Who was first?

An O'Farrell Family History gives an extensive listing of relatives including many Pearsons.

There is another Pearson line, but it is uncertain how these Pearsons connect up to our family. One can also do a research of Pearsons in England.




Bishop John Pearson (February 28, 1612 – July 16, 1686) bishop of Chester. Was he the father of Bishop John Pearson (1636 - 1716)? Who knows?

My grandfather was James Madison Pearson of Tallapoosa, Alabama. His family came from Georgia. His family tree goes like this:

Bishop John Pearson – great x 6 grandfather (1636? – 1716?)


Edward Pearson – great x 5 grandfather (1661? – 1746?)


Enoch Pearson – great x 4 grandfather (1682/3 - 1758)


John Pearson – great x 3 grandfather (1728 - 1815)


Enoch Pearson - great great grandfather (1757 - 1831)

William Head Pearson - great grandfather (1780 - 1841)

James Madison Pearson - grandfather (1817 - 1909)

Benjamin Rush Pearson - father of James Madison Pearson

here is a mystery for you

Here is a mystery for you. I think I have the answer, but I don't want to give it away. The door at the front entrance has the initials C & J over the doorway. What do the letters stand for?

meanwhile back in the colonies

George introduced me today to a new line of our family - the Whites.

"[Art,] I added a file here on some documents that I had received from a distant cousin in California awhile back on the White Family. This would be Daddy Mat's G-grandmother's line Mary White b1790- d 1883."

George included a link to a pdf file so that all of the correspondence and documentation on the Whites would be available. Thanks George.

So, who are these people?

The original White was William White, a minister from Wiltshire, England. He and his family were granted land in the colonies by Robert Beverly because, "they were hard workers and because they oposed the Colony's old ruling clique and fundalistic economy." (Comment of Stanley Williams, dated 1985). The use of the term fundalistic is a bit obscure at this point, but it may be that Beverly and White both opposed the idea of slavery as the basis for a new world economy.

This William White died in 1658, appointing his brother Reverend Jeremiah White as guardian to his children. Another brother, John White, vicar of Cheriton, Wilshire, England left a bequest to his brother William's children in a will dated 1668.

William married twice in his lifetime. By his first marriage, he had six children: John, William, Edward,Deborah, Mary, and Jeremiah. His wife's name is lost to time, or someone else will discover it. William's second wife was named Martha, widow of Major Thomas Brice. These two, William and Martha married in 1657, a year before both William and Martha died.

One of William's sons, who it is not clear, fathered John White who married Mary Elliot sometime before 1705. Mary Elliot was the daughter of Thomas Elliot (Ellet) of King William County, Virginia. John and Mary had at least six children: Daniel, Jeremiah, Henry, Thomas, James, and another John. (The birth order is uncertain as is the number of children.) John, Senior died by 1743.

Daniel, the son of John and Mary, died in 1790 in Culpepper, Virginia, but not before producing at least one offspring Henry White.

Henry married Celia Page(?) (whose father was John Page of Buckingham County, Virginia?) Henry and Celia had six or more children: Jacob (Cpt.), William, Thomas, James, Stephen, Obadiah, and possibly, Henry.

And who is Captain Jacob White? Jacob is a great great grandfather of our family and our connection to the American Revolution. Jacob was born in 1765 and married Hannah Spiers (between 1781 and 1786). Jacob and Hannah had a girl child, Mary White, who married a Pearson. The state of Virginia years ago started a project to preserve the history of the American Revolution and from them this photograph of the gravestone of our ancestor's gravestone is possible.



I will leave it to George or Kathy to tidy up the direct connection to James Madison Pearson.

the end of the war

World War I ended officially in an armistice that took effect at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 11, 1918.






It was at this hour on this day that a telegram was received at headquarters 1st Army requesting transfer of Major James Madison Pearson, "Madison F. Pierson" to headquarters Third Division.

The war was over.

The choice of words was significant - the war ended in an "armistice" and not a "surrender". The German Army, as a result, remained intact and the rumor ran throughout the German Army and population that the German Army was not defeated, but "stabbed in the back".

secret gardens of the past

When my grandfather retired from the Army, he and his wife settled down in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Their house in Chapel Hill was the only house that I knew them in. And even though I only visited twice that I can remember, the memories are still strong.

It was my sister Kathy who observed that Marguerite, our grandmother, brought with her to Chapel Hill her childhood garden in Graffigny-Chemin. The remants of the garden in Grafigny are still there - the walls that enclose the gardens, an old fig tree, the flower beds lined by paths of crushed stone, the places where the arbors once stood with grape vines, and a basin to catch the rain.

Although I was just fifteen the last time I visited my grandparents' home in Chapel Hill, I still vividly remember my grandmother's garden and the stone wall that she and my grandfather built to give the house and gardens a sense of privacy. The wall was too tall for a child to see over, and even years later going back, I am struck by its size and the work that must have gone into building it. There is a shorter wall as one drives into the yard toward the house. Lining the wall are Granny's irises; in spring their stately blooms announce the season and guests alike.


