Captain Michael Pierce was born circa 1617 in England to Richard Pearce (1590-1666) and Martha Jacobs (c1593-) and died 26 May 1676 Battle of Narrangansett Swamp of unspecified causes. He married Persis Eames (1621-1662) 1643 in Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Biography
One of four brothers to immigrate to America from England. Michael Pierce died in battle during King Philip's War.
Immigration to America
Michael settled first in Hingham, Massachusetts where he married first, and then later in Scituate, Massachusetts. His house was on the Cohasset Road, a mile from the North Meeting house.
He assisted in building the first saw mill in the colony, but it was burned by the Indians, 20 May 1676 (see below).
Battle of Rehobath
King Philip's War was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–78.
Michael Pierce is most famous for being the leader of that colonial force having suffered the greatest defeat at the hands of Native Americans during the 17th Century colonial New England in an event of King Philip's War known as Rehoboth Fight of 1676 or Pierce Battle. Over 50 men of the Plymouth Colony militia plus a dozen indian allies were killed by a superior indian force.
Michael Pierce was commissioned captain of militia by the general court in 1669 and having been ensign and lieutenant before that. He led troops in the first Narragansett battle, The Great Swamp Fight in December 1675, which was a brutal lopsided slaughter of Narragansett tribe indians.
In the spring of 1676 he commanded an expedition against the indians under Canonchet and was attacked near Pawtucket by a superior force and his command nearly annihilated. The story of the first first, related by Mather and others is well known. Captain Pierce fell early, 55 of the 63 Englishmen were slain with 10-20 Indian allies. The Indians were commanded by Nanuntenoo, better known as Canonchet, and the place of the battle is now called Quinsniket.
Participants - 1675 Plymouth Militia:
- Samuel Fuller (1628-1676) - Lieutenant of Militia
- John Sprague (1630-1676) -
Will of Captain Pierce
Captain Pierce dated a will 15 Jan 1675, "being now by appointment of God going out to war against the Indians."
Marriage and Family
1st Marriage : Unknown
First married by 1645. She died in 1662.
2nd Marriage: Hannah James
He married second to Hannah James, having previously a son Mark James and daughter Abigail James.
Children
| 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) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Pearce (1613-1656) | |||
| Michael Pierce (c1617-1676) | 1617 England | 26 May 1676 Pawtucket, Providence County, Rhode Island | Persis Eames (1621-1662) |
| Richard Pierce (1615-1678) | |||
| Samuel Pierce (1620-1661) | |||
| Hannah Pearce (1622-1680) | |||
| Sarah Pierce (1626-1690) | |||
Ancestry =
- Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (c1392-1455) -
- Ralph Percy (1425-1464)
- Peter Percy (1447-1510) - illegitimate son, standard bearer to King Richard III
- Richard Percy (1500-1570) - Builder of Pearse Hall, Yorkshire
- Richard Pearce (1553-1641)
- Richard Pearce (1590-1666)
References
- New England Families, Genealogical and Meorial Record - Vol 4 - Publ 1914, William Richard Cutter, pg 1809-1812 (Pierce Family) (Free on Google Books)
See Also
- Michael Pierce
- Pierce Family
- Pierce in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
- Pierce in Providence County, Rhode Island
Residences
Footnotes (including sources)
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