Perry followed in the footsteps of his father, and began working as a luthier in his shop in Dublin. His earliest documented violin is dated 1764. Perry took over his fathers shop around 1766 and by 1770, Perry had established his business in nearby
Anglesea Street. Perry operated the business until he died in 1818. His will indicates that he left his finished and unfinished instruments to his son-in-law, William Wilkinson, along with his working implements and his stock-in-trade. After Perry's death, Wilkinson operated the business under the name of 'Perry and Wilkinson'. Thomas Perry numbered all his violins and is known to have made more than 4,000. As well as making first-class violins, Perry also made violas, cellos and at least one double-bass, some of which are in the collection of the
National Museum of Ireland. He invented the cither-viol or sultana in the 1760s and was renowned for the quality and beauty of his instruments. Tradition has it that Perry was able to copy an
Amati lent to him by the
Duke of Leinster, but his other models are of a more Tyrolean type or reminiscent of the work of Richard Duke in London. The violin maker
Richard Tobin, who later set up business in London, was one of his apprentices, and
Vincenzo Panormo worked with Perry prior to moving to London. His pupils included violin makers
John Delany, John Mackintosh, William Ringwood, and William Wilkinson (1771-1838), who married Perry's eldest daughter Elizabeth in June 1794 and carried on the business after Perry's death until 1839. ==Instrument list==