Thomas was born in Bilston in 1885, the son of James and Elizabeth Pearson. In 1891 they were living at 11 High Street, Sedgley, together with Thomas’s brothers Frederick and William, and sisters Helen, Edith and Lillie. He attended the Higher Grade School in Wolverhampton. He attended classes on brewing at Birmingham University, and later worked as a brewer at the Cornbrook Brewery in Manchester. The family were at 649 Parkfield Road, Sedgley by 1901, and Thomas had become a commercial clerk.

He originally tried to enlist in August 1914 but was rejected on medical grounds. He left and underwent an operation, which enabled him to be passed as fit for service in December 1915. Thomas enlisted first in the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (number 20121), and later became a Lance Sergeant in the 7th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (number 28678). He died in France on 27 April 1916, and the circumstances surrounding his death are given in the log book of the Higher Grade School on 18 May 1916, as follows:

Received an account of the heroic self sacrifice of Sergeant Thomas Pearson (Sedgley) of the Shropshire Light Infantry, an “Old Boy” who gave his helmet to a private who was buried in a dug-out (all but his head). Sergeant Pearson was overcome by the poison gas & taken to Hospital – where he died.

Wrote to the bereaved parents.

Further elaboration on this heroic tale can be found in the Midland Counties Express dated 13 January 1917. Sergeant Pearson was in charge of a platoon and on going down the lines he discovered a private buried in a dug-out with only his head being visible. Though still alive, the private had no gas helmet, and the enemy had released poisonous gas. Sergeant Pearson took his own helmet off and saved the life of the private, but he himself expired from the effects of the asphyxiating fumes. Thomas is remembered at the Philosophe British Cemetery in Mazingarbe, France, as well as on the roll of honour for the Higher Grade School.