Pearson Hobbs Town
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 daughters. They lived on Fore Street in Portland until their home was destroyed during the British burning of Falmouth in 1775. Moses Pearson died three years later in 1778, at the age of 81.
A Captain and His Company
Captain Pearson’s military involvement began when he was commissioned on February 6, 1744, to lead the Tenth Company—recruiting volunteers from Falmouth Neck and the surrounding region. In a letter dated February 25, 1744, to Colonel William Pepperrell, Pearson noted that although other officers had recruited men he’d hoped to enlist, he still aimed to gather a full company and depart for Boston as soon as possible.
Pearson was soon appointed Paymaster of Colonel Pepperrell’s Regiment, which meant he did not lead troops in the field. However, after the successful siege of the French fortress at Louisburg on Cape Breton Island in June 1745, he and his men remained there until March 1746. During that time, they constructed a hospital, built barracks, and repaired fortifications—important work in securing Britain’s hold in the region.
Captain Hobbs and the Frontier Fighters
Captain Humphrey Hobbs was a native of Topsfield, Massachusetts, who later moved to Souhegan West (Narragansett #3), now Amherst, New Hampshire. He was a founding member of the local Congregational Church and served as a deacon until 1744, when he resigned to take up arms.
Hobbs’s company, drawn largely from northern Massachusetts, was organized to defend the Connecticut River Valleyand parts of New Hampshire against French forces and their Native American allies. Known for their frequent and fierce engagements, the group earned a reputation as effective “Indian fighters.”
As hostilities escalated during the final Indian Wars, Hobbs’s men resumed their frontier duties. He eventually became a captain in Rogers’ Rangers, a legendary colonial unit. Sadly, Captain Hobbs died of smallpox at Fort William Henry on February 22, 1757—ending his direct involvement in the new township.
From Pearson and Hobbstown to Standish
The township granted to Pearson and Hobbs’s men originally bore both of their names—Pearson and Hobbstown. However, after Hobbs’s death, the settlement became commonly known as Pearsontown, a name it would retain until 1785, when it was officially incorporated as Standish.
Taken from the unpublished History of Standish by Dana E. Edgecomb.
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