William Peryam1,2

M, b. circa 1483
     William was born circa 1483 in Broadclyst, Devonshire, England. It is stated that William was the son of a franklyn and he a capper. He came to Exeter as a young man and was admitted to the freedom of Exeter in 1504. He became involved in the tin trade and began amassing his fortune as a tin merchant. William was not born into social circles and was thought of as being "rough and ready". His success as a merhant and businessman moved him quickly into the upper cirlcles of the merchant class and was soon a member of the twenty-four.3 William married Miss _____ Blackalller, daughter of John Blackalller and Ann (?), circa 1506 in Exeter, Devonshire, England.4 In 1510, he was elected as a Bailiff as his influence continued to grow and was again elected as Bailiff in 1529. His favor among the twenty-four led to his being elected Mayor in 1532. It was noted that while serving as mayor, he sought advice from others who were more qualified, making him even more successful as the mayor of Exeter.
During the seige of Exeter in 1549, William and others of the merchant class refused to join the rebel group as they were repeatedly asked, or to give into their demands of giving over the city. The seige lasted for 35 days, evetually being relieved by royal forces. With this act of bravery & determination, the Exeter merchants gained even more favor with the protestant branch of the royal family and their supporters.5,6

Family

Miss _____ Blackalller b. c 1490
Children

Citations

  1. [S1662] Thomas Westcote, A View of Devonshire in MDCXXX: With a Pedigree of Most of Its Gentry, pages - 584-585 - . . . William Perriam, esq,. (mayor of Exeter, 1532) married a daughter of John Blackaller, mayor of Exeter, 1530, and had issue John; who was mayor of Exeter, 1563 and 1572, and married Margaret, daughter and coheir of Robert Hone of Ottery St. Mary, and had issue, John, Margery, (married to John Sweet of Modbury;) Grace, (to Richard Selwood, of Chard in Somerset;) Mary, (to Loosemore of Tiverton;), ; Thomasin, (to John Hackwil of Exeter.) [Note: the John Blackaller that was Mayor in 1530 is actually the brother-in-law of William Periam. John Blackaller was born in 1494 as seen in his biography in History of Parliament. - KLM].
  2. [S506] Note: William Periam was the first Periam to arrive in Exeter, Devon. The son of a freeholder, he moved to Exeter from a nearby village called Broadclyst. He obtained the Freedom of Exeter in 1504 and was the Mayor of Exeter in 1532. He made his fortune in the tin trade and died a rich man. It is probable that he lived in the Exeter parish of St. Olave. [Research by Stephen Coombes of Chudley, Devon, 2002] - Courtesy of Ben Swett.
  3. [S1663] Wallace T. MacCaffrey, Exeter, 1540-1640: The Growth of an English County Town, page 258 - . . . At the other extreme of the social scale stood the Periams. Although Hooker assures us that William the mayor of 1532, was of good parentage, he goes on to reveal that his father was a franklin, and that the son was apprenticed as a capper. Moreover, he notes that Periam was of a rough and ready exterior and not used to polite society; perhaps his marriage to Mayor Backaller’s daughter helped here. When Willaim Periam held mayoralty he was careful to take advice of those best qualified around him rather than to reply upon his own judgment. His rise in the social scale must have been as spectacular on the local scene as that of any Victorian industrial magnate.
  4. [S1660] J. L. Vivian, The visitations of the county of Devon: Comprising the herald's visitations of 1531, 1564, & 1620, page 603 - William Periam married daughter of Parrett - [Note: Nothing can be found to support this marriage, however other sources state he was married to a daughter of John Blackaller. - KLM].
  5. [S1664] George Oliver, The history of the city of Exeter, pages 97-98 - . . . [quoting John Hooker] “the mayor himself, John Blackaller, as well as Mr. William Hurst (of charitable memory), Mr. John Buller, Mr. John Britnell, Mr William Periam, and others of the best and antientest familes of the city were well affected to the Romish religion, and were at sundry times and in diverse ways and manners solicited to join with the rebels, yet it pleased Almighty God so to rule their hearts, that they again and again openly declared, that as they had been brought up in the city, and all along therein dwelt, and got their living; had sworn fidelity to their prince [King Edward], and had faithfully hitherto served him, so they would continue to do so to the utmost of their power; and so they did, and returned for answer to their overtures and to their threats, that they renounced and defied them as enemies and rebels against God, their king, and their country” The siege, after a continuance of thirty-five days, was abandoned. The royal army, under Lords Russell and Grey, entered the city as deliverers on 6th August 1549; the insurgent forces were scattered, very many lives were forfeited and sacrificed, much private property rifled or confiscated, and the object of the rioters entirely defeated and blighted.
  6. [S1665] Alexander Jenkins, The history and description of the city of Exeter, and its environs, pages 105-106. - Mayor and Bailiffs of Exeter during the reign of Henry VIII.
    1510 - William Periam - Bailiff
    1520 - John Blackaller - Bailiff
    1522 - Robert Hooker - Bailiff
    1526 - Robert Hooker - Bailiff
    1527 - William Blackaller - Bailiff
    1529 - Robert Hooker - Mayor
    1529 - William Periam - Bailiff
    1530 - John Blackaller - Mayor
    1532 - William Periam - Mayor
    1532 - Roger Blackall - Bailiff
    1536 - John Blackaller - Mayor
    1540 - Ricard Sweet - Bailiff
    1541 - Robert Sweet - Bailiff
    1541 - John Peryam - Bailiff
    1547 - John Blackall - Bailiff

    page 121
    1552 - John Periam - Bailiff
    page 130
    1563 - John Peryam - Mayor
    1563 - George Peryam Bailiff
    page 131
    1572 - John Peryam - Mayor ob.