Person:Nancy Bishop (16)

Mrs. [Simon] Perkins was born in Lisbon [Norwich], Conn., and was a daughter of Captain Ezra Bishop. Of a large family of children, she was the last survivor, and the only one who married and left descendants. When she came to Warren it was a village of sixteen log houses, with perhaps two frame mechanic shops. Looking to the constant changes of the day, she was often led to contrast them with her early expectations, frequently remarking that she had only looked forward (and that with doubt) to a period when the mails, then carried on horseback, should be conveyed by coaches, little dreaming that she would live to see them come by rail or steam, or that she would have a son who would be most influential in obtaining a charter and organizing a company to construct the first railroad into the town.

She was a woman of intelligence, a devout Christian, and her religion was real and practical. While looking carefully after the interests of her own family, she always made her pastor's family her especial care, providing for their temporal wants if she found anything lacking. She defrayed the expenses of the education of some young friends not relatives at a female seminary. She donated a house and lot on Monroe street to the Presbyterian Church as a parsonage, and it was so used until the present church edifice was in course of erection...

Her charities reached the needy at home and abroad. She took great delight in cultivating fruits and choice flowers, and it was from her garden that Miss Clarissa Young, an inmate of her family, picked strawberries and sold them for several years, until she realized enough to purchase a solid mahogany communion table for the Presbyterian Church.

At the time of Mrs. Perkins' death in April, 1862, she had been a member of the church fifty-two years, at that time the longest member of any one.

In honor of her the congregation of the Presbyterian church of Warren have put in their church a memorial window.

Anne the Daughter of Ezra Bishop & of Anne his wife was Born January 24^th 1780.

In 1804 Mrs. Simon Perkins came to Warren from Lisbon, Conn., she was Nancy Anna Bishop. Her husband, agent for the Connecticut Land Company, brought her into great prominence. When court assembled she gave a party to the Judges and their wives; the legal fraternity was the best in New England, as the land purchasers were the moneyed men who employed competent authority to settle disputes and arrange matters according to the code of the newly organized state. Hon. David Tod, Hon. R.P. Spaulding, Judge Pease, Judge Stone and others attended the party.

Mrs. Perkins had tin cups to drink from, and tea to drink. Her pewter plates were considered fine, and not having chairs, the gentlemen showed to good advantage standing behind their wives, who sat at the table. At this time no porcelain was to be had, and the country women purchased the little green tea they kept for state occasions by renting their feather beds to families in town who entertained the members of the assembled court.

[Note: Nancy Anna (Bishop) Perkins is featured in both the Warren and Howland sections. This may be because the Simon Perkins residence sat in a section of Howland Township not far from the then border of Warren and Courthouse Square, which was later incorporated into the city.