Pearson, Christopher, of Ullock in Dean (-1711)

Summary

Christopher Pearson was the son of William and Isabel Pearson of Bridgend in Ullock.

Like his sister Dorothy he was a Quaker. He may have been convinced, and persuaded her, or the other way round - their father was dead before 1650, and their mother isn't mentioned in the Pardshaw burials, so it doesn't look as though they were brought up as Quakers. However, others in the area were, and may have been an influence.

He is described as grandson in the will of John Pearson of Bridgend in Ullock in 1650.

He married Eleanor Fearon, daughter of George Fearon of Ullock, in 1670.

He had children: Mary (1671-1708), Sarah (1673-1689), John (1677-1728) and Peter (1679-1735).

Children

The property was inherited by John. Mary married John Gill of Eaglesfield and had children. Peter established a family in Virginia. In his will, Christopher mentions that he had 'preferred' Peter already (in other words, had given him money to set up in Virginia). This practice of setting up younger sons early on was common, though not always stated in wills. It made sense, not just for budding colonists - a young man with a bit of money or a farm could attract a wife and further investment from her family. Yeoman families tended to be quite hard-headed about such things. No prospects, no wife.

Value of Estate

The probate inventory shows that Christopher had few possessions at his death. It is the will of a retired man who has passed on the farm already. The valuation was put at £12 5s - his clothes, some ready cash, bedding, undefined chattels (maybe a little furniture, some books, a few utensils), a foal and some sheep. The animals probably gave him some sense of independence and worth.

Compare that to the inventory of his son John in 1728. If we strip out his additional cash reserves and investments, the farm chattels on their own were valued at £117.

So, by 1711, Christopher was old enough or ill enough to have handed over to the next generation. As he married in 1670, a likely birth date would be c1635-1645 (given the age of his mother, say, 1637), so he was probably in his early 70s in 1711.

His will, by the way, doesn't use Quaker dating - but that may not have been his choice.