Pearson Family History
Thomas and Bridget (Flynn) Pearson had a daughter, Mary Ann, and two sons, William and John.
1) Mary Ann (born at Paradise, Oct. 11, 1861) married Joseph (of Thomas Brennan and Anastasia Martin, born at Paradise on Sept. 9, 1857) at St. Kyran’s by W.P. Doutney on Nov. 22, 1891.
According to the Colonial Building archives, they had one child, William, born at Paradise on Dec. 16, 1898.
2) William (born Paradise, Aug. 3, 1865) married Matilda White (born Southeast Bight, August 26, 1876, parents Samuel White and Mary Josephine Hanlon) on Nov. 22, 1894 at St. Kyrans by W. P. Doutney (?).
The children of William and Matilda Pearson (all born at Paradise) were:
i) Emma, born Jan. 2, 1896 (A family recollection: An Emma Pearson who married Mick Wethers (Withers?) had a daughter Emma).
ii) Bridget, born Jun. 9, 1900 (was baptized by Rev. Fr. Whelan, godparents Matthew Lake and Mary Howlett).
Bridget married John Lake (born Nov. 11, 1894 at Mahoney's Cove, parents Patrick Lake and Rebecca Foley) on Jan. 26, 1920 by A. Fyme at St. Kyran's. Witnesses William Brennan and Marian Pearson.
iii) Marian, born Nov. 13, 1903. (Little Paradise Reunion Booklet: Marian Pearson married William Withers. Their children were Emma, Vincent, Peter and Thomas).
1921 census: (William, Matilda, Emma, Mariam, also Pius Wakeham and John Pearson, both listed as nephews).
3) John (born Paradise, Feb. 2, 1866 - died July 14, 1914 aged 47 (according to a Paradise headstone)) married Ellen Bernice (or Bernard) White (known as Monica, born Southeast Bight, Jun. 3, 1885, parents Samuel White and Mary Josephine Hanlon) on Nov. 10, 1903 at Paradise by W. P. Doutney (?). Marriage Witnesses Joseph Pomeroy and Lucy Hackett.
The children of John and Monica Pearson (all born at Paradise) were:
1) Mary Ann, born Aug. 10, 1904.
2) Cecily, born Apr. 14, 1907.
3) Thomas and Samuel, born Aug. 29, 1908 (died of whooping cough aged 8 months).
4) John, born May 30, 1910.
5) Peter, born May 31, 1912.
6) Maud, born Aug. 6, 1914.
John and Mary (Dwyer) Pierson had three sons, Thomas, Joseph and Denis.
a) John may have died prior to 1894 because the census for that time had only one John listed, who may have been John - son of Thomas.
b) John and Mary probably had another son William. The 1894 census lists William Pearson, Sr. and William Pearson, Jr. while the 1904 census lists William (of Thomas) and William (of John). (It was not uncommon to refer to Sr. and Jr. even though they were not father and son). Likely William (of John) was Sr. and William (of Thomas) was Jr. since John's sons were generally older than Thomas'. There is also a bible entry of Margaret Pearson, died 1905, aged 45. This may have been the wife of William (of John) or may, of course, have been an unmarried daughter of Thomas or John.
c) It is unknown if Thomas, son of John and Mary, was the same Thomas who was the husband of Bridget Flynn.
1) Thomas (born at Paradise on Oct. 15, 1845) married Catherine Walsh (born at Presque on July 10, 1856, daughter of Martin Walsh and Martha Ryan) on June 1, 1881 by W.P. Doutney at St. Kyran’s (witnesses Denis Pierson and Ellen Pierson).
Catherine had a brother Martin, born at Bona on March 25, 1867, who married a Mary Joseph Ennis (born at Merasheen on June 25, 1876) at Bona on January 10, 1897.
According to Lizzy Byrne, Thomas and Kate Pearson lived together and had no children. She didn’t know if they were married before or not, nor how they were related to the other Pearsons. She knew that they took in a Michael Ryan – whose mother had died but whose father was still living.
1921 census: Thomas (born July 1846 at Paradise Sound) and Catherine (wife, born in July 1857 at Presque).
2) Joseph (born at Paradise Apr. 1, 1847) married Mary Lake (born at Presque Apr. 15, 1848 (?), parents Matthew Lake and Ellen White) on Nov. 12, 1884 at Presque by Doutney (?). Witnesses Denis Pierson and Sarah Brown.
