A Brits Attack Bristol: Lecture: “Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry – America’s Naval Hero”
May 15, 6:30pm
St. Michael’s Church Sanctuary
Speaker: Dr. Matthew Perry
Sponsored by the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society and St. Michael’s Men’s Group
In anticipation of the Brits Attack Bristol (and lose!) weekend of RI 250 re-enactments and other events, the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society and the St. Michael’s Men’s Club are delighted to welcome Matthew Perry to Michael’s Church Sanctuary for a lecture about Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. The lecture will take place on Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 PM.
Dr, Matthew Perry, a descendant of Commodore O. H. Perry, will discuss the victory by Perry over the British at Lake Erie in the War of 1812. This event was the first time the British, in their long naval history, lost an entire squadron. Perry’s success is partially credited to his early life training from his Revolutionary War father, Captain Christopher Perry, and his Scotch-Irish mother, Sarah Wallace Perry. The talk will also cover several controversies, including several duels, that erupted during Commodore Perry’s life and continued after his early death from yellow fever.
Dr. Matthew Perry is from Bristol, Rhode Island, where as a child he developed an early interest in his ancestor, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who defeated the British in Lake Erie in the War of 1812. After graduating from URI, Dr. Perry served in the U.S. Navy aboard a ship in the western Pacific Ocean during the Vietnam War.
He then embarked on a career in wildlife research and worked for the RI Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 45 years. Dr. Perry retired in 2011, and remains active as an emeritus scientist and an author of wildlife conservation history. He writes and lectures often about family history, including his ancestors, Commodore Oliver H. Perry and Commodore Matthew C. Perry.
This event will be held at St. Michael’s Church Sanctuary and is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society at BHPSri.org or St. Michael’s Church at stmichaelsbristolri.org. You can also send an email to info@BHPSri.org or call 401-253-7223.
This lecture kicks off the Brits Attack Bristol (and lose) weekend of events commemorating the Bristol Raids and the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.
These events will take place on May 15 through May 18, 2025, in Bristol, RI, and are sponsored by the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society, the Battle of Rhode Island Association, and the Bristol 250 Commission. Visit https://bhpsri.org/the-brits-attack-bristol for details and information on the other events that this exciting weekend will entail!
The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society seeks to stimulate interest in the history of Bristol, Rhode Island, through education, research, and the collection and preservation of historic objects. Bristol has a rich and vibrant history and one of our goals is to explore this history in as many ways as possible. Keep an eye on our websites for even more events to come!