Luke Perkins 1666/67-1748 and Martha Conant 1664-1754

Luke Perkins was born in Charlestown, Mass., on 18 March 1666/67, the son of Luke and Hannah (Long) Perkins.

Luke married Martha Conant on 31 May 1688 in Salem.

Martha Conant was born in Beverly, Mass., in an area that once was Salem, on 15 August 1664, the daughter of Lot and Elizabeth (Walton) Conant. Martha was the granddaughter of Roger Conant, who founded the town of Salem, and the Reverand William Walton of Marblehead.

Statue of Roger Conant

I believe Luke and Martha had seven children:

1.      John born 05 April 1689 who married Mary Jackson and died at Plympton in 1728.

2.      Martha born 19 September 1691 who died young.

3.      Hannah born 12 March 1692/93.

4.      Luke born 17 September 1695.

5.      Mark who was baptized 30 April 1699, married Dorothy Whipple and died at Bridgewater 20 December 1756.

6.      Josiah who was baptized 16 Nov 1701, married Deborah Bennett and Rebecca Parker, was a Deacon in the church and Town Clerk, d. Plympton, 15 Oct 1789. 

7.      Martha born 14 August 1707, married Elisha Washburn and Jonathan Tilson, died after 12 February 1737/38.

I descend from their son Luke who married Ruth Cushman. I wrote about that couple in my last post here.

Like many men in his family, Luke Perkins was a blacksmith. He moved around a bit, presumably going to villages in need of a blacksmith.

On 24 November 1704, Luke and Martha Perkins, formerly of Beverly, now of Ipswich, sold John Filmore a house and barn and about two acres of land on the road from Wenham to Beverly near Wenham Pond in Beverly, which was formerly Lot Conant's. (Lot is Martha's father.) He was of Ipswich when he was named the administrator of his father Luke's Charlestown estate on 12 March 1712-13. In 1715 he was of Plympton when, as administrator of his father and mother's estate, he sold the old homestead in Charlestown.

Luke and Martha also lived in Marblehead and Wenham. Their marriage and children were recorded in multiple towns where they lived.

Luke Perkins died 27 December 1748 in Plympton, Mass., in his 82^nd year. He is buried at the Old Burial Ground (aka Hillcrest Cemetery).

Luke Perkins' gravestone

In Memory of Mr. Luke Perkins

Who Dec'd December ye 27^th 1748

in ye 89^th* year of his age

*Luke was actually 81 years of age.

Martha Conant Perkins died 02 January 1754 at Plympton. She is buried next to her husband.

Martha's gravestone, partially sunken into the ground

In Memory of Mrs. Martha Perkins

Wife of Mr. Luke Perkins

Who Decd January ye 2nd 1754

in ye 90th year of Her Age

View of Luke, Martha and possible son Luke's gravestones

Edit, Nov. 2021: Martha and Luke's 18th century Plympton home was the subject of a television show. See my blog entry about that, including photos of the house, here: https://massandmoregenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/11/1707-plympton-home-of-luke-and-martha.html

Sources Not Listed Above:

Paul Stanton Bumpus, "Ruth Perkins, daughter of Ignatious of Freetown, Mass..." MQ September 2006

Joseph W. Porter, "An Account of Part of the Family of Abraham Perkins of Hampton NH, who lived in Plymouth County, Mass.," NEHGR, Vol. 50, 1896