In Hampton, the surname Pearl is almost synonymous with the word “contribution”. Their roots here are among the first. As one of a few “founding families”, Timothy Pearl, who is buried in the North Cemetery, settled on the 100 acres he purchased on “Appaguage Hill” sometime between 1712 and 1716.
Timothy’s grandchild, the Honorable Philip Pearl Jr., was a prominent man in the public affairs of the town, county and state, serving as a Deputy Sheriff, Justice of the Peace, Captain of the Town’s Company of Grenadiers, and representing Hampton in the General Assembly. As a State Senator, he played a crucial part in one of the state’s most historic events. During his tenure, his daughter, Hannah Pearl, boarded at a reputable school in Canterbury, until it became “Miss Crandall’s School for Young Ladies & Little Misses of Color”. Senator Pearl was instrumental in the crafting and passage of the infamous Black Law in 1833 which sought to arrest Miss Crandall and close her school. Three years and presumably several conversations later, one of his neighbors, Theodore Weld, a preeminent abolitionist, successfully convinced Philip of the unjustness of the law, and in 1838, Senator Pearl, who proclaimed, “I could weep tears of blood for the part I took in that matter–I now regard that law as utterly abominable,” was successful in its repeal. A vice-president of the Connecticut Antislavery Society, he also served a critical role in the Amistad incident of 1839 and became active in the Underground Railroad.
The marriage of Timothy’s great-grandson John Porter to Maria Jennings in 1847, linked the Pearls with another early Hampton family — the Jewetts. Maria’s father, Ebenezer Jewett II, built the Bell schoolhouse and her mother, Abigail Hammond, was sister to Sarah Hammond Mosley of the famed ‘House the Women Built.’ The Hampton Pearls descend from John and Maria’s third child – Austin Eugene Pearl. Born in 1851 in Hampton, Austin served as postmaster in Hampton from 1913 to 1921 and as a representative in the General Assembly from 1901 to 1902. He also served as Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee and as a Selectman for many years. Along with his son, Arthur Eugene, Austin built many structures in Hampton, including the Little River Grange. Arthur, who served as Master of the Grange for 30 years, was not the only one of Austin and Mary’s children to contribute greatly to the town.
While Eva was a teacher in the one room school house on North Bigelow, several of her siblings worked in the Hampton Post Office. William, who also served as Master of the Grange, was a mail carrier here for 40 years, Reuben, who was a charter member of the Fire Department, worked in the post office for 44 years, Mary (Emmons) who worked as a clerk in the post office, and Evelyn (Estabrooks), active in the Grange and the Congregational Church, was Post Mistress for 28 of the 35 years she worked in the post office. Notably, she gained the attention of the Postmaster General, who responded to a poem she penned complaining of the lack of equipment in Hampton’s Post Office with the requested materials.
The next generation continued to contribute. Idamay (Richmond) — girl scout leader, and member of the PTA, the Seniors, and the Ladies Aid, Dorothy (Overbaugh) — member of the Historical Society, Eleanor (Moon) — member of the Grange and the organist for the Congregational Church for over 50 years, William Pearl — a Master of the Little River, Quinebaug Pomona, and State of Connecticut Grange, Pearl Scarpino — member of the Grange and the Gazette’s most prolific writer, and Peggy Hoffman — member of the Grange for 50 years who also served on the Library Board and in many capacities in the Congregational Church.
Perhaps none of the members of this, “the greatest generation”, contributed to the community as much as Arthur Pearl, the son of Arthur Eugene, who lived in town for all of his 81 years and who is depicted here raking the leaves in front of his barn. There are two barns on the property, an upper barn and a lower barn. The one pictured in the pen and ink artistry of neighbor Andy Jones resembles many of the town’s small barns. According to Arthur’s daughter, Dale Demontigny, the upper barn was built by her grandfather and used for his woodworking and to store the family car. “My dad built the lower barn,” she said. “We used it for cows and had a chicken coop next to it. We also raised a couple of pigs in the back field. I remember dad haying Grant’s back field and storing loose hay in the upper loft. We would ride the hay pile to the house and then dad would load it with a big hay hook.” Current owner, Emily Schmidt, describes this barn as “a patchwork quilt of materials”, a testament to Arthur’s Yankee ingenuity and frugality. “It’s still structurally sound,” Emily says, a characteristic of everything Arthur constructed. He built things to last.
