Moses Billings Perine

1815 - 1898  (83 years)

• Name	Moses Billings Perine
  Born	5 Feb 1815	Jackson, Washington, New York, United States   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Christened	28 May 1815	Cambridge City, Washington, New York, United States   [3]
  Gender	Male
  Building	Perine Brothers, Conestogo, Ontario
  	Perine Brothers (Conestoga Site)
  Residence	1860	Jackson, Washington, New York, United States   [4]
  Directory	1864	Perine Brothers, Doon, Waterloo, Ontario   [5]
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/153713934
  Occupation	1881	Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Flax Dresser
  Historic Building	1884	1165 Doon Village Rd., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	This elegant and imposing Italianate residence was built abt 1884, for Moses Perine, one of the founders of Doon Twines Company. Feature of particular interest are the elaborate eaves trim of denticulated frieze and fleur de lys brackets reflecting the family's French heritage. Also notable is the main entrance with elliptical transom, subtle modelling of the brickwork and wrap-around verandah which is a later addition. The house is set in an exceptionally large and well-kept property.1a 1aUpper Doon, a a heritage conservation district plan, prepared by Nicholas Hill (architect planner - London) 1987 pg 40
  Died	23 Apr 1898	Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Historic Building	Abt 1900	1158 Doon Village Road, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Superficial changes have been made to this modest, turn-of-the-century dwelling, but the basic front gable design with entrance on the long side, and the window openings with 6/6 sash are unchanged. The house was once the home of the Perine Flax mill stablekeeper and the property retains its pleasant village character. There is a row of tall evergreens along the road edge and a detached garage, reminiscent of the once ubiquitous carriage shed of earlier times..1a 1aUpper Doon, a a heritage conservation district plan, prepared by Nicholas Hill (architect planner - London) 1987 pg 39
  Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region	Bef 2012	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	manufacturer
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-116297P
  Buried	Doon Presbyterian Cemetery, Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Person ID	I116297	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	John Perine,   b. 5 Sep 1787, Salem, Washington, New York, USA ,   d. 4 Nov 1848, , Washington Co., New York  (Age 61 years)
  Mother	Hannah Billings,   b. 1792, , New York State, USA ,   d. 1 Sep 1875, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 83 years)
  Family ID	F35508	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sarah Ann Bailey,   b. 7 Aug 1833, Greenwich, Washington, New York, USA ,   d. 16 Apr 1913, Port Dalhousie, Welland, Ontario, Canada  (Age 79 years)
  Children	1. Anna Billings Perine,   b. 1860, Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Elizabeth V. Perine,   b. CALC 17 Sep 1864, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. 8 Mar 1865  (Age ~ 0 years)   3. Edward Graham Perine,   b. 4 Aug 1866, Conestogo, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 20 Sep 1911, Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 45 years)
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F188674	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Moses Billings Perine Doon Heritage Crossroads Digital Collection

  
  

• Notes

  The Perine brothers, Moses, Joseph and William, moved to Canada West from Troy, New York, in the early 1850s. Curious neighbors in Doon would have appreciated the influx of capital into the local lumber industry, but might have been skeptical of the brothers' rumored flax project. Their accounts reveal that they left a homestead farm in April, 1854 and took an inventory of the stock, tools, livestock and grain which were to be sold to the new owner. Flax or flax products do not appear on the list. Where the Perines' interest in flax originated is unknown, but we do know that it was part of their business in Doon from the very first transactions. On April 19, 1854 they paid for "Planks to Build Flax Mill," and they sold flax seed to farmer clients as early as May, 1854. It seems likely that the flax mill was built close to or adjacent to their sawmill in Doon and the business accounts titled "Doon" recorded transactions from both businesses. In the following decades the Perines' business evolved and eventually consolidated its interests in cordage manufacturing. The Doon mills remained the business headquarters until the factory was moved to Kitchener at the end of the First World War, under the name Doon Twines. The business continues to operate in Kitchener as Canada Cordage Inc. From the1860s until it moved to the country's urban centre it was the most important industry in Doon and, during the 1880s, in all of Waterloo Township. In the late 19th century Doon became known as Towtown after the mill's major industrial output. In 1861, according to Elizabeth Bloomfield [Waterloo Township through Two Centuries, Kitchener, ON, Waterloo Historical Society, 1995] the Perines were not among the leading 100 rural property-holders of Waterloo Township, but by 1881 they were seventh in the township with property worth $9,000. At the turn of the century their mills were worth $31,000 - the most valuable property in the township. In 1871, the Perine mill at Doon was among the larger mills with 29 workers (20 men and boys with nine women and girls), and its fixed capital was over twice the average for flax mills and almost four times that of the average cordage mills. ...Hannah Perine died 12 years later [than 1863] and was buried in Berlin. [photo caption page 64] Even as a teenager in Doon, Homer Watson was recognized as a talented artist. Moses Bilings Perine commissioned the young man to paint a portrait of his mother, Hannah Bilings Perine. This 1870s work by Watson was copied from an earlier, anonymous painting. Both portraits are in the permanent collection of the City of Kitchener's Home Watson House & Gallery. [photo caption, page 53] Around 1900, photographer Oscar Stroh stood behind the Schweitzer Hotel on King Street (now Sawmill Road), Conestogo and faced northwest to take this picture of the flax mill on Glasgow Street North. The mill is gone but the Ebel home remains. Excerpts from "The Perine Flax and Lumber Mills in Ontario, 1854 - 1871," by Josua D. MacFadyen, Waterloo Historical Society Volume 93 - 2005, pp. 51 - 75. Used with permission of the author and Waterloo Historical Society.

  
  

• Sources

  [S130] Census - ON, Waterloo, Woolwich - 1881, Div. 3 Page 19. [S198] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Doon Presbyterian CC#4519 Cemetery Internet Link . In loving memory of/ Moses B. Perine/ born in Jackson N. Y./ January 2nd 1815/ died in Doon Ont/ April 23rd 1898/ I am the resurrection and the life/ Sarah A. Bailey/ wife of M. B. Perine/ born in Greenwich N. Y./ August 9th 1833/ died in Port Dalhousie/ April 16th 1913/ Perine [S2035] New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962, Moses Billings Perine, 05 Feb 1815; citing , reference ; FHL microfilm 533,507. Moses Billings Perine Gender Male Christening Date 28 May 1815 Christening Place FIRST UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION, CAMBRIDGE, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK Birth Date 05 Feb 1815 Father's Name John Perine [S2456] Census - U.S. Census Population Schedule, 1850 7th Census, Census - U.S. Census Population Schedule, 1850 7th Census. [S330] Directory - ON, Waterloo - 1864 - County of Waterloo gazetteer and general business directory for 1864. [S220] Waterloo Region Hall of Fame Waterloo Region Hall of Fame.

  
  

• Event Map

  Christened - 28 May 1815 - Cambridge City, Washington, New York, United States Building - Perine Brothers (Conestoga Site) - - Perine Brothers, Conestogo, Ontario Directory - 1864 - Perine Brothers, Doon, Waterloo, Ontario Occupation - Flax Dresser - 1881 - Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Historic Building - 1884 - 1165 Doon Village Rd., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 23 Apr 1898 - Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Historic Building - Abt 1900 - 1158 Doon Village Road, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region - manufacturer - Bef 2012 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth