.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Another Great Grandfather and the Revolutionary War. (Pierce Line)

Our Pierce Family Coat of Arms (Wales)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
Exciting news tonight. Thanks to cousin Angie Mattson's research we have a new family line that opened to research.

Grandma Violet's maiden name was Pierce. Up until a few weeks ago we new her father and her grandfather, then the line went stone cold. Tonight we know a great deal more.

Angie Mattson has spent a great deal of time researching the Pierce name both here in Utah and in South Dakota and tonight we are happy to present the Pierce Genealogy to the 1600's. So, without further pause, The Pierce's.....

RELATIONSHIP CHART. PIERCE (PEARCE) FAMILY TREE

John Pearce. b. 1600 England d. 1660
to
John Pearce b. 1632 in Wales. d. 1692 Prudence Island. Portsmouth Twp. Newport Co. RI
married Mary Makepeace b. 1636 d. 1711

to
Daniel Pearce b. 1662 d. 15 March 1730/31. married Elizabeth Tucker. b. 17 Apr. 1677 d. 1728.

to
Nathan Pearce Sr. b. 22 April 1705 d. 15 March 1789/ 90. married Abigail Spink b. 1704. d. 7 Jan. 1790/91.
to
Nathan Pearce Jr. b. 17 Jan 1740/41 d. 19 Dec. 1781. married Elizabeth Culver b ? d. 30 March 1832.
to
Robert Gilbert Livingston Pearce b. 1771 married Eunice Worden b. 1777 d. 20 Jan. 1840.
to
William Pearce b. 1805 d. 2 Apr. 1889 married Catherine Morse b. 1811 d. 14 Dec. 1885.

to
Andrew Jackson Pearce b. 1835 New York. d. ? married Isabella Pearce b. 1842 New York
to
Edwin Sherman Pierce married Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler
to
Walter Edwin Pierce married Vesta Althea Dennis

to
Violet Mae Pierce married Walter Albert Mattson

to
Luella, Linda, John, Marvin

to
US


And new the first story from our the Pierce family tree. Tonight I'd like to tell you a few things about our 6th Great Grandfather, Nathan Pierce Jr.

Nathan Pierce Jr. was a Captain and Major of the 25th Regiment of Infantry of New York. According to one source he was murdered in 1781. That is a story I'll need to search out.

The following is taken from a source familiar with our Pierce family in New York. In it you'll read about our Grandfather Nathan.
In the war of the Revolution the cause of the Colonies found ardent supporters in what is now the town of Pawling, Among those who rendered efficient aid in that struggle for National independence, none are more worthy of honorable mention that the family of Nathan PEARCE. This family can trace their origin to John PEARCE, a Welshman, who, with his three sons, emigrated to this country about the year 1660. The first one of this name of whom anything definite is known, was Nathan PEARCE, Sr., a grandson of the John above mentioned, from who was descended the family of that name in this town. He was born in Providence, in the Colony of Rhode Island, in the year 1706. He first settled in North Kingston, Washington county, Rhode Island, where four of his children were born. From there he went to Prudence Island where he lived some years, as three of his children were born there. He then removed to Providence where his two youngest children were born. About the year 1760 he came to Pawling, his youngest son, Colonel William PEARCE, being then fifteen years old. (His other sons were Benoni, Ephraim, and Nathan.) He first located on the place since owned by O. S. DYKEMAN, and in the year 1767 he purchased the place now owned by Nathaniel PEARCE, where he lived through all the turbulous period of the Revolution.
In 1778, when Pawling was formed as a town, Nathan PEARCE, Jr., was elected the first Supervisor, which office he filled with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his townsmen. He died in 1790, at the age of eighty-four.
Captain William PEARCE, towards the close of the war, received a Colonel’s commission. After the war he held the office of Supervisor, and was a Justice of the Peace from 1785 to 1801. About that time he was elected to the Legislature, where he served two terms. He died in January, 1813.
The descendants of this family are quite numerous in the town, and still rank among its ablest citizens. To Nathaniel PEARCE, a grandson of Col. William, we are indebted for much valuable assistance in this history of Pawling. A man of letters by nature, he has taken more than an ordinary interest in local and general historical events, and the results of his labors, both published and unpublished, were kindly placed at our disposal. Mr. Pearce was born in Pawling in 1809, on the farm on which he lives, and which has been in his family since 1767.
Once again, many more stories to tell about this new line. Great Job Angie!

Simply,
Victor