In Graffigny-Chemin the wall is the first thing one notices about the house. The wall surrounds the house and its gardens. Tall and protective, it is designed to shield the people within from the prying eyes of a small village where everyone knows your business.

Granny's garden in Chapel Hill lay in the back of my grandparents' home. Behind the garden was a gravel and dirt road, which served as the hill we took turns riding down in the wagon. But, for the most part, the garden was big enough to keep or attention. A tall fig tree grew; its succulent fruit reminded me of the fig newton cookie I loved then as now. There was an arbor on which grape vines stretched. A deserted chicken coup served as the grandchildren's play house. The paths between the flower beds like the driveway were of crushed stone. Running along the path gave almost the same sound and feel of a rocky beach. There were certainly many flowers, but the only ones I remember were the irises and the tall and stately hollyhocks so common to France.

The garden in Graffigny is also still there, but without full time care, it appears neglected. Forty years have passed since my grandmother died and her sister Paula sold the house in Graffigny. Still, the house is there and the outlines of the garden they once had remain. Flower beds are now separated by boxwood, but laid out along paths that old photographs revealed once were lined with crushed stone. The outlines of two arbors, one overgrown by a tree, the other has long since fallen down and been removed are visible A fig tree stands silently along the wall. And a basin collect the rain water in the garden. The irises which must have one graced the gardens are all gone.

Listen to Judy Collins, Secret Gardens.

What my grandmother would now think? Both in Graffigny and Chapel Hill, the gardens and houses have fallen into disrepair. Time passing is a subject that I think about often.

Judy Collins said it best in Secret Gardens:

"My grandmother's house is still there, but it isn't the same. ...
I drive by the strangers,
And wish that they could see what I see. ...
I still the ghosts of the people I knew long ago. ...
Secret gardens of the heart,
Where the old stay young forever. ...
But, most of all, it is me that has changed. .."

Julie Laura Emma Chevallier Meine

Julie Laura Emma Chevallier Meine was my great grandmother. Here she is with her two children, my grandmother Marguerite seated on her lap and Paula. (Date circa 1892).

Julie was born in the French village of Graffigny-Chemin on March 16, 1862. She lived in Graffigny thoughout the First World War along with her husband, Charles Guillame Christian Meine. Charles Meine was German, possibly a former colonel, and subsequently a businessman with interests in Hanover, Germany, and Switzerland. He died in 1913 of an unknown cause.

In 1923 Julie departed LeHavre, France for New York. She subsequently returned to Graffigny-Chemin. She was living there at the time of the Second World War.

c.l. pearson

Let me see if I have this right - C. L. Pearson is Charles Lafayette Pearson, 1854 -1940. His older brother, our great grandfather, is Benjamin Rush Pearson, 1849 -1906.

Their father (pictured) was James Madison Pearson, 1817 -1891. The family history relates that this James Madison Pearson was a Harvard educated lawyer.

Great great grandfather James along with his first wife Elizabeth Ann Brown, 1843 -1861, had eleven children including Benjamin and Charles. James had two additional children by a subsequent marriage. Benjamin was a doctor and Charles a farmer in addition to his military career.

General Charles Lafayette Pearson is buried along with his father, James Madison Pearson in the Pearson family cemetery in Talapoosa County Alabama.

4th Machine Gun Battalion

4th Machine Gun Battalion


The following is a summary of notes made by my grandfather James Madison Pearson in early 1918 prior to major action:

The 4th Machine Gun Battalion was organized at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, W.R. Mills Commanding. Captain White commanded Company C. Other officers included 1st. Lt. Hilton, 2nd Lt. Edward Hines, Jopsen, Vail, and Everett.
After sailing from the United States, via Liverpool and Winchester, England, arrived in Le Harve, France January 11, 1918. Left the same date and arrived in Bourmont, France January 14, 1918. Marched to Graffigny-Chemin for billeting. The battalion stayed in training until March when the battalion name was changed to 2 Co. (?) and company C was changed to company B. The battalion was placed in reserve at St. Michel at what was called Camp Gibralter. The Battalion remained there about a week. Company B was sent to Troyen (Troyes). Headquarters Company was sent to Bois de Gauffier.
Lt. Hines went to the hospital, Base 15 at Chaumont, and died in April of 1918.

Subsequent to my grandfather’s deployment near Graffigny-Chemin, serious action began in the spring of 1918.

With the advantage of 50 German Divisions released by the collapse of the Russian Empire on Germany’s Eastern Front, the Germans launched a Spring Offensive on the Western Front hoping to defeat the Allies before the mobilization of the American Forces. There were four coordinated German attacks against the British and French Forces in the north, witgh the goal of reaching French ports and end British resupply of material and soldiers. Along the Marne, the Germans achieved success.

“Victory seemed near for the Germans, who had captured just over 50,000 Allied soldiers and well over 800 guns by 30 May 1918. But after having advanced within 56 km of Paris on 3 June, the German armies were beset by numerous problems, including supply shortages, fatigue, lack of reserves and many casualties along with counter-attacks by and stiff resistance from newly arrived American divisions, who engaged them in the Battles of Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood.”
Hoping to capitalize on this success, the Germans launched an offensive further south in what was called the “Second Battle of the Marne”.


