USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume III > Part 7
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(III) Joseph Peirce, son of Anthony Peirce (2), was born in Watertown about 1645; was admitted a freeman April 18, 1690. He mar- ried (first) Martha ; (second), June 15, 1698, Elizabeth (Kendall) Winship, daughter of Francis Kendall, of Woburn, widow of Ephraim Winship, of Cambridge Farms. She was born at Woburn, January 15, 1652. Winship was a pioneer at Cam- bridge Farms. During King Philip's war Peirce took shelter at Woburn at the house of Francis Kendall and brought his "ancient mother-in-law Reigner, widow" with him. She was probably his wife's mother, though possibly his step-mother. His estate was ad- ministered by his widow and son Jacob, who were appointed by the court December 2, 1713. Children, born at Watertown: I. Joseph, born October 2, 1669. 2. Francis, born July 27, 1671. 3. John, born May 27, 1673, men- tioned below. 4. Mary, born November 26, 1674. 5. Benjamin, born March 25, 1677. 6. Jacob, born December 25, 1678, married, May 17, 1706, William Whitney. 8. Stephen, born October, 1683. 9. Israel, born October 7, 1685. IO. Elizabeth, born September 9, 1687, married Joseph Bemis.
(IV) John Peirce, son of Joseph Peirce (3), was born May 27, 1673. Married, Novem- ber 5, 1702, Elizabeth Smith, who was born January 15, 1673, and died at Watertown, September 20, 1747. He settled at Waltham and Lexington. Children : I. John, born September I, 1703, married Rebecca Fennoe. 2. Jonas, born December 20, 1705, mentioned- below. 3. Elizabeth, born March 7, 1709. 4. Samuel, born July 3, 1712. 5. Elizabeth, born
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January 3, 1716. 6. Daniel, born October 21,
1719. 7. Jonathan, born September 28, 1724.
(V) Jonas Peirce, son of John Peirce, (4), was born in Waltham, December 20, 1705. He resided in Lexington and Westminster, Massa- chusetts. He married, January 4, 1728, Abi- gail Comee, of Lexington, daughter of John and Martha (Munroe) Comee, of Concord. The Comee family settled in Gardner. Peirce's will was dated August 15, 1776. Chil- dren, born in Lexington : I. Jonas, born July 7, 1730. 2. Nathan, born December 15, 1732, married, December 26, 1753, Sarah Reed. 3. Elizabeth, born May 31, 1735. 4. John, born July 14, 1736, ancestor of Worcester county families. 5. Thaddeus, born May 14, 1739. 6. Solomon, born June 15, 1742, mentioned below. 7. Abigail, born August 3, 1744, mar- ried, March 30, 1762, Nathan Derby, of West- minster. 8. Mary, born February 7, 1747.
(VI) Captain Solomon Peirce, son of Jonas Peirce, (5), was born in Lexington, June 15, 1742, and died October 16, 1821. He married, December 15, 1763, Amity Fessen- den, who was born June 15, 1743, and died February 18, 18II. She was one of the fourth generation from Nicholas Fessenden, of Cambridge, who was born in England, about 1650, and died in Cambridge in 1719. It is said that he came over to inherit the property of a childless uncle, John Fessenden, who was from Canterbury, England, at an earlier date. Thomas Fessenden, son of Nicholas and grandfather of Amity, came to Lexington about 1708.
