Harriet Wheelock Pearsall
F, #101, b. 27 January 1887, d. 4 September 1923
Parents
Harriet Wheelock Pearsall
Biography
| Birth | 27 January 1887 | Harriet Wheelock Pearsall was born on 27 January 1887. |
| Death | 4 September 1923 | She died on 4 September 1923 at Elizabeth General Hospital in Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, |
| Obituary | 5 September 1923 | 5 September 1923, Bridgewater Township, Somerset County, New Jersey, Courier-News Obituary:. Death of Miss Pearsall
Westfield, Sept. 5: Miss Harriet W. Pearsall, daughter of Mrs. Mary F. Pearsall and the late Edgar R. Pearsall, of 112 Ferris Place, died last night in the Elizabeth General Hospital, following an operation. Miss Pearsall had been a patient in the hospital for the past month. She was born in this town on January 27, 1887 and had resided here all her life and was well known and had a host of friends who were shocked at the news of her death. Besides her mother, Miss Pearsall is survived by three brothers, Ferris R. Pearsall, of this town; Chester B. Pearsall of Rochester, N.Y., James F. Pearsall, of Plainfield; five sisters, Mrs. Mason C. Deaver of Lexington, Va.; Mrs. Lindlay L. Leggett of Roselle; Helen, Virginia and Eleanor Pearsall of this town. |
| Last Edited | 7 December 2022 |
Katharine Morgan Pearsall
F, #102, b. 27 October 1892, d. 1979
Parents
Katherine Morgan (Pearsall) Leggett, daughter of Edgar Randolph Pearsall
Biography
| Birth | 27 October 1892 | Katharine Morgan Pearsall was born on 27 October 1892. |
| Marriage | 1918 | Lindley Hoag Leggett, Jr, and she were married in 1918 at 112 Ferris Place in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey, |
| Photo Family Group | May 1977 | In May 1977, in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey. On Steps: Chet with his sisters, Katharine top left, then Chet, Virginia. Eleanor seated left and Helen right. |
| Death | 1979 | She died in 1979 in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey, |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Helen May Pearsall
F, #103, b. 20 September 1896, d. 14 March 1993
Parents
Helen Pearsall
Biography
| Birth | 20 September 1896 | Helen May Pearsall was born on 20 September 1896. |
| Residence | | Helen lived at 112 Ferris Place in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey, Aunt Helen lived at 112 Ferris Place all her life, until her last year or so, spent in a nursing home in Wilmington, Delaware, nearer family.
As of 2017, the old home was still standing. See this article about the possible demolishment of the home. |
| Photo Family Group | May 1977 | In May 1977, in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey. On Steps: Chet with his sisters, Katharine top left, then Chet, Virginia. Eleanor seated left and Helen right. |
| Research Note | 13 November 1990 | 13 November 1990 Westfield, Union County, New Jersey, 112 Ferris Place Historical Landmark.
Pre-Revolutionary Homestead Recognized
Commissioned by the Westfield Historical Society, Warren Township artist William T. Halsey has designed and crated a plaque designating this residence on Ferris Place as a pre-revolutionary landmark. Presentation of the plaque to Miss Helen Pearsall, owner of the house, was made on Tuesday, November 13, with officers of the Society and the artist in attendance.
This 18th century house is yet another pre-revolutionary homestead still standing in Westfield. It is believed that the structure, originally situated on the north side of Broad Street and east of Prospect, may have been built by Joseph Mills around 1750 or perhaps somewhat earlier. In 1857, Mrs. May Ferris Pearsall was born here; the following year her father, James R. Ferris, bought most of the original Mills tract (45 acres of land extending from Broad Street to what is now Dudley Avenue). Mr. Ferris's holdings also included the triangular block opposite his residence, now the site of 1st Nationwide Bank. The original Arcanum Building was located there on the southeast corner of Broad and Prospect Streets. The second floor of the Arcanum contained Westfield's largest auditorium and the ground floor housed the offices of the Westfield Leader, founded by Professor Edwin Francis, Principal of Schools and rival of Alfred E. Pearsall, Editor of the Union County Standard. That building and both newspaper plants were destroyed in the great fire of January 1892.
The Ferris House, which was moved to its present location around 1900, is beautifully maintained and furnished. Early hand-planinng marks are visible on basement beams; rafter pinning (with pegs) and hand-wrought rose-headed nails in the attic flooring are further evidence attesting to the age of thsi house. In the dining room a brick fireplace with its crane and its fine mantelpiece if typical of very early farmhouse style. Some of the window panes in the living room are of the old glass.
The plaque, an original design by Mr. Halsey, complements the antiquity of the house, featuring "CIRCA 1750" embellished on a slab of wood salvaged from the flooring of an old farmhouse and believed to be long-leaf yellow pine. |
| Death | 14 March 1993 | She died on 14 March 1993 in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey, |
| Burial | 9 April 1993 | She was buried on 9 April 1993 at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey. |
| Last Edited | 14 January 2023 |
Virginia Lee Pearsall
F, #104, b. 11 January 1898, d. 3 May 1993
Parents
Virginia Lee (Pearsall) Picker, daughter of Edgar Randolph Pearsall
Biography
| Family Note | | Childhood Memories [Date of writing unknown]
I was born and brought up in Westfield, next to the youngest of nine children in the family of Mary Ferris and Edgar Randolph Pearsall.
My maternal grandparents, Harriet Hawkins and James Royce Ferris, came from New York in 1856, lived in a house about at the corner of Broad and Prospect St. My mother was born there. Soon after, my grandparents bought the Ellis Tract from Broad St. to Dudley Ave., moved the house back to what was open land and orchards.
Soon Union St., now known as Ferris Place, was cut through. A larger home was built on Broad St., a board fence along Prospect St., a barn back toward Ferris Pl., fruit trees planted. Eight of the nine children were born here, the ninth and last child born in the Ferris Pl. home where my parents had moved in the late 1890's.
My school years began in kindergarten in the Prospect St. school. Beth Moorehouse was our beloved teacher. After 4 grades there, the classes went to Washington School on Elm Street. Mr. Savitz was Principal.
There were few houses on Clark St. beyond Dudley Ave. Board walks up Clark St., three wide, until Embree Crescent when only two boards in width.
Real Embree Crescent continued curving to the right, on to Brightwood Ave.
My oldest brother Ferris married and lived at the corner of Clark and Brightwood Ave. Across the road was a fascinating pond with minnows, polywogs, small fish -- seasonal flowers nearby and chestnuts and hickory nuts to gather in the Fall.
Coasting was fun. From Crooked Alley (now Cowperthwaite Pl.) through two open fields we coasted to Ferris Pl.
In later years the L.V. Clark home was moved from Clark St. and Ferris Pl. to fields in back, to make room for the Y.M.C.A.
In winter when flag was up we skated on Clark's Pond, now called Mindowaskin.
In snowy weather, Fitch's Grocery on Broad St. delivered groceries in a wagon on runners. We would hop on runners and ride until driver cracked the whip as a warning to hop off.
For ice delivery in the summer, a large card was put in window of the house with order for size of ice block for refrigerator.
Ice came in large blocks packed in sawdust. A block would be sawed, weighed on clanking scale at back of wagon, chipped to fit refrigerator, sawdust whisked off, a black pad thrown over ice man's shoulder, ice block tossed up and delivered. The children's delight was to see how many ice chips could be picked up before ice man returned.
Our family attended the Methodist Episcopal Church on Broad St. At that time it was a wooden building with a tower and four clock faces. Later the present church was built.
Decoration Day and Fourth of July were special events with marching bands and ceremonies at Westfield Cemetery. Each soldier's grave was marked with an American flag. Fourth of July was a great occasion for picnics, parades, fire crackers.
An annual excursion to Asbury Park and Ocean Grove was sponsored by local churches, Two sections of trains rounded the curse [course? curve?] from C.R.R. tracts to shore line at Elizabethport and there was an exciting waving of handkerchiefs as some of the cars were in full view.
The trolley trip to the beach from the train station, paddling or braving the waves as we clutched heavy ropes, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, added up to an exhausting exciting holiday.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitaker lived next door to us. A horse named Beauty was kept at Decker's Livery Stable on North Ave., and driving with Mrs. Whitaker in her shiny black buggy was a treat.
In later years we went riding in her electric car that replaced horse and buggy. The electric had a hood that was used when caught in the rain. In sunny weather she held a black lace parasol and I drove, steering with a horizontal handle.
Few people had automobiles. Transportation was by trolley and train. Train service was excellent especially during commuting hours for the thousands who travelled to New York City.
My grandparents had sold Broad St. home and moved to a house they built on Prospect St. My brother installed a telephone between their home and ours on Ferris Pl. It was not exactly a great success.
Later public telephones came to town. Ours was the first on our street. It was put in the front hall, the door left unlocked and Father told neighbors they could use it any time. The number was 1J, on a four party line. A crank had to be turned to get operator and give number wanted.
When a new Exchange was built on Mountain Ave., the company gave my brother, as an older resident, choice of a new number or 0001. We still have 0001.
My sister continues to live in the home at 112 Ferris Pl. A fifth generation comes for visits. |
| Birth | 11 January 1898 | Virginia Lee Pearsall was born on 11 January 1898 in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey. |
| Marriage | | Alfred Maynard Picker and she were married, date unknown |
| Photo Family Group | May 1977 | In May 1977, in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey. On Steps: Chet with his sisters, Katharine top left, then Chet, Virginia. Eleanor seated left and Helen right. |
| Death | 3 May 1993 | She died on 3 May 1993 in Haddonfield, Camden County, New Jersey, |
| Last Edited | 14 January 2023 |
Eleanor Carman Pearsall
F, #105, b. 12 February 1900, d. 27 October 1982
Parents
Eleanor Carman (Pearsall) Shoemaker
Biography
| Birth | 12 February 1900 | Eleanor Carman Pearsall was born on 12 February 1900 at 112 Ferris Place in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey. |
| Note | | Eleanor Carman Pearsall was born in the back room off the living room of 112 Ferris Place, Westfield, NJ. She was the only child born at 112 Ferris Place. The rest of her siblings were born across Ferris Place in the corner house. (Note by EPL: I think this was "Aunt El's house".) Notes from Bill Shoemaker, her son: " When mother died I went through her things. She saved letters going back to 1918. Included is all their financial records. I went through it all and saved the most representative pieces of correspondence, records et al including the first income tax forms and pictures of you (refers to Edgar P. Leggett) in milk ads. These were photos taken by Ruth Alexander Nichols of the Leggett children. All of these notes are in loose leaf bound binders in record storage boxes for anyone to look at. Included are many letters between Aunt Helen,Grandmother, wedding announcements, 1908-930's and 1940's between mom and dad, telegram from Aunt Katharine to mother the day I was born, memoriam from the State of Alaska Legislature to Dan Reid upon the death of Millicent. One letter from Thomas S. Collins, Company H, 3 Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers, Washington, DC written in 1863. In the letter Mary Francis is mentioned. Who he (she) is, is unknown to me - investigating." |
| Marriage | 17 September 1925 | J. Howard Shoemaker, Jr., and she were married on 17 September 1925 at 112 Ferris Place in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey, |
| Photo Family Group | May 1977 | In May 1977, in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey. On Steps: Chet with his sisters, Katharine top left, then Chet, Virginia. Eleanor seated left and Helen right. |
| Death | 27 October 1982 | She died on 27 October 1982 in Hendersonville, South Carolina, |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Lewis Pearsall
M, #106, d. 10 December 1898
Parents
Biography
| Marriage | 22 October 1843 | Lewis Pearsall and Caroline Terry were married on 22 October 1843 |
