He was born on December 6, 1811 in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States, the son of John T. and Catherine (Willard) Perkins. His father died when he was five years old and the boy was reared in the family of William Baker, near Conway, Massachussets.
He received such formal education as the common schools of Conway, Massachussets imparted. When he came of age he began to study law at Penn Yan, New York. He walked from western New York to eastern Indiana and at Richmond finished his law course with Judge Borden.
In 1837 he was admitted to the bar. Taking an interest in politics, he affiliated with and helped to build up a newspaper, the Jeffersonian. This enabled him to strengthen his party in a locality where it had been weak.
He was appointed prosecuting attorney for the sixth district (Wayne County) in 1844. In the same year he canvassed the state for James K. Polk, which so enhanced his reputation that James Whitcomb, the Democratic governor, three times made the effort to seat him on the bench of the state supreme court. As the governor's appointment required the confirmation of the Senate he failed twice, but in 1847, after the third nomination, his appointment was confirmed. Five years later, under the new constitution, he was elected by popular vote to the same office, which he retained till 1864.
In 1857 Perkins was appointed professor of law in the Northwestern Christian University (later Butler University) and again, 1870, he took charge of the law school of Indiana University, where he taught for three years. In this time the department expanded and attendance increased.
Most of his biographers make no mention of three of his decisions which at the time called down upon him widespread disapprobation. One of these obstructed educational progress for several years by holding unconstitutional a law under which the state's school system was hopefully developing. The other decisions annulled the Indiana prohibition law of 1855, under which the state had measurably suppressed the liquor traffic and closed the saloons.
From 1872 to 1876 he was judge of the Marion County superior court, and while holding that office was returned to the supreme court. Here he remained till his death, in 1879.
Samuel Elliott Perkins affiliated with and helped to build up a languishing Democratic newspaper, the Jeffersonian. His services as judge totaling a period of about twenty-three years. During his judicial service he published two popular legal works: A Digest of the Decisions of the Supreme Court of Indiana (1858) and Pleading and Practice in the Courts of Indiana (1859).
He is credited with being an able man and a capable judge.
He was twice married. After the death of his first wife, Amanda Juliet Pyle, he was married to her sister, Levinia M. Pyle. He had thirteen children, nine of whom died in infancy.