“Several houses on Main Street were owned, occupied, built or maintained by my grandfather and his family, then later by my father. I remember growing up in our home built by my grandfather. When dad returned from the war he and mom finished the upstairs to make it a place for us,” Dale relayed.
“Family” is what Arthur’s daughter Alma Graham remembers most about being raised here. “I grew up in the same house with my grandparents Arthur and Estella Pearl. This house on Hampton Hill was built by my Grandfather in 1925, then turned over to my dad when he married my mom. They converted it into a two family home and we lived on the upper floor with my Grandparents downstairs. We hosted many Pearl/Jewett Family Reunions over the years at this house.”
Father and son were responsible for building many edifices in town. “They helped build the post office, firehouse and grange buildings as well as maintain most of the Main Street houses and other houses in town,” Dale said. “One day John Berard showed up at my house with a piece of under layment from Mrs. Grant’s roof that had my grandfather’s signature on it. Rob Miller contacted me one day as he discovered my grandfather’s signature on a chimney when he was renovating the old Burdick house.”
Like all of the other Pearls, Arthur and his family were very involved in the Little River Grange. “My parents as well as grandparents were all active in the Grange,” says Alma. “My mom organized many fundraisers and dinners which we all helped with. Many people remember the annual chicken barbecue that Little River Grange put on each Memorial Day. My dad cooked the chicken and my mom coordinated the cooking of the rest of the dinner. Of course we all helped with getting the dinner ready and serving it.”
Says Dale, “I have fond memories of helping them for some of their 40 years of chicken barbeques.”
Arthur was also responsible for maintaining the guns used in the Memorial Day Parades, cleaning them before and after their use. The family also kept the flag that was placed by the Veterans Memorial on the village green. Alma would take the flag and place it on the flag pole in the morning while waiting for the school bus, and in the afternoon, she would lower the flag, fold it properly, and bring it home. The family also helped place flags on the graves of veterans for Memorial Day. And, of course, everyone participated in the parade.
Arthur was also involved with the Leslie Jewett American Legion Post, the Ambulance Corps, and the Fire Company. The contributions of his wife, Helen, were also legendary. She volunteered in many organizations, including the Ladies Aid of the Church and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fire Company. “She was in charge of the Congregational Church/Little River Grange Holiday Bazaar for years,” Alma remembers. “She would spend all year making items for the bazaar.”
“Mom used to sew many stuffed animals, pot holders, aprons, and ornaments that she sold for the church,” Dale adds. “People would return yearly for the pot holders.”
From serving community dinners to punching at whist parties, the Pearl children volunteered in the community as well. Alma recalls her involvement with the Little River Juvenile Grange, the Girl Scouts, Junior Choir, and the local 4-H clubs, the Cookettes and the Sewettes. And Dale, who lives in town, continues to contribute in many ways, serving as an emergency responder for years.
Dale and her family are among the Pearls who still figure prominently into the fabric of our community. And Alma, like many members of the Pearl family who no longer live here, still feels like a part of the town. “You can leave Hampton,” she says, “but it never leaves you.”
Remembering Marion Emmons 1927 – 2020
Marion Emmons went to her eternal rest on September 13, 2020 at her home in Sterling surrounded by her family. Her husband, Austin, who she married in 1947 and who predeceased her in 1995, was the son of Mary Amelda Pearl, Arthur Eugene’s sister. A member of our Congregational Church and the Little River Grange, Marion combined two of her loves – family and genealogy – to serve as the Pearl/Jewett family historian for many years. She contributed to many genealogical societies and libraries, tracing the lineage of several families, including her own. “Descendants of Ebenezer Jewett II and Nancy Maria Jennings Jewett” was published in 1971. Dorothy Overbaugh Vander Muellen, whose histories are relied upon here, credits Marion’s early work with the subsequent books that have been published about the Pearl/Jewett families. Marion was one of many of those members of the family who were always a part of Hampton, always keeping up with Hampton’s news. Survived by her daughter, Susan Gray, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews, Marion will be buried in our North Cemetery, along with her husband, and the many members of the Pearl/Jewett family.
Thank you to the members of the Pearl family who have provided information for all three of the remaining Pearl barns in Hampton, especially Neal Moon who loaned me the essential genealogy materials, trusting me with these family “treasures”, patiently waiting their return.