Madison Starke Perry (1814 – March 1865) was the fourth Governor of Florida.

Early life

Madison Starke Perry was born in 1814, in

Lancaster County, South Carolina Lancaster County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 96,016, Its county seat is Lancaster, which has an urban population of 23,979. The county was created in 1785. Lancaster Cou ...

, the youngest child of Benjamin Perry and his wife Mary Starke. He attended

South Carolina College The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Carolina System and th ...

, where he was a member of the

Euphradian Society The Euphradian Society, also known as Phi Alpha Epsilon (), is a collegiate debating and literary society founded in 1806 at the University of South Carolina, then known as South Carolina College. History The Euphradian Society was formed as ...

. He came to Florida in the 1830s and became a leader among the area's plantation owners. He was elected in 1849 to represent the county in the Florida House of Representatives. The following year he was elected to the

Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

Perry as governor

Perry ran for and was elected governor in 1856, assuming office on October 5, 1857. As Florida's fourth governor, Perry helped bring about the settlement of a long-standing boundary dispute with

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and encouraged the building of railways in the state. During the years before the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, Governor Perry foresaw the possibility that Florida might secede from the Union, and in 1858 he urged the reestablishment of the state's militia. Florida did secede three years later, on January 10, 1861. Perry then called for the evacuation of all federal troops from Florida, intending to replace them with the militia.

Last years

After his term as governor ended on October 7, 1861, Perry served as

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the 7th Florida Infantry Regiment until illness forced his resignation on April 30, 1863. He retired to his plantation in Rochelle, where he died in March 1865, aged 50 or 51, shortly before the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Survived by his wife and two children, he was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Rochelle. The city of

Perry, Florida Perry is a city and the county seat of Taylor County, Florida, United States. , the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 6,898. The city was named for Madison Perry, fourth governor of the state of Florida and a Confederate colonel ...

, is named in his honor. The city of

Starke, Florida Starke is a city in and the county seat of Bradford County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,796 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The origin of the city's name is disputed. Starke may have been named in honor of local la ...

, may have been named in his honor.The official web site of the City of Starke, Florida states: "George W. Cole, a land speculator and developer, attracted here by the prospects of growth following arrival of the railroad, obtained title to a 40-acre tract on both sides of the railroad for a reputed $100. This section of land is still known in legal description as 'The Original Town of Starke.'...One legend has it that the post office was given the name of Starke in honor of Mr. Cole's Fiancée, whose family name was Starke. Another account has it that the town was named in honor of Madison Starke Perry, Governor of Florida from 1857 to 1861. No one actually knows which version of the naming is correct." The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources adds that the city may have been named after "Thomas Starke, a slaveholder who once owned much land around the area." http://www.flheritage.com/facts/reports/names/city3.cfm#S

Notes

External links

Biography at National Governors AssociationOfficial Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, Madison S. American people of Welsh descent Democratic Party governors of Florida People of Florida in the American Civil War 1814 births 1865 deaths People from Lancaster County, South Carolina American city founders U.S. state legislators who owned slaves Confederate States of America state governors People from Alachua County, Florida 19th-century members of the Florida Legislature