Henri Perduex (b.1625), Huguenot and son of Pierre Perduex, married Marie Toisson. They emigrated from France to England in 1655, and in 1657 went to Martinique in the West Indies as resident factor for the Indies Company. By 1661 they immigrated to Elizabeth City, Virginia and, seeking fellow Huguenots, settled in eastern Worcestor County, Maryland in 1662. "There is a gap between the time Henri Perdeux [sic] is reported to have come over to Maryland in 1662 and the time that we see records of the next Perdue, John Perdue in 1720 of more than 58 years. This is enough time for three generations to have started"--(P. 1.0-8). The Perdue family of the eastern shore of Maryland starts with John Perdue Sr. (d.1743), who purchased land in Somerset (later Worcester) County, Maryland in 1720. Descendants and relatives listed lived chiefly in Maryland.