M. V. B. Perley

Martin Van Buren Perley was a New England historian, genealogist, and local writer whose work focused on Massachusetts history, especially Ipswich, Topsfield, and Salem. He is the author of A Short History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Trials, along with other books on family history, church records, and regional life.

Much of his writing shows a deep interest in preserving the stories of ordinary communities. Rather than treating history as distant or abstract, he gathered records, names, and local details that helped keep the past of Essex County alive for later readers.

Today, he is remembered mainly for his historical and genealogical works, which continue to circulate in libraries and digital archives. Readers drawn to early New England, Salem, or the texture of small-town history will likely find his work especially rewarding.