JEREMIAH and MARY PIERSOL
Jeremiah Piersol lived in Chester County, Pa., during the eighteenth century. (1)
Married Mary Jerman, the daughter of Jeremiah and Mary Jerman of Chester County. (2)
Children (probably): (3)
John, born about 1735. (4)
Jacob, born about 1740.
David, born about 1740. (5)
Abraham, born about 1741.
Isaac, born about 1741.
Jeremiah. (6)
Possibly William, possibly born in 1748. (7)
The names of Jeremiah’s parents and his place of origin are not known at this point. Secondary sources from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries offer conflicting information about the family. (8)
An examination of contemporary records shows only four Piersol men living in southeastern Pennsylvania during the early 18^th century – Jeremiah, John, Richard and Edward. Jeremiah was closely associated with John and Richard, and it seems likely that they were brothers. The fourth man – Edward – mentioned that Richard was his brother and that they co-owned property in Radnor Township, Chester County, when he wrote his will in June 1717. Edward’s will was proved in August 1717. A few months after Edward’s death, Richard and Jeremiah received a warrant for 300 acres in Chester County, indicating a similar partnership and possibly a similar relationship. On the same day, John Piersol received a warrant for 200 acres in Chester County. In very early tax lists, John, Richard and Jeremiah appear to have been taxed as a unit. The close relationship continued throughout their lives, with John and Jeremiah witnessing Richard’s will and John and Jeremiah naming children after each other. (9)
If Edward was his brother, Jeremiah’s mother was probably Elizabeth Pearsall, who is listed as Edward’s mother in the 1717 will. Since Edward’s will does not name his father, it seems likely that the man had already died. It also seems unlikely that he ever lived in southeastern Pennsylvania. I have found only one reference to a Piersol in Pennsylvania records before 1716. A 1706 deed lists Edward Pearsal as a witness but it seems very likely that this man was the same Edward who died in 1717. (10)
The family may have emigrated from Wales. This is stated in several early accounts, including a biographical note on Lewis Piersol of Tredyfrin Township – a descendant of Jeremiah. His item in the 1893 "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania" says: "The Piersol family originally came from Wales, but have been natives of Pennsylvania for many generations." Contemporary records tend to support the idea that the family was Walsh – or at least associated a great deal with Welshmen. Edward and Richard lived in Radnor Township, and it appears very likely that John also lived there before moving in 1717 to what later became West Nantmeal Township. (11) Radnor was part of the "Welsh Tract," an area set aside for Welsh Quakers during the early days of the Pennsylvania colony. However, by the early 1700s many non-Quaker Welshmen, as well as Germans and Scotch-Irish had settled in the area. Many documents that mention the Piersols involve Welsh families. In addition, both Edward and Jeremiah appear to have married into Welsh families – the Davises and Jermans.
Jeremiah makes his first appearance in records in 1717, when he and Richard received a warrant from the proprietary government of Pennsylvania for 300 acres in Chester County. In the 1719, 1720 and 1721 county tax indexes, the Piersols seem to be listed as a single property owner. In 1719, Richard and John Persalls appear together "in Highest District From Skoolkill to Brandywine." In 1720, Richard, Jeremiah and John Peircell appear together "Near ye Branches of the ffrench Creek & Brandywine." And in 1721, Richard, John and Jeremiah Peircel appear "at Skoolkill." In 1722, Jeremiah Pearsal appears separately and the area is finally given the name "Nantmeal." A 1737 deed mentions that Jeremiah owned property "on a branch of the Brandywine Creek." Jeremiah appears in Chester County tax lists for Nantmeal – and West Nantmeal, when it was formed – until 1760. (12)
The most detailed explanation of the family’s arrival in Nantmeal appears in "Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and America." (13) Amid a description of the denomination’s activities in the early 1700s, it states that "revivals were held among the English and Welsh Seventh Day Baptists who had settled in the French Creek Valley, in Nantmeal, Chester County, Pennsylvania. This settlement of Sabbath-keepers dates back to the first quarter of the eighteenth century, and was the results of a desire on the part of the Providence Seventh Day Baptists for a community of their own, where they could live undisturbed and exercise the dictates of their own consciences according to their own laws. For this purpose, a number of families of the Providence (Newtown, Delaware County) Church had surveyed to them, in the year 1717, large tracts of land on the north branch of the Brandywine, and French Creek. Prominent among those who settled upon their lands here were the following: Lewis David, William David, William Iddings, John James, Mordecai Lincoln, Simon Meridith, Samuel Nutt, Jeremiah Peircell (Piersol), John Peircell (Piersol), Richard Peircell (Piersol), William Phillips, David Roberts, Owen Roberts, Philip Roger, and John Williams."
If the Piersols were, indeed, among the families who moved from the Newtown area to French Creek, it would explain their sudden appearance in northern Chester County in 1717.
The Seven Day Baptist history contains a second description of the move, which states: "It was about the same time as the German revival movement, which has just been described, that the English Sabbath-keepers in Newtown, Providence, Easttown, and Tredyffrin townships of Chester County became more or less restless, on account of persecutions from their more orthodox neighbours, and migrated to the upper end of the county, where they took up land at the falls of the French Creek in Nantmeal Township, and there founded a settlement and congregation, destined for years to come to be the largest and most influential body of Seventh Day Baptists in the Province. Among the names of these early pioneers, who were mainly Welsh, are to be found a considerable number who in later years appear on the Ephrata register, and whose remains await the general resurrections in the old burying-ground at Ephrata. Following is a partial list of these early Seventh Day Baptists: Owen Roberts, William Iddings (Hiddings); Richard, Jeremiah, and John Piercell (Piersoll); John Williams; William David; Philip Roger (Rogers); Lewis David; and Simon Meredith."
The Nantmeal congregation was affiliated with the German-speaking community in Ephrata, which consisted of celibate men and women. The history states: "In after years the cordial and fraternal feeling between the Ephrata Celibates and the English Seventh Day Baptists at Nantmeal was an unbroken one." This continuing connection is confirmed by records of the Ephrata community that list the death of the "helpmate" of Brother Jerimais Pirsel in 1755. This indicates the death of Jeremiah’s wife, probably the former Mary Jerman. (14)
It’s difficult to determine when Jeremiah married and starting having children. An unnamed daughter is mentioned in the will of his mother-in-law, Mary Jerman, in 1741. And most of the men who appear to be his sons seem to have been born in the late 1730s or the 1740s. If that was the case, it seems that Jeremiah waited until he developed his farm before getting married and starting a family. This seems to match the pattern of Richard and John Piersol. Richard’s son, also named Richard, was probably born about 1737. John was born in 1677 and his oldest child appears to have been John Piersol Jr., who was probably born in the mid-1720s, when the elder John was in his mid-40s. (15)
Jeremiah continued acquiring land, receiving the following warrants for land in Chester County: 50 acres on Feb. 12, 1734; 257 acres on Jan. 27, 1738; 150 acres on Aug. 21, 1744; and, possibly, 100 acres on Oct. 29, 1750. (16)
In 1749, Jeremiah seems to have had a problem with a thief. The Pennsylvania Gazette of Philadelphia ran the following: "Philadelphia, May 25, 1749. Whereas the house of Jeremiah Piersal, of West Nantmeal, Chester county, was robbon the 19^th inst of a small trunk, with a considerable sum of money, and writings of value; the said robbery is supposto have been committed by one Patrick Higgins, who us a short well set man, of sandy complexion, and wears a beaver hat, and a worsted cap, a light colored cloth jockey coat, with cross pockets, a white linnen jacket, and check trowsers. Whoever takes up the said man, and brings him to Dennis Wellen, at the Three tuns, in Nantmeal township, or James Way, tavernkeeper, in the township of Caln, or secures him so as he may be brought to justice, shall have Five Pounds reward, and reasonable charges, paid by Jeremiah Piersal. N.B. ‘Tis supposed he may be between 25 and 30 years of age, and hath two blue letters on one of his hands." (17)
In 1753, Jeremiah Piersoll Sen’r and John Piersoll Sen’r witnessed the will of Richard Piersol of West Nantmeal Township, yeoman. It is the last document that lists the three possible brothers together. Each of the three made his mark, rather than leaving a signature, which would normally indicate that they were illiterate. This would explain why Jeremiah identified the thief as having "two blue letters on one of his hands" but didn’t state what the letters were. (18)
As noted above, Jeremiah’s wife died in 1755. It seems likely that this reference is to Mary, although it’s difficult to tell since she is mentioned so rarely. It’s conceivable that she had died previously and Jeremiah had remarried.
In 1760, Jeremiah makes what is probably his last appearance in West Nantmeal tax records. (19) It seems very likely that between 1760 and 1762, Jeremiah transferred most of his property to his sons. Jeremiah obviously still controlled his property in 1760 because he appears on the tax list. Additionally, Jacob and David are listed in the same township as "inmates," which indicates that they were married men living on someone else’s property – almost certainly their father’s. The next tax list – 1762 – reveals a very different picture. Jacob appears in West Caln Township, the home of his father-in-law, Peter Babb. David remains in West Nantmeal. Abraham and Isaac Piersol appear for the first time. And Jeremiah isn’t listed at all. It appears that Abraham received the lion’s share of the property because he was taxed 11 shillings, David was taxed 4 and Isaac only 2. The 1766 tax list shows that Abraham controlled 200 acres, David 100 and Isaac 50. By that point, Jacob had returned to West Nantmeal and controlled 50, too.
At this point, it’s hard to say exactly how Jeremiah conveyed his property to his sons. Although he accumulated about 750 acres over the course of his life, Chester County records show only one sale of property by Jeremiah. The sale occurred on March 3, 1762 – which is probably when Jeremiah conveyed his other property to his sons. Jeremiah Peirsol, yeoman, sold 50 acres, 36 perches, to Jason Cloud, who already owned adjoining property. (20)
If Jeremiah simply gave his land to his sons before his death, it would explain the lack of a will. Although most other families recorded such transactions with county officials, the Piersols and their close friends sometimes conveyed property without that formality – at least until some need was seen. For example, the 1762 sale to Jason Cloud wasn’t recorded until 1769; a transaction between Cloud and Jeremiah’s son Jacob was never really recorded, only alluded to in later deeds; and a 1772 sale of land by Jason Cloud and Jacob Piersol to Peter Hunter wasn’t recorded until 1808. It’s also possible that Jeremiah lost his proof of ownership when the thief stole the "small trunk, with a considerable sum of money, and writings of value." (21)
Jeremiah may have gotten involved in some sort of legal dispute in the mid-1760s. A notice in The Pennsylvania Gazette stated: "Philadelphia, October 18, 1766. Some time ago, a Bond of Jeremiah and Isaac Pearsol, to William McCune, and another of Stoffel Seigman, to Edward Bleamy, were put into my Hands to be sued. The Debts are recovered; and as I have not heard from the Plaintiffs, for more than a Year past, and know not the Places of their Residence, I think myself obliged to give his Notices, that they or, in Case of their Death, their Representatives may receive the Money. John Dickinson." (22)
Isaac’s last appearance in Chester County tax records occurs in 1766 so it seems likely that he moved or died during that year. However, it’s uncertain why the attorney could not find Jeremiah. Perhaps he didn’t know where Jeremiah lived to begin with. However, it’s also conceivable that Jeremiah had joined the religious community in Ephrata after distributing his land to his sons.
Isaac is only the first of Jeremiah’s sons to disappear from Chester County during this period. David also makes his last appearance in Chester County tax lists in 1766. Abraham goes from owning 200 acres in 1768 to being listed as a "freeman" in 1769, which would normally indicate that he owned no property and that he had never been married. He doesn’t appear at all in 1771. Jacob disappears after selling his property in 1772, which is probably when he moved to western Pennsylvania. Interestingly, the younger Jeremiah seems to start appearing in records about this time.