| Death | 10 December 1898 | He died on 10 December 1898 chap 42 sec 18 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Caroline Terry
F, #107
Biography
| Marriage | 22 October 1843 | Lewis Pearsall and Caroline Terry were married on 22 October 1843 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Seaman T. Pearsall
M, #108, b. 1848
Parents
Biography
| Marriage | | Seaman T. Pearsall and Melisa A. Fowler were married, date unknown |
| Birth | 1848 | He was born in 1848. |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Melisa A. Fowler
F, #109
Biography
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Townsend Pearsall
M, #110, b. September 1857
Parents
Biography
| Marriage | | Townsend Pearsall and Gertrude Grover were married, date unknown |
| Birth | September 1857 | He was born in September 1857. |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Gertrude Grover
F, #111
Biography
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Armenia Pearsall
F, #112, b. 4 January 1859
Parents
Biography
| Birth | 4 January 1859 | Armenia Pearsall was born on 4 January 1859. |
| Marriage | 21 November 1888 | Walter Golder and she were married on 21 November 1888 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Walter Golder
M, #113
Biography
| Marriage | 21 November 1888 | Walter Golder and Armenia Pearsall were married on 21 November 1888 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Lewis Edward Pearsall
M, #114, b. 4 January 1861, d. 16 October 1902
Parents
Biography
| Birth | 4 January 1861 | Lewis Edward Pearsall was born on 4 January 1861. |
| Death | 16 October 1902 | He died on 16 October 1902 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Jane Ann Pearsall
F, #115, d. 2 November 1907
Parents
Biography
| Death | 2 November 1907 | Jane Ann Pearsall died on 2 November 1907 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Mary Emma Pearsall
F, #116, d. 1 March 1895
Parents
Biography
| Death | 1 March 1895 | Mary Emma Pearsall died on 1 March 1895 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Adeline Pearsall
F, #117, d. 21 March 1860
Parents
Biography
| Death | 21 March 1860 | Adeline Pearsall died on 21 March 1860 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Hattie Pearsall
F, #118, b. 24 December 1869
Parents
Biography
| Birth | 24 December 1869 | Hattie Pearsall was born on 24 December 1869. |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Cornell Pearsall
M, #119, b. 20 July 1850, d. 6 December 1851
Parents
Biography
| Birth | 20 July 1850 | Cornell Pearsall was born on 20 July 1850. |
| Death | 6 December 1851 | He died on 6 December 1851 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Cornell Pearsall
M, #120, b. 25 January 1853, d. 13 February 1853
Parents
Biography
| Birth | 25 January 1853 | Cornell Pearsall was born on 25 January 1853. |
| Death | 13 February 1853 | He died on 13 February 1853 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Martha Flower
F, #121, b. 1 January 1808, d. 24 July 1894
Biography
| Birth | 1 January 1808 | Martha Flower was born on 1 January 1808. |
| Marriage | 4 September 1828 | Oliver Denton Pearsall and she were married on 4 September 1828 at Hempstead Presbyterian Church in Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, Oliver and Martha had 10 children according to Clarence Pearsall's Genealogy:
Gideon
Henry
Alfred
Alexander
Lewis
Oliver
Frances
Luria Ann
Hulda
Adaline C.1 |
| Death | 24 July 1894 | She died on 24 July 1894 |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Citations
- [S13] Clarence E. Pearsall with Hettie May Pearsall and Harry L. Neall, History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America (San Francisco, CA: H.S. Crocker Company, Inc., 1928), p. 1332-3. Hereinafter cited as Pearsall Genealogy, CEP.
Martha Pearsall
F, #122
Parents
Biography
| Marriage | | Joseph Dorlon and Martha Pearsall were married, date unknown |
| Birth | | She was born. |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Joseph Dorlon
M, #123
Biography
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Sucke Pearsall
F, #124
Parents
Biography
| Birth | | Sucke Pearsall was born. |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
Mary Pearsall
F, #125
Parents
Biography
| Marriage | | Nathaniel Ross and Mary Pearsall were married, date unknown |
| Birth | | She was born. |
| Last Edited | 22 December 2016 |
