Abraham Pierce, of Duxbury

Seven Pierce Families by Harvey Cushman Pierce, 1936:

His name was spelled PEIRCE. Abraham Peirce was the first member of the family who settled in Plymouth Colony and from him are descended most of the name, however spelled, in that section of Massachusetts. His name appears in the records of Plymouth as a taxpayer in 1623 and as a soldier under Captain Myles Standish in 1633. He was born in England about 1600, and died in Duxbury about 1673. In that year his son Abraham was appointed administrator of his estate. His wife's name was Rebecca.

Sailed to the Plymouth Colony aboard the Anne in 1623.

From Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families by William T. Davis, # HIR 929.3, Plymouth Library & from Info from The Great Migration Begins - Immigrants to the Northeast 1620-1633 v III by Robert Charles Anderson Ref # HIR 929.374 and v.3:

Migrated to Plymouth in 1623 on the Anne, moved to Duxbury after 1643. Was a Freeman in the 1633 list of Plymouth Freemen. Was one of two servants of Mr. John Pierce in the 1623 Plymouth division of land - received one acre which was sold in 1629 to Thomas Clarck.) On June 6, 1673, Abraham Pierce, Jr., made over to his brother "Isacke Peirse" 20 acres of upland and 2 acres of meadow, part of the land and meadow of his father "Abraham Peirse, he dying intestate". Abraham, Jr. also gave 20s a piece to "his 3 sisters, RebeckahWills, Mary Baker and Alice Baker."

On September 7, 1642, Court ordered "the difference betwixt Mr. Will Hanbury and Abraham Perse about the lugging and killing of Mr. Hanbury's swine" was to be settled by Mr. William Paddy and John Howland, for William Hanbury, and Stephen Tracy and John Cooke the younger for Pierce. The settlement appears unsuccessful as on 7 November 1643 Hanbury sued Pierce for trespass, and Pierce countersued for trespass and charged Hanbury with assault and battery.

The court ordered Hanbury to pay 3s.4d and court charges for the latter offense.

On 2 March 1651, Abraham Pierce was presented for "Slothful and negligent spending the Sabbath and not frequenting the public assembly." He was warned to amend and excused.

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pierce-355

He was born about 1605, assuming he was eighteen when he arrived in 1623. His origins are unknown.

"Abraham Pierce may be related in some way to Mr. John Pierce of London [TAG 54:164-66]."[2]

Arrived in Massachusetts in 1623 on the Anne, initially settling in Plymouth, removed to Duxbury by 1643.

Abraham was one of two servants of Mr. [John] Pierce in the 1623 Plymouth division of land.

"A good indication that Abraham Pierce was indeed a close relative of Mr. John Pierce of London emerges from a close examination of early Plymouth land records, supported by the records of a Pierce (Peirsey) family in Virginia... The piece of evidence that provides the possible link between Abraham Pierce of Plymouth and Duxbury and Mr. John Peirce of London is a deed of 1629, recorded on page 7 of the [Records of the Colony of New Plymouth vol. 12]... dated 28 Sept. 1629, Abraham Peirce sells to Thomas Clark... [acre of land described in very similar ways to 1623 granted to "Mr. [John] Pierce's servants."] ... As it was common practice for a merchant adventurer in England to employ a young relative as servant or agent in the New World, it would seem highly probably that Abraham Pierce of Plymouth was indeed a close relative of Mr. John Peirce of London..."[3][4]
Abraham Peirce's name first appeared in the "Division of cattle" in 1627.[5] He sold 2 shares in the red cow on Jan 10 1627/8.[6]

He was a taxpayer at Plymouth in 1633, paying 9 shillings,[7] and again in 1634, at the same rate.[8] He was one of the first freemen in 1633.[9] He served on the inquest jury into the death of John Deacon, February 1635/6.[10] He was a soldier in 1643, under Capt. Miles Standish. He was one of the original purchasers of ancient Bridgewater, and had several land grants.

He married by 1638 Rebecca _____. She does not appear to have survived him since her son made no acknowledgement of or provision for her dower. She was the sister of "Goody (possibly Hannah) Scudder" (probably wife of John Scudder of Barnstable) who took Rebecca's daughter Alice to be baptized 21 Jul 1650.

"That her sister took her youngest child implies that either Rebecca was ill, unable to nurse, or deceased following the birth."
He died by 3 Jun 1673 when "Abraham Peirse, Junior" transferred 22 acres of land to his brother Isacke, part of the land of "his father Abraham Perise deceased, dying intestate."

Abraham Peirse Junior also gave 20s apiece to "his three sisters, viz: Rebeckah Wills, Mary Baker, and Allice Baker..."

Children

1. Abraham, b ___ January 1638/9?; m1 by 1665 Hannah Baker. (In his will, dated 4 March 1692/3, Francis Baker made a bequest to "my daughter Hannah Pearse".) Abraham m2 in Scituate on 29 October 1695 Hannah _____ (said to be Hannah Glass).
2. Isaac, b say 1641; living 1673; no further record.
3. Rebecca, b say 1643; m by 1673 Samuel Wills.
4. Mary b say 1645; m by about 1670 Nathaniel Baker ("Samuel Baker the son of Nathanell Baker was 4 years old the 29th of October 1674")
5. Alice, bp Barnstable 21 Jul 1650; m by 1672 John Baker (eldest child b 31 My 1672)

References

1. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). Abraham Pierce pages 1466-69 < AmericanAncestors >
2. Ancestry.com. New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volumes 1-3; The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 1-6. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011. Abraham Pierce pages 1466-69 < AncestryImage >
3. The Peirce Family of the Old Colony: or the lineal descendants of Abraham Peirce Who came to America as early as 1623. Author: Peirce, Ebenezer W[eaver]. of Freetown, Mass. Publication: Boston : printed for the Author. David Clapp & Son, 334 Washington St., 1870. Date: 25 Feb 2006. Originally a series of articles in NEHGR, beginning in Vol. 21 (1867), p. 61.
4. The Anne and the Little James, Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
5. Representative men and old families of southeastern Massachusetts Vol 3; Published by J.H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1912; pg 1491
6. Plymouth Colony Records, Volume 1, ed. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff (1855); Volume 12, ed. David Pulsifer (1861).
7. Stearns, Ezra S. Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908) Vol. 2, Page 561 "He was in Plymouth as early as 1623..."
8. Seven Pierce families: a record of births, deaths and marriages, by Pierce, Harvey Cushman is available through The Internet Archive (archive.org). URL: https://archive.org/details/sevenpiercefamil00pier_0
9. old note: 1658, Married at Plymouth, MA., Rebecca Lothrop?
10. Passengers of the ships Anne and Little James 1623 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    1. 46. Abraham Pierce (or Peirce) – He was named with two servants in the 1623 division as "Mr Perces .2. ser:" Member of the 1626 Purchaser investment group as "Abraham Pearse." In the 1627 division he had one share as "Abraham Peirce." Died c. 1633. (Sic)
    2. 47. (name unknown) - servant of A. Pierce (1623)
    3. 48. (name unknown) – servant of A. Pierce (1623)[56]