That document, the Simeon Perkins diary, was recovered from the house in 1897 and is today in the care of the Queens County Historical Society and is housed in the Queens County Museum, next door.
A successful businessman in the town of Liverpool, Simeon Perkins was a diarist who recorded the every day life of Liverpool in the years 1767 to 1812, the year of his death. This house, the Perkins House, was built for him in 1766. A leading citizen in Liverpool, he spearheaded the construction of defenses for the town during the American Revolution, in an attempt to ward off the raids of American Privateers. Perkins even partook of a bit of privateering himself during this time.
Mounted on the front of the house is a Canadian National Historic Person plaque honoring Perkins, the text from which follows.
Born in Connecticut, Perkins moved to Nova Scotia in 1762 and became a leading entrepreneur of Liverpool township. As Lieutenant-Colonel of Militia he conducted himself during the American Revolution as a zealous Loyalist and took shares in some of the famed Liverpool privateers. A member of the legislature (1765-99), he was also a justice of the Peace and a judge of probate for more than thirty years. His diary, kept from 1766 until his death, is a valuable source for the study of the economic, social and political life of those years. He died at Liverpool.
Who was Simeon Perkins?
“CAPT. SNOW’S FISHING SCHOONER COMES IN, AND REPORT THAT THERE WAS A SMALL SCHOONER ALONGSIDE THEM LAST NIGHT AND TOLD THEM MY BROTHER, CAPT. MASON AND MR. GIDEON WHITE WERE ALL TAKEN BY AMERICAN PRIVATEERS. THAT THERE IS A GREAT NUMBER UPON THE SHORE AND THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN NEAR 20 SAIL ABOUT THE HEAD OF CAPE.”
-FROM THE DIARY OF SIMEON PERKINS, SEPT. 13, 1775
Simeon Perkins was born in Norwich, Connecticut—fourth in a family of 16 children. After receiving his education, he was apprenticed in the family business. In May 1762, Perkins was sent to Liverpool, where he established a thriving store and shipping trade. He quickly became a community leader in matters of business and public affairs.
By 1772, Perkins was made lieutenant-colonel of the Queens County militia. At first the settlers of Queens County were reluctant to take a stand against the American revolutionaries, since so many of them had New England roots. However, in time, raids by the American patriots spurred them to mount a defense.
From the Perkins House Museum
Although all but one took the oath of allegiance in the winter of 1775–76, they were reluctant to give active support to the British side. Nor was Perkins himself immune from the desire of many Nova Scotians to maintain connections with their relatives and friends in New England: he carried on a clandestine trade there and on at least one occasion was detected and had his goods seized. The incursions of American privateers, however, caused a change. Rather than offer active resistance, the people of Liverpool had attempted to dissuade privateers from attacking, but raids prompted them to take a stand in their own defence. The most dramatic incident occurred on 13 Sept. 1780, when two privateers surprised and captured the fort with the garrison of troops stationed there for the protection of the town. At first the inhabitants were “Disheartned & did not Incline to make any resistance.” But Perkins engineered the capture of one of the American captains, and by means of prudence and diplomacy, and with the militia now “under Arms & Determined to fight,” he arranged for the recovery of the fort and the mutual release of prisoners. Within a few hours “every thing [was] restored to its former Situation without any Blood Shed.” Liverpool was not bothered by privateers for the remainder of the war.
During periods of warfare Perkins was actively involved in privateering. In 1779 he was one of a group of Liverpool merchants who purchased and fitted out the schooner Lucy as the first Liverpool privateer, and between 1798 and 1801 he was financially involved in five of the six privateers the town sent out. Fortunes in privateering fluctuated: although a venture early in 1799 resulted in five prizes estimated to be worth more than £26,000 to Perkins and his associates, other cruises that year were less remunerative and one privateer was wrecked.
From the Dictionary of Canadian Biography