Here is the current information about Thomas Pierson, the Surveyor from the Mendenhall Family Association and from the Abraham Woodward Home Page http://www.mendenhall.org/mfa/tng/getperson.php?personID=I05376&tree=Mendenhall Rose Pierson, daughter of Thomas and Rose (Dixon) Pierson; married Aaron Mendenhall, s/o John & Elizabeth (Maris) Mendenhall; and I descend from the son, Thomas & Rose (Dixon) Pierson through their son, James Mendenhall md. 2ndly, Hannah Thomas., James & Hannah migrated fron E. Caln, Chester Co., PA>Guilford Co., NC>Wrightsborough Quaker Colony, GA, where James died and is buried. Hannah (Thomas) Mendenhall returned to NC. James first wife was Martha Griffith, in PA. See: http://www.mendenhall.org/mfa/tng/getperson.php?personID=I01975&tree=Mendenhall James Joseph Mendenhall Rose's sister was Sussana Person md. John Mendenhall II, brother of Aaron. When I first started my genealogy in 1998, my son & I did a lot of research about Thomas Pierson, Surveyor for William Penn. At that time, there was information on the Mendenhall Website. I have some of this buried away. His ship did get into the Wicomico River on the Maryland Eastern Shore. Wicomico is an Indian name and so there are numerous Wicomico Rivers in both Maryland and Virginia, which are in proximatey to the Chesepeake Bay & the Atlantic Ocean. At the time that we did this study, my son was anticipating moving to Maryland with his job; and now we both live here. St. Mary's County, MD has its own story of the Arc & the Dove, 1634 under a land grant by the English Crown to the Catholic CALVERT Family (the ruling Calvert was known as "Lord Baltimore".) Over the years, I have also been in touch with Researchers of the Abraham Woodward Home Page, because of the descendents of Aaron & Rose (Pierson) Mendenhall. *********************************************** http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/4038/Pearson.html Thomas Pierson (Pearson) Families -------------------------------------------- Abraham Woodward Home Page The Thomas Pierson of particular interest to us came from England to Chester County, Pennsylvania, purportedly with William Penn. He was deputy surveyor to William Penn. The name is alternately spelled Pearson. From Fiske's Dutch & Quaker Colonies, quoted in the biography of descendant Nereus Mendenhall, comes the following quaint legend: "Turning to his friend and shipmate, Thomas Pearson, he (William Penn) said 'Providence has brought us here safe. Thou hast been the companion of my perils. What wilt thou that I call this place?''Call it Chester,' replied Pearson, who had come from that most quaint and beautiful city of old England." It is simply, a quaint legend (or connected to the wrong Thomas Pierson - see below)! The Mendenhall Web Site contains a copy of a ledger, found in the Historical Society in Pennsylvania, where Pierson documents two trips to America. One was started on the 14th day of 7th month 1676 in company with William Dixon, brother of his future wife Rose. On the 14th day of the 12th month in 1681 he started back for England, and then 25th day of July in 1683 he sailed again in the Comfort for America. In other words he never sailed with William Penn. From some postings on Genforum we learn that the parents of Thomas Pierson were possibly Laurence & Elizabeth Barnhill Janney Peirson/Pierson, and the parents of Rose Dixon were Henry & Rose Harlan Dixon. Since we do not know the source of the information, we cannot vouch for its accuracy. Henry Dixon was supposedly born in Lurgan, Armagh, Ireland, so the family was probably of the Quakers who had fled England to Ireland. The Mendenhall Web Site also contains a copy of a document signed by William Penn nominating Thomas Pierson of County NewCastle to perform a survey. Thomas Pierson was Deputy Surveyor for William Penn for many years. From Immigration of the Irish Quakers into Pennsylvania, 1682-1750, Thomas Pierson married Rachel Sharpley 8th month 1686 at Newark Meeting. She died 7 mo 2nd day, 1687 and is buried at Newark. She probably died in childbirth given the dates. He married (2)Rose