RICHARD PIERCEALL – b. 1744 in Maryland
["History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America," edited by Clarence Piersol, claims that Richard was the son of Job Pearsall of Hampshire County, Va. However, this is extremely unlikely since he was born in Maryland and lived there until after 1790. Job does not appear in any records from Maryland.]
+ Rich. Pierceall appears on a list of voters in 1790 in St. Mary’s County, Md. The congressional election was held Oct. 4, 1790 and he appears as a Federalist who voted for at least one member of the opposing ticket. – "Catholic Families of Southern Maryland," compiled by Timothy J. O’Rourke, page 100.
+ Richard Pearcall is listed in the 1790 Census of St. Mary’s County, Md. His household contained one male over 16, 2 males under 16 and 4 females. (He does not appear in the 1800 Census in St. Mary’s County.)
+ Richard Pierceall’s Revolutionary War pension application – S1245 – states he was born March 25, 1744 in St. Mary’s County, Md. He enlisted in St. Mary’s County "a few days after the 25th day of December 1776" in the 5th Independent Company under Capt. John Allen Thomas. He served 5½ months but was discharged when he came down with a disease that was thought to be consumption. He later served a half-month in the militia when the British threatened the area. He filed his application on June 10, 1833 in Green County, Ky. Richard’s pension application also is abstracted in "Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files, Vol. III: N-Z," abstracted by Virgil D. White, page 2698.
THOMAS PIERSOL - of Baltimore, Md., b. about 1792 in Pennsylvania
+ 1850 Census - Baltimore County, 2nd District, taken July 29, 1850.
Thos. Piersol, 58, farmer, $4,000 in property, born in Pa. His household also contained: Mary, 57, born in Md.; Mary J., 23, Pa.; Sarah E. 22, Pa.; Juliet, 17, Pa.; Isaac, 15, Pa.; John, 28, born in Pa.; Ann E., 22, Md.; Olivia, 8 months, Md.; James Harman, 11 (?), Md.
+ 1860 Census - Baltimore City, 8th Ward, taken July 14, 1860.
Mary Peirsol, 60, born in Md.; Julia, 27, Taileress, Md.; both lived in the household of John Curry, "Dealer in Horse Feed"
+ 1860 Census - Baltimore County, 10th Election District, taken Aug. 30, 1860.
John Pearsol, 38, farmer, $4,000 in real estate, $300 in personal property, born in Pa.; Ann Eliza, 32, born in Md.; Olivia, 10, Md.; Mary, 9, Md.; Emma, 7, Md.; Sallie, 4, Md.; Henry (?), 2, Md.; Ann, 4 months, Md.; John Hacket, 9, Md.
Concerning Thomas Piersol:
The 1850 census indicates that he was born in Pennsylvania about 1792. Pennsylvania wasn't exactly overflowing with Piersols in the 1790 or 1800 censuses and I haven't found many more in other records. Therefore, it's easy to narrow our search to the three areas: the Pittsburgh area, Fayette County and southeastern Pennsylvania. Neither Pittsburgh, nor Fayette County produced a Thomas during that time. That means we have to focus on Chester, Lancaster and Northampton counties, where the remaining Piersols appear. In that area, there's only one candidate that I can find -- a Thomas who appears in a few records from Chester County during the 1810s.
Here's what I have:
+ Thomas Persol charged with breaking and entering, May 1815, Docket CCM – "Index to Quarter Sessions Records, Criminal Cases 1681-April 1837," Chester County archives, page 202.
+ John Peirsol of Sadsbury, estate filed 1816, File 6307, administration bond, inventory and accounts, no will. Catharine and Thomas Peirsol, administrators. – Chester County Archives and Records Service, Wills & Administrations, 1714-1825 at www.dfs.chesco.org. and "Abstracts and Adminstrations 1713-1825: Chester Co, PA," at USGenWeb Archives.