“The 2nd Infantry Division drew its first blood in the nightmare landscape of the Battle of Belleau Wood and contributed to shattering the four-year-old stalemate on the battlefield during the Château-Thierry campaign that followed. On July 28, 1918, Major General Lejeune assumed command of the 2nd Infantry Division and remained in that capacity until August 1919, when the unit was demobilized.
The division went on to win hard-fought victories at Soissons and Blanc Mont. Finally the Indianhead Division participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive which spelled the end of any German hope for victory. On November 11, 1918 the Armistice was declared, and the 2nd Infantry Division marched into Germany, where it performed occupation duties until April 1919. 2nd Infantry Division returned to U. S. in July 1919.

The 2nd Infantry Division was three times awarded the French Croix de Guerre for gallantry under fire at Belleau Wood, Soissons, and Blanc Mont.”

Second, 2nd Division (Regulars and Marines)
Nickname: Indian Head Division
9th, 23rd Infantry (Inf.)
12th, 15th, 17th Artillery (Art.)
4th, 5th, 6th Machine Gun (M. G.)
2nd Engineers (Eng.)
5th, 6th Marines
Generals Commanding: Omar Bundy, J. G. Harbord, J. A. LeJeune.
Engaged: Bouresches, Belleau Wood, Chateau Thierry, St. Mihiel, Argonne, Rhine.
Shoulder/Sleeve Insignia:

there is a connection

While googling the other day, I came across an archive record compiled by Barbara Taylor for grave stones in the Pearson Family Cemetery, Tallapoosa County, Alabama. The exact location of the cemetary and the first headstones are as follows:

"Turn off Hwy 280 onto Slaughter’s Crossing Road.  Go .9 mi - turn left,
over RR track, take right at 1.6 ½ miles, R at 2.4
(walk to top of hill, cemetery is on the left.)
N32 degrees 49.788 minutes   W 085 degrees 41.344 minutes"

Gen. C. L. Pearson    April 10, 1854 Jan. 12, 1940

One or two broken

James Madison Pearson   17th Oct 1817   Died 11th Nov. 1891 Age 74 yrs. 25 days.
Son of Wm. H. & Mary W. Pearson  born Jasper Co, Ga.

Edward W. Pearson     Nov. 21, 1860   July 31, 1862  Son of James W. and
Elizabeth A. Pearson

Mrs. Elizabeth A. Pearson   Wife of James M. Pearson and Daughter of
James N. & Martha Brown

 My grandfather James Madison Pearson was born in 1884 in Dadeville,
Tallapoosa County, Alabama. His father Dr.Benjamin Rush Pearson, was
born 1849, also in Dadeville,Tallapoosa, County, Alabama.Dr. Pearson 

received his diploma to practice medicine in 1881 from the Medical

College of Alabama in Mobile.Thereafter, he practiced in the city of Montgomery.

There is a connection, but where?

C.L. Pearson had a farm in Tallapoosa County on which
cotton was grown. A picture taken in the 1930's shows workers
on the farm.

Somewhere there
is a connection betweem General C. L. Pearson, his father
James Madison Pearson and Benjamin Rush Pearson and his son General James Madison Pearson.
Alabama Department of Archives.

the 3rd Infantry Division

My grandfather James Madison Pearson is the officer seated center front row. To his right and left are a captain and lieutenant. Staff Sergeants flank the two officers.

My grandfather saw action at Chateau-Thierry, the Meuse-Argonne, Champagne, Aisne, and Verdun, as well as the Defensive Sector.

I have no other information about the photograph. Perhaps someone out there knows more or recognizes other soldiers. If so, please post a comment.

A view of Graffigny-Chemin

This view of Graffigny-Chemin was taken the summer of 2009 while Will and I were traveling in Europe.

The picture was taken from the hill to the south on land that previously belonged to my grandmother's family. If one walks up the hill, you will come to an iron gate similar that leads into an enclosure. Sheep are kept on the other side of the wall.






The next picture is the walk up the hill to the enclosure.There are cherry trees along the way.

Marguerite Chevallier Meine's house in Graffigny

This is a view of the left front stairs leading up to the main entrance. A man appears to the left of the house, possibly bending over and facing away from the camera.

Guests are received by horse and carriage through a gate to the right (not visible in the picture). The building to the left is the carriage house. The main gardens to the house and a private well are to the left of the image.













The next image shows the front of the house. A woman appears to be standing in the doorway.




The third image shows the house from the church across the street. These images were probably taken May 30, 1909 during the feast of Joane d'Arc.


The last image is the Church of St. Nicholas de Chemin. This is not the church across from grandmother's house. That church is St. Elophe and St. Christophe. Notice the car in front of the church. It appears to be a later date than 1909. Compare vintage cars.

finding names

My cousin George Campbell emailed to me a list of the ancestors of Marguerite Tony Lilly Meine. She is my grandmother, who was born and raised in the village of Graffingy-Chemin, France.

The compilation of names comes from multiple sources. These include:

1. MyFamily.com.
2. Ancestry.com.

These websites in turn accessed information from:

1. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York.
2. U.S. Census 1910.
3. and other records.