Jeremiah lived until at least June 26, 1769, when the 1762 property sale was recorded in Chester County deed books at the request of "the above mentioned Jeremiah Peirsoll." However, it’s uncertain exactly when the references to Jeremiah switch from father to son. When Jacob Piersol and Jason Cloud sold their land in 1772, one of the adjoining property owners was Jeremiah Piersoll. In 1774, Jeremiah Piersoll is listed among property owners in West Nantmeal Township, according to "History of Chester County, Pennsylvania." However, Jeremiah does not appear on the West Nantmeal tax list for 1774 in the Chester County tax index or in "Pennsylvania Archives." (23) Finally, starting in 1779, the references definitely pertain to the younger Jeremiah, who then appears in an unbroken string of records until his death in 1813.

(1) Jeremiah’s surname is spelled a variety of ways. I have chosen "Piersol" for most references because it seems to be among the more prevalent versions among members of the Chester County clan. Jeremiah is profiled in Chapter 45, Section 22, of "History and Genealogy of The Pearsall Family in England and America," edited by Clarence E. Pearsall. The history links the Chester County Piersols to the Pearsall family of Long Island. The problem is that contemporary documents don’t reveal any link between the two families. In addition, the Pearsall history claims that Jeremiah’s father was a John Pearsoll. However, that name doesn’t appear in the records of southeastern Pennsylvania or adjoining Cecil County, Md., until 1716 – and, at that point, it definitely applies to someone else. In addition, the man listed as Jeremiah’s grandfather, George, fails to appear in Pennsylvania records. It seems very likely that George never moved to Pennsylvania and John never existed. The Pearsall history implies that the family doesn’t appear in Pennsylvania records because it sided with Maryland in a border dispute between the two colonies. However, if that were the case, their names would certainly appear in Cecil County records or Maryland’s colonial records, but they don’t. (2) Chester County, Pa., Deed Book P2, pages 444-452. In the Pearsall history, Jeremiah’s profile identifies Mary Jerman as his mother, which seems to agree with her will, which appears in Chester County Estate File 762. Her will seems to indicate that she had four sons, each with a different surname – among them Jeremiah Peirsol. However, the matter is clarified in Chester County deeds recording land transactions that followed the death of Jeremiah Jerman. A deed from 1735 and one from 1737 each indicate that it was Mary Piersol, not Jeremiah, who was the child of Mary Jerman, and of her late husband Jeremiah. Since Mary’s will was written in 1741 and her daughter was still alive, it seem likely that the younger Mary was the mother of most – and possibly all – of Jeremiah’s children. (3) Jeremiah left no will and no other record that has turned up so far has listed his heirs. However, it appears that Jeremiah had at least one daughter and several sons. The Pearsall history states that he had only a daughter named Mary. An unnamed daughter of Jeremiah and Mary Piersols is mentioned in the will of Mary Jerman and this is probably the origin of the statement in the Pearsall history. However, the statement in the will does not mean that Jeremiah Piersol didn’t have any other children. In fact, the only other grandchildren who appear in Mary Jerman’s will appear to be the children of "Roger Evens and Margaret," who appear in the property records related to Jeremiah Jerman but not in Mary Jerman’s will. It seems certain that the only reason these grandchildren are listed in Mary’s will is became their parents died before 1741. It’s unreasonable to believe that the unnamed daughter of Jeremiah Piersol and the Evens children were Mary Jerman’s only grandchildren just because they are the only ones listed in her will. In fact, it appears that Jeremiah might have had at least seven sons. During the late 1750s and early 1760s, Chester County records show five Piersols who suddenly appear "out of nowhere." These men – John, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David – were probably born in the 1730s and 1740s. Only three Piersols appear in the records of southeastern Pennsylvania during that time – John, Richard and Jeremiah. John and Richard left wills identifying their children and grandchildren, which leaves only Jeremiah as a possible father for these mystery men. As mentioned above, Jeremiah didn’t leave a will so there is no list of his heirs. However, there are several indications – in addition to the process of elimination – that point to Jeremiah being the father of these men. First, each of the men makes his initial appearance in Chester County tax records in West Nantmeal Township, where Jeremiah lived. In addition, at least one – Jacob – lived on property adjoining Jeremiah’s, according to Chester County, Pa., Deed Book L3, page 246. Also, Jacob and David make their first appearance in the tax records as "inmates" in 1760, indicating that they had married since the previous tax assessment and lived on property controlled by someone else – probably their father. Abraham and Isaac were the last of these men to appear, surfacing in 1762. Interestingly, Jeremiah drops out of the tax records in that year. However, Jeremiah does not appear to have died. In 1762, Jeremiah sold land to Jason Cloud, according to Chester County, Pa., Deed Book Q, page 172. This record mentions that the 50 acres he sold was part of a tract of 307 acres granted him in 1738. The deed was not actually recorded until 1769, when it was entered into the deed books at the request of "the above mentioned Jeremiah Peirsoll." This indicates that the same Jeremiah who sold the land in 1762 was still alive in 1769. He probably didn’t appear in the tax records during this time because he had transferred control of his property to his sons. Since Chester County deed books show the sale of only one small tract, he must have transferred control without using deeds. Pennsylvania taxed a property’s occupants, not its owners. So, even if Jeremiah still officially "owned" the land, his sons would appear on the tax lists. Jeremiah must have completed this process by 1762, when he pretty much drops out of the tax lists. This also would explain why he didn’t leave a will. In addition to the five already mentioned, Jeremiah probably had a son named Jeremiah and might have had a son named William, both of whom will be discussed in separate footnotes. Finally, there’s one more possible son who should be mentioned. The Pearsall history links Job Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va., to Chester County and says that Job’s father was the John Piersol who was actually the son of Jeremiah. (See the next footnote.) However, that is impossible and it is far more likely Job was the son of Jeremiah – if Job had any connection to Chester County at all. The argument once again would be that there are simply no other candidates to be Job’s father. However, there are no documents that show any connection between Job and Pennsylvania. (4) The Pearsall history (Chapter 45, Section 35) links John to a Richard who never existed and states that John had three sons – Abraham and Jeremiah, who were actually his brothers, and Job Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va. However, there is no record of this John before he appears in Chester County tax records in 1756. Since Chester County started taxing men once they turned 21 or started owning property, it’s virtually certain that John was about 20 in 1756, which makes it impossible for him to be the father of anyone who appears in tax records before about 1776. In addition, John probably had no children since no heirs are listed in his estate papers, which appear in Chester County, Pa., Estate File 1694, and there is no mention of him or Piersol children in the orphans court records for the 1750s or 1760s. As noted above, if Job was actually born in Chester County, he was probably another son of Jeremiah. (5) Although David first appears in Chester County tax records in 1760, the name appears among witnesses to a property transaction involving the heirs of Jeremiah Jerman in 1735, according to Chester County, Pa., Deed Book P2, pages 444-452. It is uncertain whether this is the same David who appears in the tax records 25 years later. Presumably, he would had to have been at least 21 to serve as a witness, which means that he was probably born before 1715. Chester County normally started taxing men at age 21 but that practice wasn’t always consistent until the 1750s. It’s possible that David lived on his father’s farm and wasn’t taxed for 25 years but that seems very unlikely. Another possibility is that he was an older son of Jeremiah and that he died young, and that the second David was given his deceased older brother’s name. The timeline would permit that since the "second David" would probably have been born about 1740. However, none of Jeremiah’s other suspected children was born as early as the "first David." A possible explanation for that problem is that Jeremiah might have been married to another woman before he married Mary Jerman and the first wife gave birth to David. Another possibility is that David might have been a son of John or Richard Piersol and that he died soon thereafter, which would explain why he doesn’t appear in any other records. However, John’s other children seem to have been born in the 1720s and Richard’s in the 1730s – so we appear to be left with the same problems that plague a link between David and Jeremiah. A final possibility is that the entry could have been a mistake. Many of the family members appear to have been illiterate and simply used their marks on important documents, which means that other had to write their names for them. Names were occasionally confused in later documents pertaining to the family so it’s possible that it happened here, too. (6) The younger Jeremiah seems to start appearing in Chester County records in the 1770s, although it’s a bit difficult to tell exactly when his father stops appearing and when he starts. Even though he seems to appear about a decade after the others, the elder Jeremiah is the only Piersol who could have been having children who aren’t already accounted for in wills. The Pearsall history describes the younger Jeremiah (Chapter 45, Section 26) as the son of John. However, as noted above, John probably died childless and actually appears to have been Jeremiah’s older brother. (7) It’s also possible that Jeremiah had a son named William. William was born in 1748 and lived to be 100 years old, according to the "Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania," John W. Jordan, page 835, and several other sources, including the Pearsall history, Chapter 47, Section 2. If he really was born in 1748, it’s pretty certain that Jeremiah was his father because there are no other viable candidates. However, William doesn’t actually appear in Chester County records until 1781. Normally, this would indicate that William was born about 1760 – unless he was too poor to be listed in the tax rolls or lived outside the county during the 1770s. If William were actually born about 1760, one of Jeremiah’s sons could have been his father. (8) Most of the sources that describe the Piersols’ history are biographical notes in county histories, which can be unreliable since the publishers typically printed whatever information the source provided without checking into it. A biographical note on Lewis Piersol, a descendant of Jeremiah Piersol, states: "The Piersol family originally came form Wales, but have been natives of Pennsylvania for many generations." It appears in the 1893 "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania," by Winfield S. Garner, page 704. A history of the Seventh-Day Baptists mentions the congregation in Nantmeal, Chester County, and states: "Among the names of these early pioneers, who were mainly Welsh, are to be found a considerable number who in later years appear on the Ephrata register … Following is a partial list of these early Seventh Day Baptists: … Richard, Jeremiah, and John Piercell (Piersoll)." This appears in the 1910 "Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and America," Vol. II, pages 980 and 981. A 1912 account of the family of William Peirsol of Fayette County, Pa., states: "This family, originally of France, and Protestant in religion, fled from their native country with thousands of persecuted Huguenots, and in the seventeenth century settled in Wales. In 1717 three of the family came to the province of Pennsylvania, settling in Chester county." It appears in "Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania," by John W. Jordan, page 848. An account of the Davis family of Lancaster County, Pa., which intermarried with the Piersols several times, states: "Dinah, the second daughter of Jenkins Davis, named above, married John Piersol. We have not been able to go farther back in the Piersol line, which we think is Welsh, though we are unable to fix it with certainty. It may be Scotch-Irish or Huguenot." It appears in "Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania," by J.H. Beers & Co., pages 1519 and 1520. A 1884 biographical note on John C. Peirsol of Monroe County, Mo., who descends from Jeremiah, states: "His father’s great-great-grandfather Peirsol was one of three brothers who came from England to America in 1683 and settled in Pennsylvania, whence the name has radiated into different States." This appears in "History of Monroe County [Missouri]." However, the last account is highly unreliable because it contains several glaring errors in other statements about the family. (9) Edward’s will appears in Philadelphia County Will Book D, page 77. The warrants appear in "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 2, Vol. 19, page 626. (10) The 1706 deed appears in "Abstracts of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Land Records, Vol. 4," by Carol Bryant, page 68. In addition, a Robert Piercal appears in 1700 court records. However, a second reference to the same matter lists Robert Pennel. Since Robert Pennel appears in many records from Chester County and no other record from southeastern Pennsylvania refers to a Robert Piercal, Pearsall or Piersol during this era, it seem to be very unlikely that this record actually refers to a Piersol. See "Records of the Courts Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1697-1710," transcribed by Dorothy B. Lapp and Franes B. Dunlap, pages 67, 69 and 70. Chester County tax list and indexes to tax lists are available at the county archives. (11) It seems likely that John lived in or near Radnor Township because executors for the estate of Richard Moore of Radnor Township, Chester County, Pa., paid a debt owed to Jno Pearsall, according to an account filed Nov. 8, 1716. The account is mentioned in "Genealogies of Pennsylvania Families from The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine," Vol. II, page 254-255. (12) In addition to the tax lists and indexes at the Chester County archives, the information on the 1720-1722 taxes is available in "History of Chester County, Pennsylvania," by J. Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope," 1881, page 186. The 1737 deed is listed in "Abstracts of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Land Records, Vol. 4," by Carol Bryant, page 141. Jeremiah is similarly listed in deeds recorded in May 1751, Vol. 3, page 115. (13) "Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and America," Vol. II, 1910. The first passage is from page 1111 and the second is from 980 and 981. (14) "The Registers of the Ephrata Community," by Julius F. Sachse, in "Pennsylvania Vital Records: from the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine and the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography," Volume 1, pp. 163-178. A footnote states: "Wife of Jeremiah Piersal, from Nantmeal, Chester County, Chron. Eph., p. 197, et seq." (15) John’s age is indicated in a photocopy of a page from a family Bible in "Piersol" folder at the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester, Pa. His will, which mentions the already-deceased John Jr., is in Chester County, Pa., Estate File 3145. John Jr. first appears in the Chester County tax indexes in 1747, which would normally indicate that he was born about 20 years before. The younger Richard doesn’t appear in the tax lists until 1758. One problem with this discussion is the appearance of David’s name in 1735, which is mentioned in footnote 5. Since he hasn’t turned up in any other records, it is unknown whether David was the son of Jeremiah, John or Richard, yet another brother or some sort of mistaken entry. If David was a real person, he was probably born before 1714 and probably died soon signing the document since the name doesn’t appear on any other documents for another 25 years. (16) "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. XXIV, pages 92-4. The final warrant actually might have been granted to "Jeremiah Pierols Jr.," who was the son of John Piersol. Jeremiah Jr. starts appearing in the tax lists in 1749. (17) The Pennsylvania Gazette of Philadelphia, May 25, 1749, as recorded by Accessible Archives, Inc, at the Electronic Text Center of the University of Virginia Library. Although John’s son Jeremiah started appearing in the tax records in 1749, this item probably refers to the elder Jeremiah. It seems very unlikely that the younger man would have had a considerable sum of money, and writings of value at that point. (18) Chester County, Pa., Estate File 1485. (19) Jeremiah is absent from the 1762 list. It is unclear who actually appears in the 1763 tax lists. In most years from 1749 to 1760, two Jeremiah’s are listed and at least one is usually identified as "Jr." or "Sr.," or the younger man’s occupation – miller – is mentioned. However, the 1763 tax list for West Nantmeal names only one Jeremiah and it doesn’t contain any such designators. Complicating the matter is the fact that the younger Jeremiah bought property in East Caln Township in 1762 (Chester County, Pa., Deed Book O, page 330) and he appears in that township’s tax list for 1763. The question is whether he appears on both lists or the West Nantmeal reference is to the elder Jeremiah. Since Chester County normally taxed the occupant rather than the owner of a property, it would seem likely that the younger man would have been taxed only for the East Caln property. However, in this case, it seems very likely that the tax collectors saw him as occupying both properties, perhaps living on one and operating the mill on the other. The 1763 list is the only one for East Caln that includes the younger Jeremiah and he continues to appear in West Nantmeal until his death in 1771. It seems very unlikely that he would have suspended his milling operations for a year, moved to East Caln and then returned to West Nantmeal – all while the elder Jeremiah just happened to reappear in the tax lists for just one year. (20) Chester County, Pa., Deed Book Q, page 172. (21) At some point, Jason Cloud sold the property he had purchased from Jeremiah and additional land to Jeremiah’s son Jacob. However, Cloud did not actually convey the property to Jacob, which probably indicates that Jacob was paying for it over time. Both men sold the property in 1772, according to Chester County, Pa., Deed Book L3, page 244-246. It seems certain that the transaction between Jacob and Cloud occurred in 1769 because Jacob’s holdings jump from 0 acres in 1768 to 130 in 1769. This transaction was probably what prompted Jeremiah to request that the original sale be entered into the deed books in 1769. The original sale from Jeremiah to Jason Cloud is the only piece of this entire chain of events that was entered into Chester County records before 1808. In that year, the younger Jeremiah purchased the property from the heirs of the man who bought it from Jacob and Cloud. This may indicate that all of those involved were close relatives – or at least very close friends – and they didn’t feel the need to have their transactions officially recorded. Such feelings may also be the reason why there are no records showing Jeremiah conveying property to his sons. (22) The Pennsylvania Gazette of Philadelphia, Oct. 23, 1766, as recorded by Accessible Archives, Inc, at the Electronic Text Center of the University of Virginia Library. This might pertain to the Jeremiah who lived c1727-1771. However, that seems less likely since Isaac appears to have been the elder Jeremiah’s son. Also, it seems likely that the attorney would have been able to locate a miller from Chester County without much difficulty if the reference were actually to the younger Jeremiah. (23) "History of Chester County, Pennsylvania," by J. Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope," Philadelphia, 1881, page 187. "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 12, page 53. (24) "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 12, page 142.


JACOB and ANN PIERSOL
Jacob Piersol was probably born before 1740 in Chester County, Pa. His father probably was Jeremiah Piersol, who lived in West Nantmeal Township. (1)
Probably married Ann Babb about 1760. Ann was the daughter of Peter and Mary Babb of West Caln Township, Chester County, Pa. (2)
Children: (3)
John, born between 1760 and 1763.
Sampson, born June 1764.
Jacob, born about 1769.
Peter, born about 1780.
Possibly some daughters, including Anne.
It seems certain that Jacob married Ann Babb. She was the daughter of Peter Babb, who lists her as Ann Peirsoll in his will. Peter was a Quaker who lived in West Caln Township and Jacob is found in that township’s tax records in 1762 and 1763. When Ann married, she wed outside the Quaker meeting and was disowned as a result. According to the records of the Bradford Monthly Meeting, the members took testimony against Ann Piershall on the 15^th day of the second month of 1760. Then, on the 18^th day of the fourth month, Ann Piershal was disowned for being married by a priest – probably an Episcopal priest since some of the Peirsols in the area attended Episcopal churches. (4)
From 1760 to 1771, Jacob appears in Chester County tax records. Unlike others around him, his status and amount of property seem to have changed dramatically from year to year. In 1760, Jacob is listed in West Nantmeal Township as an inmate, indicating that he lived on property that was owned or rented by someone else. In all likelihood he was establishing his first household on his father’s property. In 1762 and 1763, as noted above, he lived in West Caln Township. In 1765, Jacob appears with very modest holdings, owning 50 acres, one horse and two cattle. In 1766, he owned 50 acres, one horse, two cattle and six sheep. However, about this time, Jacob seems to have suffered some sort of financial setback. In 1767, he is again listed as an inmate in West Nantmeal. In 1768, he owned no land, but possessed two horses and one cow. By 1769, Jacob’s fortunes appear to have improved dramatically because he is listed as owning 130 acres, two horses and two cattle. In 1771, Jacob owned 100 acres, one horse, two cattle and 10 sheep. (5)
The property that Jacob held in 1769 appears to have been acquired from Jason Cloud, who was a neighbor of Jeremiah Peirsol in West Nantmeal. It seems that Cloud allowed Jacob to pay for two tracts of land over time, and that Jacob never fully paid off the debt. On May 18, 1772, the pair sold both properties, totally about 265 acres, to Peter Hunter. The deed noted that Cloud had originally sold, but had not conveyed the land to Jacob. (5a)
After the 1772 land transaction, Jacob disappears from Chester County records, an indication that he probably moved out of the area. This is supported by a note in the final account of Peter Babb’s estate, which state that there was "a legacy yet due to Ann Peirsoll … 5 [shillings]." This would indicate that Ann was still alive in 1773 but didn’t live close enough to allow for easy distribution of the legacy.
Jacob and his family apparently moved to the Pittsburgh area. (6) Jacob appears in Virginia military records so it seems very likely that that Jacob staked a land claim through that colony. That colony claimed the area that is now southwestern Pennsylvania and set up its own county government and courts. The boundary dispute between the two colonies wasn’t resolved until the early 1780s, when Pennsylvania received the area around Pittsburgh and Virginia received the area that’s now northern West Virginia.
If Jacob did file a claim through Virginia, it would explain why he didn’t appear in western Pennsylvania records until after the boundary dispute had been settled, which was after his death in 1780.
On March 22, 1777, Jacob enlisted to serve in the army for three years during the Revolutionary War. Muster rolls covering June to December 1779 show Pvt. Jacob Persal serving in Col. John Gibson’s company, 9^th Virginia Regiment at Fort Pitt. (7) Although the records indicate that Jacob enlisted in 1777, they don’t list the unit in which he served before June 1779. However, it is most likely that he was a member of the 13^th Virginia Regiment, which was raised in the Pittsburgh area in early 1777 and was redesigned the 9^th Virginia in May 1779. A large part of the 13^th Virginia served with Gen. George Washington’s army in the campaigns around Philadelphia in 1777 and 1778. However, a check of related rosters didn’t reveal any listing for Jacob. It seems very likely that Jacob served in a company that didn’t join Washington’s army. In any case, the regiment was reassigned to the Western Department in 1778 to protect the frontier from raids by Native Americans. That’s also when Col. Gibson was transferred to the unit. After the return to Pittsburgh, elements of the regiment served at Fort McIntosh, which was built in the autumn of 1778 where the city of Beaver, Pa, now stands.
In addition to his service with the 9^th Virginia, Jacob Pearsal is listed as a member of Capt. O’Hara’s company of Virginia militia. However, the muster roll is undated so it is hard to tell whether this service was before or after Jacob’s enlistment in the army. (7a)
While the war was being waged between British and American armies in the east, the frontier units fought against Native Americans who were supported by Britain and its sympathizers. It is very likely that Jacob was killed in a raid by Native Americans. The descendants of both Sampson and Peter hold traditions that their ancestor’s father was slain by Native Americans. (8) Details in the accounts conflict, listing different children as witnesses, different time periods for the attacks and even different victims. The only constant is that a Peirsol died at the hands of Native Americans near Pittsburgh. Despite these discrepancies, its seems pretty certain that the victim of these attacks was actually Jacob. First, all contemporary evidence indicates that Jacob was probably the father of both Sampson and Peter. Second, he is the only Peirsol to appear in estate or orphan’s court records in western Pennsylvania or Virginia between 1769 and 1790.
It seems most likely that the attack occurred in 1780, at the height of the war waged between the American settlers and the Native Americans along the Ohio River. The best indication of that is found in Jacob’s estate administration papers, which were filed in Washington County in 1783. Among the papers is a record of Jacob’s account with Jacob Bausman, who seems to have been a merchant. The first entry is from June 1778 for sundries. Entries then run each month from February to October 1779 and from February to April 1780. The final entry is for "Whisky for Burial." Since these entries suddenly stop in April 1780, it seems most likely that Jacob died in April or May of that year. However, the administration papers indicate that John didn’t pay for his father’s coffin until April 1781. It’s possible that John simply didn’t have the money to pay for the coffin immediately. A date of 1780 is supported by an account provided by Jacob’s grandson, Joel, in a brief narrative in the history of Fulton County, Ill., which was published in 1871. It reads: "Petter Peirsol was the father of Joel Peirsol, the subject of this sketch, and was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1780 … His [Joel’s] grandfather Peirsol was killed by the Indians in the year 1780, within eleven miles of Pittsburg." Another account offered by Joel’s brother, John, indicates that Peter was born after Jacob was slain. (9)
April and May of 1780 brought several attacks on the Pittsburgh area settlement, according to "The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania," by C. Hale Sipe. It states: "Indian raids continued into Southwestern Pennsylvania throughout the month of April. On April 27, 1780, Colonel Broadhead wrote President Reed as follows: ‘Between 40 and 50 men, women and children have been killed or taken from what are now called the counties of Yohogania [Washington], Monogalia and Ohio, but no damage is done yet in Westmoreland.’ (Pa. Archives, Vol. 8, page 210)" (10)
Two accounts of the attack exist, but both contain serious errors that must be explained. (11) The biggest problem with both is that they identify the victim – Sampson Piersol’s father – as Benjamin, the son of Job Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va. The error appears in "The History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America," edited by Clarence Pearsall, in Chapter 49, Section 1. The incorrect identification could have been made by the editors of the 1928 history or by the editors’ correspondents who descended from Sampson, John or Jacob. As is shown in the footnotes, John was definitely the son of Jacob and Sampson, Jacob and Peter were almost certainly sons of Jacob. Benjamin was too young to be their father, lived in a different part of the county and actually lived until 1824. (12) The second account echoes this error, probably because it used the Pearsall history for some of its information. This account was written sometime after 1941 and the Pearsall history was widely available by that time. Two other errors occur in the Pearsall history’s account. It says the attack occurred during Lord Dunmore’s War, a conflict between the colony of Virginia and Native Americans in 1774. It also says the younger Jacob was the son of John and, thus, the grandson of the victim. It seems very likely that each of these errors was added by the editors of the Pearsall history or their correspondents. Despite these problems, it seems very likely that the basic accounts contain family traditions that are based on truth.
The account in the Pearsall history states: "Hence one day when Benjamin Pearsall was working in the field with his grandson, Jacob, a band of Indians came suddenly upon them from the cover of the underbrush and while Jacob hurried to the house for assistance his grandfather stood his ground against the red men. Although he killed several of them they were too many for him and before his sons could come to his relief he had bee killed and scalped. The family tradition is that his granddaughter, Anne, rode bareback with her hair streaming down her back to warn the neighbors of the Indian outbreak."
It must be remembered that this account likely refers to Jacob and that the young Jacob and Anne mentioned in the narrative were probably his children, not his grandchildren.
The second account is in the Piersol files at the Beaver County Genealogical Society. It states: "SAMPSON PIERSOL and his brother John watched six Indians burne there father Benjaman Piersol at the stake. They was hid in a thicket after a surprise by the band of red skins. The had onley one gun betwin them and if they would of tryed to rescue there father they would have all been killed or captured. This took place at home where neer Fort Pitt – now were Pittsburgh, Pa, now standes. Then after that Sampson Piersol killed every Indian he could as long as he lived."
Although these accounts differ, it is possible that both accounts are basically true – aside from the victim’s name. Jacob may have run to get John and Sampson, who then hid in a thicket with one gun. Meanwhile, Anne may have ridden to warn the neighbors.
Bitterness about the attacks would certainly explain by John and Sampson appear in numerous militia records from this date on, including the muster lists for the ill-fated campaign led by Col. William Crawford against the Native American villages near Sandusky, Ohio, in 1782.
On April 17, 1783, John Pearcil was appointed administrator for the estate of Jacob Pearcil in Washington County. The late date of the appointment probably can be attributed to the fact that Washington County didn’t exist when Jacob was killed and new papers had to be filed in the new county. The papers mention fees paid "for schooling & clothing for one of the deceased[’s] children" and to "Patrick Dugan for Boarding a Boy of Said Dec’d." They also mention that John "Paid funeral Expences (towit) 2 Gallons Whisky." (13)
While the estate papers don’t mention where Jacob lived, it seems that he was from the area that became Peters Township. Jacob Bausman, Benjamin Kirkendol and others mentioned in the papers lived in that township. In addition, John might be listed there in the 1781 tax lists. Actually, no "Peirsols" appear on the list but that might be because of clerical errors, either by those who created the records or by those who transcribed them for "The Pennsylvania Archives." A John Person appears in Peters Township near many of the people who would appear near John and Sampson Peirsol in the 1791 tax lists (which were recorded after Allegheny County was created out of part of Washington County) No other John with the surname Person – or any variation of Pearson – appears in the militia lists. (14)
Ann died sometime before May 1781. In that month, John Pearcil paid "for making my Mother’s coffin."

(1) Jacob first appears in tax records in 1760 in West Nantmeal Township, Chester County, according to "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 11, page 45. He is listed as an "inmate," which means that he lived on someone else’s property, probably his father’s. He probably had just reached the age of majority, which would indicate that he was born in the late 1730s. Pennsylvania records list only three Piersols who would have been old enough in the 1730s or 1740s to be Jacob’s father. Two of the three – Richard and John – left wills listing their children and many of their grandchildren, which rules them out as potential fathers. The only other Piersol to appear in Pennsylvania records during these years is Jeremiah Piersol, who lived in Chester County from at least 1717 until the 1760s. Jeremiah didn’t leave a will and property records don’t seem to contain a list of his heirs. However, after his death, portions of his property in West Nantmeal came into the possession of Jacob and a younger Jeremiah, according to Chester County, Pa., Deed Book L3, pages 244-246. These two men were probably sons of Jeremiah. In addition to Jacob and Jeremiah, several other "unaccounted for" Piersols appear in West Nantmeal tax records about the same time. They were John (who first appears in 1756), David (1760), Isaac (1762) and Abraham (1762). It seems very likely that each of these men was a son of Jeremiah and started appearing in tax records as they reached the age or majority or when Jeremiah died – probably in 1761 o 1762. [NOTE: "The History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America," edited by Clarence Pearsall, indicates on pages 1358 and 1372 that Jeremiah had one daughter and no sons. This supposition appears to be based on the 1741 will of Mary Jerman (Chester County, Pa., Estate File 762), which bequeaths a feather bed to an unnamed daughter of Jeremiah and doesn’t mention any other Piersol children. However, this does not indicate Jeremiah didn’t have any other children. In fact, the only other grandchildren of Mary mentioned in the will were the orphaned children of Roger and Margaret Evans so it’s very likely that Jeremiah’s daughter was mentioned only because she was a favored grandchild.] (2) Ann’s approximate wedding year can be determined by records of the Quaker’s Bradford Monthly Meeting. In early 1760, Ann Piershall was disowned for being married by a priest, according to "Early Church Records of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, Quaker Records of Bradford Monthly Meeting," by Martha Reamy, pages 149-150. The case for identifying Ann as Jacob’s wife is more complex. First, Peter Babb mentions in his 1773 will that Ann Peirsoll was one of his daughters, according to Chester County, Pa., Estate File 2797. The Babbs lived in West Caln Township and Jacob is found in that township’s tax records in 1762 and 1763, according to Chester County tax indexes at the county archives. Also, West Caln was beside West Nantmeal Township, where all of the Chester County Peirsols lived at this time. Additionally, when the accounts for Peter Babb’s estate were settled in 1774, it was noted that there was "a legacy yet due to Ann Peirsoll … 5 [shillings]." This indicates that Ann was still alive but probably had moved away from the area. That corresponds very closely with Jacob’s sale of his Chester County property in 1772, which is recorded in Chester County, Pa., Deed Book L3, pages 244 and 245. Next, the names of the wives of most of Chester County’s Piersol men are known from other records, leaving Jacob, Abraham, Isaac and David as the only Chester County Piersols with "unknown wives." Finally, the names that Jacob appears to have given his sons match names used in the Babb family – but not in the Piersol family. As will be explained in Footnote 3, Jacob’s sons were probably John, Sampson, Jacob and Peter. Sampson was the name of a brother of Ann and Peter was the name of her father and another brother. However, no Sampson appears in eastern Pennsylvania records and the only Peter Piersol to appear there was another grandson of Peter Babb, through his daughter Bathsheba. It seems certain that that the names Sampson and Peter originated in the Babb family. [NOTE: The book "Babb Families of America," by Jean A. Sargent, only says that Ann married a "Piersol – perhaps Nathaniel." However, no Nathaniel appears among Chester County Pierols in the 18^th century.] (3) John is the only one of these men whom original records identify as a son of Jacob. In Jacob’s estate papers – Washington County, Pa., Accounts, File P, No. 5 – John was named administrator and he paid "Wm Richmond for Making a coffin for father" in April 1781. Identifying the other Piersols as Jacob’s sons is a more complex task. First, it’s unlikely that anyone else could be their father since no other candidate appears in records from western Pennsylvania. The only other Pittsburgh-area Piersol at this time – Benjamin Pearsall – wasn’t old enough to be their father. He was born in 1753, according to his Revolutionary War Pension – S40251 – which means that he was too young to be the father of Sampson and Jacob. Sampson was born in 1764 and Jacob was born in 1769. Next, Sampson’s Revolutionary War pension application – S.22937 – says he was born in June or July 1764 in Chester County, Pa. Jacob is the only Peirsol who appears in Chester County records in 1764 and later in western Pennsylvania. In fact, Jacob is the only Piersol who appears in the records of both areas until the arrival of William Piersol in Fayette County in the 1790s. Finally, Sampson and Jacob’s son John frequently appear near each other in tax, militia and census records – often an indication of close relationship. During this era, family members often lived near each other and joined the same militia units. Peter can be linked to Jacob through a more-roundabout method. We know that Jacob died about 1780, as will be explained later. Next, "The 1871 Atlas Map of Fulton County, Illinois," by Andreas, Lyter, and Co., contains an item on Peter’s son Joel Peirsol, which states, "His grandfather Peirsol was killed by the Indians in the year 1780, within eleven miles of Pittsburg." (Page 35) This account of an unnamed grandfather matches the probable death date of Jacob. And both this source and the 1850 Census of Lee, Fulton County, Ill., agree that Peter was born in 1780. Peter first appears in western Pennsylvania records – as a single man in 1802, probably about age 22. This Beaver County tax record highlights another factor pointing to a close relationship among Sampson, Jacob and Peter: They seem to have lived beside each other, a common practice among frontier families in the 18^th century. Indeed, at first glance, it would appear likely that Peter was the son of Sampson or Jacob. However, since he does not appear in either of their wills – even though he outlived them – it seems certain that he was their younger brother who lived with them after his parents’ deaths. In fact, the 1790 and 1800 censuses give Sampson credit for one more son than he actually had – probably an indication that Peter was living in his household. Finally, we come to the younger Jacob. He is identified in the Pearsall family history as the son of John but that’s impossible because they were probably born less than 10 years apart. John was certainly born in or after 1760 if Ann Babb married the older Jacob, which seems pretty certain. The younger Jacob was born in 1769, according to the 1850 Census of New Sewickley Township, Beaver County, Pa. Jacob also is closely linked to Sampson in various records. Jacob moved to Beaver