I am resending the information below for those that missed it due to a subject that was not understood by many. Dottie The following was a question earlier from Nadine Holder.which I hope is answered here, the question being, ... Would then guess that he might be the one responsible for the naming of Chester since he was of Cheshire, England and he was painted by Benjamin West with Penn. And the descendant of the other Thomas Pearson/Pierson may be the one who erred? Nadine Holder The question of the naming of Chester and whether Thomas Pearson was on board with Penn is also clarified in "The History of Chester County Pennyslvania" by Futhey and Cope. It appears that this is not a legend but fact, that Thomas Pearson was on board. Per page 21, Penn is quoted as saying..."turning round to his friend Pearson, one of his own society, who had accompanied him in the ship 'Welcome,' he said, 'Providence has brought us here safe. Thou has been the companion of my perils. What wilt thou that I should call this place?' Pearson said, 'Chester,' in remembrance of the city from whence he came. William Penn replied that it should be called Chester, and that when he divided the land into counties one of them should be called by the same name.' Thus from a mere whim the name of the oldest town; the name of the whole settled part of the province; the name that would naturally have a place in the affections of a large majority of the inhabitants of the new province, was effaced to gratify the caprice or vanity of a friend. All great men occasionally do little things." Since Pearson was the surveyor, he would have come over to survey the lands so that Penn would have an idea to present to the king's representative, Lord Baltimore, on how much land would be needed for his purpose. In fact, after his arrival, according to Cope, he dispatched messengers to Lord Baltimore, the kings representative here, evidently for the purpose of procuring an interview and settling their difficulties and he went to New York to "pay his duty" to the duke by way of a visit to his government. When he returned he caused three counties to be laid off, - Chester, Philadelphia, and Bucks, done on Nov. 25, 1682. Regard Pierson (Thomas and Marg..) and Pearson Again, from the "History of Chester County Pennsylvania", by Futhey and Cope... pg. 22 arrivals 1682 and 1688...There is a Tho: Pierson & Margt his wife, late of Pownell in Cheshire, mason arrived on the Endeaver of London, Geo. Thorp Master, arrived here the 29, 7 mo. 1683. I believe there is the above Thomas Pierson, married to Margaret, as I believe it should be Margaret because Cope puts a small "t" behind Marg). Then there is another Thomas Peirson listed on page 238, a Quaker, who is ..."on 7, 10, 1716 - [I use the spelling as in the book] "Calne meeting mak report to this meeting that they have appointed Thomas Peirson and William Cloude to be overseers for their meeting which this meeting doth approve of." 8, 8, 1717 " Elizabeth Swaffer and Susanna Mendenhall are chosen overseers of Calne meeting." at Quarterly meeting: 6, 6, 1716 - The Request of the ffriends of the Inhabitance of Calne for a firs-Days meeting to be settled amongst them, being considered it is the sence of this meeting that they may keep a first days meeting there & have Liberty to build a meeting house on the land of John Mendinhall according to the friends Proposall." and.. At Concord Monthly Meeting: 8,7, 1717 - John Mendenhall, Junr, is appointed overseer for Calne in room of Wm. Cloude who desire to be excused." Makes me think that above Thomas Peirson,the mason, married to Margaret, is the one related to the Mendenhalls. Thomas Pearson the surveyor, settled in Marple, and he came from Chichester, England. Per Futhey and Cope "History of Chester County Pennsylvania page 655: under John and Benjamin Mendenhall.... "John Mendenhall married Elizabeth in 1685, daughter of George Maris and had a son John b. 4, 3, 1688 who married Susanna Pierson, 1709, son Aaron, b 9,20,1690 d. 4, 30 1765 who married 4, 16, 1715 to Rose Pierson, sister of Susanna and daughter of Thomas Pierson. John, Jr., and Aaron settled in East Caln, whence John went to Lancaster County and finally to Virginia." I suggest to you that this Thomas Pierson who married Margaret was the father of Susanna and Rose Pierson, was a mason, not a surveyor. That his father was the brother to Thomas Pearson, the surveyor and that his father's name was Edward Pierson. I believe this because, Per the "History of Delaware County Pennsylvania by G. Smith, M.D. 1862... and I quote, "The Thomas Pearson who was the surveyor for W. Penn and who married Margery, had daughter Sarah Pearson who married John West and was the mother of the famou artist Benjamin West. This Thomas Pearson had a brother Edward who spelled his last name Pierson who was a mason from Chesire England and he had sons Lawrence, Abel and Thomas. Per page 492 "Edward Pierson from Ponnalifee, in Cheshire, England, settled in Darbytownship in 1687. By trade he was a mason and probably followed that business. He was a member of the Society of Friends, but was not so strict a member as was usual in his day. There are reasons for believing that he was a brotther of Thomas Pearson, who accompanied William Penn, and who was instrumental in changing the name of Upland to Chester, though his name is spelled differently. He had a son Lawrence, and probably oone named Thomas and another Abel. It is said he removed to Bucks County." pg 492 Their brother John Pearson, was not married and died without children. Then there is the third Thomas Pearson who married Hannah Blunston and had a daughter Susanna who married Hugh Lloyd. Susanna was born in 1746, in Darby per the book Colonial and Revolutionary Families. I also have a very old book, that is falling apart, "The History of Delaware County Pennsylvania", written in 1862 by George Smith, M.D. in it, is a biography of Thomas Pearson, and I quote from page 490: "Pearson, Thomas, frequently called Thomas Person, with his wife Margery, came from England with William Penn when on his first visit to Pennsylvania. If any reliance can be placed on tradition, it was upon his suggestion that the name of Upland was changed to Chester. He settled in Marple township on the tract marked "Thomas Perce" on Holme's map. His children were Robert, Thomas, Lawrence, Enoch, John, Alice, Sarah and Benjamin, all born in this country. His daughter Sarah, intermarried with John West and was the mother of the great painter Benjamin West. His son Robert Pearson, intermarried with Catharine the daughter of James Thomas of Merion. Thomas Pearson the elder was alive in 1706. Besides Pearson, some of his descendants took the name of Parsons, Person and Pierson." The next Pearson is not the son of the above Thomas Pearson since he did not immigrate until 1712 from England.this information also from "The History of Delaware County Pennsylvania", written in 1862 by George Smith, M.D.also pg 490: Pearson, Benjamin, with his wife Susanna and family emigrated from the town of Rotherham in the West Riding of Yorkshire England about the year 1712, and settled in Darby. His wife's maiden name was Susanna Burbeck. They were in membership with Friends at the time of their arrival. Benjamin was a very sedate man, strongly English in his notions, and never became fully reconciled to this country. He never would admit that its products were equal to those of England - turnips only excepted. He died in 1763 aged 81 years, the death of his wife having occurred eighteen years earlier. They had been better educated than was usual for immigrants in that day, but Benjamin feeling so little interested in the country never made any exertions to acquire property in it. Their children were Benjamin, Thomas and Isaac born in England and John, Joseph, Samuel and Joshua, born in this country. Thomas, the second son married Hannah, the daughter of Samuel Blunston and grand daughter of the immigrant John Blunston, and settled in Darby. From their oldest son John Pearson, who married Anne Bevan all the Darby Pearson families have descended. I hope this clears up a few questions about who Thomas Pearson the surveyor was and obviously there were several Thomas Pearsons in the same area. Dottie