Principal Historian

James Perry is a professional historian with an interest in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Latter-day Saint history. With over a decade of experience researching and writing about historical events, he brings a unique perspective to the study of the past. He is the author of several academic articles and books.

James holds a PhD in History from Lancaster University, where his research focused on the experiences of immigrants in England and Wales during the long nineteenth century. Using digital history methods, his thesis, ‘Foreigners, Aliens, and Strangers,’ broke new ground in understanding nineteenth-century immigration in England and Wales. He has presented his research at numerous conferences and is an active member of the Royal Historical Society. While at Lancaster, he won the M. F. Howson Prize for his work on local history.

In addition to his academic pursuits, James has researched and written extensively about Latter-day Saint history for various audiences. He was a historian and then general editor of the Saints series published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is the faith’s official history.

His book Brick by Brick: Early Latter-day Saint Meeting Places in the British Isles, was published in 2026 by Deseret Book and the BYU Religious Studies Center. Within the book, he chronicles the emergence of purpose-built Latter-day Saint chapels in the British Isles.

For further inquiries or to explore more of James’s work, you can reach him at jamesperry@echoesofthepast.com