County with Sampson and lived very close to him. Jacob also named one of his children Sampson and Sampson named one of his children Jacob. It seems pretty certain that they were close relatives and judging from their 5-year separation in age and the fact that no other possibly father lived in the area, they must have been brothers. As noted above, "The History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America" lists different parents for these men. Please see footnote 12 for a brief explanation of some of the problems or the footnotes under each man’s narrative for a detailed explanation of why these links can’t be trusted. (4) "Early Church Records of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, Quaker Records of Bradford Monthly Meeting," by Martha Reamy, pages 149-150. The only Peirsol family that appears in Chester County Quaker records is that of Jeremiah, who married Ann’s sister Bathsheba Babb. Most of the earliest Peirsols in Chester County – John, Jeremiah and Richard – were affiliated with a congregation of the Seventh Day Baptists in Nantmeal, according to "Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and America," Vol. II, pages 980, 981 and 1111. The other early Peirsol – Edward – was married in an Episcopal church – Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pa. – according to "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 2, Vol. 8, page 75. Many later Peirsols in Chester County were Episcopalians. (5) The information for 1760, 1762 and 1763 comes from the index to country tax available on microfilm at the Chester County Archives. The other tax records appear in "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 11, as follows: 1765 is on page 45, 1766, page 174; 1767, page 339; 1768, page 481; 1769, page 609; and 1771, page 737. (5a) Chester County, Pa., Deed Book L3, pages 244-246. (6) There is no record that specifically states Jacob moved from Chester County to the Pittsburgh area. However, the Jacob in Chester County disappears from the records just a few years before a Jacob appears in the Pittsburgh area, which was part of Washington County at the time. In addition, Sampson Peirsol’s Revolutionary War pension application states that he was born in Chester County in 1764 and served in the Washington County militia in the 1780s, so it’s certain that one Peirsol family did make that move. This has to have been Jacob’s family because he was the only Peirsol who appears in contemporary Pittsburgh-area records who was old enough to have had adult children in the 1780s. As note above, the only other Peirsol to appear in records from this time and place was Benjamin, who was born in 1753 and, thus, was too young to be the father of John and Sampson. (7) "Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War: Virginia 9^th Regiment," microfilm M881, roll 1060, National Archives. This service is also mentioned in connection with Fort McIntosh in "Fort McIntosh: The Story of Its History of Its and Restoration of the Site," by Frank F. Carver, from http://www.bchistory.org/beavercounty/BAHF/FortMc.Carver/Carver.Main.html. History of the 13^th Virginia Regiment at www.myrevolutionarywar.com/states/va/va-13.htm (7a) Service in O’Hara’s company is listed in "Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution," by John H. Gwathmey, page 612. (8) For detailed discussion about which Peirsol was actually killed in a raid by Native Americans, see the special section titled "Accounts of Peirsols Killed By Native Americans." In short, "The History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America" states that Benjamin Pearsall – the son of Job Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va. – was the father of John and Sampson and was killed in 1774. However, as indicated above, Jacob was almost certainly their father. Also, as will be explained elsewhere, Benjamin actually lived until 1824. (See footnote 12 for additional information on Benjamin.) The Pearsall history also states that Peter’s father was killed, but it identifies him as another Benjamin – the son of the first Benjamin – and says the attack probably occurred in the 1790s. As was explained above, Peter’s links to Sampson and Jacob are pretty solid, so their father was his father. Additionally, the Benjamin who lived until 1824 was the only Benjamin to appear in western Pennsylvania records, which means that he could not have been Peter’s father. (9) The first account appears in "The 1871 Atlas Map of Fulton County, Illinois," by Andreas, Lyter, and Co., Page 35. The second account mentioned appears in a biographical item on Joel’s son, John C. Peirsol, in "History of Monroe County, [Missouri]," which was published in 1884. This account says Peter’s father also was named Peter and was killed at Fort Duquesne in 1753, all of which is incorrect. However, it does support the tradition that Peter’s father died at the hands of Native Americans near Pittsburgh. One other account comes down to us through Joel’s family. It appears in the Pearsall history and is provided by Joel’s son Joel. He wrote to Clarence Pearsall in 1917, saying: "My Father told me that my Great-Grandfather as killed by the Indians at old Fort Duquesne, the present site of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." However, the history’s editors misidentified Peter’s father and suggested that the attack occurred in the 1790s. (10) "The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania," by C. Hale Sipe, page 608. The brackets and parenthesis are in the book. The counties Broadhead mentions were established by Virginia in the area that was also claimed by Pennsylvania. Although it seems most likely that Jacob died in 1780, several attacks did occur in nearby Westmoreland County in April 1781. It’s possible that a raiding part happened to pass through Jacob’s farm on their way to their target. See pages 634 and 635. (11) The first account is in the Pearsall history, page 1443. The second account is in the Peirsol family file in the Beaver County Genealogical Society at the Carnegie Library in Beaver Falls, Pa. It was written after 1941 since it mentions alterations to Sampson’s gravesite in that year. This account, which is signed by Mr. E.E. Nye, was "told by his [Sampson Piersol’s] grand sons and grand daughters Joseph Piersol and Susie Grimm and others that could remember there fathers and mothers telling of there pioneer line." (12) It is pretty certain that the Benjamin Pearsall actually lived until 1824. The Pearsall history correctly identifies Benjamin as the son of Job Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va., but it appears to be mistaken when it indicates he died a premature death. Job’s other son, John, wrote his will in 1809. Since he didn’t have any children of his own, he left his estate to his brother, sisters, nieces and nephews. It mentions Benjamin and later mentions that he had children, although it doesn’t list their names. It does not seem likely that John would list Benjamin separately if he had died 35 years earlier. The will is abstracted in "Early Records of Hampshire County, Virginia (Now West Virginia)," compiled by Clara McCormack Sage and Laura Sage Jones, page 129. I also have checked the will – Will Book 5, page 233 – at the courthouse in Romney. Since Benjamin continued to appear in Pennsylvania and, later, in Ohio records, the Pearsall history "created" nonexistent Benjamins to account for the listings. One was supposedly a son of the real Benjamin and the father of Peter. The profile of this fictitious Benjamin is where we find the other account of a Peirsol killed by Native Americans near Pittsburgh. This is why we find the account of the death of Peter’s father separated from that of Sampson’s father. (13 Washington County, Pa., Accounts, File P, No. 5. John Pearcel, "Administrator of Jacob Pearcel Deceased" submitted his account papers on May 1, 1787, according to Washington County, Pa., Court Records, Page 50, Vol. A-C, 1781-1836. (14) "The Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 22, pages 760. The 1791 listing is on page 649.


SAMPSON and SUSANNAH PIERSOL
Sampson Piersol was born in 1764 in Chester County, Pa. Family tradition has identified his parents as Benjamin and Rebecca Pearsall. (1)
Married Susannah Custard, daughter of Benjamin and Ruth Custard – sometimes spelled Castor – who lived in what is now Allegheny County, Pa. (2)
Children: (3)
Jacob Scudder, born Oct. 16, 1785.
Ruth. Married David Shanor.
M. Ann, born in 1787. Married Michael Nye.
Elizabeth. Married Joshua Burris.
Susannah. Married William McGaw.
At the time of the Revolutionary War, Sampson lived on Peters Creek in what is now Allegheny County, according to his Revolutionary War pension application.
During the Revolution, Sampson served as a private in the militia and an "Indian spy." Sampson’s Revolutionary War pension application says: "That he entered the service of the United States as a private soldier a volunteer in March in the year 1781 under Captain Joseph Sipeney in a company of Indian Spies. That he served in said company under said Captain Sipeney during the summer of the year 1781 six months and the summer of 1782 from March until sometime in June when he volunteered and joined the company commanded by Captain Andrew Hood under Colonel Crawford in his campaign against the Indians at Sanduskey. That he marched under said officers to Sanduskey and was in the battle at the time of Crawford’s defeat. That he returned with the remnant of Colonel Crawford’s army after his defeat at Sanduskey and joined his former company under said Captain Sipeney after being absent in Crawford’s campaign about six weeks. That he continued under said Sipeney until the first of October A.D. 1782 making in all eleven months under Captain Sipeney and six weeks or a month and a half in Crawford’s Campaign against the Indians at Sanduskey along the frontier up and down the Ohio River partly in the counties now called Allegheny and Beaver and partly on the north side of said river and after pursued and chased the Indians from the frontier settlements." (4)
Sampson was probably only 16 years old when he started serving as an Indian spy in 1781. Although every male who could carry a gun was expected to join the militia, Sampson may have had additional incentive. According to the Pearsall genealogy, Sampson’s father was killed by Indians around 1774. However, I have not located a primary source that confirms this.
"Pennsylvania Archives" also lists Sampson among the privates in Capt. Andrew Hood’s company on the ill-fated campaign led by Col. William Crawford in June 1782. (5) Crawford’s force was sent against the Indian villages near Sandusky, Ohio, believed to be the source of attacks on the settlements in western Pennsylvania. However, the Indians received word of the troops’ approach and were able to evacuate the villages. A battle did erupt and the militia held its own during fighting on June 4. But the next day, the Indians were re-enforced and Crawford decided to withdraw. While the militiamen prepared to retreat, the Indians attacked and scattered them. Many were captured and killed. Col. Crawford was captured, scalped and burned at the stake. (6)
The Revolution on the frontier was far different from that in the East. Instead of English soldiers, the primary foes were native Americans stirred to action by the British and their sympathizers. These raids meant scalpings, kidnap and torture. The settlers often replied with equal savagery. The Indians were seen as a threat until 1794, when they were vanquished by troops under Gen. Anthony Wayne. (7)
Sampson continued his participation in the militia into the 1790s. "History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America" states that he was listed as a lieutenant in the 4th Company of the First Regiment of the Allegheny County militia on May 1, 1792.
On Aug. 19, 1793, Sampson was elected captain of the First Regiment’s 4th company. (7a) During his tenure as a company commander, his unit was called to duty in the Whiskey Insurrection. The rebellion erupted when farmers in western Pennsylvania protested taxes on whiskey. Since it was easier to transport whiskey than raw grain to eastern markets, it was a major product of frontier farmers and high taxes hurt them economically. The most dramatic encounter of the Whiskey Insurrection was on July 15, 1794, when rebels burned some buildings at the farm of the man responsible for collecting the tax, Gen. John Neville. "Whiskey Rebels: The Story of a Frontier Uprising" describes the skirmish. It tells of the main group sent to face the rebels and adds, "Another party of eight men under Captain Pearsol was sent to Coal Hill, overlooking Pittsburgh, to intercept the marshal in case he was missed by the main force." The main force didn’t miss the rebels and the resulting fight killed one of the rebels. (7b)
Records show Sampson paid taxes in 1791 in Mifflin Township, Allegheny County, which had been formed from part of Washington County. (8) In 1796, he moved to what is now Beaver County, about 40 miles to the north, according to his pension application. In 1800, Beaver County was established. Sampson appears on the tax lists of the new county’s Sewickley Township in 1802. At that time he owned two 200-acre parcels, two horses and two cows. (9) In 1815, he is listed as owning 200 acres, two horse, two cows and an ox in what was by then North Sewickley Township. (10)
On Feb. 8, 1799, the governor appointed and commissioned a number of men to government offices. Among them was Sampson Pearcall, who was named a justice of the peace for the District of Pitt in Allegheny County. (11)
After the formation of Beaver County, Sampson took an active role in its government. On Aug. 15,1803, he was appointed as one of the first two justices for the county’s fifth district, which was north of the Connoquenessing and east of the Big Beaver, population 116. (12) He also served as county commissioner from 1831 to 1834. He was a Democrat. (13)
In 1805, tax records state that Sampson Persole was a magistrate living in North Sewickley Township and owning a sawmill and a gristmill. (14)
According to the Pearsall genealogy, Sampson was not only a leader among his fellow frontiersmen, he was like the "lord of the manner." He acted as attorney for Eastern proprietors who owned huge tracts of land in Western Pennsylvania. He conducted their business on the frontier and represented them in disputes.
