St. Wilfred’s Church, Mobberley, England

The 6th Great Grandmother of Moses J. Pearson

Elizabeth Janey (Janney), 1620 – 1675, wife of Lawrence Pearson [Peirson] and mother of Edward and Thomas Pearson [Peirson], is buried at St. Wilfred’s Church, Mobberley, England.

A thumbnail history of Lawrence and Elizabeth compiled via Rootsdigger.

Lawrence was married in the Quaker meeting to Elizabeth Janney, of a very active Quaker family. Elizabeth, wife of Lawrence, was buried 13 Aug 1662 at Mobberly. She was daughter of Randle Janney and Ellen Allred.

In 1650, Lawrence Pearson was imprisoned for testifying in the streets at Highfield, County Derby.

In 1660, Robert Pearson, his brother, was put in jail for refusing to take an oath.

In 1657, [her husband] Lawrence Pearson of Wilmslow Parish refused to pay a tithe, and had a horse worth three pounds confiscated to pay an eight shilling tithe.

In 1665 Lawrence Pearson of Pownall Fee was arrested at a Quaker meeting and jailed for two months.

In his will he identified his profession as mason. His will left “unto my sonne Edward the dishboard, the little plow, and the little pair of plow irons, etc.” The other children, including Thomas, received shares of the tiny estate.

Lawrence and Elizabeth’s two sons Edward and Thomas left England about 1683 and settled in Quaker communities in Pennsylvania.

Here’s where I’m stopping today’s research! 7 generations! Where it list’s my name, if your dad was a brother or sister of my dad then just put your name where mine is.

Thomas Pearson Sr.

Birth 24 March 1728 • Philadelphia, PA, USA
Death 13 October 1820 • Monroe Township, Miami, Ohio
Our 4th great-grandfather on Moses J. Pearson’s side of the family

“The first I’ll mention is Thomas Pearson, ‘Little Old Tommy,’ who lived to the greatest age of any who came from Newberry, besides being the oldest emigrant to his township and as near as I can learn, county.

Born in 1728, he was older that the Father of his Country, a fact which seemed to attach additional importance to him. In early life, he lived in Philadelphia, following the trade of saddler & harness-maker. Years before, & during the Revolution, he & his family resided in Newberry District & had their full share of its honors.

Once, when a captive, his enemies required his service in saddlery and harness work, regardless of his lack of tools. He answered them by saying that ‘Neither wise men nor fools can work without tools,’ the piquancy of which caused them to laugh & excuse him.
He appears to have occupied the first seat in the ‘Common Meetings’ of Friends.

A granddaughter of his told me that once during the solemn quiet of a meeting a partially insane woman came in with fruit in her apron and going up to him said, ‘Here, Mr. Pearson, I’ll give you the apples if you will preach today.’ Being a harmless person they got rid of her in a quiet way; but whether they regarded her interruption as a rebuke upon their silent worship I was not informed.

I think it was in 1805 or 1806, that Father Pearson left Newberry with a numerous retinue of children, grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Coming directly to Miami County they pitched their tents in proximity to the Jays & Jenkinses, who had preceded them.

It was not many years before his many descendants were settled comfortably around him and he saw teeming fields, in place of dark, tangled forest. His wife died and though in advanced age, he took another.

A few years more and his walk became tremulous, his eyes grew dim and his hearing blunted. The writer saw him in 1820, when he had Old Dodson’s Three Warnings: – ‘he was lame, deaf and blind. ‘He could walk only with support on both sides, could hear only by loud speaking in his ear, both day and night were alike to him. Upon asking what time it was, if answered ten o’clock, he would say and repeat, ‘Ten o’clock, ten o’clock.’ striving, but in vain, to impress it upon his memory, for it would not be long before he repeated the question.

A short time after the above-described sight of Old Thomas, the author heard a grandson of his announce his death & burial…”

From: Annals of Newberry, John O’Neall & John A. Chapman, Aull & Houseal, Newberry, SC, 1892, pp.332-333

Balzar was the 5th great-grandfather of Moses Jefferson Pearson’s mother, Elizabeth Evaline Leffel – Jim Pearson

Balthsasar Leffel was born 2 February 1721, doubtless in the Palatinate, died 11 July 1796 in Amity township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and was buried two days later.

He arrived on the ship “Two Brothers,” Thomas Arnot master, from Rotterdam and last from Cowes, and took the usual oaths at the courthouse in Philadelphia, Tuesday, 28 August 1750, in the presence of Thomas Lawrence, Esq., mayor. His name is written by someone other than himself, appears on the list of the male passengers of that vessel; sixteen years of age and older, as Balsazar (O) Loffler.

Since the dominant form of his surname is Leffel, used by himself and his wife in their wills, and by his sons and their descendants, that will be used exclusively in what follows. As his given name was usually recorded as Balzar, that form will be used hereafter. [One English-speaking tax assessor, however, on one occasion, confusing the German “B” with the English “P” actually entered his name as Paul!]

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