PERRY.
George Perry was the owner of nearly five hundred acres
on Shepherd's Creek, a tributary of the lower Hardware, just
before the Revolutionary War. It is likely he was the father
of John M. Perry, the most noted of the name resident in
Albemarle. Countenance is given to this view by the fact,
that John M. first appears in the same section of the county,
purchasing in 1804 from Henry Wood a parcel of land on Buck
Island, which two years later he sold to Martin Railey.
About the same time a brother, Reuben, bought from Whitaker
Carter his interest in his father's lands in Kentucky, and
in all probability removed to that State. George Perry, who
owned a tract of more than three hundred acres on Moore's
Creek, and in 1817 sold it to Nelson Barksdale, was perhaps
another brother.
John M. in 1814 purchased from John Nicholas, the County
Clerk, a tract of land including that on which the University
stands, and three years after sold that part of it to Alexander
Garrett, as Proctor of the Central University. In 1818
he bought from James Scott the Hydraulic Mills, and from
David J. Lewis a large plantation in the same neighborhood.
At the same time he was busily engaged as a contractor in the
erection of buildings. He constructed a number of the edifices
connected with the University, and built as his own residence
the brick house near by, known as Montebello. He
also built the mansion of Judge Philip Barbour on his place
Frascati, not far from Gordonsville. He was appointed a
magistrate in 1816, and for some years took an active part in
the business of the county. In 1829 he began selling off his
property, in 1834 disposing of the Hydraulic Mills to Nathaniel
Burnley and Rice Wood, and his land in that vicinity to
William P. Farish. A year or two later he removed to Missouri,
and subsequently to Mississippi, where he soon after
died. His wife's name was Frances — and his children
were Ann, the wife of Samuel Campbell, Elizabeth, the wife
of George W. Spooner, who was associated with him in his
work at the University, and Calvin L., who was admitted to
the bar in 1828, and married Mary Tutt, a sister of Professor
Bonnycastle's wife.