This history – which tends to paint rather flattering portraits of its subjects – states: "No doubt there were many men who under similar circumstances could have directed the settlement of a wilderness, but there are very few who could have retained the friendship and confidence of the settlers to the same extent as Sampson Peirsol. For as long as he lived he was father, counselor and advisor to the whole community which radiated from his farm. In a well-worn book found among his papers he records the names of over fifty of his neighbors for whom he was practically transacted all their business. Sampson Peirsol performed this duty for very little remuneration, in fact it seems to have been thrust upon him by the insistence both of great landed proprietors and by those who they sold their lands."
Among Sampson’s contributions listed in the Pearsall history is the foundation of a small church. On March 20, 1830, Sampson was among the original members of the Mount Pleasant Bible Class, according to the history. His will does state that he was "to be interred in the graveyard or burying ground of Mt. Pleasant Church situated on my farm." (15) The Piersols and many of their children and grandchildren are buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in North Sewickley Township, Beaver County, outside Ellwood City.
Sampson died Aug. 8, 1842. The date given for Susannah’s death is Feb. 15, 1837. (16)
(1) Sampson’s application for a pension for his Revolutionary War service – S22937 – says he was born "in Chester County in Pennsylvania. I think in the year 1764 in June or July. I have now no record of my age." The application was filed March 6, 1834 in Beaver County, Pa., and Samson said he was 69 years old. Sampson’s tombstone at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Beaver County says he was 78 years old at the time of his death in 1842. Some secondary sources list other dates. The "Daughters of the American Revolution Patriot Index," page 522, says he was born June 7, 1764. "Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage Book, Vol. 98," page 288, lists his year of birth as 1764. It is listed as 1765 in "The Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County," by John W. Jordan, page 506, and "Inventory of the County Archives of Pennsylvania, Beaver County, No. 4," page 375. It is listed as "circa 1764" in "History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America, Vol. III," by Clarenece E. Pearsall, page 1452, which is also the major source that names of Sampson’s parents as Benjamin and Rebecca Pearsall. Another source for this tradition is a photocopies document in the Peirsol family file in the Beaver County Genealogical Society at the Carnegie Library in Beaver Falls, Pa. The information in this document, which is signed by Mr. E.E. Nye and can be dated after 1941, was "told by his [Sampson Piersol’s] grand sons and grand daughters Joseph Piersol and Susie Grimm and others that could remember there fathers and mothers telling of there pioneer line." For more discussion on that issue, see below. (2) Susannah is listed as daughter of Benjamin and Ruth Castor of Mifflin Township in "Will Abstracts of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Will Books I Through V," compiled by Hellen L. Harris and Elizabeth Wall, page 63. Benjamin’s will is in Book 3, page 119. (3) Children and spouses of daughters identified in Sampson’s will in Beaver County Will Book B, page 303. Jacob’s birthday is listed in Jordan’s history of Beaver County and the Pearsall family history but no primary sources have yet been located to confirm this. "History of the Pearsall Family in England and America" also lists Tobias S. as a son who died unmarried. However, he doesn’t appear in any other source. (4) Pension application. I have corrected spelling and punctuation. (5) "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 6, Vol. 2, page 392. (6) "A History of Northwestern Ohio," by Nevin O. Winter, pages 29 to 42. (7) "The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania," by C. Hale Sipe. (7a) "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 6, Vol. 4, page 246; Series 6, Vol. 5, page 50; and Series 9, Vol. 1, page 642. (7b) "Whiskey Rebels: The Story of a Frontier Uprising," by Leland D. Baldwin, page 115. (8) "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 22, page 649. (9) "Complete Index of Remaining Tax Records, Beaver County, Pa., 1802-1840," compiled by Publishers of Beaver County Records, page 6. (10) "Gleanings," Vol. XV, No. 2, by the Beaver County Genealogical Society, Dec. 1990. (11) "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 9, Vol. 1, page 1484. (12) "History of Beaver County, Pa.," page 123. The action also is listed in Beaver County Deed Book, A, page 34, but indicates that it occurred on Aug. 10, 1803. (13) "Inventory of County Archives of Pennsylvania, Beaver County, No. 4," by the Pennsylvania Historical Society, page 375. (14) "Beaver County’s Earliest Residents," compiled by Helen G. Clear and Mae H. Winne, page 42. (15) Beaver County Will Book B, page 303. (16) Sampson’s date is on his tombstone. No date is left on Susannah’s tombstone, which appears to be missing its bottom half. The date here is from "Beaver County Cemeteries," Vol. 1, page 69, by Bob and Mary Closson. I do not know the source of their information.


JACOB and RACHEL PIERSOL
Jacob Scudder Piersol was born Oct. 16, 1785 in Allegheny County, Pa. His parents were Sampson and Susannah (Castor) Piersol. (1)
Married Rachel in 1810. She was probably the daughter of Tobias Stilly. She was born about 1796. (2)
Children: (3)
Ruth, born Dec. 16, 1813, died Aug. 8, 1814.
Susannah, born March 26, 1815. Married George W. Alleman.
Ruth, born Dec. 4, 1816. Married Sampson S. Nye.
Samson, born March 24, 1818.
Tobias Stille, born July 4, 1820, died 1842.
Rachel, born Aug. 15, 1821. Possibly married Michael Nye.
Elizabeth, born March 17, 1823. Married Edward Sweesey.
Rebecca, born May 2, 1824. Possibly married a man named Walker.
Jacob, born Oct. 19, 1825.
Jeremiah, born March 13, 1827.
Scudder H., born, Jan. 1, 1828.
David Shaner, born Aug. 23, 1830, died Dec. 7, 1836.
Samuel, born Feb. 18, 1832.
Joseph, born March 15, 1835.
Benjamin, born Oct. 29, 1836.
Probably Anna, born Sept. 28, 1838, died Aug. 2, 1847.
Two Jacob Peirsols appear in Beaver County records of this period. A Pearsall family history says that the other Jacob was the son of Sampson’s brother John. Because of the presence of two Jacobs, one must be very careful with the records.
Jacob probably married Rachel in 1810. He is listed as a single male in the tax returns for that year but the 1810 Census indicates that his household included him and one female who was between 10 and 16 years old. If Rachel was born in 1796, as later record indicate, she would have been about 14 years old when the couple married in 1810.
Our Jacob was a farmer in Sewickley Township. "Jacob Scudder Piersol all his life followed the occupation of a farmer, a skillful and successful husbandman, tilling his acres with profitable results. He married Rachel Stilley; children, all born in Sewickley township …" (4)
The township’s tax lists for 1802 say a Jacob owned 150 acres, one horse and two cows. In 1815, a Jacob owned 150 acres, two horses and two cows in North Sewickley Township and a Jacob Peirsol Junr. is listed as having 50 acres, a horse and a cow. It is most likely that only the 1815 tax list includes our Jacob because he would have been only 17 in 1802, if his supposed birth date is correct. (5)
During the War of 1812, a Jacob served as a private in the militia. The Beaver County militia was called into service only once during the war, when the British threatened Lake Erie in 1814. Jacob served in Capt. Armstrong Drennan’s company, First Battalion, 26th Regiment. The expedition lasted from Feb. 16 to March 22. It is likely that this record relates to our Jacob because his brother-in-law Michael Nye was a sergeant in the same unit and he, being a younger man, may have been more likely to participate in such an expedition. (6)
Beaver County records show a Jacob paying taxes in the newly formed Marion Township in 1846 to 1848 but not for 1849 and 1850. When his heirs sold his land, the parcel was listed as being in that township. (7)
The 1850 Census of North Sewickley Township indicates that Jacob owned property valued at $8,500, which was an unusually large sum at that time.
Jacob died in 1851 and Rachel died March 23, 1860. Rachel died after falling down some stairs. (8) They are buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Beaver County, near Ellwood City.
(1) Jacob is named as the son of Sampson Piersol in Sampson’s will in Beaver County Will Book B, page 303. His tombstone at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Beaver County states he is the "son of Samson and Susannah Peirsol." Date comes from "History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America Vol. III," by Clarence Pearsall, page 1455, and "Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County," by John W. Jordan, page 506, but no primary source have yet been located that would confirm this. The 1850 Census of North Sewickley Township, Beaver County, Pa., lists Jacob as being 65 years old. Although I have not seen the middle name "Scudder" in any primary sources, it appears in most secondary sources, including the Pearsall history and Jordan’s history. (2) Jordan’s Beaver County history, the Pearsall history and the International Genealogical Index of the Latter Day Saints indicate that Jacob’s wife was a Stilly although I have yet to uncover documents confirming this. However, one good indication of this link is the names that their daughter Ruth Nye gave to her children. Most of her children were named after grandparents and great-grandparents and Sampson Piersol and Tobias Stilly are among the names. The IGI says the marriage of Jacob and Rachel occurred on June 21, 1810 at Peters Creek in Allegheny County, Pa. It also states that Rachel was born Nov. 14, 1785 in Allegheny County to Tobias and Ruth (Piersol) Stilly. "1860 Mortality Schedule of Beaver County, Pennsylvania" says Rachel was 64 when she died, which would put her birth date around 1796. (3) Most of the children are listed in the sale of property by Jacob’s heirs in Beaver County Deed Book 35, page 109, and Book 37, page 137, as well as the 1850 Census. Names of husbands come from this source unless designated with "possibly," in which case they were listed in the Pearsall history. The first Ruth, Tobias and David appear in "Beaver County Cemeteries," Vol. 1, by Bob and Mary Closson, pages 68 and 69. The approximate birth date for the first Ruth and the exact birth date for the second Ruth appear in the cemetery records. The exact birth date for the first Ruth and the rest of the birth dates are listed in the Pearsall history with the years echoed in Jordan’s history. Since these two agree on names and birth dates – except for Uriah, as noted below – it appears likely that these two had access to a source that is no longer available, such as a family Bible. There is a conflict between the death dates listed for Tobias. The cemetery records say he died in 1842 while Clarence Pearsall says that he died Aug. 9, 1847. Anna does not appear in Jacob’s will or the family cemetery but she is listed in both the Pearsall history and Jordan’s history. In addition to the children cited here, Pearsall also lists a Uriah. However, this identification has to be looked at with skepticism for several reasons: he is not listed in the land sale that records the names of other children and does not appear in the cemetery where those who died you were buried; he is not listed in the account in Jordan’s history; and he is the only child who appears on Pearsall’s list without a birth date, which makes it unlikely that he was listed in the same source as the others. As mentioned above, the 1850 Census lists most of Jacob’s children. However, the ages don’t fit perfectly with the other sources I’ve cited. According to the census, the children were: Jeremiah, age 24, farmer; Scudder, 22, student; Samuel, 19, farmer; Joseph, 16, farmer; Benjamin, 14; Rachel, 29; Rebecca, 26; and Elizabeth Sweazey, 28. In addition, Elizabeth’s three children – John, 5; Rachel 3; and Jacob, 4 months – and Josiah Robinson are listed in the household. Sampson’s family is listed two households before Jacob’s in the census. Sampson was a 31-year-old miller, according to the census. (4) Jordan’s "Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County." (5) 1802 comes from "Complete Index of Remaining Tax Records, Beaver County, Pa. 1802-1840," page 6. 1815 comes from the North Sewickley Tax Lists , 1815 as posted on the Beaver County Genealogical Society’s Internet site. (6) "Pennsylvania Archives, Series 6, Vol. X," page 132. Although another Jacob Peirsol lived in Beaver County around this time, it seems most likely that the Jacob who served is ours because of the presence of his brother-in-law Michael Nye as a sergeant in the same unit, indicating that it drew from his immediate neighborhood. (7) "Tax Records 1841-1850, Beaver County," by Helen G. Clear and Mae H. Winne, page 3. (8) Beaver County Register’s Docket No. 1, page 262, records the deaths of two Jacob Piersols (November 1851 and November 1857). I prefer the earlier date for Jacob because it is closer to that in the Pearsall genealogy, which says 1850. Rachel’s date comes from her tombstone. Jacob’s tombstone appears to have been broken and no dates are listed. Rachel’s cause of death comes from "1860 Mortality Schedule of Beaver County, Pennsylvania."