+ Deed of Thomas Peirsol (admin) to George Phillips, 1818, Chester County, Pa., Deed Book P3, page 168.
I've done quite a bit of research on the 18th-century Piersols in that county but have not delved too deeply into their 19th-century descendants. Looking at these records, I couldn't tell you who his father was. He's mentioned in John's estate papers in 1816 but it seems likely that John was Thomas' brother. [Note: "History of the Pearsall Family in England and America" is confused about the John who died in 1815/6. It indicates that the John on Page 1362, the father of Zaccheus, died in this year. He actually died about 1765.]
However, there's still hope. If you compare this information with the 1850 census records and "History of the Pearsall Family in England and America," pages 1362, 1363 and 1366, it seems likely that Thomas was the son of Zaccheus. The names of Thomas' children and his son John's children listed in the Pearsall history match up almost perfectly with the census information cited above. [Before anyone gets too excited about me actually using the Pearsall history as a reference, I have to point out that I've always said that it's relatively reliable for folks who lived after 1850.]
Zaccheus was the son of John Piersol, who died about 1765. He was the grandson of the John Piersol who appears in Chester County records from 1717 to 1777. Zaccheus lived in Lancaster County, just across the border from Chester County. He was VERY active during the Revolutionary War and appears in many other records. However, he does not appear to have left a will. Also, only the very early land records of Lancaster County are available to me so I have not been able to check the deed books to see whether they list his heirs. Because of this, I don't know whether the list of children that appears on page 1362 of the Pearsall history is accurate. Despite that question, this should be enough to start a search. The first thing I would do is try to get my hands on estate papers and Lancaster County deed books from about 1804, when Zaccheus supposedly died. They should contain a list of heirs.
So, the family line looks something like this:
John 1678-1778
John c1725-1765
Zaccheus c1750-c1804
Thomas c1792-before 1860
John c1822-?
PERCIFULL
A Thomas Pearcesal appears in the records of Yohogania County, Va., which was land around Pittsburgh that was claimed by Virginia during the Revolutionary era. He does not appear to be a Piersol. It appears that his name was actually "Pearcefal" or "Percifull." It seem likely that a transcriber took the colonial script for "f" to be an "s," which is an easy mistake. A Thomas Percifull/Percifield/Piercefield appears in Washington County militia records about this same time.
+ Thomas Pearcesal listed on Jan 18, 1780, in court records of Virginia, which claimed the area around Pittsburgh. Although this may be a reference to a Pearsall/Piersol, it also could be a reference to a "Pearcefal." It is the only reference that I’ve found in 18th century Pennsylvania records to a Thomas whose last name might be Pearsall. "At a Called Court held the 18th day of January 1780 for the Examination of David Lindsey and Thomas Pearcesal who stands charged with Perjury. … The Prisoners being set to the Bar pleads not Guilty, but they refusing to go through the Examination before the Examining Court, offered to Enter into Recognizance to appear before the next Genl. Court, Ordered that they Enter into recognizance accordingly. … Henry Kearsey enters securities for the personal appearance of the said Thomas as aforesaid held in L 1000." There is no mention of the case in the following records. – "Virginia Court Records in Southwestern Pennsylvania; Records of the District of West Augusta and Ohio and Yohogania Counties, Virginia, 1775-1780," by Boyd Crumrine, page 398.
+ Rangers of the Frontiers 1778-1783, Washington County, "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 23. Thomas Piercefield appears on page 199. Thomas Percifield and Thomas Percifull appear on page 214. This list contains a large number of muster rolls combined without regard to date or unit. Duplication is frequent. These references are likely to be to the same man appearing on three separate muster rolls.
In addition to Thomas, a John Percifull appears in the same area.
+ John Pearsefull in Virginia militia at Pittsburgh. "Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution," by John H. Gwathmey, page 612.
+ John Percifull appears four names below Thomas Percifull on the list of Rangers of the Frontiers 1778-1783, Washington County. – "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 3, Vol. 23, page 214.
