Helen B. Pierson 1891-1983

Edwin Hobbs with Helen Pierson.


Helen B. Pierson was born in Morristown NJ , September 17th 1891. Her parents were Joseph F Pierson and Harriet Little. Her father was a letter carrier for the post office.

Her great great Grandfather was Job Pierson 1768-1852. He first appears on the 1806 census in Mount Freedom NJ. He was a farmer and a nail maker. He was a founder of the Mount Freedom Presbyterian Church in 1820. The family farm was along Hanover Avenue in the Shongum section, near where the Morris View nursing home is today.

His son, Helen's great grandfather, Alpheus Pierson 1806-1891 was also a farmer, nailmaker as well as a storekeeper and Justice of the Peace.

Helen's grandfather was named Alpheus Ebenezer Pierson 1841-1925, and was a butcher as well as a dealer in hides and tallow, who lived in Morristown.

The sources disagree as to where Job Pierson came from, the 1850 census says he was born in NJ, the 1880 census listing for his son gives Jobs birth location as NY. Another local history says he was from England.

Many of the Morristown area Piersons were descendants of Thomas Pierson who was among the first English settlers in the area. He built a sawmill in 1685 near the Greystone State Hospital site.

I could not find anything on the family of Helens mother, Harriet Little, except that her parents came from Ireland in 1863. Helen's Grandmother Jane Little and her Uncle William Leslie Little lived next door at 7 Hazel Street in Morristown according to the 1900 and 1910 census.

Letter from Killyman, County Tyrone, Ireland

This letter was written to 2nd Great grandfather Richard Simpson , May 17, 1863

;;;;;;;;;

My Dear Brother,

I have long thought on your not writing me, if there is a cause for so dong it is more than I know the reason. Your capital I think would afford to write your sister, you may think me (illegible) but I do not think this way. I think I might not care what I should write my brother and I hope you will look on this as coming from the hand of near relation. For my part I have lots of relations ... friends I believe I am the lowest in circumstances therefore I hope you will acknowledge me and answer to this note. I believe your capital is very strong and I trust you will remember me soon. I have written you several letters besides sending you word by my friends but of no use it has seemed.
I have looked on it this way that perhaps you did not get them or no word spoken to you. Our day might not be long in this life then our troubles will be over. This country has got a great change for the worse by reason of bad trade. I need not mention this as you know all this already. I send my kind love to Mrs. & children also accept the same yourself as it is all I have in my power. My husband to send his love to you all the parties that writes this is a great friend of ours and hopes you will give praise to the write by answering soon.
(Brother John is well)

From your affect. Sister Jane Dilworth care of Thomas Cross

Mayrow? (illegible) Killyman County Tyrone.

..............

Julia Jones Still Hobbs

I found a web page with a family tree for Julia Jones Still Hobbs here.

It seems she was married twice, first to a Still, secondly to James Hobbs.

here is an excerpt from the above site: If it is correct , that is a whole lot of new ancestors in a single paragraph !


41. George Jones7, was born Feb. 4, 1787, at Edenville, Warwick Township. N .Y ..and died Dec. 23, 1868, at Vails Gate. N .Y where he had been living with a daughter after selling his farm. He md. Jan. 18, 1806 (perhaps at a double wedding with sister Rebecca) in Warwick Township;.Jane Lazear. b. Feb. 8, li88 in Warwick Township; died Oct. 8, 1857. Jane was the daughter of Cornelius Lazear and his wife, Catharine Lobdell, and the granddaughter of Johannes Lazear and his second wife, Jannetie Banta of Hackensack. Catherine Lobdell was dau. of Lieut. Samuel Lobdell, (Who came from Connecticut and married Elizabeth Blaine, dau. of Thomas Blaine, one of Warwick's first settlers, and Catharine Wisner, dau. of Johannes Wisner.) George was a farmer and an active leader of the Methodist Church. Both are buried in Warwick Cemetery. Children all born Warwick:

Children: 12

62. i. Catharine8 b. June 5, 1807; died Sept. 15. 1807.

63. ii. Samuel L.8 born Feb. 3. 1809; died July 7, 1889. He md. Oct. 28, 1830, Cecelia Dolan. She d. March I, 1832, and he md. (2) Isabella King.

64. iii. Sarah8 born Feb. 24. 1811; died Jan. 8, 1899. She md. Wesley Still of Vails Gate, May 4, 1831, who died May 26, 1884. Issue: Sarah, Elizabet., George, and Wilbur.

65. iv. Jane8 born .Apr. 25, 1813; died Jan. 13, 1901. md. May 26, I842, Thomas Still of Vails Gate, N., who died act. 30, I880.


66. v. Lumen A8 born June 21, 1815; died Oct 11, 1884. md. Sophia __________
( UNINTELIGBLE – 4 lines of BAD COPY Includes child 67, female * Julia Jones)

died. Nov. 8, 1844, at Florida. N.Y. He was son of Henry Still and Elizabeth Coleman, and was a carriage maker by trade. Issue: Catherine md. Artermas Many; Josephine md. Moses W Fuller; Hiram md: Jane Peck. Julia md. (2) *John Hobbs and had three children none of whom had issue. ,
NOTE -- Clearly not correct -- her husband was James Hobbs, and her son James Jr had two Children- Edwin and Wilbur Hobbs. ---68. vii. Catharine8 born Jan. 29, 1820; died Jan. 19, 1899. She md. Feb 23, 1843, Nathaniel Covert and removed to Dutchess Junction. N..Y. Issue: George, Henry, Cecelia, Alonzo, Fletcher, Judson: Alida, NathanIel, WilIard and Catharine.