ACCOUNTS OF PEIRSOLS KILLED BY NATIVE AMERICANS

Many Piersol families that trace their ancestry to the Pittsburgh area have a tradition concerning an ancestor who was killed by Native Americans. The name of the ancestor, as well as the date and circumstances of the incident, differs among the accounts so it appears that several men may have been slain. However, comparing the accounts with each other and with contemporary records, it becomes apparent that only one Peirsol was killed. This man was almost certainly the Jacob Pearcil who died near Pittsburgh about 1780.
One of the most popular sources of information for these families is "The History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America," edited by Clarence Pearsall and published in 1928. However, it has proved to be extremely unreliable.
One of the starkest examples of this problem among people identified as western Pennsylvania Piersols involves Richard Piersall, who appears in Chapter 52, Section 1, on page 1466. The Pearsall history reports: Richard was the son of Job Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va.; he was 13 years old in 1754, when George Washington stayed at Job’s fort; he lived on Chartiers Creek, south of Pittsburgh, during the 1770s; he was a soldier and a follower of Washington; and he was "among the first to remove to Kentucky." The profile even includes a synopsis of Richard’s Revolutionary War pension application. However, it’s hard to believe that the editors of the Pearsall history actually read the application since it contradicts much of the information in Richard’s profile. The application – S1245, filed in Green County, Ky. – shows Richard was born March 25, 1744 in St. Mary’s County, Md.; he enlisted in an independent company in December 1776 in St. Mary’s County; he served for 5½ months in and near his home county before being discharged because of disease; and he later served a few weeks in a local militia unit. Richard also appears in St. Mary’s County in the 1790 Census, so it appears that he stayed in his native county and until well after the settlement of Kentucky had begun. This isn’t surprising since Richard does not appear in any records from Pennsylvania or Hampshire County, Va. Finally, all of Job Pearsall’s children are listed in the 1811 will of his son John, which appears in "Early Records of Hampshire County, Virginia (Now West Virginia)," page 129. Richard does not appear on the list even though he outlived John by more than 20 years. This all means that Richard could not have been Job’s son; he was only 10 years old in 1754; he didn’t live near Pittsburgh in the 1770s; he was briefly a soldier in an obscure unit serving nowhere near George Washington; and he arrived in Kentucky well after settlement had begun. What’s most surprising about this is that the Pearsall history got so much wrong when it actually quotes both Richard’s pension application and John’s will.
Richard’s is not an isolated case. Bad links and misplaced people abound. The Pearsall history was compiled using correspondence from the descendants of the people profiled, making it susceptible to errors caused by lapses of memory and bad genealogical work. As will be shown below, brothers can generate dramatically different accounts of the same grandfather so this is not surprising. In addition, the Pearsall history includes quite a few people who don’t appear in any records at all. It’s highly unlikely that such people ever existed. One of the basic facts of life is that the taxman finds everyone eventually. He might miss a family once, but rarely twice. Also, the Pennsylvania government was particularly eager to ensure that every able man served in the militia during the Revolutionary War. If a man didn’t show up for duty, he had to pay a stiff fine. So, if a man fails to appear in tax or militia records, he probably didn’t live in the area. Because of this, the following discussion will rely very heavily on 18^th-century documents from Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Now, we can turn to the slain Piersol.
At least five accounts of the incident have come down to us. Three of them stem from the same ultimate source, Joel Peirsol, the victim’s grandson. The other two accounts originated with the Peirsol families of Beaver County, Pa. That’s not surprising since Joel’s father was part of that clan.
Following are the printed accounts that I’ve found so far.
+ "Benjamin Pearsall was among those who came from Hampshire County, Virginia, and settled in the country south of the forks of the Ohio but west of the Monongahela. He located on Chartiers Creek in what is now Washington County, Pennsylvania, near Fromans Fort. … Hence one day [during Lord Dunmore’s War in 1774] when Benjamin Pearsall was working in the field with his grandson, Jacob, a band of Indians came suddenly upon them from the cover of the underbrush and while Jacob hurried to the house for assistance his grandfather stood his ground against the red men. Although he killed several of them they were too many for him and before his sons could come to his relief he had bee killed and scalped. The family tradition is that his granddaughter, Anne, rode bareback with her hair streaming down her back to warn the neighbors of the Indian outbreak." – "History and Genealogy of The Pearsall Family in England and America," edited by Clarence E. Pearsall, 1928, page Page 1443.
Slain ancestor: Benjamin. Location: On Chartiers Creek, near Fromans Fort. Time: 1774. Date and source of account: 1928, from accounts provided by unidentified descendants.
+ "SAMPSON PIERSOL and his brother John watched six Indians burne there father Benjaman Piersol at the stake. They was hid in a thicket after a surprise by the band of red skins. The had onley one gun betwin them and if they would of tryed to rescue there father they would have all been killed or captured. This took place at home where neer Fort Pitt – now were Pittsburgh, Pa, now standes. Then after that Sampson Piersol killed every Indian he could as long as he lived." This account, which is signed by Mr. E.E. Nye, was "told by his [Sampson Piersol’s] grand sons and grand daughters Joseph Piersol and Susie Grimm and others that could remember there fathers and mothers telling of there pioneer line." – Peirsol family file in the Beaver County Genealogical Society at the Carnegie Library in Beaver Falls, Pa. It was written after 1941 since it mentions alterations to Sampson’s gravesite in that year.
Slain ancestor: Benjamin. Location: Near Fort Pitt. Time. Not stated. Date and source of account: after 1941, attributed to Joseph Piersol, victim’s great-grandson but not recorded for many decades.
+ "Petter Peirsol was the father of Joel Peirsol, the subject of this sketch, and was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1780 … Joel Peirsol was born in Pennsylvania in 1804, … His grandfather Peirsol was killed by the Indians in the year 1780, within eleven miles of Pittsburg." – "The 1871 Atlas Map of Fulton County, Illinois," by Andreas, Lyter, and Co., Page 35.
Slain ancestor: father of Petter. Location: within eleven miles of Pittsburgh. Date of incident: 1780. Date and source of account: 1871, from information provided by Joel Peirsol, the victim’s grandson.
+ "Mr. Peirsol’s great-grandfather, Peter Peirsol, was killed at Ft. Duquesne in 1753, when under the command of Washington, at the time the English or Americans were driven from that fort by the French and Indians. Peter Peirsol, Jr., was born after his father’s death, and he became the father of Mr. Peirsol’s father, Joel Peirsol." – From a biographical sketch of John C. Peirsol of Monroe Township, Monroe County, Mo., in "History of Monroe County, [Missouri]" 1884, available on the Monroe County RootsWeb Internet site at www.RootsWeb.com/~momonroe/history/chapter19.htm.
Slain ancestor: Peter Peirsol, father of Peter Peirsol Jr. Location: Fort Duquesne. Time: 1753. Date and source of account: 1884, from information provided by John C. Peirsol, victim’s great-grandson.
+ "J.E. Peirsol of Tulsa, Oklahoma, writing under the date of August 31, 1917, says, My Father told me that my Great-Grandfather was killed by the Indians at old Fort Duquesne, the present site of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is more than probable that this tradition was meant to refer to the great-great-grandfather of the writer." – "The History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America," edited by Clarence Pearsall, Page 1460. The editors identify this great-grandfather as a man named Benjamin whom they claim was the son of Benjamin Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va. As noted above, the editors had earlier stated that the elder Benjamin was killed by Native Americans in the Pittsburgh area in 1774. As a result, they weren’t really certain whom J.E. Peirsol was referring to. They state: "It is more than probable that this tradition was meant to refer to the great-great-grandfather of the writer." The great-great-grandfather, according to the Pearsall history, was the older Benjamin. They then state: "It is however, also within the range of possibility that it may have been his grandfather." This reference to J.E. Peirsol’s grandfather is obviously a mistake because his grandfather was Peter "Jr." Just to cover all possibilities, the Pearsall history then describes an attack by Native Americans in western Pennsylvania in 1792 and states "it might very well be that during this period of Indian depredations Benjamin Peirsol may have lost his life at the hands of the Indians." Despite all of this, it should be noted that the quote from J.E. Peirsol’s letter doesn’t actually list the great-grandfather by name. – "History and Genealogy of The Pearsall Family in England and America," edited by Clarence E. Pearsall, 1928, page 1459
Slain ancestor: J.E. Peirsol’s great-grandfather (identified by the Pearsall history as Benjamin Peirsol). Location: at old Fort Duquesne. Time: Not stated (but identified by the Pearsall history as the 1790s]. Date and source of account: 1917, from letter by J.E. Peirsol, victim’s great-grandfather.

These accounts list two different Benjamins, a Peter and an unnamed grandfather as victims. They also appear to refer to two separate families – Peter’s and Sampson’s.
First, we can narrow down the list a bit by pointing out that three of these accounts refer to the same man: Peter’s father. However, there seems to be a bit of confusion surrounding him. His name appears as Peter in one account and Benjamin in another and he is left unnamed in the third. The "younger" Peter was born in 1780 in Pennsylvania, according to the 1850 Census of Lee, Fulton County, Ill. That means that his father could not have been killed in 1753, which casts serious doubt on the tale of "Peter Sr." In addition, no Peter appears in western Pennsylvania records between 1780 and 1802 (Peter "Jr." first appears in Beaver County in 1802). Also, it’s virtually impossible to believe that his father was named Benjamin. Only one Benjamin appears in western Pennsylvania records from the year of Peter’s birth in 1780 until the early 1800s and that man lived until 1824. (This will be discussed further in a moment.) In addition, it’s important to note that the quote from J.E. Peirsols’ letter to the editors of the Pearsall history doesn’t actually identify the victim by name. It’s uncertain whether J.E. Peirsol provided the name Benjamin or the history’s editors came up with the link. Finally, it should be noted that the earliest account – that of Joel, who was the victim’s grandson – don’t actually list a name. Joel’s is also the account that mentions 1780 – Peter’s birth year – as the year his grandfather died. This is an important clue from the earliest and most reliable account.
Second, we can narrow the list by showing that Peter’s father was also Sampson’s father – and Jacob’s. Jacob and Sampson were probably brothers since they moved from Allegheny County to Beaver County together, lived very near each other in what’s now North Sewickley Township and named children after each other – or after the same people. Then, when Peter appeared in the same township’s 1802 tax list, he was listed as single. He was obviously a young man – about 22 years old, going by the age listed in the 1850 Census – and was establishing his first household. During this era, young men usually established new households on a corner of their parent’s property or very nearby. (The tax records appear in "Beaver County’s Earliest Residents," by Publishers of Beaver County Records, Helen G. Clear and Mae H. Winne, page 11.) Since neither Sampson nor Jacob lists a Peter in his will, Peter was certainly a brother, rather than a son. It seems that Peter lived with Sampson before establishing his own home. According to the 1800 Census of Sewickley Township, Beaver County, the household of Sampson Peirceall Esq. contained two males 10-16 and one male 26-45. Since all other early sources indicate that Sampson had only one son, the second young male was probably Peter. (By the way, Jacob is listed as the son of John in "The History of the Pearsall Family in England and America," page 1444. However, Jacob was born in 1769, according to the 1850 Census of New Sewickley Township, Beaver County, which puts his birth less than 10 years after John’s. This will be examined elsewhere.)
