Queer Places:
Aunt Julia Ann Rd, Dennis, MA 02670
Richard Berry (April 23, 1626 - September 7, 1681) was born in Forfar, Angus, Scotland, to William Canterbury (1599-1663) and Beatrice Burt (1603-1673). Beatrice married by June 1676 and her third husband was Edward Berry of Salem, Massachusetts.
In the list of those who were able to bear arms in Barnstable, MA, in 1643 is the name of Richard Berry. Berry and his wife, Alice Price (1630-1679), were notably lacking in character, but their children did not follow in their footsteps. They married in 1651 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts. They did not remain long at Barnstable and probably moved to Boston in 1647, before settling by 1649 in Yarmouth (now West Dennis) near the mouth of the Bass River (west end of what is now Aunt Julia Ann's street off Cove Rd), where his 11 children by wife Alice were born: John (born 1652); one (born 1654); Elizabeth (born 1656),who married Josiah Jones in 1677; one (born 1659); one (born 1662); one (born 1663); one (born 1668); one (born 1670); one (born 1673); one (born 1677); and one other. It is probable that five of the above died before July, 1676. He certainly had sons Richard, Samuel, Nathaniel (died 1793-4), and Joseph (died 1686).
On Oct. 29, 1649, Richard Berry accused Teague Jones, of committing sodomy and other unclean practices with Sarah White Norman, wife of Hugh Norman and Jones was put under heavy bonds for his appearance at the March term of the Court to answer. On 6 March 1650 Berry acknowledged before the General Court that he had given false witness under oath and he was sentenced to be whipped at the post in Plymouth. His fondness for strong drink, also, caused him trouble with the authorities. Richard, notwithstanding his humiliating confession that he had sworn falsely, and his visit to the whipping-post, continued to live on excellent terms with his friend Teague at Doctor's Weir, near the mouth of Bass River. Apparently Teague was a forgiving sort, as the men went on living together.
On 9 June 1653, the court ordered Teague Jones and Richard Berry and others with them to part their uncivil living together. The court was very family oriented and preferred single men to live with families, not as a group of bachelors. Strangely though, Richard’s oldest child was born in 1652, so perhaps he was hanging out with Teague instead of facing his responsibilities at home.
In 1659 Richard Berry of Marshfield, was disenfranchised for being a grossly scandalous and debauched person and having been formerly convicted of filthy, obscene practices.
In 1663, Berry was fined for playing cards with Teague on the Sabbath. On 3 June 1668 Zachariah Ryder was complainant against Richard Berry, charging him with stealing an axe. In 1669 Berry went to meeting on the Sabbath days carrying with him his pipe and tinder-horn. One Sabbath, during the "the time of exercise" he and others, instead of listening to the exhortations of the preacher, seated themselves at the end of Yarmouth Meeting House and indulged in smoking tobacco. For this offense he and his companions were each given a 5 shilling fine.
Richard died 7 September 1681 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.
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