Margaret Pearce was born in about 1689 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Weaver) Pearce[1]. The evidence that Margaret Pearce was the daughter of Daniel Pearce is based on two South Kingstown land evidence records, discussed below.
She married Ephraim Smith (1675-1722), son of Jeremiah and Mary (Gereardy) Smith, in about 1710, probably in Portsmouth, Rhode Island[1]. They had five children, all probably born in North Kingstown, Rhode Island:
* Freelove Smith (1711-1775), married before 1735 John Allen (1710-????).
* Sarah Smith (1714-????), married before 1735 James Langworthy (1711-1762).
* Renewed Smith (1717-1763), married 29 April 1733 Daniel Carpenter (1712-1763).
* Margaret Smith (1719-????).
* Ephraim Smith (1722-????).
Her husband, Ephraim Smith (1675-1722) died before 12 January 1722/3 in North Kingstown, leaving a wife and five children, when a deed record indicates he was deceased. He has no death, burial or probate records. However, a deed record in the South Kingstown Land Evidence records identifies his wife's given name[2]:
"Ebenezer Smith of Prudence Is. in Township of Portsmouth, yeoman, for love unto the children of my deceased brother Ephriam Smith of Kingstown my right, title & interest in a certain Negro boy named Primus which is one Third part which now is in the hands of Margarett Smith widow of my said brother and mother to said children." Dated January 12, 1722/3; recorded. January 16, 1722/3. Witnesses: William Remington and Daniel Pierce Jr.
Margaret (Pearce) Smith married, second, to Emmanuel Clarke (1697-????) on 4 January 1725 in North Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island[1,4]. They had one child:
* Benjamin Clark (1728-????).
The evidence that Margaret, wife of Ephraim Smith, was the daughter of Daniel Pearce, rests on two records:
1) In 1721/2, Daniel Pearce deeded a Negro woman named Hannah to his "son and daughter Ephraim and Margaret Smith" for love[2]. The deed was dated and acknowledged on 8 January 1721/2, and recorded on 9 January 1721/2.
Margaret (Pearce) (Smith) Clark probably died before 14 May 1733 when her daughter, Margaret Smith chose her uncle, Daniel Pearce as her guardian. The South Kingstown Land Evidence record says[3]:
2) On 14 May 1733, Margaret Smith, daughter of Ephraim Smith, deceased, appeared before the South Kingstown town council and chose 'her uncle Daniel Pearce of Prudence Island' to be her guardian, and Daniel Pearce agreed to be a guardian to Ephraim Smith, Margaret's brother."
Daniel Pearce, the named guardian of the two children, was Margaret's brother, and a son of Daniel and Mary (Weaver) Pearce. Ephraim and Margaret's daughter Margaret Smith, born in about 1719, was aged 13-14 in 1733, and their son Ephraim Smith, born in about 1722, was aged 10-11 in 1733. Why did they need a guardian? Probably because their mother, Margaret (Pearce) Smith, recently had died.
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