Pages

Friday, October 9, 2020

52 Ancestors - Week 351: #562 Nathaniel Pierce (1655-1692) of Woburn, Massachusetts

Nathaniel Pierce (1655-1692) is number 562 on my Ahnentafel List, my 7th great-grandfather, who married #563 Elizabeth Pierce (1646-????) in 1681 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

I am descended through:

*  their daughter #281 Mary Pierce (1682-1713)  who married  #280 Thomas Dill (1682-1718) in 1706.
*  their son #140 Thomas Dill (1708-1761) who married #141 Mehitable Brown (1714-1758) in 1733.
*  their son #70 Thomas Dill (1755-1839) who married #71 Hannah Horton (1761-1797) in 1782.
*  their daughter  #35 Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869) who married  #34 Alpheus Smith (1802-1840)  in 1826.
*  their daughter, #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884) who married #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) in 1851.
*  their son #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) who married #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) in 1874.
*  their son #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) who married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
*  their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)  in 1942.
*  their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)

=====================================================

1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
 
 
*   Name:                    Nathaniel Pierce[1–5]    
*  Alternate Name:     Nathanell Pierce[5]

*  Sex:                        Male    

*  Father:                    Robert Peirce (1621-1706)    
*  Mother:                  Mary Knight (1621-1700)  
 
2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
   
*   Birth:                     4 December 1655, Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[2]    

*  Military:                 19 May 1676 (age 20), was at Turner Falls on Connecticut River in King Philip's War; Massachusetts, United States[1]    

*  Will:                       2 May 1691, will written, Woburn, Middlesex, Massacusetts, United States[5]
*  Death:                     before 13 December 1692 (before age 37), will proved; Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[5]    
*  Probate:                  13 December 1692 (age 37), Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States[5]  

3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*   Spouse 1.               Hannah Converse (1660-1680)    
*  Marriage 1:             27 December 1677 (age 22), Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[3]    

*  Child 1:                  Nathaniel Pierce (1679-1719)    

*  Spouse 2:               Elizabeth Pierce (1646-    )    
*  Marriage 2:            23 March 1680/1 (age 25), Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[4]    
*  Child 2:                 Mary Pierce (1682-1713)    
*  Child 3:                 Hannah Peirce (1684-1688)    
*  Child 4:                 Ichabod Pierce (1686-    )    
*  Child 5:                 Robert Pierce (1689-1689)  
    
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):  
 
The Pierce Genealogy book by Frederick Clifton Pierce provides a brief description of the life of Nathaniel Pierce[1]:
"NATHANIEL, Woburn, s. of Robert of the same, was sol. in K. Philip's War and was in the memorable battle at the falls of Conn. River, May 19, 1676; m. Dec. 27 1677, Hannah convers, had Nathaniel, b. Feb 2, 1678/9; his wf. d. Mar. 1678; He m. 2nd, Elizabeth (Pierce) Foster,* wid. of Hopestill of Charlestown and dau. of Thomas Pierce, Jr., and had Mary, Hannah, Ichabod, Robert.
* She had been prev. m. to Thomas Whittemore, of Woburn."
Nathaniel Pierce was born 4 December 1655 in Woburn, the son of Robert and Mary (Knight) Pierce[2].  

There is no record of Nathaniel Pierce's service during King Philip's War in 1676 except for a witness statement that he was present in the battle at Turner's Falls on the Connecticut River on 19 May 1676[1].

Nathaniel married (1) Hannah Converse (1660-1680)  on 27 December 1677 in Woburn[3], the daughter of Allen and Elizabeth (--?--) Converse of Woburn.  They had one son, recorded in the Woburn town records:

*  Nathaniel Pierce (1679-1719), who married 1701 Lydia Francis (1684-1767) in Woburn.

Hannah (Converse) Pierce died before 23 March 1680/1 when Nathaniel married (2) Elizabeth (Pierce) (Whittemore) Foster in Woburn (1646-????)[4].  She was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Cole) Pierce of Charlestown, Massachusetts, and the widow of Thomas Whittemore and Hopestill Foster.  They had four children, all recorded in Woburn town records:

*  Mary Pierce (1682-1713), married 1706 Thomas Dill (1682-1718).
*  Hannah Pierce (1684-1688)
*  Ichabod Pierce (1686-????)
*  Robert Pierce (1689-1689)

The will of Nathaniel Pierce of Woburn, a "taylor," was written on 2 May 1691 and proved in the Middlesex County Probate Court on 13 December 1692[5].  There are only three papers in Middlesex County Probate Packet 17539 - the will and two witness affidavits.  The will says:
In the Name of god Amen
I Nathanell Peirce of the Towne of Woburne in the County
of Midlesex in the Masathusetts Collony in New England Taylor
being of sound understanding do solomaly make ordayne and
constitute this writting my last will and Testament the
which lett not man presume to alter or change hereby
making voyd all former wills by me made.

