Tom Pearson was a blackSmith, saddler and harness maker, as well as a farmer. He was known as "Little Old Tommy". He was born March 23 1728 in Chester County, Pennsylvania and was the son of Pearson.
Thomas Pearson and Ann Powell were married June 5, 1751 in Philadelphia. Ann was born August 6, 1729 in Chester County, Marple Township, Pennsylvania. Ann Powell was the daughter of Joseph Powell and Mary Howell. Thomas was the son of Enoch and Mary Smith Pearson.
The couple were the parents of eight children. Mary born June 16, 1753; Joseph Born March 27, 1755; Ann born January 28, 1758; Enoch born September 27, 1761; Benjamin Sr born October 7, 1766; Samuel born May 5, 1771 and Jonas born September 14, 1773.
Ann Powell Pearson died from complications from the birth of her last child , Jonas, on October 27, 1773.
Thomas Pearson received a grant for 300 acres on the Broad River
in South Carolina on December 29 1767. He
received another grant for 100 acres in Berkeley Co.,SC on February 10,
1773. He did not move from
Pennsylvania until after the death of his first wife. However, he was in South Carolina on October 1,
1772 to witness the wedding of his brother Samuel Pearson at Bush River Monthly
Meeting, in what became Newberry County, SC.
Thomas witnessed two deeds for his brother Samuel on 3/4 November 1772
in Berkeley Co. SC. He must have returned to Pennsylvania as his eighth child was born
there. But he had moved to SC by 1775 with his family.
Thomas was married on July 8, 1775, at Padgett's Creek
Monthly Meeting, South Carolina to Mary.
She
had married first about 1757 to John Insco, who died in SC
some time after 1765. (They had three
children) She had married a second time
about 1769 to Samuel Campbell, who was killed by Indians in 1773 in SC. (They
had two children) In 1778 in Newberry
Co., SC, Thomas Pearson and John Clark were appointed guardians of his
step-sons, Ralph and John Campbell.
With his second wife Mary, he had two more children: Rebecca
1776, and Mary 1778. Both born at Bush River, Newberry County, SC.
During the Revolutionary War, as the legend goes, Thomas Pearson was captured by the British, who tried to impress him into service as a blacksmith. However, he exercised Quaker passive resistance, and refused to work. Some people have joined the DAR based on his "patriotic service" however the documents to support the claim are in error. They claim military service in North Carolina, not South, and trace through a nephew, not son.
In 1806, at the age of 78, "Little Old Tommy" crossed the mountains to settle in Miami County, Ohio where his children were living. Though blind, he lived another fourteen years, dying on October 13, 1820 age 92 years, 6 months, 20 days. He is buried in Mill Creek Cemetery in Miami County, Ohio. [Please note on Saturday, October 3, 1992 the DAR held a ceremony to unveil a gravestone for Thomas Pearson
at the Frederick Cemetery (aka Mill Creek Cemetery) Monroe Township, Frederick, Oh on Montgomery
County Line Road in Miami County]
This article has footnotes and a time line that I am not including here. I am sure that Sharon would forward entire article if you have an interest in seeing the footnotes and etc. I would also be very happy to add your Pearson information to this or if you have editing suggestions or additions or corrections or maps or pictures, I would gladly accept your help in adding to the Pearson information. Particularly I would like to add which Meeting in PA this family was affiliated with and if we have other attendees who descend from Thomas Pearson who will be in attendance.
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