So, it seems almost certain that Sampson, Peter and Jacob were brothers and their father was the slain Peirsol. It seems that the traumatic memory of this man’s death was handed down by his descendants but his name was forgotten. In addition, many of the details were scrambled beyond recognition, as is evident in the account from John C. Peirsol of Missouri. This brings us to the 20^th Century when Clarence Pearsall and others were compiling the history of the Pearsall family. They contacted people all over America with the surname Pearsall – or similar names. Many of these people responded and the result was the three-volume Pearsall history. At this point, it’s unknown whether one of the correspondents or the editors linked Sampson to Benjamin. In any case, it seems that someone thought Job Pearsall’s family was the best fit for the Piersols who ended up in Beaver County. It’s probably not a bad guess because it was known that their ancestor was killed during the Revolutionary era and Benjamin seemed to disappear about that time. That’s probably why the link to Benjamin has been widely accepted since the publication of the Pearsall history.
The problem with this theory is that Benjamin Pearsall seems to have survived well past the date when the Pearsall history says he was slain – 1774. The best evidence of this is the will of Benjamin’s brother, John. During his life, John accumulated much property but didn’t have any children. As a result, he left his property to his brother, sisters, nieces and nephews when he wrote his will in 1809. The will, which went to probate Nov. 18, 1811, mentions John’s brother Benjamin and later mentions Benjamin’s children, although it doesn’t list their names. This appears to be a pretty solid indication that Benjamin was still alive. First, it’s extremely unlikely that John would mention Benjamin and his children separately if Benjamin were dead. Second, Benjamin is not listed as deceased. This is in stark contrast to Cornelius Hoagland – apparently a brother-in-law – who is specifically listed as deceased and whose daughters are listed by name as heirs. An abstract of the will appears in "Early Records of Hampshire County, Virginia (Now West Virginia)," compiled by Clara McCormack Sage and Laura Sage Jones, page 129. A check of the actual will in Hampshire County gives no reason to suspect Benjamin was dead at the time.
John’s will goes a long way toward establishing that Benjamin survived until at least 1809. Another good indicator of his longevity will require some additional explanation. In 1818, a Benjamin Pearsall filed a Revolutionary War pension application in Monroe County, Ohio. Application S40251 indicates that Benjamin was born in 1753 and served from 1776 to 1779 in the 8^th Pennsylvania Regiment. The last few pieces of the puzzle are records from Monroe County, Ohio. The 1820 Census of Ohio Township shows Benjamin Pearseall living near Jobe Persall. Then, in October 1823, Job Piercole served as administrator of the estate of Benjamin Piercole – usually the role of the oldest son. It seems certain that Job was Benjamin’s son. (The estate administration papers are listed in "Monroe County, Ohio Records," Vol. VIII, by Catharine F. Fedorchak and Wilma S. Davis, page 88.) Interestingly, this younger Job is not mentioned anywhere in the Pearsall history. Only two Jobs appear in the history: the man from Hampshire County and a man profiled on page 1464. The history claims that the second Job married Sarah Ogg and lived in Westmoreland County, Pa. However, he doesn’t appear in any Pennsylvania census records from the first half of the 19^th century. In any case, it’s certainly more than coincidence that the Benjamin of Hampshire County had a father named Job and the Benjamin of Monroe County apparently had a son named Job. It seems virtually certain that there was only one Benjamin. He was born in 1753, the son of Job. He served in the Continental Army from 1776 to 1779. He lived in the Pittsburgh area from about 1780 until at least 1800, according to military and census records. He moved to Monroe County, Ohio, and died there in 1823. This chain of documents shows that Benjamin not only lived beyond 1774, but he was too young to be the father of Sampson and Jacob Piersol of Beaver County. Sampson was born in 1764 in Chester County, Pa., according to his Revolutionary War Pension application, S.22937. Jacob was born in 1769, according to the 1850 Census of New Sewickley Township, Beaver County.
(For the record, the editors of the Pearsall history were aware of the Benjamin’s pension application and mentioned it in Chapter 47, Section 1, Z. That section is the profile of a Benjamin they mistakenly claim was born to Abraham Piersol of Chester County, Pa. Only one Benjamin appears in Pennsylvania records before the early-1800s and he’s the man who ended up in Monroe County, Ohio.)
So far, we have determined that the victim of the raid by Native Americans was the father of Sampson, Jacob and Peter. We have also determined that the victim was not Benjamin. Now, we can focus on identifying the real victim.
The list of candidates is very short. Only four Piersols appear in western Pennsylvania records during the 1770s and 1780s: Benjamin, Sampson, John and Jacob. Benjamin and Sampson can be eliminated from consideration immediately – Sampson for obvious reasons and Benjamin because he was born only 11 years before Sampson. John can be eliminated because he appears in Allegheny County militia records in 1792. ("Pennsylvania Archives," Series 9, Vol. 1, page 281. John was commissioned as an ensign in the same company in which Sampson was the captain.) Although John seems to disappear soon after this, 1792 is still far too late to fit the profile for the slain Piersol. That leaves Jacob.
The best place to look for the names of dead people is among estate and orphan’s court records. A check of these records in western Pennsylvania and western Virginia between 1770 and 1790 turns up only one name: Jacob Pearcil. His estate administration papers were filed in Washington County, Pa., on April 17, 1783. (Washington County, Pa., Accounts, File P, No. 5.) The papers mention fees paid "for schooling & clothing for one of the deceased[’s] children" and to "Patrick Dugan for Boarding a Boy of Said Dec’d." In addition, John Pearcil was named the estate’s administrator, and he paid fees in April 1781 to "Wm Richmond for Making a coffin for father," and in May 1781 to Joshua Davidson "for making my Mother’s coffin." From this, we learn that Jacob had several children, including John and at least one other son. John is significant because only one John appears in western Pennsylvania records, often very close to Sampson. The two are listed near each other in militia, tax and census records from 1782 to 1792. (In addition, the Pearsall history states the two are brothers. Although that sounds good, it must be remembered that the history also identifies Benjamin Pearsall as their father.)
Obviously, Jacob died before John paid for his coffin in April 1781. However, there’s a good indication that he died in 1780, which would match the account provided by Joel Peirsol of Missouri. Jacob’s estate papers include a synopsis of his account with Jacob Bausman, who was probably a merchant. The first entry is from June 1778 for sundries. Entries then run each month from February to October 1779 and from February to April 1780. Since entries appear for each month outside the winter months, it seems likely that their sudden end in April 1780 indicates that Jacob probably died that April or May.
A death date of 1780 or 1781 and a desire for revenge would certainly explain why John and Sampson joined the ill-fated expedition led by Col. William Crawford against the Native Americans at Sandusky, Ohio. ("Pennsylvania Archives," Series 6, Vol. 2, pages 392 and 393.)
A key argument in favor of Jacob being Sampson’s father is the fact that both originated in Chester County, Pa. Jacob is the only Piersol to appear in the records of both Chester County and the Pittsburgh area. He appears in the tax records of West Nantmeal Township, Chester County, from 1760 to 1771. (Chester County, Pa., index of county taxes and "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 11, page 45, 174, 339, 481, 609 and 737.) As stated above, Sampson’s Revolutionary War pension application says he was born in 1764 in Chester County.
Another indication that Jacob was the father of the Beaver County Piersols requires some explanation. Briefly, it seems that Jacob married Ann Babb and named Sampson and Peter after members of her family. The case for Jacob’s marriage to Ann Babb is just as circumstantial as everything else here. First, we have the will of Peter Babb, which was written in 1773 and lists Ann Peirsoll as a daughter and Sampson Babb and Peter Babb as sons. (Chester County, Pa., Estate File 2797.) In addition, the records of the Quaker meeting at Bradford mention that Ann Piershall was disowned for being married by a priest in early 1760. ("Early Church Records of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, Quaker Records of Bradford Monthly Meeting," by Martha Reamy, pages 149-150.) These are the only records from Chester County that I’ve found that refer to an Ann. Given that Peter Babb and his family attended the Bradford Monthly Meeting, it seems certain that the woman mentioned in the Quaker records and the woman in the will are the same person. Next, Jacob appears in the 1760 tax records in West Nantmeal but, in 1762 and 1763, he is listed in the tax lists for West Caln, which is where the Babbs lived. In 1765, he moved back to West Nantmeal. (This information appears in the county tax indexes in the Chester County archives.) In 1772, Jacob sold his land in West Nantmeal Township. (Chester County, Pa., Deed Book L3, pages 244-246.) He then drops out of Chester County records. The final account of Peter Babb’s estate lists the legacies distributed but notes "a legacy yet due to Ann Peirsoll … 5 [shillings]." This indicates that Ann was still alive but probably didn’t live nearby any longer. This matches well with Jacob’s disappearance from Chester County. The link between Ann and Jacob is important because it seems to explain the origin of the names of Sampson and Peter. In a family known for consistently naming children after parents and siblings, it seems to be far from coincidental that the names Sampson and Peter appear in a western Pennsylvania Piersol family that has links to Chester County. The name Sampson Piersol doesn’t appear in any Pennsylvania record before the man born in 1764. In addition, the only other Peter Piersol to appear in Pennsylvania records at or before this time was the son of Jeremiah and Bathsheba Piersol of Chester County. Bathsheba was another daughter mentioned in Peter Babb’s will. Again, that seems to be more than coincidental. (For links between Bathsheba and Peter, see Peter Babb’s will and also John Pearsoll’s will in Chester County, Pa., Estate File 3145.) Once again, the 1928 Pearsall history should be mentioned. Page 1443 indicates that the mother of Sampson and John was a Babb. However, it identifies her as Rebecca, daughter of Jacob Babb. It also claims that Rebecca married Benjamin Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va. The problems with linking Benjamin to Sampson have already been discussed. The problems with linking Jacob Babb to Sampson are just as great. Jacob Babb lived in York County, Pa., and doesn’t appear in any records in Hampshire County, Chester County or western Pennsylvania. There’s no reason to link anyone in his family to a Piersol. However, the reference in the Pearsall history probably stems from a family tradition linking the Piersols and Babbs.
From the preceding paragraph, we can see that Jacob probably married Ann Babb in late 1759 or early 1760. Also, Sampson and Peter were named after members of Ann’s family. It can also be determined that John was born in or soon after 1760. This would make it impossible for him to be the father of Jacob (whom the Pearsall history identifies as John’s son on Page 1444).
Finally, it should be noted that Sampson and Jacob each named a son Jacob, according to their wills. (Sampson’s is in Beaver County, Pa., Will Book B, page 303, and Jacob’s is in Beaver County, Pa., Will Book C, page 257.) Sampson’s son was born in 1785, according to the 1850 Census of North Sewickley Township, Beaver County, Pa. That was probably about five years after his father was slain by Native Americans. It seems very likely that Sampson would want to honor his father by giving his name to his firstborn son. It seems that if Sampson were going to name a child after a brother, he would choose John, whom he fought beside in the war, rather than his then-16-year-old brother, Jacob.
So, this discussion leaves us with the identity of the Piersol who died in the attack by Native Americans and the true identity of the father of John, Sampson, Jacob and Peter. I will be happy to answer any questions about the data and my conclusions.