69. viii. Cornelius8 born Jan. 24. 1822; d. July 10, 1854. md. Aug. 5, .1845.. LouIsa Ferner. Issue: Edward, md. Alice ??emerest; James.

70. IX. William8 born June 27, 1824; died Sept. 22, 1828.

71. x. Harriet V.8 born Oct. I, 1826; died Oct. 17. 1865. She married Sept. 15, 1847. William Many who died in 1851. She md. (2) John Hardwick in 1853. No issue.

72. xi. Hester Ann8 born Sept. 23. 1829; died Jan. 17. 1906. She md. (1) on Jan. 16. 1851..James VanDuzer who died Sept. 20, 1851, son of John and Nancy (Benedict) VanDuzer; had one son,Jarnes J., born posthumously. She .md. (2) Nov 13. 1855, William Satterly Curtis. son of Benjamin and Ablgail (Satterly) Curtis of Blooming Grove. N .Y. They had three children: Edward Thomas, Jennie Curtis. and Ruth Camille.

73. xii. Celia D.8 born Jan. 10, 1832; died Oct. 5, 1902. She md. Dec. 18, 1855, Robert Ferrier and had one child, Harriet, who md. Emory ; Dederick.

Merry Christmas

“The renewal of hope and faith in a world gone wrong - that is what Christmas
means to me now.”

It would not be easy for me to say which was the nicest Christmas I ever had, because no particular one stands out in my mind. Christmases divide themselves into two groups for me- childhood ones, and grown up ones. The main thing I remember about childhood Christmases is the fact that we were never allowed to get up early and race downstairs to look at our presents, or even see the tree. We had to wait till after breakfast - and breakfast was no light snack in the kitchen either, it was a good solid meal, served in the dining room for the entire assembled family which included Aunt and Uncle who always spent Christmas with us. We had to stay at the table until everyone was finished. When breakfast was finally over, the great moment arrived. My father opened the sliding door which separated the dining room and the parlor - that door was never shut except on Christmas morning.

In one corner of the parlor, the tree stood, decorated with colored metal balls, spun glass angels, silver tinsel rope, and huge candy canes. And under it were the things Santa Claus had brought us - some sort of quite substantial toy for each of my brothers and I. All the other presents were in the fireplace -why I don’t know, but there they always were. It was a very fancy Victorian tiled fireplace which nobody ever thought of building a fire in, and it didn’t seem as queer to me then as it does now. My aunt had the honor of distributing the presents. (You’ll notice I haven’t used the word gift - they were presents at our house, nobody seemed to be aware that there was such a word as gift.) She sat on the floor and handed them out one by one and waited till each one was opened and properly appreciated before she reached for the next one. The fireplace was usually pretty full it seemed to me. It took a long time to get to the bottom of the pile.

Not much remains today of these Christmases. Even yet nothing can be opened except before the assembled family. But Grandmother, Great Aunt, and Uncle are all dead, and we live in a house so small that there is no fireplace and not even room for a tree. So we content ourselves with putting a wreath on the door, candles in the window and piling the presents on top of the piano. “The old order changeth” and the happy excitement that once meant Christmas is something that will never return. The renewal of hope and faith in a world gone wrong - that is what Christmas means to me now. That and a certain lightheartedness that I can’t help feeling at the sound of familiar carols, the lighted trees, the excited children in the toy departments.But never a Christmas comes that I don’t wish to be a child again, wish once more to have the thrill of seeing that greatest of all sights - our parlor on Christmas morning.

Written by Elizabeth D Hobbs, December 1939

Dennis' of Stansted Mountfitchet

Samuel born 1650 - came to Shrewsbury NJ USA 1675
Benjamin born 1648
Benjamin born about 1624
Richard born 1643
Elizabeth born 1645
Griffon ? born about 1620
Margarrett born about 1618 married George Tyler 1637
Thomas born 1633, the son of Thomas JR
John Dennis born about 1613
Marie born 1633

These are listed in the Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Register; the handwriting is difficult to read, I may have missed some.

Hertford England court record 1683

28 Sept. Note of convictions of the following persons for being present at an unlawful conventicle held at Patmore Heath, in the parish of Aldbury:—Thomas Burne, of Ware, maltster; Robert Terlin, of Aldbury, labourer; William Wright, of Bishops Stortford, tailor ; Joseph Taylor, of the same; Thomas Phip, of Furnix Pellham, chandler; John Goulston, of Stansted, co. Essex; Simon Joslen, of the same, " cowper " ; Benjamin Dennis, of the same, bricklayer; John Dunbar, of Mannenden, co. Essex; and Edward Lucas, of Arkesden, co. Essex, labourer; at which conventicle Thomas Burre took upon himself to teach. Each of the above mentioned persons was fined 5s., and Thomas Burre, fined £20

Baptism of Samuel Dennis

Found online, a baptism record from the Stansted Mountfitchet England Parish Register.

Samuell son of Benjamin Denis born 2 November 1650 and baptised 5 January.

So this confirms my belief that Samuel Dennis was the son of Benjamin. I also found a record of a will for one Thomas Dennis Sr. dated 1679, from a nearby town who was also a bricklayer like Samuel and Benjamin. Seems like a good candidate to be an ancestor or relative of Samuel as well. I am sending for a copy of the will.