Chesterfield Pearson was born on 31 January 1793 at Windsor, Windsor County, Vermont. He was the son of Ezekial and Susanna (Patch) Pearson and grandson of Ebenezer and Mary (Thompson) Pearson.
        Sometime in July or August of 1812, at the age of 19, he volunteered in the town of Windsor on a draft that was called for the term of six months. He was called for actual service on 9 September 1812 at Windsor, Vermont and served about four months as a fifer or fife major in Captain Daniel I. Phelp's Company of Infantry, 3rd Regiment Vermont Detached Militia commanded by Colonel Williams and Major Dana. At the time of his enlistment, Chesterfield Pearson was four feet eight inches tall with black hair, dark eyes and a fair complexion. He was a blacksmith by trade. He was honorably discharged on 7 December 1812 at Burlington, Vermont, however, he was detained some ten days after the other troops were discharged, taking care of John Bishop and others who were sick at the time and died.
        In February, 1813 he went to Brownville, Jefferson County, New York, where he was enrolled as a musician in Captain William Cole's Company of New York Militia. He and the rest of the company were called out in March for about two weeks, and again on alarm at Sackett's Harbor three times in May and June of 1813. They were in the Battle of Sackett's Harbor on the 29th of May 1813. The company was also called out on 12 October 1814 and discharged on 8 November 1814.
        He married Mary Ann Barrett, daughter of Oliver Barrett, a Revolutionary War soldier, and Elizabeth High, on 18 December 1817 at Windsor, Vermont by Mr. Root, Justice of the Peace. She was born in Windsor in 1798. In 1818 they moved to Rushford, Allegany County, New York, and about five years later, moved again to Brownsville, Jefferson County. They also lived in LaFargeville, Clayton, and Wells Island, where they had a large farm, all in Jefferson County. In 1840, her mother, Elizabeth Barrett, was living with them in Orleans, Jefferson County.
        Chesterfield Pearson was elected supervisor of the Town of Orleans, Jefferson County, at a special meeting in 1833. He was also elected town supervisor in 1836 and in 1840. On 30 November 1841, he was appointed postmaster of the Village of LaFargeville.
        In 1845, Wells or Wellsley Island, together with all other islands in the vicinity, was sold by Yates & McIntyre, grantees of Elisha Camp, to Azariah Walton and Chesterfield Pearson. Chesterfield, however, soon afterward sold out to Walton, prior to which he and Walton had sold several of the islands to the U.S. Government to be used for lighthouses.
 

Signatures of Chesterfield & Mary Ann Pearson on the deed ceding Rock Island to the U.S. Government, 12 April 1847.

        On 15 May 1848, Chesterfield was appointed the first keeper of the Rock Island Lighthouse which had been erected on one of the islands that he and Azariah Walton had sold to the U.S. government several years before. He resigned on 11 July 1849, serving in all about fourteen months. He appeared on the census of 1850 as a mechanic, age 57, born in Vermont, living at Orleans, Jefferson County.
        Chesterfield died on 1 March 1855 at Orleans, Jefferson County, at the age of 62. He was buried at Orleans Corners Cemetery, Orleans. His widow later lived for a while in Ogdensburg, and in 1878 was living at 6 Massey Street, Watertown with her daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Abner Webb Peck. She died in 1897 at the age of 98, probably in Watertown.
        On 11 November 1850, Chesterfield Pearson applied for Bounty Land based on his service in the War of 1812. His application was approved and he was allowed forty acres of land on 27 January 1853. He was at this time living in LaFargeville, New York. After he died, another Bounty Land Act was passed in March 1855, and on 9 August of that year his widow then aged 57 and a resident of Orleans, applied for additional Bounty Land. This application was witnessed by her daughter, Mary Ann Sartwell, who four years later married Roswell C. Bailey. On 9 April 1878, Mary Ann Pearson, age 79 and a resident of Watertown, applied for a pension based on her husband's service. Until the Act of 9 March 1878, pension could be granted only to widows who married prior to the treaty of peace, 17 February 1815. This act reduced the length of service provision from sixty days to fourteen days and also removed the marriage date restriction.
        Chesterfield's surname is very often seen as Person, Persons or Pearsons, however, for both earlier and later generations of the family, Pearson is the most commonly used spelling. Chesterfield and Mary Ann Pearson had nine children: Harrison C., born about 1819, married (1) Cornelia, married (2) Mary, and had at least five children; Elutheria S., born January 1821, died 19 Jun 1837; William Ezekial, born about 1824, died 19 Jun 1837; Mary Ann, born 15 December 1825, married (1) Simeon Sartwell, (2) Roswell Conant Bailey, died 12 August 1878, and had eight children; Oliver Barrett, born about 1827, died 14 November 1853; Laura, born 4 April 1830, married Abner Webb Peck, died 4 November 1878, had at least three children; Lucia, born about 1832; Galen W., born about 1834, married Sarah E., and had at least seven children; Christopher C., born about 1838, died 17 January 1861. Galen W. Pearson was a civil engineer who reportedly built the first water system in Kansas City during the 1880's. He was so well known that the Chinese government sent two students to study with him.

Headstone for Chesterfield Pearson and grandson, who died within days of one another, at Orleans Cemetery, Orleans Four Corners, Jefferson County, New York.

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