Notes for Thomas Pierson

Notes for Thomas Pierson

An unknown source lists Christine Johnson as the mother of Thomas Pierson.

The following information is from Dan McEver off the Pierson Family Web Site, 1999:
Thomas Pierson was Deputy Surveyor for William Penn from 1684 to about 1709. His real claim to fame was to help do the very first surey of what is now the northern "arc" of Delaware. Here is the official warrent from William Penn himself to Isaac Taylor of Chester County and Thomas Pierson of New Castle County: "At ye request of ye inhabitants of yecounty of Chester and county of New Castle that I would grant them a warrant for ye running a dividing line between the two said counties that the inhabitants of ye respective which are in question may know to what jurisdiction they belong. I hereby nominate appoint and authorize thou Isaac Tailer of ye county of Chester in ye province of Pennsylvania and thou Thomas Pierson of ye county of new Castle in ye territories to accompany the magistrates of each county or any three of them within ye space of fourty days after ye date hereof to admeasure and survey from you town of New Castle the distance of twelve miles on a right line by ye river Dellaware upwards and from the said distance to divide between the said counties by a circular line extending according to ye Kings letters pattents and deeds of enforcement from the Duke for ye same and ye said curcular line to be well marked two third parts of ye semicircle and make a true return hereof into my secretary's office to remain uppon record and for your so doing this shall be your warrant given under my hand and seale this 28 day of ye 8th month 1701. WM Penn"

The original of this document was found at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. This document has the same day as the signing of the famous Charter of Priveledges (Oct 28, 1701) which was law in Penn's province and territories until the Revolution. At that time there were no clear boundaries between Chester and New Castle Counties, so this document above resulted in the need to let residents know to which jurisdiction they belonged. So in effect, Thomas Pierson was helping to carry out the historic Charter of Priveledges. By 1704, the "Lower Counties" or the "Territories" formed their own legislature, so that "county" boundary became even more important. Eventually it became the state boundary. Fifty years later, a bell was cast to commemorate the signing of the Charter of Priveledges. This bell later became known as the Liberty Bell.

By 1701, Pierson had been Deputy Surveyor for about 17 years. His counterpart, Isaac Taylor, had only been a Deputy Surveyor for a year or less. Henry Hollingsworth was the Chester County Deputy Surveyor in 1700. Pierson and Taylor finished the survey on the 4th day of the 10th month, 1701. There were five witnesses, including Cornelius Empson and Caleb Pusey. At the spot where the survey began in New Castle (near the horse dyke) there was a commemorative sign, but it reads "surveyed by Empson and Pusey". The document above clearly mentions Pierson and Taylor as the surveyors, and another witness declaration document signed by Empson and Pusey. A local historian knows the sign is in error, but it's currently not the city's top priority to fix it. Ironically, an old letter strongly implies that Pierson could not stand Cornelius Empson.

Much has been written about the "Taylor-Pierson" survey. There is agreement that it was imperfect, but it held for almost 200 years before it was re-surveyed, and a few adjustments were made. But when it was re-surveyed the desire was to get as close as possible to the original "Taylor-Pierson Survey".

The following document, believed to be about Thomas in his earlier years by a respective Pennsylvania historian Albert Cook Myers, dates back to 1675. Myers refers to it in The PA MAG of History and Biography, Vol. XXI, 1897, pp. 506-507: "Bristol the 24th of 8th 1675" "To all people to whome this presents shall com this I signifie and certyfie: that the: bearer hereof: Tho: Peirson: hath served me the full terme of seven years according to his Indenture recorded in the Tolzie of the City in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day and year above written. Joseph Kippin"

In Meyers words, "That which follows, I presume, is in the neat handwriting of Thomas Pierson himself:"
"on ye 12th day of ye 8th month in ye yeare 1675 I had served my Apprenticeship on ye 2d day of ye 12th month in ye yeare aforesd I went from Bristoll for London on ye 14th day of ye 7th month in ye yeare 1676 I arrived in Great Wicka Comma Coe (Wicomico) River in ye ship called the Joseph and Benjamin Mathew Pain Commander of ye same/T:P on ye 14th day of ye 12th month in ye yeare 1681/2 I sailed from without ye capes of Cheseopeak bay in Maryland for England in the ship called the Comfort of Bristol Thomas Whitop Master on or about ye 20th day of March 1682 I arrived in Kingroad on ye 25th day of July in ye yeare 1683 I set saile from Kingroad in ye Comfort John Reed Master and arrived at Upland in Pennsylvania ye 28th of September 1683. "

Source notes:
The Tolzie was the depository of records. Myers states regarding this document: "It seems to me from the manuscript that Thomas Pierson was a young unmarried man when he came over in the "Comfort" in 1683, and I presume it was he who married Rachel Sharpley, of New Castle County, in 1686". It has been suggested that when Pierson said he arrived in "Upland" he meant New Castle. It is not known why Pierson went back to England 1682-83. The document above was from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and is from 1675 and believed to be Thomas Pierson, surveyor. This letter was in his signature neat handwriting.