We know little of Solomon Peirce previous to the Revolution. He was surveyor of high- ways in 1772. His father conveyed to him fourteen acres of land in that part of Lexing- ton near Waltham, now situate on Concord avenue, part of the so-called Bryant Place, the estate next west of the Kite End school house. There was his home for many years. He was a shoemaker by trade, and doubtless followed his trade in winter, farming in the season. After the Revolution he bought most of his father's homestead adjoining his own house lot, amounting in all to ninety-five acres. He was a member of Captain Parker's company of minute men of Lexington, and took part with his comrades in the historic battle of April 19, 1775. He was wounded while getting over a wall hastening to join his company. He had been doubtiess to the Buck- nam Tavern close by the common, as most of the company went there, after they were dis- missed from the first roll-call, to await the
coming of the British. His wound, probably in the ankle, although some reports say it was in his thigh, was not serious and after the dis- persal of the company he hobbled home where the wound was bound up by his wife with a bandana handkerchief, and it is said that he returned to the highway in Menotomy to take part with the minute-men in the hazardous fire that pursued the British in their retreat to Boston. That the wound was not serious is shown by the fact that he was on duty at the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17 and 18, 1775, and was stationed to guard the roads from Cambridge. He was again in the service just before the evacuation of Boston in Captain John Bridge's company. In 1777 he was ser- geant of a Concord company in Colonel Sam- uel Bullard's regiment under General George Minot at the campaign ending in Burgoyne's surrender. He was first lieutenant, commis- sioned June 7, 1780, in Captain William Mun- roe's company, the third in the Third Middle- sex Regiment of Massachusetts Militia, Colo- nel Francis Faulkner. Of this same company after the war, then part of the state militia, he was made captain July 25, 1784, under Colo- nel Sam Lamson, of Weston. He resigned his commission and retired from service April 23 of the next year.
After the war he remained in Lexington until 1788. He bought considerable land in 1783, evidently with borrowed money and, probably on account of the financial stress through which the country passed, he lost his property. In 1788 he went to Arlington and lived for many years in a house owned by his son Jonas. After the death of his wife, Cap- tain Peirce lived with his son in the mansion house where he died. In his memorial address September 2, 1903, at the dedication of monu- ment to the memory of Captain Solomon Peirce, Arthur W. Peirce, of Franklin Massa- chusetts, said : "He was a man of the people ; a soldier of his country, winning honor for himself, and a place among the nation's heroes. Time and place gave him a great opportunity ; his was the readiness of the minute-men of 1775. Honor to his memory!" This mont- ment is a granite block, rough hewn, except for the face upon which, cut into the polished surface, is the inscription: "To the memory of Solomon Peirce (1743-18II) and his wife Amity Fessenden ( 1743-18II) erected by their descendants A. D. 1903. Solomon Peirce, sol- dier of the Revolution, wounded at Lexington, served at Bunker Hill, sergeant at Benning- ton, first lieutenant 1780; captain 3d. Co. 3d.
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Regt. M. V. M. 1784. Patriot Sires Teach Civic Virtue to Their Sons." Two hundred and twenty descendants contributed to the cost of the memorial. The graves of Captain Solomon and his wife were unmarked but the spot was definitely known. At the time of the erection of this monument the descendants of Captain Solomon numbered over seven hun- dred living.
He was admitted with his wife to the Ar- lington church June 15, 1788; was on the pre- cinct committee in 1794-95. Children; born at Arlington: I. Amity, born August 26, 1765, married Harrington; (second) John Goodwin; died 1829. 2. Jonas, born November 16, 1766, married Lydia Prentiss. 3. Abel, or Abiel, born September 22, 1768, married, 1789, Peggy Russell; (second) Anna Kingman. 4. Solomon, born September 10, 1770, married Polly Green and died in Bos- ton. 5. Samuel, born January 10, 1772, mar- ried Sophia Stedman. 6. Abijah, born March II, 1775, married Mary Prentiss; (second) Lucy Emery. 7. Elizabeth, born January 8, 1777, married, December 20, 1793, Amos Rus- sell. 8. Lucy, born March'IO, 1779, married, 1797, Josiah Ditson, of Boston. 9. Thad- deus, born April 8, 1781, married Lucy Learned. IO. Leonard, born March 17, 1783, married, 1803, Relief Allen. II. William, born January 2, 1786, married Elizabeth Floyd, born 1776, died 1816; married ( second) Sarah Perkins, born 1789, died 1859; (third) Caroline M. Mansfield, born 1802, died 1882; he died March, 1878.
(VII) Jonas Peirce, son of Captain Solo- mon Peirce (6), was born in Lexington, No- vember 16, 1766, and died January, 1833. He settled in West Cambridge, now Arlington, and owned the farm which he sold later to Amos Russell by whose name it is still known. The house is still standing. He lived at vari- ous places, the so-called Marsch place on the border of what is now Belmont, on the Win- ning farm near the Lexington and Woburn boundaries, now used as a summer resort for poor children, and the Russell place. He bought a large farm March 12, 1803, com- posing the whole of what is now Arlington Heights, known afterward for many years as Peirce's Hill. The property was then called Spring Hill Farm, and had been owned by the well-known Appleton family of Boston and used by them as a country place. Jonas bought it of Thomas Perkins, who had mar- ried a daughter of Nathaniel Appleton. The purchase included about two hundred and
fifty acres of land, a mansion house, a smaller house and barn, a piece of land called Bear Hill Pasture, and a piece of salt marsh on the Charles river, Cambridge. His parents occu- pied the smaller house, while he lived in the mansion house. It was a beautiful location with a view unsurpassed in the neighborhood of Boston. On the apex of the hill where the stand-pipe of the Metropolitan water commis- sion now stands a park had been laid out by the former owner and trees planted in a cir- cle, whence the name of Circle Hill. The park was surrounded by a fence with an orna- mental gateway, called Charlotte's Gate in honor of Appleton's daughter. For nearly a century this magnificent property was in the possession of Jonas Peirce's family. Jonas Peirce prospered in his ventures. He was a substantial farmer and tavern keeper. He also built the second Cooper's Tavern in 1826 on the old site also many other buildings. He acquired a competence and was counted among the well-to-do citizens of the town. He was a member of the Congregational church (or- thodox) and joined the church at Cambridge, August 28, 1808, with his wife .. He was pre- cinct assessor of West Cambridge in 1805- 07. He and his wife owned the covenant at West Cambridge, October 20, 1805, and their children were baptized there October, 1805. Mr. Peirce owned at the time of his death the house with the brick walls now standing at the corner of Grove street. He also owned two houses in the rear of Cooper's Tavern and another on the site of the Bean House, corner of Vine street. His farm was left by will to his three sons, Ebenezer, Thomas and John, each to pay yearly the sum of one hundred dollars to their mother during her life. He bequeathed the tavern to his son George and daughter Lydia, the two houses on Medford street to Roxa and Sarah. The homestead he gave to his son Thomas.
He married Lydia Prentiss, who was born at Menotomy, April 17, 1771, and died Sep- tember 6, 1865, the daughter of George and Lydia (Hill) Prentiss, of Menotomy. Chil- dren: I. Lydia, born December 25, 1790, died January 3, 1875; married, May 23, 1813, Thomas Gould. 2. Anna, born October, 1792, died December 20, 1822; married, April 14, 1814, Alfred Locke. 3. Jonas, born Septem- ber, 1794, died September 10, 1840; married, May 4, 1817, Mary T. Livingstone. 4. George, born August, 1796, died July 1, 1875 ; married, March 29, 1819, Harriet Russell. 5. Roxa, born August, 1799, died January 13, 1878;
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married September 30, 1821, Alfred Brooks. 6. Ebenezer P., born August, 1802, died April 21, 1870; married, May 3, 1827, Elizabeth R. Brown. 7. Sarah P., born January 9, 1804, died April 25, 1892 ; married, August 29, 1824, Daniel Grant. 8. Thomas Perkins, born May 28, 1806, died May 5, 1892; married (first), April, 1829, Emeline Locke; (second), Jan- uary, 1844, Harriet Locke, of Arlington. 9. John Appleton Prentiss, born April 1, 1810, mentioned below. 10. Amanda, born May 20, 1813, died October, 1848; married Stephen Martin, of Buckfield, Maine. II. Elizabeth Melinda, born June, 1816, died August 12, 1892; married, November 24, 1836, Thomas Randall.
(VIII) John Appleton Prentiss Peirce, son of Jonas Peirce (7), was born at West Cam- bridge (Arlington), April 1, 1810, and died August 13, 1886. He was educated in the public schools of his native town. He worked at home on his father's farm until after he came of age. When his father died the farm was divided among three sons, each of whom built a house on his section of the place. In 1860 John Peirce sold his interest to Mr. Con- verse and came to live on what is now Massa- chusetts avenue in an estate in which his wife had a part interest ; buying out the other heirs and remodeling the dwelling house. He con- ducted this farm to the time of his death, rais- ing produce and conducting a retail milk bus- iness, and acquired a substantial estate. He was an influential citizen, highly respected for his honesty and other sterling qualities. He was devoted to his home and family; active in the temperance movement and in the anti- slavery cause. He was a member of the Uni- tarian church. In politics he was a Whig, and after the disorganization of that party a Re- publican.
He married, January 16, 1834, Mary Ann Locke, who was born July 13, 1815, died November 27, 1884, daughter of Lieutenant Benjamin and Ame (Keyes) Locke, of West Cambridge. Her father was a farmer, store- keeper, justice of the peace, representative to the general court, lieutenant of his militia com- pany. Children of John A. P. and Mary A. Peirce : I. John Winslow, born July 6, 1835, married (first), November 2, 1856, Nancy S. Gassett, of Arlington; (second), October 29, 1857, Anna Lydia Peirce, of Watertown; children : i. Fred Winslow, born August 12, 1858, deceased; ii. Arthur W., born June 3, 1860, married, June 25, 1903, Lydia P. Ray, of Franklin, Massachusetts. 2. Benjamin
Horace, born September 6, 1838, mentioned below. 3. Mary Etta, born September 4, 1841, married, January . 4, 1863, James A. Bailey; children: i. Amy Etta Bailey, born December 13, 1863, married, June 7, 1893, Peter Schwamb and have children, Amy Esther Schwamb, born April 30, 1896; Theo- dore Alderson Schwamb (twin) and Edward Bailey Schwamb (twin), born December 18, 1898; ii. James Alderson Bailey, Jr., born March 25, 1867, married, February 20, 1903, Helen Gage Doliver and they have children- James Alderson Bailey 3d, born December 6, 1903, and Edward Hopkins Bailey, born Au- gust 22, 1905; iii. Esther Bailey, born August 16, 1868; iv. -Winslow Bailey, born Feb- ruary 12, 1870, married, October 1I, 1893, Horace H. White, of Methuen, and they have John W. White, born August II, 1894; Will- marth White, born July 1, 1897 ; Ruth Bailey, born February 16, 1903; v. Edward Appleton Bailey, born November 2, 1872. 4. Warren Appleton, born June 5, 1849, married (first), December 6, 1882, Jessie Bacon, children: i. Warren Appleton, born October 27, 1887 ; ii. Horace Winslow, born September 22, 1889 ; iii. Arthur Bacon, born November 1, 1892; Warren Appleton married (second), October 12, 1905, Ruth M. Cook, of Roxbury, Massa- chusetts. 5. Son, born and died September 27, 1847.
(IX) Benjamin Horace Peirce, son of John Appleton Prentiss Peirce (8), was born at West Cambridge, September 6, 1838. He spent his youth working on his father's farm and attending the district school. When he was twenty years of age he took charge of his father's farm under a lease for five years, making a specialty of market gardening. He then purchased the Martin Ellis farm in Stone- ham, whither he went to live. He had a dairy and was a dealer in milk during the ten years while he was in Stoneham. About 1855 he returned to Arlington to enter the employ of his brother, Warren H. Peirce, in the coal and grain business on Mystic street, and remained in that business for six years. In 1876 he accepted his present position as manager of the Arlington Heights plant, 10 Park avenue. At the time of his father's death in 1886, he inherited his present estate with the old home- stead on Appleton street, on which he built his present residence in 1890. Mr. Peirce is modest and retiring in manner and enjoys the respect and confidence of all who know him. In religion he is a Baptist : in politics a Republi- can. He has held various town offices. He is
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the oldest living member of Bethel Lodge, No. 12, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and has held the various offices of the Lodge.
He married, September 6, 1859, Abbie Louisa Russell, who was born in Arlington, December 16, 1839, daughter of Bowen and Mehitable (Locke) Russell. Her father was a farmer. Children: I. Walter Horace, born July 1, 1860, married, January 10, 1889, Clara Schwamb, of Arlington ; children : i. Ida Fran- cena, born May 1, 1891 ; ii. Walter Theodore, born July 20, 1900. 2. Benjamin Locke, born October 19, 1861, married, February 17, 1890, Louisa Weinstein; children: i. Alfred Ben- jamin, born December 21, 1891; ii. George William, born May 14, 1895. 3. Susie Rus- sell, born April 25, 1863, married, October 18, 1896, Edward Isaac Downing. 4. Mabel Louise, born November 22, 1864, married, October 5, 1886, Arthur Lincoln Crane. 5. Alice Monroe, born November 4, 1866, mar- ried, March 25, 1894, Harlan Bradbury Bean, of Arlington. 6. Charles Appleton, born June I, 1869, mentioned below. 7. Mary Amy, born May 5, 1871, died August 8, 1871. 8. Harry Onslow, born December 5, 1874, unmarried. 9. John Howard, born November 9, 1876, died May 21, 1877. 10. Herbert Russell, born July 12, 1879, married, March 24, 1906, Edith Neil- son Fay, of Arlington.
(X) Charles Appleton Peirce, son of Ben- jamin Horace Peirce (9), was born at. Wo- burn, June 1, 1869. When he was two years old his parents removed to Stoneham where he attended the public and high schools until he was fourteen years old. He worked one year in the shoe factory of Sanborn & Mann, of Stoneham. Then he returned to Arlington with his parents and entered the employ of Edwin S. Farmer, driving his market wagon to business and acting as his salesman until 1903, when he leased Mr. Farmer's farm and engaged in market gardening on his own ac- count. He has about fifty acres under culti -. vation. He has a thousand hot bed sashes and is usually among the first in the market with lettuce, celery, tomatoes, dandelions and gen- eral produce, and his farm is a model of good order and system. He attends to the sale of his produce in the Boston markets himself. He resides in a handsome house at the corner of Massachusetts avenue and Appleton street, built by him in 1894. In religion he is a Uni- versalist in politics a Republican. He mar- ried, September 25, 1894, Laura Eugenia Hobbs, who was born September 19, 1870, at Arlington, the daughter of Clarence F. and
Lizzie (Whittemore) Hobbs. Her father is a dairy owner. Children: I. Marion Appleton, born November 30, 1898. 2. Clifford Mun- roe, born January 22, 1903, died January 25, 1903. 3. Roger Munroe, born August 21, 1905.
' HOOD John Hood, of Halstead, Essex county, England, was a weaver by trade. His will is dated Novem- ber 6, 1622, and proved November 20, 1622. He died at Halstead, leaving his real estate to his son John, and his wife Anne was execu- trix of the will. His wife Anne married (second) Thomas Beard. Children: John, mentioned below; Anne, James, Avese, Cath- erine, Grace, Mary, Rose.
(II) John Hood, son of John Hood (I), was born in England about 1600, and came to America about 1638. He was a weaver and planter ; settled at Cambridge as early as Oc- tober 20, 1638, and leased his property at Hal- stead. He then removed to Lynn where he was living in 1650. While there he took an apprentice named Abraham Tilton, son of Widow Tilton, of Lynn, December 6, 1653. He returned to England and sent word to his wife Elizabeth to deliver the apprentice to his mother, who had married a second time to Roger Shaw, of Hampton, Massachusetts, and had died. Accordingly the boy was sent to his brother, Peter Tilton, of Connecticut, but Mrs. Hood revoked this act on learning that the Hampton court had assigned the lad to his step-father, Shaw. (Norfolk Deeds, I. 103). Hood leased his property at Halstead in pos- session of his mother Anne and her second husband, Thomas Beard. Hood was living in Kittery, Maine, about 1652. On August 14, 1654, he sold to William Crofts, of Lynn, yeo- man, three tenements in Halstead, forty shil- lings to be paid to each of John Hood's sis- ters, according to the will of their father. Mary Truesdale in her will in 1672 mentions John Hood's two children. One of them, ac- cording to all evidence in hand, was Richard, mentioned below.
(III) Richard Hood, son of John Hood (2), was born about 1625 in England, and is said to have come from Lynn Regis, county Norfolk. He was in Lynn as early as 1650 and settled in what is now Nahant, Massa- chusetts, then in Lynn. In 1800 there were but three families in Nahant-Breed, Johnson and. Hood. His house was on Nahant street, Little Nahant. He was admitted a freeman in 1691 ;
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was allowed by the church together with seven other old men, probably all on account of defective hearing, to sit in the pulpit. He died September 12, 1695. (See page 186, history of Lynn, Newhall). He was the father of sev- enteen children, among whom were the fol- lowing, born at Lynn: I. Richard, born No- vember 18, 1655, died October 4, 1762. 2. Sarah, born August 2, 1657, married, October 25, 1675, William Bassett; she was accused of witchcraft and imprisoned at Boston seven months before her release came, having an infant with her. 3. Rebecca, born February 7, 1664, died December 4, 1730; was a Quaker and was imprisoned for refusing to be taxed to support the Puritan church. 5. Hannah, born October 21, 1665. 6. Samuel, born May 13, 1667, died March 9, 1749-50. 7. Nathan- iel, born June 9, 1669, mentioned below. 8. Ann, born February 13, 1673. 9. Joseph, born July 8, 1674, died December 14, 1729. IO. Benjamin, born January 3, 1678.
(IV) Nathaniel Hood, son of Richard Hood (3), was born in Lynn, June 9, 1669, and died at Topsfield, October 30, 1748. He married, October 16, 1706, Joanna Dwinnell, of Topsfield, and settled near Hood's Pond, named for this family, in Topsfield. Chil- dren: I. Nathaniel, born about 1710, men- tioned below. 2. Nathan, married Elizabeth Palmer, of Rowley, March 6, 1731 ; died May 4, 1792, aged about eighty- seven. 3. John, born 1723, married (first) Elizabeth Reding- ton ; (second) Mary Kimball. Probably others. (V) Nathaniel Hood, son of Nathaniel Hood (4), was born about 1710. He settled in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He married, March 6, 1731, at Rowley, Elizabeth Palmer. Children, born at Topsfield: I. William, born December 26, 1731, mentioned below. 2. Joanna, born November 19, 1737. 3. Samuel, baptized June 12, 1737. 4. Nathan, born Jan- uary 10, 1739-40. 5. Daniel, born November II, 1741. 6. Joseph, born February 2, 1746. 7. Benjamin, born February 13, 1748. 8. Eliza, born April 19, 1750. 9. Elizabeth, born March 15, 1752.
(VI) William Hood, son of Nathaniel Hood (5), was born December 26, 1731. He settled at Topsham, Vermont. He married, August 27, 1754, Mary Hubbard. Children : I. Amos, born August 12, 1757. 2. Lydia, born October 16, 1759. 3. Susanna, baptized February 21, 1762. 4. Moses, baptized March 22, 1763. 5. Aaron, baptized April 5, 1767. 6. Jonathan, born about 1775, mentioned below.
(VII) Jonathan Hood, son of William Hood (6), was born about 1775. He married Hannah Hamlet, of Topsham, Vermont. Chil- dren : I. Charles, married and had three children. 2. Susan, married Benjamin Green and had six children. 3. Sargent, married Dolly Hosmer, of Graton, Vermont, and had four children. 4. John, born December 17, 1817, mentioned below. 5. Mary, married Aaron Hosmer, of Topsham, and had five chil- dren. 6. Angeline, married Elisha Moulton and had five children. 7. Levi, married Laura Hosmer, of Topsham, and had four children. 8. Maria, married Gideon Gilbert, of Top- sham, and had three children.
(VIII) John Hood, son of Jonathan Hood (7), was born at Topsham, Vermont, Decem- ber 17, 1817. He was educated in the district school and worked on the farm until he was of age. At the time he was married, when he was twenty-two years old, he bought one hun- dred acres of land in what was then wilder- ness and began clearing it. This was situated about where the centre of Topsham now is. After cultivating it about eight years, he sold it to his cousin, Anthony Hood, and bought a three hundred acre farm at East Topsham, Vermont, which he has since occupied. Be- sides farming, he has been a stone mason all his life, and in the earlier years of his life he laid ten thousand rods of field wall besides many cellar walls. He was known to be the strongest man in Orange county. At lifting bees he lifted one thousand pounds of pig lead, and he could easily carry a four hundred pound hog up-stairs. He was a reserved man, of sound judgment, devoted to his home. He served in the early militia at Topsham, and was a Whig, later a Republican ; a member of the Methodist church.
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