John (Pearson) Pierson (abt. 1610 - abt. 1693)

Born about 1610 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Dorcas (Unknown) Pearson — married before 1643 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 22 Dec 1693 at about age 83 in Rowley, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

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Biography

Deacon John Pearson is an ancestor of President Franklin Pierce. ^[1]

John Pearson was born probably before 1610, possibly at Yorkshire, England. ^[2] Pearson appears to have been quite a common name in Yorkshire, and there were at least two children named John Pearson born in just the Howden parish in Yorkshire in the same approximate timeframe.^[3] In the same register in 1615, John Pearson, son of George Pearson of Howden was born. In the Howland register, there was no John Pearson, son of Nicholas found; in fact, there were no children of a Nicholas found in this register in the approximate timeframe at all. There are many other parishes in Yorkshire, and far more in England overall. Having reviewed numerous reliable sources, none have identified a father or even certain birth information for this John Pearson. Nicholas John Pierson as a father of this John Pearson is unsourced, and he has been detached multiple times as his father.

John Pearson was a resident of Rowley, Massachusetts in 1643. Rowley had begun by April 1639, by Ezekiel Rogers. Ezekiel brought 20 families from Yorkshire to help settle the area; John Pearson was not among these families.^[4] John Pearson was possibly of Yorkshire, England, however, his origins are unknown. In 1643 he and his wife Dorcas had a child born in Rowley, Massachusetts, but it is possible he arrived sooner.^[5]

John married Dorcas _____ by 1643. Although Torrey suggests the marriage took place in Rowley, Massachusetts, no vital records support that. He may have married Dorcas elsewhere.^[6] Other sources say John and Dorcas were married in England (without sources, though).^[7][8][9]

1643 -- John Pearson and his wife Dorcas moved from Ipswich to Rowley, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He brought machinery for a fulling mill (a step in woolen cloth making), which was the first in the country. ^[7]

May 26, 1647 -- John Pearson became a freeman at Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. ^[2]

October 24, 1686 -- John Pearson was ordained Deacon of Rowley Church. ^[2]

Event: He was prosperous; he was accessed 7 pounds 15 shillings in taxes- only 3 other in town were assessed more, most much less. Fact-2 1691 Occupation: carpenter- set up the earliest fulling mill in America in Rowley. Event: Representative Occupation 2 1678 Event: Granted 1 1/2 acres in Rowley Property 1 Event: Given a portion of the Hog Island marshes Property 2 1667

December 22, 1693 -- Deacon John Pearson died at Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts Province. ^[2][10][7]

John Pearson's will was probated August 6, 1694 in Essex County, Massachusetts.^[11][12]

John's wife, Dorcas, died January 12, 1702-3.^[2]

Children

Known children of John Pearson and his wife Dorcas, all of whom were born in Rowley were:^[2]

1. Mary, born 26: 3d month 1643; died in infancy
2. John, born 27: 10th month 1644; married Mary Pickard
3. Elizabeth, born 17: 8th month 1646; married John Hopkinson
4. Samuel, born 29: 5th month; married Mary Poore
5. Dorcas, born 25: 2nd month 1650; alive and married in 1697
6. Mary, born 17: 12th month 1651; married Samuel Palmer
7. Jeremiah, born 25: 8th month 1653; married Priscilla Hazen
8. Sarah, born 3: 3rd month 1655; buried 10: 8th month 1655
9. Joseph, born 21 August 1656; killed by Indians near Hatfield 25 August 1675
10. Benjamin, born 6: 2nd month 1658; marred Hannah Thurston
11. Phebe, born 13 April 1660; married Timothy Harrs
12. Stephen, married Mary French
13. Sarah, born 6 May, 1666; buried 16: 11 month 1666

Research Notes

The following statements were made in the bio, without any sources to back them up:

