Surname Saturday - PEIRCE (England > MA)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week. I am up to number 135, who is Abigail Peirce (1750-1776), one of my 5th-great-grandmothers. [Note: The 5th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts]


My ancestral line back through six generations of PEIRCE families is:

1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)

16. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)
17. Lucretia Townsend Smith (1827-1884)

32. Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)
33. Abigail Gates (1797-1869)

66. Nathan Gates (1767-1830)
67. Abigail Knowlton (1774-1855)

134. Jeremiah Knowlton, born 03 Mar 1744/45 in Concord, Middlesex, MA; died after 1783 in probably Concord, Middlesex, MA. He was the son of 268. Jeremiah Knowlton and 269. Sarah Allen. He married 04 Apr 1771 in Waltham, Middlesex, MA.

135.  Abigail Peirce, born 12 Apr 1750 in Waltham, Middlesex, MA; died 02 Feb 1776 in Lincoln, Middlesex, MA.
Children of Jeremiah Knowlton and Abigail Peirce are:  Lydia Knowlton (1771-????); Abigail Knowlton (1774-1855).

270. Samuel Peirce, born 03 Jul 1712 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA; died 30 Mar 1772 in Waltham, Middlesex, MA.  He married  03 Jun 1739 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.
271. Abigail Stearns, born before 01 Jan 1715/16 in Lexington, Middlesex, MA; died 25 Jul 1798 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA. She was the daughter of 542. George Stearns and 543. Hannah Sanderson.

Children of Samuel Peirce and Abigail Stearns are:  Abigail Peirce (1740-1747); Samuel Peirce (1741-1806); Elizabeth Peirce (1743-1808); Daniel Peirce (1746-1747); Nathaniel Peirce (1748-1749); Abigail Peirce (1750-1776); Judith Peirce (1753-1805); Ezra Peirce (1755-1795); Beulah Peirce (1764-????).
540. John Peirce, born 27 May 1673 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA; died before 21 May 1744 in Waltham, Middlesex, MA.  He married  05 Nov 1702 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.
541. Elizabeth Smith, born 15 Jan 1672/73 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA; died 20 Sep 1747 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA. She was the daughter of 1082. Daniel Smith and 1083. Mary Grant.

Children of John Peirce and Elizabeth Smith are: John Peirce (1703-1774); Jonas Peirce (1705-1776); Ezekiel Peirce (1709-????); Samuel Peirce (1712-1772); Elizabeth Peirce (1716-1743); Daniel Peirce (1719-????); Jonathan Peirce (1724-????).

1080. Joseph Peirce, born about 1647 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA; died before 22 Dec 1713 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.  He married about 1667 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.
1081. Martha, born about 1647 in MA; died before 15 Jun 1698 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.

Children of Joseph Peirce and Martha are:  Joseph Peirce (1669-1753); Francis Peirce (1671-1728); John Peirce (1673-1744); Mary Peirce (1674-????); Benjamin Peirce (1677-????); Jacob Peirce (1678-1740); Martha Peirce (1681-1759); Stephen Peirce (1683-????); Israel Peirce (1685-????); Elizabeth Peirce (1687-????).

2160. Anthony Peirce, born before 28 Apr 1611 in Norwich, Norfolk, ENGLAND; died 09 May 1678 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.  He married  about 1633 in England.
2161. Anne, born in ENGLAND; died 20 Jan 1682/83 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.

Children of Anthony Peirce and Anne are: Mary Peirce (1633-1633); Mary Peirce (1636-1701); Jacob Peirce (1637-1688); Daniel Peirce (1640-1723); Martha Peirce (1641-????); Joseph Peirce (1647-1713); Benjamin Peirce (1649-????); Judith Peirce (1650-1723);

4320. John Pers, born 1588 in Norwich, Norfolk, ENGLAND; died 19 Aug 1661 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA. He married before 1609 in ENGLAND.
4321. Elizabeth, born about 1588 in ENGLAND; died 12 Mar 1666/67 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.

Children of John Pers and Elizabeth are:  Anthony Peirce (1611-1678); Esther Peirce (1613-1636); Mary Peirce (1614-1705); Elizabeth Peirce (1615-1665); John Peirce (1617-????); Barbre Peirce (1620-????); Judith Peirce (1623-1650);

The biography and family data of John Pers (or Peirce) and others in my Peirce line are presented in two works:

*  Frederick Clifton Peirce, Peirce Genealogy, Worcester, 1880

*  John B. Pierce, "The Identity of John Pers of Watertown", New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Voume 111, page 158, April 1957.

The name spelling of Peirce and Pierce seem interchangeable in the records. 

Did you notice the run of the given name Abigail in my direct line - Stearns to Peirce to Knowlton to Gates, although it was in almost every generation of my Peirce line. 

I don't know the maiden name of 1081. Martha (wife of Joseph Peirce), 2161. Anne (wife of Anthony Peirce) or 4321. Elizabeth (wife of John Pers).   Does anyone?