Pearson, Dorothy, of Ullock in Dean (-1695)

Summary

Dorothy Pearson was the daughter of William and Isabel Pearson of Bridgend in Ullock.

Like her brother Christopher she was a Quaker. She may have been convinced, and persuaded him, 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, the Dickinsons at Lowmoor were, and may have been an influence. Dorothy seems quite devoted - her will is very plain speaking.

She died unmarried in 1695, having spent probably her whole adult life sharing the family home, Bridgend, with her brother and his wife and children.

The only strange thing about her will is the prominence of Matthew Dickinson, who she made her executor.

I've tried to explain this in an article named 'The Lowmoor Web'.

Dorothy had money that she invested in people close to her. The chief beneficiary was Matthew Dickinson, her eventual executor, then her sister Isabel. It's interesting that John Bowman gets into this  top group - he was her direct neighbour, and the size of the loan might suggest a family relationship. That's an area for future research.

My feel, and this may be too romantic on my part, is that she had a bit of a thing for Matthew, impossible in reality because of their religions. I like to think this, on her behalf, because 'Quaker spinster' sounds so dull and inhibited