• John Pearson was born 17 Feb 1610, at Bradford, West Riding, Yorkshire, England ^{[citation needed]} NOTE: There is a baptism of John Pearson to father Hugh Pearson on this date - not at Bradford, but at Huggate, East Riding, Yorkshire, England. ^[13] Nothing ties this baptism to this John Pearson.
• John Pearson was a son of Richard Pierson and Alison Bushbie. ^{[citation needed]} - NOTE: Given their ages, these people appear to be too old to have been his parents
• In 1635- John Pearson and his wife Dorcas emigrated on the ship "Samuel" from England to Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony ^{[citation needed]} NOTE: There was a John Pearson on the ship "Samuel" in 1678 per Hotten, but no earlier ship Samuel with him as a passenger has been found. Because record of his immigration cannot be found, it is uncertain when his immigration occurred. Another John Pearson (or Pierson) was in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1637 and in Reading in 1639. A source not recognized as valid for PGM ancestors shows a John Pearson arrived in Lynn in 1637, but that likely applies to a different man, John Pearson. ^[14]
• In 16??, John Pearson and his wife Dorcas moved from Salem to Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. ^{[citation needed]}. NOTE: There are no sources that show he was ever in Salem.
• Alleged parents Nicholas Pearson and his wife Elizabeth Brett removed during merge.
• Married Dorcas ?? in Jan 1703
• John Pearson Sr. is not identified as a son of this John Pearson and his wife Dorcas in any sources found. The John Pearson of this profile died in 1693, so it would not have been possible for John to have been his son. The only John Pearsons born in Massachusetts between 1666 and about 1705, to fathers named John were grandsons or great grandsons of this John. Additionally, according to his profile, the wife of John Pearson Sr. was born in England, which is where their son was possibly born. Vital Records and other sources attached to the FamilySearch profile of the John Pearson who married Elizabeth Dyson all pertain to a man who was born, married, and had a family in England - not in Massachusetts.^[15] Thus, the relationship between this profile and the incorrect son, John, has been severed.

Sources

1. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Blodgette, George Brainard, Early Settlers of Rowley, published 1933. Reference pages 272-4.
3. ↑ Yorkshire Parish Register Society, The Publications of the Yorkshire Parish Register Society, Volume 21. Reference page 200
4. ↑ Patricia Law Hatcher, "Focus on Rowley and Ezekiel Rogers' Company" Great Migration Newsletter, V.1-20.(Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2018.) Reference Volume 18, pages 19, 29 via $American Ancestors
5. ↑ Great Migration Newsletter, page 29
6. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. Reference Volume 2, page 1195. $Subscription
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Essex Institute Historical Collections. Reference Volume 61 (1925) page 345+
8. ↑ Brown Thurston. Thurston Genealogies 1635 - 1892. Second Edition, published by Brown Thurston: Portland, Maine, 1892, Page 13 Archive.org LINK
9. ↑ Pramberg, Noreen C. (Noreen Cook)Four generations of the descendants of John and Dorcus Pearson of Rowley, Massachusetts in 1643, published 1994. Reference pages 3
10. ↑ Pierson, Lizzie Benedict Pierson genealogical records, published 1878. Reference page 54
11. ↑ Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) Reference Case 20985. $Subscription
12. ↑ Sanborn, Melindi Lutz, Essex County, Massachusetts Probate Records, Part 1, Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations
13. ↑ FreeReg Link
14. ↑ Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, (Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2009) Place: Lynn, Massachusetts; Year: 1637. Page 53
15. ↑ John Pearson, Sr. via FamilySearch

See also:

• Stearns, Ezra S. Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908) Vol. 2, Page 773

• Massachusetts, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 (Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999).

• Stickney, Matthew A., Ancient Tax List of the Town of Rowley, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass.) 15: 253, approximately 166-1664, including Thomas Nelson, John Spofford, John Dreser, Uxor(wife) Dickinson, John Pearson.

• Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.

• Wakefield, Homer. "Wakefield memorial, comprising an historical, genealogical and biographical register of the name and family of Wakefield"; Bloomington, IL, Private Printing; 1897

Acknowledgements

• Ron Pearson, Tuesday, April 29, 2014.