VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
neer in charge of sewer construction, and
after the completion of this work he was
elected city engineer. With the exception
of two years he has served continuously in
this position. Mr. Pearse has ever been a
student, and he is today one of the recog-
nized authorities on engineering problems.
He is earnestly absorbed in this line of
work, and is said to have "a head full of
figures." While a most busy man during
business hours, Mr. Pearse has a well de-
veloped social instinct, and is identified
with many fraternal and social organiza-
tions of Newport News, including the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks,
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Order
of Owls, Fraternity of Eagles, jnd the Royal
Arcanum. He retains the religious affili-
ations of his fathers for many generations,
and is a faithful adherent of the Protestant
Episcopal church. Politically he acts with
the Democratic party, and is generally es-
teemed for his manly qualities, his social
nature, and broad and fraternal sympathies.
He married Mrs. Lillie Bell (Irwin) Watts,
daughter of James and Sarah (Hufifman)
Irwin, of Bedford county, Virginia. By her
first husband she had: Joseph D.. Maud,
Lillie, Estella. By her second husband she
had : Thomas Edgecumbe and Herbert
Randolph.
James McPherson Gumming. James -\Ic- Pherson Gumming, of Hampton, Virginia, is descended from a substantial and worthy Mar3'land family, of Scotch origin. Mem- bers of this family came very early to the United States, and are found among the pioneers of New England, where the final "s" was quickly added to the name. In Great Britain it is widely disseminated, and various branches have adopted the spelling Gumniins, Comins and many other forms. It appears early in France under the spelling Comyne, and on this side of the At- lantic are several families between whom no relationship is known to exist. Perhaps the most numerous family in America is that descended from Isaac Gumming, of Ipswich and Topsfield, Massachusetts, from whom more than ten thousand descendants had been traced in 1903. Tradition has it that many of the name were descendants of the famous Red Gomin, of Badenoch, in the southeastern part of Invernesshire, Scotland. It is not known whether the
Irish family is distinct from the Scotch and
English, but there is no doubt that those
coming from the north of Ireland are of
Scotch origin.
^^'illiam Gumming, born in Stranraer, Scotland, came to America in 18 19, and set- tled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he re- sided until his death in 1852. He was a farmer in his native land, and after his ar- rival here. He married, in Stranraer, in 1812, Alargaret McLean, born at Kircolm. Scotland, died in Baltimore, 1864. They had children: William, Mary Ann, James, John and Daniel James. The last named was born 1825, in Baltimore, and died in 1898, at Waycross, Georgia. Much of his life was spent in teaching. Pie studied for the ministry, but because of frail health re- turned to his father's farm, in whose man- agement he was associated while his father lived, and which he conducted several years after the latter's death. Subsequently he engaged in teaching, was a noted Bible student, a member of the Scotch Govenanter Presbyterian Ghurch, active in church and Sunday school work. He married, in 1855, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Emma Bas- sett, born 1832, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, daughter of George Bassett, who was born 1805, in Bristol, England. He came to Amer- ica in 1829, residing two years in Philadel- phia, whence he removed to Pittsburgh, and continued there until his death, in 1877. He was a decorator by occupation. He mar- ried, in England, Elizabeth Butler, a native of Bath, England. Ghildren : George, Wil- liam, Emma, Frederick John, James, Wash- ington, Albert Edward and Marion Amelia. Daniel J. Gumming and wife had children : I George Bassett, a farmer and school teacher ; married, in Baltimore, 1883, Mary Purvis. 2. Margaret Ghristina, married, December 28, 1S87, George A. Mullen, of Baltimore. 3. William, a minister of the Presbyterian church, who served parishes in Baltimore, Staunton and Blacksburg, Virginia, and Winchester, Kentucky; he married. April 5, 1897, Lelia Stokes, of Prince Edward county. Virginia. 4. James McPherson, of further mention below. 5. John Grawford, died in infancy. 6. Eliza- beth Russell, married, in Baltimore, 1894, A. Frank Hess, and resides in Galifornia. 7. Emma Alice, died in childhood, .in Balti- more.
James McPherson Gumming, was born
