mary Pauline Ussery on Feb 10, 1826. He died about 1877 and is buried in Clarksville, Red River Co., Texas in the Old Shamrock Cemetery. (Source: Jess Freer ) On Feb 1, 1848 he married his cousin Martha Jane Goodwin Ussery. Martha was born July 27, 1827 in Mississippi to Samuel Ussery and Mary Shotwell. Martha died 1912 in Red River County, TX. in the Old Shamrock Cemetery. Their Children:
Please contact Betsy B. Davis bowdavis@tenet.edu or Jess Freer flash@neto.com
if you have any info on this family.
Mary Catherine Perkins was born Dec 25, 1848 in Perkinsville, Lowndes Co, MS to Martha Goodwin Ussery and Peter Brandon Perkins. She died Jan 26, 1940 in Paris, Lamar Co., TX. On Nov 6, 1873, she married James Edward Detherrow who was born Mar. 5, 1847 and died Sept. 14, 1896. Their Children:
(*Anyone interested in obtaining more information on the Freer Family can contact Jess Freer )
William Dixon Perkins was born 1813 in Giles Co., TN to Mary Pauline Ussery and Joseph Perkins. He died in Oktibbeha County, Miss. His first wife was Mary Ann Ward who he married on Dec 19, 1833. Their children were:
On January 7, 1834, William bought 40.17 acres of land in the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 35, Twp 16, Range 17 West. He sold the land two years later and moved to Oktibbeha County where he appeared in the 1850 Census. William was one of the founders of the Starkville Baptist Church July 28, 1839
Special Thanks to for the info on Alfred J. Perkins family!
Alfred J. Perkins was born about 1814 in Giles Co., TN to Mary Pauline Ussery and Joseph Perkins and died after Jan 20, 1873. He married Keziah/Kissiah Vaughn who was born 1816 in Giles Co., TN to John Vaughn and Ellizabeth Williamson. Keziah's siblings were: George Wilbur Vaughn who married Sarah Evalina Perkins; Henry Vaughn who married Martha Jane "Mattie" Kidd and William W. Vaughn
Alfred and Keziah had the following children:
John Ussery Perkins was born Jan 2, 1818 in Monroe Co., MS to Mary Pauline Ussery and Joseph Perkins and died Feb 5, 1896 in Oktibbeha County, Miss. His first wife Mary was born about 1825 in N.C. They had one known child:
The second wife of John Ussery Perkins was Jane (surname believed to be Ware). She was born Apr. 19, 1831 and died Sept. 6, 1898. They had one known child:
Lemuel Prewitt Perkins was born Feb 5, 1822 in Mississippi to Mary Pauline Ussery and Joseph Perkins. He died Jan 13, 1897 . On Oct. 2, 1844 in Lowndes Co., MS he married Mary Louise Spence who was born 1825 in South Carolina. Their Children:
Sarah Evalina Perkins was born July 28, 1825 in MS to Mary Pauline Ussery and Joseph Perkins and died Oct 4, 1891 in Lowndes Co, MS. On April 14, 1842 in Lowndes Co., MS, she married George Wilbur Vaughn, son of John Vaughn and Elizabeth Williamson. George was born Dec 8, 1822 and died May 9, 1894 in Lowndes Co, MS. In 1850 George W. Vaughn owned 240 acres of land valued at $800. His farming equipment was valued at $150. He owned 2 horses, 2 mules, 15 cows, 6 sheep and 20 hogs. He raised 20 bushels of wheat, 600 bushels of Indian corn, 25 bushels of oats, 15 bushels of peas and beans, 4 bushels of Irish potatoes and 20 bushels of sweet potatoes. He ginned 14 bales of cotton and produced 300 pounds of butter!
Their Children:
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Eavia Carter and India Blackwood
This information was taken from a Bible Leaf
These names were in letters written by John Essary from Mississippi to Joseph Essary
who lived in Salade, TX in 1870:
Levi Essary served as a Private in the Confederate Army in Capt. Eli Tool's
Company, Texas Vol. Inf, age 34. Enrolled July 9, 1962, in San Antonion, TX by E. Toole.
In Sept. and Oct. 1862, company muster rolls listed him as a private of Co. I, 3rd Reg., Texas Infantry.
