Perley Resources
History and Genealogy of the Perley Family, compiled by M.V.B. Perley, 1906
University of Virginia, Salem Witch Trials, search page at http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/salem-browse?id+439
Story of our Forbears, by Rebecca Perley Reed, 1903
Town of Franklinville at Rootsweb. https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nycattar/towns/franklin/franknews.htm
Obituary of Francis McCartney Perley at http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/message/an/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.cattaraugus/5206
THE CHRONICLE, week ending Friday, August 31, 1894
Francis McCartney Perley former owner and editor of The Chronicle and father of the present editor, passed away on Sunday at his home on Chemung Street, Waverly, N. Y.
In his 57th year, he was the son of Samuel Perley and was born in New York City. In May, 1840, his father removed with his family to Erie, Pa. and started the Erie Chronicle, which he published for 13 years. The senior Perley then became surrogate of Erie county, having been elected to that office for three terms. SAMUEL HAD BEEN A FELLOW WORKER WITH HORACE GREELEY DURING THOSE YEARS OF NEWSPAPER LIFE IN ERIE.
Here it was that Francis M. Perley, then a mere lad, first ventured into newspaper work. He enjoyed the advantages of a fair education, going to school a part of the years from 1843 to 1850. He spent a great deal of his time in his father's office, also, learning much of the business that was of value to him in after years. In 1853 he went to Cincinnati, to see what he could do for himself and spent the year in that city at Gunsley's commercial college, and attending medical and other lectures.
In May, 1855, Mr. Perley went to New York and in a few days took charge of the retail department of the publishing house of DeWitt & Davenport where he remained until the firm dissolved in September 1856. He then went into the publishing department of the Episcopal Sunday School Union, where he remained until the last of January, 1857. On the first of February in that year he opened a book store on 4th Avenue, New York, opposite the Cooper Institute, continuing a successfull business there for 11 years.
In November, 1868 he sold out. The subsequent winter he spent in Washington, D.C. In August, 1869 Mr. Perley became publisher and business manager of the Ohio State Journal. He continued with this leading daily until 1875. In that year he established at Franklinville, N. Y. the Weekly Argus, now The Chronicle, which paper he sold to his oldest son, Charles A. Perley in 1889 when he bought the Waverly Advocate.
While in business in New York Mr. Perley was married to Priscilla Augusta La Fetra of Eatontown, N. J. Five children were born to them, all surviving to share with the widowed mother her sad affliction