The information in this brief summary was researched, compiled, and documented by Sandralee Summers Jensen. It is contained in her books, The Somers Walkers Paschalls of N.C., Dec 15, 1997, and Descendants of Pharoah Somers, May 14, 1998.

The earliest record we have of Pharoah is his and his brother Zere's appearance in the Caswell County, North Carolina court July 1799. Pharaoh, referred to as Pharis in the court proceedings, was ten years old and his brother was twelve. They were orphans and were being indentured to George Summers until the age of twenty-one, during which time, Mr. Summers was to teach them to read and write and the "act of mastering a Shoe Maker." As of this writing, neither the identity of his parents nor his relationship to George Summers have been detemined.

Apparently, he lived with George until he was twenty-one as decreed by the court, because he next appears in the Caswell County, North Carolina Federal Census of 1810 as a head of household, age bracket sixteen but less than twenty-six along with two "free white males", both ages under ten years, and a "free white female" age forty-five and up. Pharoah was probably twenty-one since his indenture was to last until that time and his age in the court in 1799 was given as ten years. Nothing is known about the woman and the two small boys.

After the war with Great Britain was declared by the United States the 18th day of June, 1812, the War of 1812, on or about December 1, 1812, Pharoah enlisted as a private in the regular troops under Ensign Jethro Bird. He was a soldier in the company commanded by Captain Robert Mitchell of the 10th Regiment U.S. North Carolina Infantry, but at Plattsburg, New York, was attached to the Fourth Regiment of the regular troops, commanded by Colonel George M. Purdy. He enlisted for a term of five years and continued in actual service for eighteen months, being honorably discharged as a corporal in May, 1814 "on account of Rheumatic affection" upon return from a campaign in Canada.

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He would later receive Warrant No. 24771, dated June 20, 1821, which was located in what is now Craighead County, Arkansas. The acutual booking of the land to Pharoah was July 21, 1821. Currently evidence has not been found to indicate that he went to the Arkansas Territory to claim the land, nor that the claim was sold. It is possible that, not wanting the land, he simply declined to pay the taxes and the land reverted back to the Bureau of Land Management or the county where the land was.

Sometime in 1815, Pharoah married Susan Sartin. Although no record of this marriage has yet been located, we know this because of his second wife, Nancy Smithy's application for his pension on June 26, 1857. Pharoah and Susan had three children, all born in Caswell County, North Carolina: Zeary James Somers, born December 8, 1816; Pharo Somers, born April 4, 1818; and Nancy Somers, born in 1823. Zeary married three times, first to Sarah Paskell on February 22, 1837, in North Carolina, second Nancy Berry on July 20, 1844 in North Carolina, and third Elizabeth Thurston in 1863, in Henry County, Tennessee. Pharo married Eliza Paschall November 5, 1842, in North Carolina. It is not known if Nancy married. Eliza Paschall and Sarah Paskell were sisters from Caswell County.

On May 13, 1824, Pharoah joined the Rockingham County, North Carolina, Lick Fork Primitive Baptist Church. Some of the members of the church at this time were: George Summers, Clement Nance, Nancy Smithy, Malinda Key, Jerje Paskal and his wife, Rebecca Paskal, Richard Jones, Rachael Summers, Ziba Rice, and Nancy Beaver. Another major event for Pharoah occured in 1924 when his wife, Susan died.

So in 1824, Pharoah found himself a widower with three small children to raise. Not a small task for a farmer. After joining the Lick Fork Primitive Baptist Church, Pharoah met and on December 25, 1824, married Nancy Smithy at Lenose Castle in Rockingham County, North Carolina. They had the following Children, all born in Caswell County:

Mary Somers, born 1826, married Thomas Jackson Walker on August 19,1845.
James Summers was born in 1827, N.C. He married Elizabeth Smithy on December 17,1846,in NC. James died in 1924.
Catherine Summers was born in 1829 in Caswell Ca, NC., she married Jones H. Walker on October 23, 1854 in NC.
George Somers was born in 1831 in Caswell Co , NC., he married Minerva Smithy on Sep 12, 1855, NC.
William Summers was born March 28,1833, in Caswell Co.,NC. William married his first wife Mary Ann Sartin.on November 12, 1852, NC. William and Mary divorced on Oct 1858. William married a second time to Nancy L. Shrieve on Aug 10, 1858, NC.
Nancy Summers was born in 1837 in Caswell Co, NC.
Joseph Summers was born 1839 in Caswell Co., NC. He married Martha E. Shreves on May 22, 1856 in NC.
Robert Ervin Summers was born Oct 10. 1842. Caswell Co. NC. He married Susan Elizabeth Jarrell on Mar 25, 1895.

In 1829 a group from the Lick Creek church left to form the Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church. Pharoah was among the charter members. Other charter members were: Men: George Roberts, Ziba Rice, Cryswell Key, William Key, William Hall, Samuel Smithy, Larken Smithy, John Smithy, James Walker, Benjamin Carter, Robert W. Lawson, Reuben Smithy, Moses Driskill, and Daniel Allen. Women: Fanny Rice, Zilpa Rice, Isabell Rice, Pheba Key, Nancy Smithy, Sina Smithy, Betsey Smithy, Sally Certain (Sartin?), Polly Godwyn, Sally Hall, Frances Cannaday, Elizabeth Graves, Rebecca Somers, and Anny Powell. On February 12, 1830, "Fery" Summers was chosen as a deacon for the church. In this capacity, he was required to talk to many people, take reports, and read these reports at the following church meetings.

On October 17, 1831, Pharoah purchased 48 and 4/10 acres of land from Alfred W. Brown in Caswell County. This land was bounded by land owned by Elisha (Lishey) Beres, Robert A. Brown, Samuel Smithy, Rachel Paskal, and D. Paschal. He paid $170.60 for the land. Pharoah was living in Rockingham County at the time. In September of 1842, Pharoah and his son, Pharo sold 77 and 8/10 acres to John Canaday for $200.

Pharoah died March 24, 1845. His demise is described by the following partial obituary from the Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church:

"Brother Summers departed this life Mar 1845. He was deacon of the Pleasant Grove Church at the time the missionaries went out from us. He was noted for his soundness in the faith, at that time. He was in the war of 1812. He was a citizen of Caswell County, North Carolina in 1845. He and his family intended to move to West Tennessee and started and got as far as 5 miles beyond New River and was taken very sick, and died in a few hours. A few minutes before he died, he called his wife, Nancy, to his bed side and tried to tell her something, but he became speechless. She could not understand anything he said. He, seeing this, raised his hand pointed upward toward the heavens, and closed his eyes in death. His remains were buried nearby. Then his dear wife, Nancy, filled with grief, and his little children to moan the loss of a dear father, and a good husband, did not know what to do, whether to on or return to to the land of their nativity. Being so smitten with grief, they concluded to turn back, which they did, and settled in sight of the old homestead. There Nancy lived until her death which took place on August 22, 1895."