The following record is from the article, "Pennsylvania's 1683 Ships, and Some of Their Passengers" in the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol 24:2, 1965, written by Marion Balderston. Thomas Pierson is listed among the passengers of the Bristol Comfort, 1673. Here is a list from this article of his luggage: "5 doz. wool stockings; 6 cwt. wrought iron; 28 lbs. brass manufactured; 14 lbs. wrought pewter; 40 yds. frieze; 12 lbs. serges; 50 lbs shoes; 1/2 chest window glass; cwt. cheese; 5 pcs. English fustian; 3 parcels wares value 3 pounds 1 s. 5 d." Notes: Balderstone adds: "He appears to have m. Rachel Sharply and...appears to have been the deputy surveyor for New Castle Co., appointed 10 7m 1684." Another passenger ont he Bristol Comfort 1683 was George Maris. A frieze is a coarse woolen cloth with a nap on one side. From French friser "to curl". It is one of the fabrics coverd by the Woolen Act of 1699. A fustian is a coarse, stout, twilled cotton. A 1797 Boston newspaper mentioned, "Caleb Johnson's Variety Store (offered) Kerseymeres, Fustians, Janes, Moreens."

[Broderbund Family Archive #354, Ed. 1, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Date of Import: Apr 25, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.354.1.78698.21]
Individual: Tho Pierson
Place: Pennsylvania
Year: 1683
Primary Individual: Pierson, Tho
Family Members: Wife Margt; Brother John
Source Code: 2313
Source Name: FUTHEY, JOHN SMITH, and GILBERT COPE. "A Partial Registry of Arrivals Was Made Between the Years 1682 and 1687." In History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical Sketches. Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1881, pp. 22-24.
Source Annotation: Original in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Corrected and re-transcribed in no. 7585, Roach, and no. 8370, Sheppard. Also in no. 6460, "A Partial List...."
Source Page #: 22

[Broderbund Family Archive #354, Ed. 1, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Date of Import: Apr 25, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.354.1.78698.22]
Individual: Tho Pierson
Place: Philadelphia
Year: 1683
Primary Individual: Pierson, Tho
Family Members: Wife Margt; Brother John
Source Code: 6460
Source Name: "A PARTIAL LIST OF THE FAMILIES WHO ARRIVED AT PHILADELPHIA between 1682 and 1687. With the Dates of Their Arrival." In The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 8:3 (July 1884), pp. 328-340.
Source Annotation: From a manuscript in the Historical Society of Philadelphia. Also in no. 2313, Futhey & Cope; and in no. 9120, Tepper, Emigrants to Pennsylvania, pp. 6-18.
Source Page #: 330

[Broderbund Family Archive #354, Ed. 1, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Date of Import: Apr 25, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.354.1.78699.6]
Individual: Thomas Pierson
Place: Pennsylvania
Year: 1683
Primary Individual: Pierson, Thomas
Source Code: 1634
Source Name: DILLER, CORINNE HANNA. "Immigrant Ancestors of Miami Valley, Ohio, Quaker Families." In Miami Valley Genealogical Society: Genealogical Aids Bulletin, vol. 13:3 (Winter 1984), pp. 64-67.
Source Page #: 67

[Broderbund Family Archive #354, Ed. 1, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Date of Import: Apr 25, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.354.1.78699.7]
Individual: Thomas Pierson
Place: Philadelphia
Year: 1683
Primary Individual: Pierson, Thomas
Family Members: Wife Margaret
Source Code: 236
Source Name: BALDERSTON, MARION. "Pennsylvania's 1683 Ships and Some of Their Passengers." In The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, vol. 24:2 (1965), pp. 69-114.
Source Annotation: List of 21 ships arriving between 1682 and 1684 at Philadelphia and the Delaware Bay (p. 110). Also in no. 8370, Sheppard.
Source Page #: 83

[Broderbund Family Archive #354, Ed. 1, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Date of Import: Apr 25, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.354.1.78698.21]
Individual: Tho Pierson
Place: Pennsylvania
Year: 1683
Primary Individual: Pierson, Tho
Family Members: Wife Margt; Brother John
Source Code: 2313
Source Name: FUTHEY, JOHN SMITH, and GILBERT COPE. "A Partial Registry of Arrivals Was Made Between the Years 1682 and 1687." In History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical Sketches. Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1881, pp. 22-24.
Source Annotation: Original in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Corrected and re-transcribed in no. 7585, Roach, and no. 8370, Sheppard. Also in no. 6460, "A Partial List...."
Source Page #: 22