JAMES BUCHANAN PEARSALL

James Buchanan Pearsall, son of Thomas Pearsall, born March 14, 1827; baptised at the Episcopal Church, Glen Cove, Long Island, N.Y., Sept. 4, 1842; died January 20, 1916; resided at Glen Cove, Long Island, N.Y.; married March 14, 1850, Ellenah Frost, daughter of Jarvis Frost and Phebe Underhill, his wife, baptised at the Episcopal Church of Glen Cove, Long Island, N.Y., March 26, 1833; died June 24, 1889. Her tablet in the wall of the Episcopal Church reads, March 25, 1827-July 21, 1889. Children:
  1. Frances Pearsall
  2. Thomas Buchanan Pearsall, married Cora Peck Fray child:
    • Phebe Pearsall, resided at Glen Cove, L.I., N.Y., married Stanley Bailey Ineson. No Children.
  3. Helen Buchanan Pearsall, died April 8, 1887, aged 16 years,

      General James Buchanan Pearsall was a man recognized as of the highest rank, not only in Queens County, where he lived, but in the whole state of New York. Of unsullied character and of the highest probity, he everywhere enjoyed the most intimate confidence of his fellow men. To him for advice came men in every walk of life. Samuel J. Tilden, candidate for President of the United States, leaned heavily upon Gen. James B. Pearsall, during all the days of the campaign, and during the subseqent time until the electoral commission decided in favor of Rutherford B. Hayes. Tilden's patriotic resolution to abide by the decision of the tribunal was in a measure at least also dependent upon the broad statesman-like advice of Gen. James Buchanan Pearsall.

      For years he had been gathering information concerning the family history; amongst other things he acquired the most valuable collection of original deeds of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, relating to the old Hempstead people, including the Pearsalls. His grand-daughter, Mrs. Stanley B. Ineson, kindly gave the writer access to their entire collection, from which the most copious and valuable notes were made for this history.

      James Buchanan Pearsall did much work looking toward a genealogy of the family. Many instances can be cited where we have been referred to him as the author of information given to the writer. One will serve to show how widespread was his influence in the family. Nathan Gregg Pearsall of New Orleans, Louisiana, writes--Some years ago I visited a man named James B. Pearsall, who lives on Long Island near New York, and if he is still living he has a lot of very interesting data about the Pearsall's, he was the Adjutant General of the State of New York under Governor Tilden, when I was at his house in 1905, he stated to me that the family was from Staffordshire, England.

BACK TO PEARSALLS CORNER