The Pearsalls of Lynbrook: ‘We are still here!’

Last year, Lynbrook’s Rockville Cemetery, along with the Bristol and Mexico monument, were added to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

When I submitted the application, I wrote that more than 130 members of the Pearsall family are buried in the cemetery, including Wright Pearsall (1811–1898), the founder and namesake of Pearsall’s Corners, Lynbrook’s former name. I also wrote that, “Although the Pearsalls were once the most influential family in what is now Lynbrook, there are today no direct Pearsall descendants left in the village.”

It seems that some folks go to the U.S. Dept. of the Interior’s website to check on national register applications such as mine. I know this because a few weeks ago I got a call from Donna Pearsall of Lynbrook. She said, “I read in your application that there are no ‘direct Pearsall descendants’ left in Lynbrook. What about us? We are still here.”

I lamely explained to her that I had referred to just the descendants of the village’s founder, Wright Pearsall. He had four daughters Eleanor, Mary, Sarah, and Georgiana and one son, Hamilton, whose only son, Alden, died at age 21 with no children. 

I can still hear Donna Pearsall’s voice echoing in my ear: “That’s just a technicality, isn’t it? My husband is related to one of Wright Pearsall’s brothers or uncles.” She could have added: “And what about any descendants of Wright’s two daughters — don’t they count?”

Donna is correct. Wright’s father, Samuel “Squire” Pearsall (1791-1867), lived in East Rockaway. In his later years, he moved into a large house on Merrick Road, to be nearer to his eldest son, Wright. This may have been where Bank of America has its drive-up-banking window, close to the Five Corners. Like his son Wright, he is buried in the Rockville Cemetery. Squire Pearsall had two other sons, and those sons had at least 16 children between them. So it is no surprise that there are still Pearsall families living in Lynbrook — at least five by my informal count, and likely more if the female lineage is included.

Donna’s husband Michael was raised in Lynbrook and now works as a lawyer in Brooklyn (that’s “Lyn-brook” with syllables transposed). His has no proof, but his family has always believed they are closely related to Wright Pearsall by way of a brother or uncle. Just before Christmas, my wife Nori and I had dinner with Donna and Michael at — guess where? — Pearsall’s Station restaurant in Lynbrook. Brian Fern, the owner of the restaurant, treated us to dinner and we talked about the critical role Wright Pearsall played in the creation of Lynbrook.

I know there are several more Pearsall families in Lynbrook – some fire chiefs among them. And I hope to do more stories in the Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald about both the current and historical members of the clan. I may even squeeze more dinners out of Brian Fern. I can already taste those delicious Pearsalls Burgers with crispy sweet potato fries.