Many misconceptions and unsubstantiated claims have arisen in connection with the outstanding Irish violin-maker Thomas Perry. Kenneth Rice has established the known facts of Perry's life and work, as well as assessing his output as an instrument maker.

Perry was born c. 1738/9, son of John Perry (i) of Dublin and Tinekilly, Queen's County (Co. Laois). Rice rejects any French Huguenot connection, noting that Perry is a name borne by many settlers of English origin in Ireland.

Apprenticed to Thomas Molineux, George Ward, his father (John Perry) or 'Mr Peetrie'. Of those George Ward seems the most likely on the basis of the significant closeness between Perry's early work and that of George Ward (Rice).

He married Elizabeth Smyth on 6 April 1766 and the eldest of his four daughters married William Wilkinson, one of his apprentices who became his partner. Rice suggests that Perry may have moved to the premises in Anglesea Street vacated by George Ward on his death in 1769/70; this would seem to lend support to the suggestion that Ward was Perry's tutor.

In 1789, Perry took his nephew and son-in-law William Wilkinson into partnership.

Thomas Perry invented the sultana/salter/cither-viol - a bowed cither. Rice suggests that the machine heads for the Cither-viol on the Sultana invention may have been invented by Gibson.

Apprentices: John Delaney, John Mackintosh, Thomas Molineux?, James Perry (Rice), William Ringwood (later associate), Tegart? (Boydell Card Index), Richard Tobin, William Wilkinson.

Mark: handwritten label 'Made by Thomas Perry in Christ Church Yard, Dublin [date]' (Rice)
Brand: 'Perry, Dublin' (Rice)
Manuscript: 'Made by T. Perry, Anglesea Street, Dublin, [number], [date]' (Rice)