The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
The stone is a upright slate stone in poor condition and not very legible
Directions to Cemetery / Gravesite:
The Cemetery is located on a farm off of County Farm Road and is in average condition
Author: David J. Perkins
Joseph Perkins (son of Jacob Perkins and Hannah Borman), born March 14, 1738, married Anna Batchelder on December 26, 1762. She was born in 1741 and died December 7, 1805. They moved from Topsfield, Mass. To Unity, N.H. in 1777. He died June 13, 1805. Buried in Sullivan County cemetery.
Children born in Topsfield, MA:
Jacob, b. March 20, 1764 Anna, b. June 2, 1765, died October 21, 1836 Henry, b. August 25, 1767, died April 30, 1837 Jabesh, b. April 9, 1769, died November 16, 1843 Hannah, b. March 17, 1771 Elisha, b. October 11, 1772 Eli, b. November 6, 1774 (died)
Children born in Unity, NH: Lucy, b. November 6, 1777 Eli, b. July 31, 1781, died October 31, 1841
During the French and Indian War years, Joseph served several times. In July of 1758, he served under Capt. Israel Herrick in Col. Jedidiah Preble’s regiment and fought in the battle for Fort Ticonderoga against the French and were soundly defeated. The regiment was formed from 2 counties in Maine and 1 in Massachusetts. Revolutionary War service of Joseph starts with the Lexington alarm. Joseph was a private in Captain Stephen Perkins' 60 which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775. In 1776, Joseph Perkins was serving in Col. Edward Wigglsworth’s regiment as a Sergeant. He was promoted to Ensign on 21 Sept. 1776 at Ticonderoga, NY. This was from orderly books and a pay abstract that listed Ensign Joseph Perkins of Topsfield, serving in Capt. Joshua French’s company in Col. Wigglesworth’s regiment with a mileage allowance for travel from Albany, NY to home. Following his service in 1776, he moves his family to Unity. In Unity, Joseph became active in town affairs, becoming Selectman in 1784 and 1790; and Captain of the town militia before his death in 1805. He built a gristmill in North Charlestown, NH run by son, Elisha. He built a sawmill and gristmill in Middlesex, VT that was run by his sons, Henry and Jabesh. According to his grandson, Amos Perkins; “Joseph Perkins was one of three first pioneers who visited Unity about the date of its first charter in 1764. He was man of some property, owning 400 acres of land in a body. He was a man of peculiar prejudices; he would never own a horse, but, although quite corpulent, would keep and always ride a mewl in all his journeying, as a carriage, in those days, was never known or thought of. He was very fond of wild game and kept himself well armed with a good gun, bear-trap, fox trap and about 25 small steel traps. My grandfather was a man of strong prejudices both in religious and political matters and was of undoubted integrity. He was a Republican of the Jefferson school and had no sympathy with the Federal party. In religious matters he was rather skeptical.”
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