that he received many tokens of a special providence, and wrote a record of them, headed ‘Some remarkable facts in the life of a person whom we shall call Eusebius’ (extracts given in the Methodist Magazine, 1799), wherein he relates certain dreams, escapes from danger, and the like, as divine interpositions. On 14 Feb. 1744 he had his first interview with John Wesley, who was much impressed by his piety (J. Wesley, Journal, ap. Works, i. 468). Both the Wesleys visited him and preached in his church in 1746. When Charles Wesley preached there a riot took place, the rioters following the preacher to the vicarage, threatening, and throwing stones, while he was defended by one of Perronet's sons, Charles. From that time both the Wesleys looked to Perronet for advice and support; he was, perhaps, their most intimate friend, and they respected his judgment no less than they delighted in his religious character. He attended the methodist conference of 15 June 1747. In April 1748 Charles Wesley consulted him about his intended marriage; in 1749 he wrote to C. Wesley exhorting him to avoid a quarrel with his brother John, to whom Charles had lately behaved somewhat shabbily, and a letter from him in February 1751 led John Wesley to decide on marrying (Tyerman, Life of J. Wesley, ii. 6, 104).
He wrote in defence of the methodists, was consulted by the Wesleys in reference to their regulations for itinerant preachers, in one of which he was appointed umpire in case of disagreement, and was called ‘the archbishop of methodism’ (ib. p. 230). Two of his sons, Edward and Charles, were among the itinerant preachers. His wife, who died in 1763, was buried by John Wesley, who also visited him in 1765 to comfort him under the loss of one of his sons. He encouraged a methodist society at Shoreham, headed by his unmarried daughter, ‘the bold masculine-minded’ Damaris, entertained the itinerant preachers, attended their sermons, and had preaching in his kitchen every Friday evening. He held a daily Bible-reading in his house, at first at five a.m., though it was afterwards held two hours later. In 1769 he had a long illness, and, when recovering in January 1770, received visits from John Wesley and from Selina, Countess of Huntingdon [see Hastings, Selina], who describes him as ‘a most heavenly-minded man’ (Life and Times of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, i. 317). In 1771 he upheld J. Wesley against the countess and her party at the time of the Bristol conference. When in his ninetieth year he was visited by J. Wesley, who noted that his intellect was little if at all impaired. In his last days he was attended by one of his granddaughters by his daughter Elizabeth Briggs. He died on 9 May 1785 in his ninety-second year, and was buried at Shoreham by Charles Wesley, who preached a funeral sermon on the occasion.
Perronet was a man of great piety, of a frank, generous, and cheerful temper, gentle and affectionate in disposition, and courteous in manner. His habits were studious; he at one time took some interest in philosophical works so far as they bore on religion, though he chiefly gave himself to the study and exposition of biblical prophecy, specially with reference to the second advent and the millennium (Methodist Magazine, 1799, p. 161). He owned a farm in the neighbourhood of Canterbury, and was in easy circumstances. By his wife Charity, who died on 5 Dec. 1763, in her seventy-fourth year, he had at least twelve children, of whom Edward is noticed below; Charles, born in or about 1723, accompanied C. Wesley to Ireland in 1747, became one of the Wesleys' itinerant preachers, was somewhat insubordinate in 1750, and deeply offended J. Wesley by printing and circulating a letter at Norwich contrary to his orders in 1754; he advocated separation from the church, and license to the preachers to administer the sacrament, against the orders of the Wesleys, and took upon himself to do so both to other preachers and some members of the society, being, according to C. Wesley, actuated by ‘cursed pride.’ He was enraged by the submission of his party, and afterwards ceased to work for the Wesleys, residing at Canterbury with his brother Edward, where he died unmarried on 12 Aug. 1776. Of the other sons, Vincent, born probably in 1724, died in May 1746; Thomas died on 9 March 1755; Henry died 1765; John, born 1733, died 28 Oct. 1767; and William, when returning from a residence of over two years in Switzerland, whither he had gone on business connected with the descent of the family estate, died at Douay on 2 Dec. 1781. Of Perronet's two daughters, Damaris, her father's ‘great stay,’ was born on 25 July 1727, and died unmarried on 19 Sept. 1782; and Elizabeth married, on 28 Jan. 1749, William Briggs, of the custom-house, the Wesleys' secretary (Gent. Mag. January 1749, xix. 44) or one of J. Wesley's ‘book-stewards’ (see Whitehead, Life of Wesley, ii. 261). Elizabeth and Edward alone survived their father. Of all Perronet's children, Elizabeth alone had issue, among whom was a daughter, Philothea Perronet, married, on 29 Aug. 1781, at Shoreham, to Thomas Thompson [q. v.], a merchant
