M. 18 Nov 1676 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts2
Wife: Tabitha Parker
D. 10 Jun 1733 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts3
Stephen Peirce was an early settler of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and became the owner of several tracts of undeveloped land. Some of his property came in what was known as the Wamesit Purchase, acquired from the people who had lived in the area for perhaps centuries.
Stephen was born nearby in Woburn on July 16, 1651 to Thomas Peirce and Elizabeth Cole,1 the seventh of their 12 children. When Stephen came of age, he settled in the newer town of Chelmsford, and on November 18, 1676, he married Tabitha Parker,2 the daughter of one of the town’s founders. The couple soon began their family, and they had five children born between about 1677 and 1689. It’s believed that Stephen worked as a tailor, and this fact is verified in a town record showing he was once paid for sewing a burial cloth.4 Stephen was also prominent as a town leader, serving as selectman 13 times between 1693 and 1720,5 and as a moderator of town meetings in 1708, 1710, 1711, 1715 and 1716.5 For a few years, from 1709 to 1710 and again in 1712, he was a representative to the General Court in Boston.5
While Stephen was establishing himself in Chelmsford, there was an exodus of the Native American population in the area. Only 20 years earlier, the Wamesit tribe had a thriving community on the banks of the Concord River, but after new towns sprung up, the Puritan settlers began to encroach on their territory. And after the Native American defeat in King Philip’s War, most of the Wamesits moved away.
In 1686, tribe members who were still living around Chelmsford sold off their former homeland.6 Fifty Puritan settlers formed a syndicate to acquire the land, one of whom was Stephen. The purchase was arranged by two men, Jonathan Tyng of Dunstable and Major Thomas Hinchman of Chelmsford, and they in turn took charge of dividing up the tract among the 50 men. Each one had paid 20 shillings for their portion of land. There’s no record of the size of the Wamesit Purchase, but it was estimated to be 2,500 acres. A typical allotment was a primary lot of 18 acres, plus several smaller lots of 2 acres or less of meadow and land along some creeks.
First part of the Wamesit Purchase deed included "marks" of men and women of the Wamesit tribe.
Second part of the deed listed the men who would receive tracts, including Stephen.
Stephen lived a long life, but he may have begun to show his age in his later years. A town record of 1728 stated that “Stephen Peirce” was appointed to a committee in his town, and was soon after replaced because he became “impaired in his reason.”4 It’s unclear whether this was Stephen or his son of the same name, but since Stephen Sr. was in his late 70s, the description suggests this was him. On June 10, 1733, he passed away in Chelmsford.3 Stephen’s legacy was impressive, with Franklin Pierce as his direct descendant, and another president and a first lady as a distant uncle relationship — George W. Bush and Barbara Pierce Bush.7
Children:
1. Jacob Peirce — B. about 1677, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 20 Sep 1749, Westford, Massachusetts; M. Rachel Batchelder (1671-1674), 18 Nov 1698, Boston, Massachusetts
2. Stephen Peirce — B. 10 Apr 1679, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 9 Sep 1749, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Esther Fletcher (~1685-1767), 5 Jan 1707, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
3. Benjamin Peirce — B. 4 Jun 1682, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
4. Sarah Peirce — B. 25 Mar 1686, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
5. Tabitha Peirce — B. 24 Feb 1690, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 6 Feb 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. William Fletcher
Sources:
1 Birth record of Stephen Peirce, Massachusetts Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of Stephen Peirce and Tabitha Parker, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
3 Death record of Stephen Peirce, Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
4 History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Wilson Waters, 1917
5 Legislators of the Massachusetts General Court, 1691-1780, John A. Schutz
6 History of Lowell, Massachusetts (Wikipedia article)
7 FamousKin.com listing for Stephen Pierce
8 WikiTree listing of Jacob Pierce
9 Death record of Jacob Peirce, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
10 Marriage record of Jacob Peirce and Rachel Batchelder, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, page 582
11 Find-a-Grave listing of Deacon Stephen Peirce
12 Death record of Stephen Peirce (younger), M. T. C., V. & T. R.
13 Marriage record of Stephen Peirce and Esther Fletcher, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
14 Birth record of Benjamin Peirce, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
15 Birth record of Sarah Peirce, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
16 Birth record of Tabitha Peirce, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
17 Death record of Tabitha Peirce, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
