| Notes |
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Name: Benjamin Pearson
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 19 Sep 1722
Birth Place: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Death Date: May 1788
Death Place: Bush River, Newberry County, South Carolina, United States of America
Cemetery: Bush River Quaker Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Newberry, Newberry County, South Carolina, United States of America
Has Bio?: Y
Father: Enoch Pearson
Mother: Mary Pearson
Spouse: Margaret Pearson
Children:
Joseph Pearson
John Pearson
Elizabeth Pearson
Margery McClure
William Pearson
Rosanna Russell
Enoch G. Pearson
Benjamin Pearson
Birth 19 Sep 1722
Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA
Death May 1788 (aged 65)
Bush River, Newberry County, South Carolina, USA
Burial
Bush River Quaker Cemetery
Newberry, Newberry County, South Carolina, USA
Plot No gravestone
Memorial ID 46064560
Benjamin Pearson was the son of Enoch Pearson and Mary Smith and the husband of 1) Agatha Brooks and 2) Margaret Evans. At age 12 Benjamin and his parents and siblings moved from Chester, PA, to Orange County, VA. Orange County became Frederick County, VA in 1738. Benjamin's married in 1852 in VA Agatha Brooks, daughter of Jacob Brooks and Sarah Cardwell. The Brooks family was not Quaker, but Benjamin 'married out of unity' and was outside the Friends for at least 9 years, maybe longer. During that time, according to Wilmer L. L. Kerns, he served as a private in the Frederick County, Virginia militia. Again, this was in violation of Quaker custom, which was pacifist. In 1759 Benjamin, wife Agatha, and his father-in-law Jacob Brooks migrated to a frontier area of what would later become Newberry County, South Carolina, and they bought adjacent plots. Since the area was still subject to Indian attacks Jacob Brooks set up his land as a 'fort' and no doubt Benjamin helped to fend off Indian attacks. Many of their neighbors were not so lucky and were killed or driven off. The Cherokee Wars ended 1762 and soon after Benjamin Pearson's brothers William, Tbomas and Samuel bought land nearby in South Carolina.
Agatha Brooks, b. 1730 in VA,, died 1761 in SC. Benjamin wrote his will in 1784 and in the will he said he resided at Bush River. This researcher surmises that by this time he was reconciled with Bush River Monthly Meeting.
Concerning Benjamin's early years Quaker researcher Tom Hamm in 'From Bush River to Miami,' wrote "the lands around Philadelphia were filling up and becoming increasingly expensive. The goal of every Quaker farmer was to be able to acquire enough land to settle his children on farms around him, and now only the wealthiest could afford to do that. Friends thus began seeking new lands...So about 1730 Friends from Chester and Bucks Counties (PA) began to move south, onto the upper reaches of the Potomac River in the vicinity of Winchester, Virginia. Here for a generation would sojourn some of the families who would be (later in 1772) be central to Bush River (SC): Wright, Hollingsworth, Taylor, Roberts, Pearson, Copock, Pugh."
In 1756 Benjamin Pearson and his younger brother William Pearson served as witnesses for the will of neighbor George Pemberton II. Pemberton died a year later in 1757. In the will the executor Isaiah Pemberton I specifically mentions that the two witnesses from the Pearson family were Quakers.
Benjamin's paternal grandfather was Thomas Pearson, 1653-1734. Thomas Pearson emigrated from Cheshire, England, to Chester Co, PA, arriving on 'Endeavor of Liverpool,' 29 Sep 1683. Thomas's parents were Lawrence Pearson and Elizabeth Janney.
Provided by Angela Jones Harlan (46829396: "Benjamin (Pearson) first petitioned for 350 acres of land on Scotch Creek in Newberry Co., SC on Feb 6, 1759. He had the headrights to 100 acres for him and 50 for his wife and 4 children. ..The Indian raids and massacres in precisely that section of the SC frontier had been escalating since 1751, and broke into all-out warfare in 1759. Jacob Brooks (Benjamin's father-in-law) turned his property into a house-fort...(Jacob Brooks) was clearly not a Quaker at that time."
Benjamin Pearson eventually owned 750 acres in Newberry County. He made his will in Newberry County on 19 Dec 1784 (Estate Record Book A, p. 25) and the will was proven 6 Jun 1788, so he likely died in early 1788. Excerpts from his will:
"I Benjamin Pearson of Bush River in the District of 96 and State of S Carolina...make and publish my Last will and Testament...I give & bequeath to my Wife Margaret Pearson, all my Personal Estate together with the Plantation whereon I now live containing four hundred acres of Land for and during her Natural Life..I give to my six sons Namely William, Abel, Samuel, Robert, Joseph & John...Three Hundred Acres being part of the Tract whereon I now live...Also one other Tract situate on the Beaver-dams, adjoining Caleb Gilberts, Containing Two hundred Acres of Land, Likewise one other Tract, Containing One Hundred and fifty Acres of Land adjoing to where Jehu Inman now lives which said part Tract Containing 300 Acres, & Tract of 200 Acres and 150 Acres of Land, I desire may be equally divided ...between my above said six sons ...and One hundred Acres, being part of my above said Plantation...to be taken off the side adjoining to Land late Henry Coate's I give and bequeath to my son Enoch Pearson, and to his Heirs... I also bequeath to my said Seven Sons all my Personal Estate...at the expiration of my said Wifes widowhood...to be equally Divided among them...I give & bequeath to my two Daughters Rosanna Russel and Marjory Buffington their Heirs or Afsigns, the sum of Fourteen pounds each...I the said Benjamin Pearson have to this my last Will and Testament set my Hand & seal..."
Benjamin's gravestone is missing.
Children (in addition to those listed in familylinks below):
Jacob Pearson, 1756-1780taken prisoner by British and died during war
Thomas Pearson, 1758-1768SC.
Abel Pearson, 1767-1830OHm.MaryMcClarren
Samuel Pearson, 1769-died Indiana, drowning
Robert Pearson, 1771-1830OH
William Pearson, 1765SC-1830IN
Aunts and uncles:
Mary Pearson Rogers, wf of Nicholas Rogers, 1691-1784
Sarah Pearson West, wf of John West, 1701-1784
John Pearson, 1692-1763
Margery Pearson Thompson, wf of Peter Thompson (Thomson), 1703-1747
Robert Pearson, 1683-aft1747
Laurence Pearson, 1687-1784Westmoreland, Berks, PA
Abel Pearson, 1695-1745VA
Thomas Pearson, 1685-1705PA
First cousin:
Benjamin West, famous painter, 1738-1820, memorial # 10905463
Grandchildren, ch of William:
James Powell Pearson, 1792SC-1876Wabash, IN
Robert Pearson, 1797SC-aft1820
Source:s Hamm, Tom, 'From Bush River to Miami,' Miami Monthly Meeting Quaker Homecoming, September 19-22, 2013
Diller, Corinne Hanna, "Quaker Pearsons, Being descendants of Lawrence Peirson of Cheshire, England," 1985.
Kerns, Wilmer L. L., "Historical records of old Frederick and Hampshire Virginia."
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1722 - 1788 (65 years)
