John Perry was nicknamed "Speck" because he had freckles. He sowed quite a few wild oats, and it was he who it was said drank a rival under the table, and by so doing won the hand of Ruth. Mr. Strickland, Ruth's father, had quite a lot of cider on hand, and proposed a contest between John and his rival as who could drink the most without becoming tipsy. The winner was to be able to walk up the stairs without staggering, which John managed to do, and the rival could have probably done so too, but decided to take a stroll first.The longer he walked, the sleepier he became, and sat down by a fence and fell asleep. The next morning the rival was observed making his way toward the house, and was apparently the worse for wear. John said, "Now, Miss Ruth, would you, or any other young lady, marry such a thing as that?" Her answer was an emphatic no. It leaked out that John was able to hold his drinks so well, as the contest was held on the balcony, and the contents of some glasses were thrown undetected into the yard below, but it has been said, "All is fair in love and war." In 1834 he moved to Russell Co, AL. Problems with the Indians became so bad John sent his wife and children to safety, but he remained, locking everything up at night and sleeping in the woods. Finally, some friends from Georgia prevailed on John to move too, which he did so under protest, saying it was the first cowardly act of his life. However, John, now sixty-six, remained away only a few days and awaited the return of his family and neighbors.
John was eccentric, having a beautiful polished coffin made seven years before he died, and this he kept under his bed. He stored his tobacco in it, saying it was the safest place to put it, as no Negro was going to open a coffin to steal tobacco.
Uncle Spec, as he came to be called, was buried with the square and compass symbol of the Masonic Fraternity resting on his chest. He had requested before he died that he wanted nothing black around his grave site, as he had never commtted a black deed. He is in the Perry burying ground, five miles south of Salem, AL and there is no monument, but his and Ruth's graves are surrounded by a roofed picket.

Ruth Strickland (Wife) b. 18 Sep 1779 in Little River, Wake Co, NC Marriage: John Perry 1799 in Russel Co, AL Children:   Celia Perry Asa Perry : 1822 Elizabeth Perry b. 1803 in ,Wake Co, NC Allen Perry b. 10 Aug 1824 in ,,NC Noah Perry b. 1828 in ,McMinn Co, TN  Children of ASA PERRY and LYDA SMITH are:  MARY ELIZABETH PERRY, b. May 15, 1844, Gibson County, Tennessee; d. August 23, 1923.  JAMES PERRY, b. 1846.  REBECCA ELLEN PERRY, b. March 26, 1848, Fayette County, Somerville, Tennessee; d. December 01, 1903, Fayette County, Laconia, Tennessee.  SARAH JANE PERRY, b. September 06, 1850, Tennessee; d. May 21, 1928, Fayette County, Tennessee.  ASA ALAN PERRY, b. Abt. 1853, Mississippi; d. Fayette County, Tennessee.  GEORGE ALLEN PERRY, b. July 17, 1858, Fayette County, Tennessee; d. September 13, 1936, Fayette County, Tennessee.  LEWIS PERRY, b. 1860.  FRANCIS (FRANK) PERRY, b. November 1862, Tennessee.  MARION PERRY, b. 1865. GEORGE ALLEN2 PERRY (ASA1) was born July 17, 1858 in Fayette County, Tennessee, and died September 13, 1936 in Fayette County, Tennessee. He married SARAH MALINDA SINGLETON July 11, 1880 in Fayette County, Laconia, Tennessee. She was born April 1861, and died December 05, 1950. Children of GEORGE PERRY and SARAH SINGLETON are:  LYDIA MELINDA PERRY, b. October 11, 1881, Fayette County, Tennessee; d. May 1956. ISAAC MARION (BUD) PERRY, b. January 11, 1883, Fayette County, Tennessee; d. May 10, 1904.  DANIEL ASA ALLEN PERRY, b. March 30, 1886, Fayette County, Tennessee; d. February 22, 1910, Fayette County, Tennessee.  GEORGE WASHINGTON PERRY, b. November 04, 1887, Fayette County, Tennessee.  NOAH PERRY, b. November 02, 1889, Fayette County, Tennessee; d. July 09, 1949.  LEWIS FRANKLIN PERRY, b. September 11, 1891, Fayette County, Tennessee; d. July 17, 1945. JAMES HENRY PERRY, b. October 26, 1894, Fayette County, Tennessee; d. August 28, 1967, Shelby County, Tennessee.  JOHN WESLEY PERRY, b. March 30, 1897, Whiteville, Tennessee; d. September 09, 1955.  ABBEY JANE PERRY, b. February 11, 1900, Hardman County, Tennessee; d. December 25, 1969.  ALMA IRENE PERRY, b. April 12, 1902, Hardman County, Tennessee; d. October 21, 1964 JOHN WESLEY PERRY (GEORGE ALLEN, ASA) was born March 30, 1897 in Whiteville, Tennessee, and died September 09, 1955. He married (1) MAYBEL HYSLER, daughter of THOMAS HYSLER and SARAH PARRISH. She was born May 12, 1903, and died February 14, 1937. He married (2) MARIE GAMBLIN. Children of JOHN PERRY and MAYBEL HYSLER are:  CHARLES ACE PERRY, born 1934 d. 1978. GLADYS PERRY. died 2005 JOHN WESLEY PERRY, JR. THOMAS ALLEN (PETE) PERRY.  HAZEL OLIVIA PERRY, b. 1922; d. 1982.  JAMES A PERRY, b. 1929.  JOSEPH LAVERN PERRY, b. August 30, 1930, Whiteville, Tennessee; d. June 05, 1975, Shelby County, Memphis, Tennessee.  INFANT PERRY, b. March 15, 1932.  ROBERT NOAH (FRANK) PERRY, b. March 15, 1932, Whiteville, Tennessee; d. March 29, 1993, Shelby County, Memphis, Tennessee. INFANT PERRY, b. 1937.  INFANT PERRY, b. 1937. Children of JOHN PERRY and MARIE GAMBLIN are:  LINDA VIOLA PERRY.  BETTY MARIE PERRY, b. Tennessee.  RONNIE CLYDE PERRY