Subject

Andrew Behan has researched Perry: William Robert Perry was born on 1 May 1825 in Stoke Newington, a son of Thomas Walter Perry and Sarah Perry, née Stamp. His father was a Mercantile Agent who in 1826 founded Perry's Bankrupt & Insolvent Gazette. (This publication was initially produced on a monthly basis, but became a weekly publication in 1862. It continued to be published by W. R. Perry Ltd until it was discontinued in 1964). He was baptised on 4 June 1826 at St Mary's Parish Church, Stoke Newington. The 1841 census shows him living with his family at Tuffnell Place, Islington and on 25 May 1848 he married Emma Watts in St Mary's Parish Church, Islington. He was still living at Tuffnell Place and her address was 5 Coalbrook Terrace, Islington.

The 1851 census informs that he was living with his wife at 5 New Terrace, Islington together with a female house servant and his occupation was recorded as a Bankrupt Registry Office Clerk. In May 1856 his wife died, aged 36 years, and she was buried on 12 May 1856 at the Highgate Cemetery of St James, Swain Lane, Highgate. The family had been living at the time at 2 Raleigh Villas, Canonbury Park.

On 14 October 1857 at Holy Trinity Church, Islington, he married Mary Booth and they had eight children, William Walter Perry (1858-1895), Ellen Mary Perry born 31 December 1859, Grace Ethel Perry (1861-1921), Ernest Booth Perry (1862-1890), Herbert Louis Perry (1865-1940), Edith Mabel Perry born 31 October 1866, Harold Burder Perry (1869-1940) and Lilian Statham Perry (1872-1938).

The 1861 census shows him living at with his wife and three young children at Mount Pleasant, Islington, with two domestic house servants and two nurses. His occupation is listed as the Proprietor of Perry's Gazette. On 17 April 1867 he was admitted by redemption to the Freedom of the City of London in the Musicians Company, stating that his business premises were at Walbrook House, Walbrook. His father died in 1868 and the 1871 census shows him living at Mount Pleasant House, Crouch Hill, Hornsey with his family together with a nurse, an under nurse, a cook, a housemaid, an under housemaid and a groom. His occupation continued to be listed as the Proprietor of Perry's Gazette.

He died, aged 51 years, on 12 July 1876 in Clapton, Middlesex and was buried on 14 July 1876 at Highgate (West) Cemetery, Swain Lane, Highgate. Probate was granted to his widow and his effects were listed as 'under £40,000'.

But we were still puzzled: why was 145 Marlborough Road erected in his memory and by whom?  We found a website that had some answers. IronMuntin, but shortly after it become unavailable. Google search still provides: “In 1878, Alfred Burder designed a mission hall for St. Mary's Church built on a vacant site on Marlborough Road (formerly Hanley Road West) Hornsey Rise”, “training under Sir George Gilbert Scott” and “In 1875, Alfred Burder undertook another commission for William Perry; this time at Nos. 26 & 27, Bush Lane off Cannon Street in the City of London”.

Andrew found that Alfred William Newsom Burder (1850 – 1944, AWNB) was the son of Ellen Sarah Perry (1823-1898) and the Reverend Alfred Burder (1813-1879), Ellen being one of William Robert Perry’s sisters who married Rev AB at St Mary's Church, Islington. AWNB gave his occupation variously as a horticultural engineer/ horticultural builder/architect.

Archiseek has 3 designs by AWNB, one being “villa has been built on Mr. W.R. Perry’s property at Crouch Hill”.

So, in summary: William Robert Perry had provided the architect AWNB, his sister’s son, with a number of commissions during his life and two years after Perry’s death AWNB designed a Mission House for the church in which his parents had married and it was built in memory of Perry.