Herbert Mills Perry Obituary
Brilliant Scholar
Died 1898
Herbert Mills Perry recently died in Bloomingdale, White Plains, N. Y.. aged 42. Rev. Albert and Sarah B. (Mills) Perry were his parents. His father was a native of this town, a member of the noted Perry family and died when his son was seven years old. Quite a proportion of his life was passed in this vicinity. He prepared for college at Exeter, N. H., and was graduated from Harvard college in 1880 with high honors in the advanced mathematics and natural sciences. One of the professors of mathematics at Harvard gave him a special recommendation to John Hopkins university of Baltimore. He was duly enrolled in the list of Fellows with a salary for pursuing a post graduate course. After two years a severe dyspepsia developed and his apparently vigorous constitution succumbed to the ravages of disease. It was always his pleasure and delight to pass long seasons of rest and recreation at the Perry farm in the south part of the town, where his aunt, Miss Maria Perry, was living. A brilliant scholar and courteous gentleman, he gathered about him interested friends to whom he imparted his valuable investigations. Many people in this town will treasure with fond reverence the sweetest memories of the generous fellow who spent so much of his life in their midst. The interment was at Stoughton, Mass, where his father was formerly a pastor.
Perry Farmhouse 1930
Built in 1750, this is probably not the farm referenced in the obituary. At that time it probably was owned by Miss Barr as indicated on maps from 1892. The Perry family bought it in 1911.
One Hundred Formulas
Stephen A. Thayer’s “One Hundred Formulas” was published in 1883. It contains recipes from everything from printing ink to pain killers. Safety tip: Don’t drink Sulphuric acid.
WARNING: Please don’t try any of these “remedies”, many contain ingredients which have been shown to be harmful.
James Roger diary entry
November 23rd 1908 (Monday)
Fair day wind west to south west. David choring round in forenoon and went for coal in afternoon. Took bag for Hamish and box for Berkley. I swept Hall and filled lamps. David, Mother went to Club House and fixed up for winter. Got letters from Hamish and May. 9 at Grange.
I was happy to see Dotty's response. I knew some of the facts she mentioned and also learned new ones. I spent many hours at Red Pines. Helen and I played chess in the evening under a kerosene lamp. I knew about the farm on Perry Rd. My mother's best friend was Vickie Tuttle, they both worked at Tricnit, side by side, as loopers. I knew Bobby Tuttle, Vickie's son. I suspect Herbert died of stomach cancer in a hospital in White Plains. Dotty makes the same mistake I always make, putting an e in Chauncy. Her uncle Chauncy would correct me. I lived with Chauncy and Nancy in Waltham until Northeastern U found living quarters for me.
The original Perry Farm was the first or second place on the right as you turn onto Perry Farm Rd off Ashburnham Rd. Red Pines was built in 1750, bought by Eli Cromwell Tuttle and his second wife Maria Robinson Hurd Perry of Townsend. Eli's daughter, Helen Mabel Tuttle ( my great grandmother) had married Chauncey Perry. Eli Tuttle was a well known newspaper man, having covered the Civil War and worked as assistant editor under Joseph Pulitzer. I have a plethora of information on him, as well as a scrapbook of his articles. I've been thinking of writing a synopsis of his life and donating his scrapbook to NI historical society. After Maria and Eli passed, Helen and Chauncey sold the Perry Rd house and kept the River Rd residence ( Red Pines) as a summer place when Chauncey was working in Boston and they were living in Waltham, Massachusetts.