PIERCE, PEIRCE,
PEARSE, PERS
Thomas Pierce (1583 – 1666), my 11th great
grandfather, is of unknown origin. He was
made a freeman on 6 May 1635 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and he received a
land grant of 4 acres at Charlestown in 1636.
By 1638 he owned 10 lots totaling 97 acres. He married Elizabeth Unknown , who was admitted
to the church at Charlestown on 10 January 1644/5, and Thomas was admitted on
February 21st.
In 1643 Thomas Pierce moved his family to Woburn, where he
was made a proprietor in 1643. He made
his will in Cambridge in 1665, at the home of Thomas Danforth, the treasurer of
Harvard College. There was a provision
for the college, as well as for his wife and children in his will.
Thomas Pierce's Will
Cambridge in New
England, Novemb. 7th, 1665
I, Thomas Pierce of
Charlestown, aged about 82 years, being throw the goodness of ye Lord of sound
judgment & memory, and in some measure of bodily health, do ordaine &
hereby declare my last Will and testament, in manner and form following; viz:
my soul, which I believe is imortall, I do desire humbley and believeingly to
resign it unto the father of spirits, who gave it to mee, and to remit borth
body and soul into the everlasting mercyes of God, the father, Sonne, and Holy
Ghost. My body I desire it may be decently interred, at the discretion of my
loving wife whom I do ordaine and make sole Executrix of this my Will. And for
my outward Estate wherewith the Lord hath gratiously blessed me, I do dispose
thereof as follows, viz. to Harvard College twenty shillings to be payed within
one year after my decease. To Mary Bridge, and Elizabeth Jeffs, two of my
grand-children now dwelling with mee I do give ten pounds apiece, to be paid by
my Executrix as soon as she can with convenience, but not to be compellable
thereto for and during to years after my decease. The residue of my estate, my
just debts and funerall expenses being first payed, I do give and bequeath unto
my loving wife Elizabeth, to have and to hold the same during her life, and at
her pleasure to be helpful to any of my children as shee shall see meet in her
discretion, by giveing or lending to them any part thereof: And before he
deceased I do give her power to make her will, and by the same to bequeath nay
part thereof by gift or legacy as shee shall see meet, and after her decease
such part thereof as sahll beby her unexpended, and not disposed of by her
before her decease, I do will and bequeath ye same in manner following - viz:
To all my grandchildren I do give ten groates apeece, and the remainder to be
equally divided among my children. My will is that the younger shall have
eaquell with the eldest, I have formerly done for them according to my ability.
Finally I do nominate my loving friends, Mr. Ri: Russel * Mr. Thomas Danforth*,
and my sonne Jno. Pierce overseers of this my will; by whose advise and consent
of them or the more part of them I do give my Executrix full power to settle
all my lands on such of my sonnes, as shall approve themselves in the feare of
God, and duty to their aged mother, and on such conditions as they shall meet
also I do nominate Lift. Randall Nicholls (this name is in place if one erased,
I think Lowden) to be added to my overseers above named, provided always it is
my declared will yt my Executrix shall not alienable or dispose of any of my
lands so as to deprive all my sonnes of the same, but I do giver her power by
the advice of my overseers as above is expressed to dispose of the whole to any
one of my sonnes according to her discretion, but not to divide the same into
parcels. In witness whereof I do hereunto sett my hand and seal the day and
year first written.
Thomas Pierce is the ancestor of two US Presidents. He is the ancestor of Barbara Pierce Bush,
wife of President George H. Bush and mother of President George H. W.
Bush. He is also the ancestor of
President Franklin Pierce.
My PIERCE genealogy:
Generation 1: Thomas
Pierce, born about 1583 in England, died 7 October 1666 in Charlestown,
Massachusetts; married Elizabeth Unknown.
She was born about 1595 and died after 22 March 1667 in Woburn,
Massachusetts. Eight children.
Generation 2: Thomas Pierce, Jr., born about 1620 in
England, died 6 November 1683 in Woburn; married on 6 May 1635 in Charlestown
to Elizabeth Cole, daughter of Rice Cole and Arrald Unknown. She was born about 1619 and died 5 March 1688
in Woburn. Thirteen children.
Generation 3: John
Pierce, born 7 May 1643 in Woburn, died 25 May 1720 in Woburn; married on 1
July 1663 in Woburn to Deborah Convers, daughter of James Converse and Anna
Long. She was born 25 July 1647 in
Woburn. Ten children.
Generation 4: Ebenezer Pierce, born 1687 and died before 16
May 1766 in Wilmington, Massachusetts.
He married Mary Wilson, daughter of Samuel Wilson and Elizabeth Pierce
(no relation). She was born 10 April
1685 in Woburn, and died 17 January 1747 in Woburn. Nine children.
Generation 5: Deborah
Pierce, born 4 November 1709 in Woburn, died 1739; married on 11 March 1730 in
Woburn to Increase Wyman, son of Nathaniel Wyman and Mary Winn. He was born 1 March 1707 in Woburn and died 5
September 1739 in Woburn. Five children.
Generation 6: Increase Wyman, born 4 June 1732 in
Burlington, Massachusetts, died before 1776; married to Catherine Unknown. She died 19 January 1783. Ten children.
Generation 7: Jemima Wyman m. Joshua Burnham
Generation 8: Jemima Burnham m. Romanus Emerson
Generation 9: George Emerson m. Mary Esther Younger
Generation 10:. Mary Katherine Emerson m. George E.
Batchelder
Generation 11: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen
Generation 12: Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda
Hitchings (my grandparents)
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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, " Surname Saturday ~ PIERCE of
Charlestown and Woburn, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted September
24, 2016 ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/surname-saturday-pierce-of-charlestown.html: accessed [access date]).
