M. 18 Nov 1676 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts2
Husband: Stephen Peirce
D. 31 Jan 1742 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts3
As the Puritans who settled in colonial Massachusetts spread to its outskirts, some trailed north of Boston. This is where Tabitha Parker spent her entire life. She was born on February 21, 1658 to Jacob and Sarah Parker,1 two early settlers of the village of Chelmsford. Tabitha was the fifth of their nine children; her father was the town clerk, but sadly he passed away when she was 17.4 A little more than a year later, on November 18, 1676, Tabitha married Stephen Peirce,2 who was new to the town. Their first child was thought to be born in about 1677,5 and by 1689, they had four more.
In 1686, some Chelmsford men formed a group to buy land directly from a local tribe.6 The plots were located just to the north of the town, also known as the Wamesit Purchase, and this is where the Peirce family settled. Tabitha faced certain dangers while raising her family there with fears of invasion by Indians who lived nearby, and in 1697 the men wrote a petition to the authorities in Boston asking for assistance.6 The families also struggled to grow crops, and it was said that many hay stacks caught fire, causing some to leave the area, but Tabitha and Stephen stayed.
Another issue about where Tabitha lived was that it was a long distance from the nearest meetinghouse. Every Sunday meant traveling on wilderness roads by horse or cart to the all-day services at Chelmsford’s church. In 1719, Stephen was one of several men who asked for a stable to be built at the meetinghouse to accommodate his family and neighbors.6
The town records reported in 1728 that Stephen was “impaired in his reasoning,” which caused him to be removed from a town committee.6 Tabitha likely became his caretaker as he lived out his final years, dying on June 10, 1733.7
Tabitha wrote a will on November 18, 1735,8 and in it we can see a glimpse of her life at the time. She was “sick of body, but of sound mind and memory,” and had specific ideas of who should get her humble possessions. She left many items to her granddaughter Sarah Wheeler, including “my best bed & furniture, & warming pan, & iron kettle, & pottage pot, & half a dozen pewter plates, & two pewter platters, & my [tramels?] & box irons.” To her youngest daughter Tabitha, she offered “my other bed & furniture, … my brass kettle & box of drawers & … case on my chest of drawers.” Tabitha made her mark on the document, indicating she was illiterate.
Tabitha’s 1735 will.
On January 31, 1742, Tabitha passed away in Chelmsford at the age of almost 84.3 Some of her descendants would eventually migrate north, and great-grandson Benjamin Pierce became the governor of New Hampshire.9 His son was President Franklin Pierce,9 and further down the line were Barbara Bush and George W. Bush as niece and nephew relationships9 — quite a legacy for a woman of colonial Chelmsford.
Children:
1. Jacob Peirce — B. about 1677, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;5 D. 20 Sep 1749, Westford, Massachusetts;5 M. Mary Whittaker (~1689-1761)10
2. Stephen Peirce — B. 10 Apr 1679, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;11 D. 9 Sep 1649, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;11 M. Esther Fletcher (~1685-1767), 5 Jan 1707, Chelmsford, Massachusetts12
3. Benjamin Peirce — B. 4 Jun 1682, Chelmsford, Massachusetts13
4. Sarah Peirce — B. 25 Mar 1686, Chelmsford, Massachusetts14
5. Tabitha Peirce — B. 24 Feb 1690, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;15 D. 6 Feb 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;16 M. William Fletcher16
Sources:
1 Birth record of Tabitha Parker, 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 Tabitha Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4 Parker in America 1630-1910, Augustus G. Parker, 1911, p. 532
5 WikiTree listing of Jacob Peirce
6 History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Wilson Waters, 1917
7 Death record of Stephen Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
8 Tabitha Peirce will, United States, Massachusetts, Middlesex – Probate Records, FamilySearch.org
9 FamousKin.com listing of Stephen Pierce
10 Marriage record of Jacob Peirce and Rachel Batchelder, New England Marriages prior to 1700, p. 582
11 Find-a-Grave listing of Deacon Stephen Peirce
12 Marriage record of Stephen Peirce and Esther Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13 Birth record of Benjamin Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14 Birth record of Sarah Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15 Birth record of Tabitha Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16 Death record of Tabitha Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
