PEARSON, John Deacon

  General Notes:

First mentioned in 1643 with the birth of a child. Freeman: 26May 1647 Deacon: 24Oct 1686

From "The Early Settlers of Rowley": Acre and a half house lot laid out to him in the second division of house lots about 1645, was situated on the east side of Holme St, south of Richard Leighton's lot. Home until 1667 when he moved to "The Mills", the chief seat of his business and property. Where the old county road (the Bay Road) leading from Rowley to Newbury crosses Mill River and where the fresh water mingles with the salt is the site of the first mills in Rowley. Here, by 1643, John Pearson built the first fulling, or clothiers mill, the first in New England. It was the only mill in Eastern Massachusettes for 50 years and produced in the neighborhood of 100,000 yards of cloth between 1672 and 1688 based on ledgers that were preserved for those years. Many Rowley residents were weavers. The mill was operated by heirs until 1809 when it passed into other hands until destroyed by fire in 1916. (pp 272-3)

Deacon John Pearson came to America to Rowley, MA where he is first mentioned in 1643 with the birth of a child. In 1667 he moved to "The Mills", the chief seat of his business and property. Where the old county road (the Bay Road) leading from Rowley to Newbury crosses Mill River and where the fresh water mingles with the salt is the site of the first mills in Rowley. Here John Pearson built the first fulling, or clothiers mill, the first in New England. It was the only mill in Eastern Massachusettes for 50 years and produced in the neighborhood of 100,000 yards of cloth between 1672 and 1688 based on ledgers that were preserved for those years. Many Rowley residents were weavers. The mill was operated by heirs until 1809 when it passed into other hands until destroyed by fire in 1916.bringing with him the machinery for a fulling-mill, which was the first in this country. He was a selectman of Rowley and in 1691 his tax at Rowley was the second highest but one. He had 13 children by his wife Dorcas. p 26 ^{2 3}

John married Dorcas before 1643 in Rowley, MA.¹ (Dorcas died on 12 Jan 1703 in Rowley, MA.)