Dixon supposedly in 1690, although that does not fit with the birth of daughter Susannah. Rose Dixon born unknown died Chester Co, Pa Thomas Pierson born Chester, England died 9/29/1722 Chester Co, Pa Married: Chester County, Pennsylvania Children: Susannah Pierson born 10/1689 Chester County, Pennsylvania; married John Mendenhall Rose Pierson born 6/16/1693 Concord, Chester County, Pennsylvania; married Aaron Mendenhall We have not researched this family extensively. Some of our information comes from a Quaker biography of a descendant, Nereus Mendenhall, amended from other sources as above. The parent of Nereus was James Mendenhall who immigrated to North Carolina at the same time as Abraham Woodward,and perhaps with Abraham, as they were distantly related. James Mendenhall was son of Aaron & Rose Pierson Mendenhall. His brother Aaron Mendenhall, Jr. was brother-in-law of Abraham Woodward . Susannah Pierson is also connected to our Woodward family. She married John Mendenhall (John & Aaron were brothers), and a descendant of theirs married Abraham Woodward's grandson, Benjamin Woodward. The Nereus Mendenhall biography also tells us of another daughter, Sarah Pearson, married to John West, but once again it was incorrect. The son of John & Sarah Pearson West, Sir Benjamin West, was a famous artist. In a painting "Elm Tree Treaty" he depicted Thomas Pierson, the surveyor, standing near William Penn holding a map in his hand. This painting may have led to the error in the Mendenhall biography that Sarah was a daughter of Thomas Pierson, the surveyor. It is proven that she was the daughter of Thomas and Margery Pearson, more below. Thomas Pierson died intestate so we do not know the names of all his descendants for sure. There is a copy of his inventory of personal goods and account upon his estate, taken in the township of Caln in Chester County, on the Mendenhall Web Site. Since the family of Thomas and Rose Dixon Pierson was very small for the time, it seems possible that Rose died early. There has been confusion with another Thomas Pearson/Pierson of Marple. Thomas Pearson of Marple had a wife Margery Smith, and died about 1734. His will was proven 25 March 1734, and a copy is posted on the Chester County Will Forum. Merry Anne Pierson {email} kindly set us straight on this matter, and provided the will. She is researching a Samuel Pearson but cannot find a connection to these families. If anyone can help, please contact Merry Anne. Thomas names Sarah West, wife of John West in his will. Another tempting lead came from Colonial Families of Philadelphia naming Thomas Pearson, with a daughter Susannah, as one of the founders of the Darby Library in 1743. Given our erudite Thomas Pierson, we had hoped to find this Thomas Pearson as a son, but so far can find no connection. We searched land deed abstracts up through 1753 hoping to find some land transcations for our Thomas Pierson in connection with his estate but found none, although we found many for the Thomas Pearson married to Margery. We tend to believe our Thomas then did not have additional children and had settled land on his sons-in-law before his death. One thing notable in the deed search was that the name was seen pretty consistently as Pierson before 1700 and pretty consistently as Pearson after 1700. Updates 1/23/2002 Updated link to Chester County will forum. 1/18/2003 Minor corrections and updates. ******* Well, the above may answer question! Or is it still a Myth! Violet Moore Guy 05/26/2006

from; THE IMMIGRATION OF THE IRISH QUAKERS INTO PA - 1682-1750 , by the Welcome Society and Albert Myers. Rose Dixon was the dau of Henry Dixson, who kept an inn at New Castle .....Henry was the son of Wm Dixson and Isabelle Rea, both of parish of Sego, Co Armagh, Ireland, who were married at the house of Roger WEbb 5 mo4, 1683...They arrived in New Castle Co prior to 1690. Rose, married in 1690, Thomas Pierson, widower, dept. surveyor of New Castle Co (there is an article of Thomas in Penna Mag. XXI, pgs 506-7 Sandra -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.7.1/347 - Release Date: 5/24/2006