The children of Joseph and Mary Pierson (all born at Paradise) were:
i) Ellen, born Sept. 20, 1885.
ii) Denis, born Dec. 20, 1887 (godparent Mary A. Pierson), died Apr. 3, 1925, aged 39 (according to Paradise headstone).
Denis married Eva Mulrooney (born at Little Paradise Dec. 24, 1892, parents Daniel Mulrooney and Bridget Regan) on Nov. 29, 1914 by A. Flynn at St. Kyran's. Witnesses Fred Mulrooney and Etta Pierson.
Denis and Eva Pierson's children (all born at Paradise) were:
1) Daniel, born Oct. 5, 1915 - died June 20, 1947 aged 32 (according to
a Paradise headstone). A family recollection: "he went out fishing and
got sick and before they could come back in he died".
2) Michael Thomas, born Oct. 11, 1917.
3) Monica, born Dec. 9, 1919 (godparents Leo Flynn and Bride Pierson).
1921 census: Denis (born Jan. 1888), Eve (Dec. 1893), Daniel (son, Oct. 1914), Michael (son, Oct. 1916) and Monica (daughter, Dec. 1918).
iii) Patrick, born Feb. 26, 1889.
Patrick married Mary Ellen Kinsella (born at Paradise, Sept. 12, 1896, parents John Kinsella and Johanna Healy) on Nov. 20, 1916 at Darby's Hr. by A. Flynn. Witnesses Will Pierson and Annie Pierson.
The children of Patrick and Mary Ellen Pierson (born at Paradise) were:
1) Joseph, born Nov. 5, 1917.
2) Johanna, born Nov. 29, 1919.
A family recollection: children were Joseph, Patrick, Peter and Ellen.
1921 census: Patrick (born March 1889), Mary E. (born in Sept. 1895), Joseph (son, born Nov. 1916) and Johanna (daughter, born Nov. 1919).
iv) Etta, born Nov. 15, 1891.
Etta married Laurence (son of John Mulrooney and Catherine Roche, born at Paradise in 1885) on January 22, 1916 in St. John’s.
The children of Etta and Laurence were:
v) William, born Dec. 21, 1894 (godparents Denis Pierson and Mary Pierson).
A family recollection: William married Hanna Whiffen (born June, 1897 in
Rushoon). Children were Mary, Dennis, Hebert, Joseph and Christine.
Joseph married Veronica Dray.
1921 census: (William, born Jan. 1894 in Paradise, Hannah, born in Jun, 1897 at Rushoon and Joseph, son, born June 1921 at Paradise).
1921 census: (Joseph (born Apr. 1847, age 74 born at Paradise Sound) and Mary, plus an adopted son, John Ryan (born Oct. 1907, age 13) and granddaughter Mary Ronnie, born in May 1909, age 12, in Sidney, N.S. and moved to NF in 1914.)
A family recollection: the children of Joseph and Mary (Jo) Pearson were Patrick, Dennis, Edith, Nellie and William. Edith married Lawrence Mulrooney and had children Francis, John (Jack), Agatha and Kathleen. Nellie had one child Mary.
3) Denis (born at Paradise Oct. 11, 1855) married Mary Foote (born at Oderin on Aug. 5, 1865, parents Charles Foote and Anastasia Murphy) on Feb. 2, 1892 at St. Kyran's by W. P. Doutney (?). Witnesses William Pierson and Mary A. Pearson.
The children of Denis and Mary Pearson (all born at Paradise) were:
i) John Joseph, born Nov. 26, 1892 (baptized by Rev. W. P. Doutney, godparents John Howlett and Mary Ryan.
ii) Annie, born Dec. 2, 1899 (godparents William Ryan and Celestine (?) Ryan). Annie married John J. Dray (son of James Dray and Elizabeth Power, born at Little Bona on Nov. 29, 1895) at Paradise on Nov. 23, 1919 by A. Fyme.
A family recollection: Peter Pearson (son of John and Monica above) came to live with John Joseph (known as Jack Joe) after Peter's father died. An Aunt Kate was also living in the house at that time.
1921 census: Mary (widow Aug. 1864), John (son, Nov. 1891) and Peter (boarder, May 1912).
