THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM. 



755 



dressed to the author, says : " A few ancient theological books had stray- 

 ed from the library of my uncle Epenetus to that of my father, and are 

 now in my possession." 



Soon after the Revolutionary war, the Rev. David Perry, A.M., M.D., 

 officiated here and in the neighboring parishes. This individual was the 



son of Perry. He was bom , 1750; admitted B. A. at Yale 



College, 1772, and graduated A.*M. 1776; studied medicine, and settled at 

 Ridgefield as a physician. " He was ordained Deacon by Bishop Sea- 

 bury, June 6th, 1790 ; Priest, 16th of October, 1791; and took charge 



St. James' Cmiroh, North Salem, erected A.D. 1S10. 



of the parishes of Salem, Reading, Ridgefield and Danbury. Neglecting 

 to attend the convocations of the clergy and the Conventions of the Dio- 

 cese of Connecticut (probably because of his practice as a physician), 

 he fell under censure; finally resigned his letter of orders, and relinquish- 

 ed the clerical profession June 3d, 1795. He continued the practice of 



medicine, and died , 181 f j." a His son was the late Nehemiah 



Perry, M.D., of Ridgefield, the father of the present Nehemiah Perry, 

 M.D., of that place. The parish appears to have been favored with oc- 

 casional services only, until 1804, when the churches of Bedford, North 

 Salem and Stephentown united, for the purpose of settling a minister 

 "who should perform divine service in the different towns of Bedford, 

 New Castle, North Salem and Stephentown so often as should be in pro- 

 portion to amount of their several subscriptions." Upon the 4th of Sep- 

 tember, 1804, the Rev. George Shebeck was called to and accepted the 

 rectorship of the united parishes, which he resigned in March, 1805. 



a Hist. Not. of clergy ordained by Bishops Seabury and Jarvig, appended to the Convocation 

 Journal of Convention No. 38. 