And first I give my soule to God father son and holy spirit
three glorious persons but one Infinite and Eternall essence
hoping to be saved by the above merits of Jesus Christ and
beleve that thought wormes destroy this body of mine yet
my soule and body shall againe be united and I be in the
presents of God to al eternity.

Secondly I give my body to the Earth there to be decently
buried and after my Just debts and funerall charges are
Sattisfyed the rest of my Esteat I will and bequeth as followeth
first I give to Elizabeth my loving and beloved wife tenn pounds
to be payd her out of my effects she chosing in what of my
moveable Esteat she will have it in to be at her owne desease
and also the use of the whole of my housing and lands during
her terme while my Eldest son cometh of Age and after that
the use of but one halfe so long as she continueth my widow.

2ly To my eldest son Nathanell ^I give^ the twenty pounds to be payd him
out of my Effects the which I have given my bond alredy for
and after all is payd as abovesaid the rest of my Effects I appoint
to be Equally devided amongst all my Children my eldest son
being one that is to say Mary, Nathanell, Ichabod ^and Robert my
housing and lands ^and all my effects^ bouth reall and personall to be equally devided
amongst them.

I also ordaine my beloved wife and my Eldest son Nathanell
to be Executors to this my will and desire my dear friends
Danell Baldwin and Benjamin Peirce Juner my owne Brother
to be my overseers and in case my movable Esteat will not be
Suffishiant to pay my debts then my executors with the advice
of my over seers shall have power to sell those lands of mine
that may be best ?????? to pay them and give my sd over seers
tenn shillings apece as a token of my love to the conformation
hereof I the said Nathanell Peirce have hereunto sett my hand
and seale this second of May Sixteen hundred and ninety one.
Signed sealed and delivered
for the End above said before
us
William Johnson                                       Nathaneill Pierce
James Burbeen
Joseph Polly
The witness affidavits are:
Charlestown dc^br 13 1692
By y'e Honorable James Russell Esq'r
W'm Johnson Esq'r appearing p'rsonally made oath y't he was  
present & saw y'e Subscriber Nathan'll Pierce Deced Sign & Seal
and heard him Publish & declare this to be his last Will &
Testament & y't when he said it he was of a disposing minde and y't
he saw James Burbene & Joseph Polley set to theire hand
together w'th him selfe as Wittnesses to y'e same.
    Sam'a Phipps Reg'r
                                        Jurat'h Cora Ja Russell

dcbr 14'th 92:  James Burbene in prsence of James Russell
Esq'r made oath y't he was p'rsonally p'rsent and saw
Nathan'll Pierce Dated Sign & Seal & heard him publish and
Declare this to be his last Will & Testament & y't then
when he said it he was of disposing minde & that he
Saw y'e other Wittnesses W'm Johnson Esq'r and Joseph Polley
sett theire hands there unto together w'th himself as Witnesses
   Sam'll Phipps Reg'r 
                                         Jura'th  Cora Ja Russell.
NOTE;  There are no other papers in this probate packet - no inventory, account or distribution.  

Nathaniel Pierce died before 13 December 1692 in Woburn at about age 37[5].  There is a death record with only "1692" but no day or month in the Woburn vital record book.  There is no known burial location of Nathaniel or Elizabeth Pierce.
       
5)  SOURCES
1. Edward F. Johnson, Woburn Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths [5 Volumes], Volume 1,
Births, page 193, Nathaniel Pierce entry, 4 December 1655, "son of Robert".

2. Frederick Clifton Pierce, Pierce Genealogy; Being the Record of the Posterity of John Pers, an
Early Inhabitant of Watertown, in New England ... with Notes on the History of Other Families of
Peirce, Pierce, Pearce, Etc (Worcester, Mass., Press of Chas. Hamilton, 1880), page 18, Nathaniel
Pierce sketch.
3. Edward F. Johnson, Woburn Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths [5 Volumes], (Woburn,
Mass.: The News Print, 1893), Volume 3, Marriages, page 209, Nathaniel Pierce and Hannah
Converse entry, 27 Dec. 1677.
4. Edward F. Johnson, Woburn Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths [5 Volumes], Volume 3,
Page 209, Nathaniel Pierce and Elizabeth Foster entry, 23 March 1680.
5. "Middlesex County, Mass.: Probate Papers, 1648-1871," digital images, American Ancestors
(http://www.AmericanAncestors.org : accessed, 8 October 2020), Probate Case File 17539,
Nathanell Pierce of Woburn, 1692.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE:  In 2014, Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I have extended this theme in 2020 for a seventh year to 364 Ancestors in 364 Weeks.  The list of 52 Ancestors biographies from my great-grandparents to the 7th great-grandparents (in work) is in   https://www.geneamusings.com/p/ancestor-biographies.html.


Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com

No comments:

Post a Comment