Biography
Benjamin Pierce I was born circa 1657 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States to Michael Pierce (c1617-1676) and Persis Eames (1621-1662) and died 3 May 1730 Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States of unspecified causes. He married Martha Adams (1658-1717) 5 February 1677 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. He married Elizabeth Lobdell (1662-1742) 23 July 1718 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Capt. Benjamin PIERCE. Born in 1646 in Hingham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, MA. On 5 Feb 1678 when Benjamin was 21, he first married Martha ADAMS daughter of John ADAMS (aft 22 May 1627-) & Jane JAMES (27 Dec 1634-1662), in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA. Born on 6 Mar 1658 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA. Martha died in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA, on 29 Dec 1717; she was 59. Buried in Groveland Cemetery, North Scituate, MA.---------On 23 Jul 1718 when Benjamin was 61, he second married Elizabeth LOBDELL, daughter of Isaac LOBDELL (abt 1633-26 Apr 1718) & Martha WARD (abt 1635-4 May 1708), in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA. Born abt 1659 in Hull, Plymouth Co., MA. Elizabeth died aft 13 May 1735; she was 76. Elizabeth died aft 1710; she was 51.
Benjamin died in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA, on 3 May 1730; he was 73. Buried in Groveland Cemetery, North Scituate, MA. Occupation: Farmer, Saw Mill Owner, Surveyor, Appointed In 1700. a more thorough description of his life follows:
Captain Benjamin Pierce settled on his father's considerable estate and managed it after his father's death in 1676. He lived the life of a wealthy landowner (his lands were most probably in excess of 1000 acres). He managed these lands, no doubt, like a typical colonial plantation. In addition, he owned and ran a saw-mill that was erected on a river running through his lands. Like his father before him, Benjamin was appointed Captain of the local militia. He probably took this rank following the death of his father when he was not yet married, and the head of his dead father's household. On February 5, 1678, two years after his father's death, Benjamin married Martha Adams, the daughter of James Adams. They had ten children: Martha, Jerusha, Benjamin, Ebenezer, Persis, Caleb, Thomas, Adams, Jeremiah, and Elisha. Benjamin's first wife, Martha, died 29 Dec 1717. On July 21, 1718, Benjamin married Mrs. Elizabeth Perry.
They had no children. During his lifetime, Benjamin Pierce saw the total population of the New England colonies grow from a sparse 16,000 persons at the time of his birth in 1646, [ ?] to well over 200,000 by the time of his death in 1730. Sometime, long before his death, Benjamin deeded his eldest son, Benjamin (born March 11, 1883) a major portion of his land holdings to own, live on, and manage. Working from future generation backwards, it is save to say that the amount of land given to Benjamin was between 400 and 600 acres. Before his death in he executed a will, dated 13 October 1730. His will shows him to have died a wealthy landowner. Bejamin's will made sure that his wife and all of his surviving children were well taken care of.
In his final will, he appears to have favored his last child, Elisha (born Nov. 24, 1699) by giving him the greatest portion of his remaining land holdings, and making him and his brother, Thomas, the "sole executors" to his last will and testament. Captain Benjamin Pierce died in 1730 on his estate in Scituate. Scituate Vital Records/ Groveland Cemetery slate engraved gravestone shows he died at age 73. Groveland Cemetery is at Country Way and Studley Royal Road, Scituate, MA. Benjamin was about 21 when he married, and was 19 when his father died, and he was named Capt. Michael Peirse Page 22 executor along with his step-mother, perhaps a bit young, but nothing seems to contradict this. Savage incorrectly states that he died at age 84. (Savage Vol. 1, p.4). 78 [one could argue that the gravestone is wrong and should have said in his 83rd year, not his 73rd year
The record of when he took over his father's estate:
According to the advice of the Court and by the request of Benjamine Peirse and his mother, Anna Peirse, wee whose names are underwritten have valued the lands and housing that did appertaine to Captain Micaill Peirse, deceased, to be aded to the Inventory of his estate in Court. His lands in Scittuate given to his sone, Benjamine Peirse, being by estimation about sixty acres of upland and thriteen acrees of meddow land with the hous and barne wee value att two hundred fifty pound. And his lands in Scittuate given to his son, John Peirse, values att 50£ And his lands and rights att Hingham given to his son, John, att one hundred thiry two pounds The totall sume: 432£ Scituate, October the 18th 1676 by us John Jacob Charles Stockbridge
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Martha Pierce (1679-1700) | |||
| Jerusha Pierce (1681-1758) | |||
| Benjamin Pierce (1683-1772) | 11 March 1683 Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | 15 October 1772 Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | Mary Cowing (1691-1724) |
| Ebenezer Pierce (1686-1772) | |||
| Persis Pierce (1688-1717) | |||
| Caleb Pierce (1690-1769) | |||
| Thomas Pierce (1692-1775) | |||
| Adams Pierce (1695-1714) | |||
| Jeremiah Pierce (1695-) | |||
| Elisha Pierce (1699-1770) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Persis Pierce (1645-1646) | |||
| Abigail Pierce (1646-1723) | |||
| Elizabeth Pierce (1648-1675) | |||
| Sarah Pierce (1649-1675) | |||
| Deborah Pierce (1650-) | |||
| Ephraim Pierce (1650-1719) | 1650 Scituate, Massachusetts, United States | 14 September 1719 Warwick, Rhode Island, United States | Hannah Holbrook (c1650-1719) |
| Anna Pierce (1653-1675) | |||
| Benjamin Pierce (1657-1730) | 1657 Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | 3 May 1730 Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | Martha Adams (1658-1717) Elizabeth Lobdell (1662-1742) |
| Abiah Pierce (1658-1725) | |||
| John Pierce (1659-1750) | |||
| Persis Pierce (1662-1715) | |||
| Ruth Pierce (1662-1748) | |||
Residences
See Also
- Benjamin Pierce
- Pierce Family
- Pierce in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
- Adams in Plymouth County, Massachusetts