PART TWO The Bishop, the Candlestick and a family heritage.



Dain Perry, Bishop Perry's grandson reminds me that the good Bishop died in 1947 not 1946 as I stated.

 Dain and I were born in the same year which means that I will be 74 soon, just a week before he attains that age.

 Dain also told me that his father, the Revd. DeWolf Perry had a seat in a corner at King George VI's coronation, from which he had a great view of the King and Queen.

Many Episcopalians, lay and ordained,will be familiar with the book.  It was very frequently to be found in Church sacristies. It was the semi authoritative text for Altar Guild members.  Edith Weir Perry was the wife of Bishop James DeWolf Perry.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traces of the Trade.(Dain Perry far left)
Dain and some of his cousins knew that their extended clan was rooted in the wealth of their common ancestor James DeWolf 1764-1837 a notorious slave trader from Bristol R.I. Yes, the American north was deeply complicit in slaving -  it never was unique to the American south.

 See this about James DeWolf

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_DeWolf

The cousins worked and sweated together to create a powerful documentary about their family heritage which was in due course shown on Public Television. 

 (Dain and his wife Constance came to St. James's, Cambridge with a preview of the documentary which gave us an important and necessary entry into conversations about modern day racism).

See this about Traces of the Trade

 https://www.democracynow.org/2013/10/30/filmmaker_uncovers_her_familys_shocking_slave

And this

 https://youtu.be/S6RnzUDSw1c


It makes me very happy to note that I  count  Dain and Tinka Perry (grandchildren of  Bishop James DeWolf Perry and Edith Perry; children of DeWolf and Kitty Perry) together with Dain's wife Constance as dear friends.


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