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  Moses Pearson: The Man Behind Pearsontown Introduction The early history of Standish is closely connected to the life of one remarkable and complicated man: Moses Pearson. Although Pearson never made his home in what is now Standish, his name became permanently connected with the community when the settlement of Pearsontown was established in the eighteenth century. A carpenter and joiner by trade, military officer, public official, proprietor, and landowner, Pearson was an influential figure in the development of Falmouth and the surrounding region. His story also reflects the opportunities, hardships, conflicts, and injustices of colonial New England. The Early Years Moses Pearson was born on March 26, 1697, in Newbury, Massachusetts, the son of Priscilla Hazen and Jeremiah Pearson Sr. He was one of ten children. Pearson was trained as a joiner and carpenter, a trade that would serve him throughout his life. Around 1728, Pearson moved to Falmouth, now Portland, Maine. His arriv...
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The Sawmill That Helped Build Pearsontown

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  The Sawmill That Helped Build Pearsontown Early in the history of the town, it was realized that one of the most important things needed for its development was a sawmill. A mill would supply boards and dimension lumber needed for the construction of houses and other buildings for the settlers. Accordingly, one of the actions taken at the first meeting of the Proprietors in 1752 was a vote to lay out to some person or persons a tract of land that included a stream for the purpose of building a mill. Needless to say, because of the unsettled conditions at that time, it was neither practical nor feasible to carry out this plan until the end of hostilities with the Native people. Therefore, at a meeting held on January 21, 1762, the Proprietors chose a committee, with Moses Pearson as chairman, “to look out a place for a sawmill and lay out 100 acres convenient for said mill for encouragement of such person or persons as shall undertake and give security for building said mill, said...
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Life Behind the Walls: The Fort at Pearsontown

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  Life Behind the Walls: The Fort at Pearsontown By the late 1750s, settlement at Pearsontown remained a difficult and uncertain endeavor. Although families had begun establishing themselves in the community, the threat of conflict with Native peoples still affected nearly every aspect of daily life. The fort provided protection, but life within its walls could be challenging, particularly when food supplies became scarce. A diary entry from 1759 and a story passed down by early settler Thomas Shaw provide a glimpse into the hardships faced by those who lived at the fort. The Reverend Thomas Smith, pastor of the First Parish Church of Falmouth, now Portland, recorded in his diary that on January 10, 1759, during his first visit to Pearsontown, there was little to be seen there other than the fort. Life within the fort remained difficult, especially when food became scarce. The inhabitants were hindered in their efforts to raise crops because of the fear of attacks by Native peoples...
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A Fort in the Wilderness: Pearson and Hobbs Town

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  A Fort in the Wilderness: Pearson and Hobbs Town By 1755, the settlement of Pearson and Hobbs Town—present-day Standish—was home to approximately thirty men, women, and children. Life on the frontier was difficult, and the settlers faced the constant possibility of conflict with Native Americans in the surrounding region. For these early families, the fort was more than simply a defensive structure; it was an essential part of their survival. According to a petition filed by Moses Pearson with the General Court of Massachusetts, the fort was equipped with a carriage gun and several smaller wall pieces. Nine of the men living there were supplied with arms and ammunition for the protection of the settlement. The large carriage gun and smaller wall pieces were intended to provide a formidable defense in the event of an attack. Guns for the Garrison The Massachusetts Archives contain a notice dated August 27, 1757, concerning additional weapons and supplies sent to the fort: “Boston,...
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The Fort at Pearson Hobbstown

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  The Fort at Pearson Hobbstown When the first proprietors began planning a settlement on the lands that would eventually become Standish, they faced a difficult and uncertain task. The area was remote, roads were few, and relations with Native peoples remained unsettled. Although the proprietors were eager to establish families on their new lands, they recognized that settlement could not safely proceed without some means of protection. The need for a fortified place became increasingly urgent as reports of hostilities reached the eastern settlements of Massachusetts. For the men and families who hoped to make their homes at Pearson Hobbstown, a fort would provide not only a place of refuge in times of danger, but also the security necessary for the settlement itself to survive. The proprietors soon decided that it would be necessary to erect a fort before settlement could safely begin. In May of 1752, Captain Humphrey Hobbs and twenty grantees petitioned the General Court of Mass...
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Pearson Hobbs Town

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  Pearson and Hobbstown: The Origins of Standish, Maine Long before the town of Standish was incorporated in 1785, it was known as Pearson and Hobbstown —a township granted to two companies of colonial soldiers who had served the Crown during King George’s War. These men, led by Captain Moses Pearson and Captain Humphrey Hobbs , played a key role in early Maine’s military and settlement history. Moses Pearson: From Joiner to Judge Moses Pearson was born in Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1697. A joiner —an old term for carpenter—he moved to Falmouth Neck (now Portland, Maine) around 1729. Over time, Pearson became a central civic figure, serving as town clerk , selectman , treasurer , and representative to the General Court of Massachusetts in 1737, 1740, and 1749. His leadership continued beyond politics. Pearson was named the first sheriff of Cumberland County and later served as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas . He was married to Sarah Titcomb , and the couple had six daughte...
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From Soldiers to Settlers: The Petition That Founded Pearson and Hobbstown

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     In the mid-1700s, long before Maine became its own state, soldiers were sometimes rewarded for their service with land grants. One such man was Moses Pearson. In 1744, he led a company during the first siege and capture of Louisburg in what was known as the Cape Breton Expedition, part of King George’s War. Seeking recognition for his efforts, Pearson sent the following petition to the General Court of Massachusetts. "To the Honorable Spencer Philips, Esq. Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief in and over His Majesty’s Providence of Massachusetts Bay in New England, and to the Honorable, the council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, January , A.D. 1749 :  “The petition of us the subscribed humbly sheweth, that whereas we were in the expedition against Louisburg and the settlement adjacent, then under the command of the command of the French King, being in said service , not only until, but for some considerable time after...
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