The seven known generations reported to Mr. John Usry for his bulletin were:
1. John Essary born 1780-1784, died May 31, 1872 in MS or TN. First wife unknown, second
wife,Eavi Carter. Third wife India Blackwood (Burrow), born 7 Feb 1812, died Feb 1, 1899.
2. Levi E. Essary, born Aug 10, 1828. Believed to have died in Bell County. Married
at least twice.
3. Melissia Jane Essary, born July 7, 1857, died June 7, 1935. Husband, Thomas William
Griffin. born Nov. 5, 1936, died Jan. 6, 1916. Buried in Killeen Cemetery.
4. Jessie Levi Griffin, born Oct. 11, 1895, died Dec. 22, 1963. Wife, Lue Rena Sims, b. March 7, 1900, died July
10, 1972. Buried in Resthaven Cemetery off I-35 between Belton and Salade, TX.
5. Juanita Griffin, b. Feb. 23, 1923. Husband, Claude EArl Duncan b. Feb 22, 1917
here the tears is wiped Eyes high up in heaven in that for the saints of our god I still
Father John Essary.
State of Mississippi, Alcorn County, August 6, 1870
Dear sons and Daughters & Connection generally: It is through the mercis of kind provider
that I am spared to write to you one time moore. I received your letter baring date June
the 2nd which found all as well as common and this leaves all well the Connection Generlly,
you sayed you wanted to know where all the boys was. John is in Illinois. I don't recolect his post
office. Nathan is in Tennisee Lone Elm post office. Benjamin is in what is called
Madreds Bend on the Miss. River. I believe his post office is Tiptonville, Tenn. You
wanted to know how I managed to amake a living. I only have to throw myself on the charity
of my firends. I don't work but little. I do little jobs about the place. You said something
about my land being sold and me living on the money. I need the money if I could get it. If
you and the boys think I ought to have it, you can sell the land for the best price, and you can send
me some of the money occassionally. If you send money by the mail you had better register
your letter and then the post office is bound for it. I would like to know how near the
nearest railroad is to you and where it terminates at each end. You wrote that I said
I was going to start for Texas. I thought at the time that I would for I can think how I had come to that country and it seems like I would come
again, but when I started from Tenn. down here I found that I could not stand the trip unless
I could come some other way besides in a wagon. There is nothing strange in this country.
Corn crop is goo; cotton, bad. May the God of the Union sheild and protect you all is the prayer
of your aged father. Write soon. John Essary. To his sons and daughters and connections.
State of Miss., Alcorn Co., June 20, 1871. Dear Sons & Daughters and Connections. It is through the
mercies of god that I am spared to write you one time more and lot you know I am well as common.
We received your letter Baring the date the 25th of March and was glad to here from you.
We have nothing strange to write to you. We have had a very wet spring though crops looks tolerable well.
As to that land matter I have allready Directed you how to manage that, the hundred acres
that I reserved for my wife. If she doesn ot come to that contiry you may give it to your Daughter.
It is too small a matter to be Dividing. Jo I would like to know how game is in that contery. Bufalow,
Bare, Deere and all sorts of game. I have set a day to leave this Contery to go to Nathans
the 15th of September. David has agreed to take me there and if you dont write to me
before then and I live my post office will be Lone Elm. So I will close by saying if I see
you no more m y prayer to god is that we may meed beyond this trublesom worlds in that house
not made with hands high up in heaven where parting will be no more. John Essary
to his children.
Lone Elm, Tenn., June the 31st, 1872. Dear Brother: I Seat My Self Down to Inform you
wee are all weel as coomon hoping Tees few lines May Reach you Saft and Sound anf ind you
all well & Doing Well......than father is dead, he died May 31, 1872. I received your letter
you written to father. I was glad to hear from you. You wanted to know in your letter
someting about the land. You will have to find out what you can do with it and what
is the best to do and then if I can be any help to you I am ready at any time to do all for
you I can. I have been appointed administrator by the court to attend to something concerning
his pension claim. You get up the certificate and see what you can do with it and if you
need my assistance you can let me know too. I want to ......may if you......is there and
how close to you are together. I want you to write to me as soon as you get this letter
and all about what you can do. So I must close. Let me hear from you soon. I remain
yours asever, H.C. Essary.
On Sept. 22, 1847, William married Elizabeth Taggart who was born 1825 in South Carolina. The only known child is: