The H600 Project Genealogy DB

Peter Hoar Peirce

Male 1788 - 1861  (72 years)


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  • Name Peter Hoar Peirce 
    Born 25 Mar 1788  Dartmouth, Bristol Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 27 Jan 1861 
    Person ID I4462  A00 Hoar and Horr Families North America
    Last Modified 22 Jun 2012 

    Father Capt. Job Peirce,   b. 29 Nov 1737, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 Jul 1819, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 81 years) 
    Mother Elizabeth Rounsevill,   b. 25 Aug 1743, Freetown, Bristol Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 9 Jan 1790, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 46 years) 
    Married 28 May 1761  Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F2616  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Nabby Sprout,   b. 11 Jul 1789, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Harriet Sprout Peirce,   b. 5 Apr 1814, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     2. Job Cornet Peirce,   b. 17 Oct 1815, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     3. Charles Frederick Peirce,   b. 7 Sep 1817, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     4. Judith Peirce,   b. 22 Mar 1819, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. William Rounseville Peirce,   b. 8 Oct 1821, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     6. Thomas Sprout Peirce,   b. 19 Jun 1823, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1901  (Age 77 years)
     7. Levi L. Peirce,   b. 12 May 1825, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     8. Nabby Peirce,   b. 17 Apr 1827, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     9. Peter H. Peirce,   b. 13 Jul 1829, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     10. James Earle Peirce,   b. 21 Nov 1833, Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1901  (Age 67 years)
    Last Modified 15 Feb 2010 
    Family ID F18277  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Named after Peter Hoar.
      Peter Hoar Pierce was raised by Peter and Mercy (Pierce) Hoar after his mother died.

      http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120621/PUB04/206210419/-1/pub04
      Open for Business Once Again: The Peirce Company
      Store
      Published June 21, 2012 - South Coast Today (Newspaper)
      This Saturday, the Middleborough Historical Museum
      reopens its iconic Peter H. Peirce Company exhibit, with an open house from 10
      to 3, including a ribbon-cutting at 10 and tours at 11. The exhibit documents
      the history of the Peirce Company store that occupied what is now the
      Middleborough police station on North Main Street from the early 1800s through
      1935. Closed for the past few years in order to permit repairs to the building
      which houses it, as well as a re-cataloging and re-interpretation of the exhibit
      artifacts, the Peter H. Peirce Company exhibit has long been a popular
      attraction at the museum, and the public is invited to come celebrate its
      re-opening.
      The Peirce family, their store, and the fund which they
      left behind, all hold an important place in Middleborough history. In 1934, a
      year before the store officially closed, the Middleboro Gazette published an
      overview of the store's history, which follows.
      "Our feature this week relates the story of a store - the
      P. H. Peirce Company - from whose extensive trade of years ago, a trust fund was
      able to be established for the use of the Town of Middleboro, and which has been
      of great value and assistance since its origination.
      "The old firm name of P. H. Peirce and Company stood for
      Peter Hoar Peirce and his sons. Job, Thomas and James were the sons interested
      in the general store, which was however a department store as we speak of them
      today.
      "Peter Hoar Peirce, who was born March 25, 1788, and who
      was named after Peter Hoar, with whom he lived after the death of his parents,
      began as a storekeeper in the two story house now standing at the Upper Four
      Corners, on the southeast corner of the intersection of "?A?E Main and Vaughan
      streets in Lakeville.
      "He had few advantages, but developed an unusual business
      ability in his early youth, and by his energy and persistent endeavor, he became
      the leading business man of the town. Forseeing business life at the Four
      Corners, he moved from Lakeville into Middleboro and set up headquarters in the
      store on North Main Street.
      "The old store, which was started in 1808, satisfied the
      needs of the townspeople and residents of the neighboring towns withi a radius
      of twenty miles. They drove here to purchase the necessities of life.
      "In the back room, there were bolts of cloth for dresses,
      shirts and aprons and an assortment of ribbons, buttons, thread and all sewing
      materials. This room also contained earthenware, farming implements and carpets,
      wallpapers and oilcloth.
      "In the cellar was a room set apart for the sale of 'West
      Indies goods', which included rum, gin, brandy and all spirituous liquors.
      "The order wagons were driven about town to solicit
      orders and deliver goods. This type of store was conducted for about 75 years.
      As other stores opened in the district the sale of merchandise other than
      groceries was gradually dropped.
      "'Mr. Thomas' and 'Mr. James' were the only surviving
      Peirces at the time Elton L. Pratt came to work as clerk in the store. This was
      in 1885, and Herbert A. Pratt started with the firm in 1893.
      "Mr. James Peirce died in 1901, and his brother Thomas
      also passed away that same year. 'Mr. Thomas' was the last of the Peirce
      brothers and consequently inherited much of their wealth. At his death he gave
      over a half a million dollars to the Town of Middleboro and a hundred thousand
      to the Public Library.
      "After his death, however, the business was purchased by
      the Pratt brothers who conducted a grocery store until 1929, when Elton L. Pratt
      bought out his brother's share.
      "Mr. Pratt, who is the present owner, has seen many
      changes take place both inside and out. Electricity has replaced the old
      fashioned oil lamps which were used. The cash registers and adding machines and
      modern forms of bookkeeping are a great improvement over the old money drawer
      and ledgers so crudely kept. The end of the store used as sheds was remodeled
      for storage purposes. As the horse and carriage was replaced by the automobile,
      the sheds used by the customers, who drove into town, were no longer
      necessary.
      "On the second floor of the building was a hall large
      enough to seat two hundred people. Years ago, town meetings and entertainments
      were conducted there at at one time, the Catholic church services were held in
      this hall.
      "From all the facts at hand, it is interesting to learn
      that such an establishment existed in those early days, and that there are very
      few changes if any in the building, where the store of Peter Hoar Peirce was the
      center of trade in this portion of the state."
      The following year, in 1935, the Peter H. Peirce Company
      store closed forever, concluding a history of over 125 years.

      Article written shortly after his son Thomas' death:
      http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E00E3DD143AE63AA15754C2A96F9C946097D6CF