Daniel Pearsall

Daniel Pearsall; born about 1652, died in May, 1703. resided at Hempstead, L.I., N.Y. Will dated 29 April, 1703; proved May 20, 1703 filed Liber 7, p. 119 of New York Wills. He married Emma Bassett, daughter of Robert Bassett (Families of Old Fairfield, D.L. Jacobus, vol. 1, p.36.+

Children:

Anne Pearsall born abt. 1681, married abt. 1698 to John Searing, son of John and Susanna (Pine) Searing.

Sarah Pearsall born abt 1683, probably married abt. 1703 to James Searing, son of John and Susanna (Pine) Searing.

Daniel born about 1685, married--?,

children:

Samuel Pearsall

Thomas Pearsall

John born abt. 1688, died 1741. married Martha-?

He was surveyor in Hempstead 6 April, 1731 and resident there all his life. His will, dated 8, August, 1740, was proved 28 August, 1741 and filed in Liber 13, p. 450 of New York Wills His wife at time will was dated was named Martha. He is provisionally identified as the Jan Persen who had a Wife Maragret and a daughter Ami baptised in the Dutch Church in Jamaica, New York, 12 October 1714. This Ami or Amy was later probably the wife of Jonas Brush, son of Richard and Deborah Brush.

+ Children

John

Daniel

James

Samuel

Margery Pearsall born Sept. 1692, married abt 1713 to Timothy Halstead, son of Timothy and Abigail (Carman) Halstead.

Jean** born abt. 1695, married abt. 1716 to Caleb Halstead, son of Timothy and Abigail (Carman) Halstead.

Eame (Emma, Amy) born abt. 1697 probably the wife of Ezekiel Raynor, son of Samuel and Mary-- Raynor.

Hempstead Record Book 8, page 297. These presents witnesseth that I Nathaniel Pearsall of Hempstead on Long Island in the North Riding of New Yorkshere havd and do by these presents give and alienate from me my heirs, executors, administrators and assignes to my brother Daniel Pearsall of the same town him his heirs, executors, administrators or assignes one quarter part of the living that my father Henry Pearsall gave me at his death, that is to say one quarter of the meadow, one quarter of all the loted lands and hollows on the plains, and one quarter of the commons and unloted meadows, and to the true performance herof I have set my hand this 22 day or March in the year of Our Lord 1674. Memorandum. Half the fenced land at Water Million Hill is to be Daniels. Witnesses: Jonathan Smith and Joseph pettit.

It is remarkable that the sons of Henry Pearsall in dividing his property should have thereby brought about such marked geographical separations and such broad religious differences although the homes they severally selected were only a few miles apart.

Nathaniel and Thomas settled at the Harbor which brought them within the bounds of Westbury Friends Meeting, which they joined They were such consistent Friends all their lives that it would not be right to intimate that they were influenced by any other reasons that their own religious convictions. Nevertheless, it no doubt all the more safely anchored them in the society that they married sisters, the daughters of Capt. John Seaman, who were also members of meeting. George and Daniel located at Herricks, now called Searington. Here George's descendants lived for many generations and they were the last to leave the old Presbyterian Church (1) at Hempstead. Daniel's descendants very early divided their religious allegiance between the Presbyterian and Episcopal Churches.

The long civil war that existed in England, and English America, during the time of the Commonwealth, had wrought many changes in Hempstead. This English town located within the bounds of a Dutch colony, was a place of safety for the Staffordshire loyalists. Hence we find during the years 1643 to 1660 a marked increase therein of families whom the Staffordshire-Shropshire records disclose to be closely related. There was also quite a few of their Old Welsh neighbors and relatives who came to this comparatively peaceful town on the plains of Long Island. In England these men had, as we have seen, been taught that membership in the Episcopal Church was the outward sign of loyalty to the crown and many of them were sincerely attached to the Established Church of England. They were therefore restless under the ministrations, or rather want of ministrations of the Presbyterian Church, for at this time the Presbyterians had grown to be very lax in their church duties.

Abstracts of Wills Vol I 1665-1707

Page 119.-

-DANIEL PEARSALL.

"The last will and Testament of Daniel Pearsall, of Hempstead. This being my last will, I, being very weak in body, but having my perfect understanding, for which I am thankful God." I leave to my eldest son, Daniel Pearsall, my dwelling house, and orchard by the same, and my barn and the land joining to it. Also all that land that lies northwest of my house near the Flax Pond, excepting that which my brother Nathaniel is to have, in lieu of a piece of ground that lies on the east side of my house called the Little Orchard, which said Little Orchard I give to my son John Pearsall, till he is of age, and then it is to return to my son Daniel. I also give to my son Daniel, the remaining part of my 100 acre lot (my brother Thomas Pearsall, having the west half of it by a deed of gift), except ten rods in breadth, the whole length of the lot to be taken off the east side, and this part I give to my son John, and I give to my son, John Pearsall, my 50 acres of land joining on the east side of it with all the privilege thereto belonging, and an equal part of my rights of Commons, proportional to his land. I give to my sons, Daniel and John, all my rights of meadow in the town of Hempstead. I give to Sarah Wilkins a heifer. I leave all of my cattle to my five daughters, Ann Searing, Sarah Pearsall, Margery Pearsall, **Jane Pearsall, and Emma Pearsall, and to each of them a feather bed with furniture. "And concerning my three little daughters, my wife disposed of two of them to their two sisters before she died, and the third, namely, Margery, I do likewise dispose of to my two eldest daughters, desiring that as soon as it is convenient, she may learne the treade of a Tayler." I make my son in law, John Searing, and my cousin, Thomas Pearsall, executors. Dated this 29 day of the 2nd month, called April, 170 2/3. There is some remaining land on Cow neck, which I authorize my executors to sell. Witnesses, Isaac Smith, Samuel Denton. Nathaniel Pearsall. Proved at Court of Common Pleas, at Jamaica, May 20, 1703. Thomas Willett, Judge; Samuel Clowes, Clerk. page 376

• *The American Genealogist (TAG) vol. 18, pg.171-has JANE as JEAN who married Caleb Halstead...(?)
• Notes taken from Clarence Pearsall's Books vol. II pg. 1171

+notes from TAG vol. 18, pg.171

(1) #Established in 1644. Probably this is the church where many Pearsalls and related Families were married and mentioned in many old records.