James Howlett married Ellen Pierson
i) daughter Bridget (born at Paradise on Sept. 11, 1867), married Edward (son of Patrick Healy and Ellen Ryan, born at Paradise on March 1, 1859) at St. Kyran’s on Feb. 11, 1889. (child James born at Paradise on April 17, 1905).
ii) Son John (born at Paradise on Dec. 24, 1862), married Lucy (daughter of Patrick Lake and Elizabeth Walsh, born at Presque) at St. Kyran’s on Nov. 20, 1904.
Patrick Mulrooney married Ellen Pierson
i) daughter Elizabeth (born at Little Paradise Aug. 31, 1898), married Patrick (son of Thomas Martin and Mary Ann Dunphy, born at South East Bight Oct. 1, 1894) at Paradise on Nov. 4, 1917. (witnesses William Pierson and Anne Martin).
ii) daughter Theresa (born at Paradise March 10, 1892), married Jerome (son of Jerome Collins and Mary Hipditch, born at S.W. Clattice on Nov. 20,1888) at St. Kyran’s by A. Fyme on Nov. 12, 1918. (child Patrick born at S.W. Clattice on Nov. 24, 1919).
William Pierson married Mary Ann Hayse
-i) daughter Maggie (born at Petit Forte on May 29, 1890) married George (son of George Wilson and Agnes Coffey, born at Merasheen on May 31, 1888(?)) at St. Kyran’s on Nov. 19, 1910. Children:
Stanley, born at Merasheen on Aug. 8, 1911
Austin, born at Merasheen on Apr. 8, 1913
Caroline, born at Merasheen on June 20, 1915
James, born at Merasheen on Apr. 21, 1917
William, born at Merasheen on Dec. 26, 1919.
William Ryan married Mary Pierson
i) son Martin J. (born at Paradise on Aug. 10, 1875) married Mary Joseph (daughter of Thomas Tibbo and Anne Harrell (?) born at St. Pierre on Jan. 8, 1887) at St. Kyran’s on Nov. 26, 1907. Children: Theodore, born at Paradise Jan. 1, 1909, William Allen, born at Paradise Aug. 6, 1910, Thomas, born at Paradise Sept. 28, 1913, Mary, born at Paradise Dec. 8, 1915 and Martin Joseph, born at Paradise Jan. 3, 1918.
ii) son Daniel (born at Paradise on Jan. 20, 1882) married Annie (daughter of Alexander Helpert and Mary Murphy (born at Little Harbour on Nov. 15, 1896), on January 19, 1918. Child William, born at Paradise on Dec. 8, 1919.
iii) son Clement (born at Paradise on July 24, 1884) married Bridget (daughter of Timothy Granter and Teresa Byrne, born at Paradise on June 17, 1890) by A. Fyme at Paradise on Jan. 12, 1915 (witnesses John Granter and Annie Pierson). Child Cecilia, born at Paradise on July 9, 1918.
iv) son Fergus (born at Paradise on Apr. 12, 1889) married Anne (daughter of Thomas Brennan and Martha Power, born at Little Paradise on Aug. 26, 1890) on Nov. 24, 1914. Children: Mary Ellen (born at Paradise on June 1, 1916) and Rosella (born at Paradise on Aug. 26, 1918).
Michael Ryan married Johanna Pierson
i) son Martin (born at Paradise Jan. 31, 1873) married Celestine (daughter of William Brown and Mary Ann Penney, born at Petit Forte May 18, 1881) at St. Kyran’s Nov. 13, 1899(?). Children:
Hannah, born at Paradise Nov. 11, 1900
Clarissa, born at Paradise Nov. 14, 1908
Albert, born at Paradise May 8, 1918.
Clarissa’s godparents were Thomas Pierson and Catherine Pierson.
ii) son William (born at Paradise May 24, 1887) first married Margaret Francis (daughter of Thomas Brennan and Martha Power, born at Little Paradise) on Nov. 20, 1909. One child Mary, born at Paradise in March 1911. Then he married Maud (daughter of Timothy Granter and Teresa Byrne, born at Paradise Apr. 9, 1888) at Paradise on Nov. 14, 1916. Children: Lillian, born at Paradise on Sept. 20, 1917 and Michael, born at Paradise on Apr. 28, 1920. It was probably this Michael who stayed with Thomas and Catherine Pearson.