Sir Anthony Perrier was a distinguished parishioner of Christchurch and a member of one of the leading civic and commercial families in Cork in the 19th century. The family first came to Ireland in 1685 with Mark Du Perrier, a Huguenot from Caen, Brittany, fleeing religious persecution in France.
In the coming years various members of the family were leading businessmen, knights of the realm, magistrates, high sheriffs, freemen and mayors of Cork. Their business interests included the Cork Investment Society, Cork and Bandon Railway, Cork Permanent Building Society, the Atlas Insurance Company, the Munster Bank, and the Wide Street Commissions.
Born in Dublin in 1770, Anthony Perrier became a freeman of the city of Cork in 1792 and was elected mayor in 1821. He was operator of the Spring Lane distillery from 1806 – a plant which was owned by his elder brother David (Mayor of Cork 1814). In 1822 he patented one of Europe’s first continuous whiskey stills, but it was not a success. He served as a County magistrate for 37 years and was the treasurer of the Pipe Water Company. He was appointed as Cork Agent to the Atlas Assurance Company of London and operated out of 68 South Mall, Cork. The business was continued by his son and grandson in turn.
Perrier was knighted by the Lord Lieutenant the Duke of Richmond on his visit to Cork in 1829, when Perrier was High Sheriff. He died at his South Mall residence and was buried at St. Peter’s Graveyard, North Main Street. His remains were later interred in St. Luke’s cemetery in Douglas, Cork.
A memorial plaque erected to Perrier can be found on the North Wall of the first floor gallery in Christchurch. Three stained glass windows in the apse of the church are also dedicated to members of the Perrier family.
Anthony Perrier Memorial Plaque