The Jersey City news., 1899-02-20
MERCER COUNTY
Historical Sketches Of Cele-
brities and Their No
table Deeds.
A COLONIAL MANSION
Tragic Tale of Isaac Pearson
and the Awful Fate That
Overlook Him.

mansions, many of which are still In an
excellent state of preservation, says the
Trenton Sunday Advertiser" Let the
reader take trolley car for White Horse
and alight at the long lane which leads to
the residence of the late Charles DeCou-
Walk up this lane and be rewarded by
seeing one Of the most substantial country
residences of the olden time. Built on the
beautiful bluff which overlooks the val
ley of the Crosswieks creek, the Gross
wicksung of the Indians, one can not
help admiring the good taste of the build
er. And the solid old building, with its
thick walls and big rooms, does not show
a sign of decay, and If kept properly
rooted will stand a thousand years.
In most of our old time mansions the
ovens have been removed, but here is the
oven, still as of yore and could it speak,
what tales it would tell of the big feasts
it had helped to prepare for old time
worthless in gold-laced coats and powder
ed wigs. The west end of heImansion
bears the date of its erection-1773-made
of arch brick set endwise, forming gigan-
tic figures, which can be read by anyone
who runs.
This land was originally taken up by
Thomas Tindall, one of the first settlers
of this section, who came here from Eng
land, about 1878 He has many descend
ants, but this tract passed out of the
hands of those bearing the name of Tin
dali more than one hundred and twenty
five years ago. On the third day of Aug
ust, 1899, were born, in the old stone man
sion, still standing east of the Pearson
Cubberly farm. Isaac and Robert Pear
son, twins. They were sons OF Robert
Pearson and grandsons of the Robert
Pearson who came from England in 1851.
Their fathers first wife was a daughter
of Thomas Tindall, but their mother was
his second wife, whose maiden name was
Mary Coar. The Pearsons were large
land owners and among the most promi-
nent people in the township. They were
staunch members of the Church of Eng
land. as were many others of that sec
tion, and thought nothing of riding to
Burlington to church, at old st. Mary's,
on Sunday morning. Later some OF
them attended St. Michaefs, at Trenton
On attaining his majority, Isaac Pearson
became possessed of the Tindall tract, on
which he built the brick house, described
at the beginning. his wife, | think, being
a granddaughter of Thomas Tindall. His
first house stood north of the present
one no doubt being the homestead of
Tindall.
Isaac Pearson was a prominent man,
honored by the people in many ways He
was several times elected member of
the Assembly and was wealthy as
wealth was accounted in those days, be-
ing able in 1773 to erect the imposing
structure he was destined to enjoy but a
few years. He had no sooner become
safely housed in his new home than the
mutterings of the Revolutionary storm
began to be heard. AT the beginning of
the trouble with the mother country
Isaac Pearson was staunch patriot and
took an active part in resisting the
measures of the Crown, and was chosen
a member of the Committee of Safety.
After the disastrous battle of Long
Island the loss of Fort Washington, and
the retreat across New Jersey of
Washington's wreck of an army, followed
by the glittering British host, whose dis
tinguished commander issued proclama-
tions, offering pardon and protection to
all who would come and take the oath of
allegiance and threatening confjscation
and vengeance for all who refused, came
the time, which Paine said tried mems
souls
Nearly everybody felt that the end was
not far off. Hundreds all over the State
fell away The defeneeless Legislature,
with the Governor at their head, moved
from Princeton to Burlington and soon
adjourned each member going to his
home to look after his own interests.
There was hardly vestige of the lately
constituted government or any who
would hardly say that they owed it alle-
glance, and until after the glorious VIC
tory at Trenton, New Jersey was looked.
upon as conquered. The chairman of the
Committee of Safety Samuel Tucker,
who was the president of the convention
which formed the State Constitution, and
State treasurer also, fell away, renounced
allegiance to the State by taking a pro-
lection of the British and vacating his
offices. The mentioning of these things
feebly illustrates the panic which pre-
vailed among many of the Wings few
weeks before the battle of Trenton. The
Tories were also unusually active. There
were few, if any, active Tories living in
this section, but farther eastward they
were more common. party of Tory
horsemen from beyond Crosswicks, in
raid this way, captured State Treasurer
Tucker near White Horse and were hand
ling him roughly when Robert Pearson
Isaac's twin brother, came to the rescue
and gave his parole that Tucker should
stay at his house until the British should
order him away.
It was during this gloomy period that
Isaac Pearson took a course that proved
fatal to him.
He evidently saw nothing but confisca-
tion and ruin before him if he longer held
out, and it was said decided to go and take
the oath of allegiance. Miss Anna Stout,
of Middletown, whose sister Sarah had
married relative, was then visiting at
his house. She related that the family en-
leavored to dissuade him from going, but
he felt that it was the best that could be
done and departed on fleet mare he
owned. He had recently killed and sold
his pork and was thought to have had the
proceeds of the sale about his person.
Evidently he intended to go to New
Brunswick by way Of Allentown, follow
ing the York road. Party feeling ran
high at this time and the passions of men
were deeply stirred. Possibly the as
saulting party of Wings now viewed him
as one particularly odious; as one who
had been prominent in the cause and
fallen away; as one who had put his
hand to the plow and turned back. The