Levi L. Peirce

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

Peter married Nabby Sprout. Nabby (daughter of Thomas Sprout and Mary Briggs) was born on 11 Jul 1789 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

If you have corrections and/or updated information on this person please contact Roz Edson at MrsEdson@gmail.com

About his military life:
http://www.archive.org/stream/historicsketches00peir/historicsketches00peir_djvu.txt
"Job Peirce (a brother of Captain Abial Peirce and great grand son of the Narragansett Soldier), was born in what is now Lakeville, Nov. 29, 1737, and as a private soldier performed a short tour of duty in a company of the local milltia (commanded by Captain Joseph Tinkham), upon an alarm in 1757, occasioned by an attack made by the French upon Fort William Henry. .......etc"

The Peirce Family:
http://books.google.com/books?ei=7nl6S7WBL8ih8Aa9pMW2AQ&ct=result&output=text&id=Zrs-AAAAYAAJ&dq=%22job+peirce%22+%2Bhoar&ots=cbu9pIRhxv&q=mercy#v=snippet&q=mercy&f=false
"For the next two years, the name of Job Peirce does not appear upon the ancient war rolls at the State House. One brother, however, has been promoted to a captaincy, raised his company and again repaired to the field, taking another brother in the capacity of a private soldier. The reason why Job, himself, did not also go, will be evident from the fact that soon after this was the publishment of" the banns" between Job Peirce, of Middleborough, and Miss Elizabeth Rounsevill,* of Freetown. She was the orphan daughter of William Rounsevill, eldest son of Philip Rounsevill the emigrant, who at that time was one of the wealthiest men in Bristol county, and among the largest landholders of the Colony. May 18, 1761, Job Peirce, of Middleborough, and Miss Elizabeth Rounsevill, of Freetown, were joined in marriage (see Town Records of Middleborough), he being 23 years of age, and she 17.
Early the next year (viz., March 24), Job Peirce for a third time enlists, and his name now appears " in his Majesty's Service," and in the company of which " Ephraim Holmes, Esq. is Captain." Here he served till March 14, 1763, or 50 weeks and 6 days. The whole amount of his wages was 22 pounds 17 shillings and 9 pence, of which he had taken 14 shillings in beer, and the balance due him was 22 pounds 3 shillings and 9 pence. With Job, in this company, also served his brother Henry Peirce, who was six years his junior.
News of the treaty of peace concluded and signed'Feb. 10, 1763, between England and France, rendered their further service unnecessary, and Capt. Abial Peirce, with his brothers Job and Henry, were honorably mustered out of the service, and for the next twelve years suffered to dwell in peace at home.
During his absence upon this last campaign (viz., April 25, 1762), the happiness of his house is increased by the birth of their first child, a daughter, who was blessed with a good constitution, sound health, and remarkable sweetness of temper, which with the addition of a well balanced mind, made her the loved and honored of all classes of society, and no doubt conspired to prolong her life of usefulness to the good old age of 85 years. But with the return of peace, the young husband, released from further service in the field of carnage, with health and morals unimpaired, returns to the bosom of his family and friends ; and the grateful parents, mindful of God's watchful care, name their first born, Mercy."

Job married Elizabeth Rounsevill on 28 May 1761 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA. Elizabeth (daughter of William Rounsevill and Elizabeth Macomber) was born on 25 Aug 1743 in Freetown, Bristol Co, Massachusetts, USA; died on 9 Jan 1790 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

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Thomas married Mary Briggs. [Group Sheet]

Ebenezer married Mary Haskins on 13 Dec 1728 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA. Mary (daughter of Henry Haskins and Abigail Godfrey) was born on 8 Oct 1711 in Taunton, Bristol Co, Massachusetts, USA; died on 5 Oct 1768 in Lakeville, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

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William married Elizabeth Macomber. Elizabeth (daughter of John Macomber and Elizabeth Williams) was born on 15 Mar 1715 in Taunton, Bristol Co, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

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