James H. Perry, a prominent farmer of the town of New Lisbon, who has lived on his 
present 250 acre farm for the past fifty years, was born in this town in 1827, and is 
a son of Noah Perry, a native of the same town, born in 1794.  He was a son of Amos 
Perry, who died in 1817, at the age of sixty-four, and who is buried in the family 
cemetery in the orchard on this farm.  His wife was Cynthia Moore; she lived a widow 
thirteen years, dying in 1830.  They were from Rhode Island, where Mr. Perry was a 
farmer.  They came to this county with some means, and purchased 230 acres of land 
lying in New Lisbon and Pittsfield.  Mr. Perry bought this land in three parcels, and 
paid from $1.50 to $6.00 per acre therefor.  They reared five sons and four 
daughters, of whom Noah was the sixth child, the sons being Henry, Alanson, James, 
Noah and Horace.  Henry died at the age of fifty-four; one son died when an infant; 
Alanson was an Ohio farmer, and died when in his eightieth year, having been blind 
for some years before his death; James died on part of the old farm in the seventies; 
Horace was a merchant at Morris, and died there when nearly seventy years of age; 
Noah married Ana Bowerman, whose parents were Quakers from Massachusetts.  Noah Perry 
and his wife lived on the farm now owned by the subject, and the house in which he 
was born is now doing duty as a wagon shed.  They had eight children, two sons and 
six daughters, James H. being the fourth child and first son.  There were twins, of 
whom one died when an infant.  Noah G., the youngest son, went to Minnesota, later to 
Nebraska, and still later to California, and it is not known whether he is still 
living; one of the daughters, Mary, died in Minnesota, leaving one child; Julia died 
in Norwich in the prime of life; Miranda Fowlston, whose husband is a Justice of the 
Peace, lives in Norwich; Cynthia Ann died in West Oneonta, a young wife and mother.

James H. Perry was married in his twenty-fourth year to Louisa Perry, by whom he has 
three children, viz:  Leonora is the wife of James R. Stanhouse, a farmer near by, 
and has one son and two daughters.  James Henry is a farmer on the home farm; he 
married Maggie Stanhouse, of Scotch descent, and has two daughters - Eleanor, Six 
years old, and Anna sixteen months.  Anna is the wife of Edward Elliott, of New 
Berlin.  Mrs. Perry died about 1861, when she was thirty-five years old, and he was 
married a second time, to Eliza Johnson, daughter of Amos Johnson, of Rhode island.  
She was born in Otsego County in 1827.  Of this marriage there are no children.  Mrs. 
Perry is a strong, healthy woman, and is always ready to perform and good work in the 
neighborhood.

Mr. Perry has about 500 acres of land, 135 of it covered with timber.  Since he 
accumulated his present handsome property he has inherited $2000.  He has never used 
intoxicating liquors or signed a pledge.  He is one of the few men in the county who 
own land purchased by their ancestors from the Government of the United States the 
original patent for which, to a part of his present farm, is still in his possession, 
it having been granted to his grandfather.  The farm has been in the family for 100 
years.  When he was twenty-one years old he had $50, and with this start has 
accumulated a handsome fortune.  He still has in his possession the boots he was 
married in, which were made before he was twenty-one by Sidney Babcock.

In politics Mr. Perry is a Democrat, and was the first man to pay $50 to a volunteer fund 
in Pittsfield, where he resided six or seven years.  He is a most patriotic and 
public-spirited citizen, and is known far and wide for his excellent qualities of 
head and heart.