Elizabeth Rounsevill

Notes:

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

Elizabeth married Capt. Job Peirce on 28 May 1761 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA. Job (son of Ebenezer Peirce and Mary Haskins) was born on 29 Nov 1737 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA; died on 22 Jul 1819 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet]

William married Leonora Jones. [Group Sheet]

Elizabeth married Gen. Abiel Washburn. [Group Sheet]

Job married Annie Strobridge. (daughter of Lieut. Robert Strobridge) [Group Sheet]

Annie married Dr. Nicholas Hathaway. Nicholas died in in , Union Co, Ohio, USA. [Group Sheet]

Lucy married William Bourne. William died in Dec 1845. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

http://www.archive.org/stream/historytownmidd00westgoog/historytownmidd00westgoog_djvu.txt
Perhaps the selection of a propier place for the future busi- ness and development of the town was due more to Major Levi Peirce than to any other person. He was the son of Captain Job Peirce, and was born in that part of Middleboro now Lakeville, October i, 1773. His sister Elizabeth had married General Abiel Washburn, with whom he remained, serving as a clerk, until he attained his majority. He opened a store on the lower floor of the first addition to the old Morton house, while his family occupied a tenement on the floor above. After remaining here for a few years, he moved his place of busi- ness to a house which he had purchased near the town house. He became a partner of General Washburn and Major Wil- liam Bourne, and carried on business for a number of years in what was known as the "old store," which was burned about forty years ago, and on its site the present bank building was erected. Upon the dis- solution of this firm he commenced business with his brother, Peter H. Peirce. He was promi- nent in all the affairs of the town, was a delegate to the Constitutional Con- vention in 1820, and post- master for thirty - two years. He served upon the staff of his brother- in-law, General Wash- burn, and was afterwards promoted to the office of major in June, 1809, which office he held for many years. He was largely instrumental in the formation of the Baptist Church in Middleboro, and in the foundation of Peirce Academy, which was named for him, as it was largely through his benefaction that the academy and the Central Baptist church were built. About the same time his younger brother, Peter H. Peirce, who was bom March 25, 1788, commenced his business ca- reer at this place. After the death of his parents, he was brought up in the family of Peter Hoar, a prominent citizen of Lakeville, for whom he was named. He had few advantages, but early developed unusual business ability, and by his en- ergy and persistent endeavor he became the leading business man of the town. He began as a storekeeper in the two-story house now standing at the Upper Four Comers, but moved into the Four Corners, realizing that that would in future be the business centre, and that there he could enlarge his busi- ness and use the water power on the Nemasket River for manufacturing, which was then coming into prominence in the business interests of New England. He early formed a co- partnership with Horatio G. Wood, under the firm name of Peirce & Wood, and erected the factory at the Lower Works. When there came a decline in the cotton industry of New Eng- land near the middle of the last century, he erected a large shovel manufactory, and in connection with this, carried on a general retail store, which has stood in its present position for nearly one hundred years. Aside from his connection with the various manufacturing interests in the Upper Works, he became a large owner of real estate, and at the time of his death, was by far the wealthiest man in. town. In addition to his ability as a business man, no one in southeastern Massa- chusetts had more political influence than he ; at great sacri- fice, he served several terms in the state senate. At the breaking out of the War of 181 2, he was in command of a company which did coast-guard duty at Plymouth and else- where. He was after- wards promoted to the office of lieutenant- colonel of the Fourth Regiment of Infan- try of the Plymouth County Brigade, from which he received the title of Colonel Peirce. It was due to his in- fluence that the rail- road was laid near the Four Corners rather than in Titicut. He left a large family of children, his sons Job, Thomas, and James succeeding him in business. At one time his son Charles was in business in the West. William superintended the large farm and real estate interest, and gave his attention largely to literary pursuits. Thomas, who survived his brothers and inherited much of their wealth, gave at his death over half a mil- ^^. ^^^^^\\l^^M ^^^^ dollars to the town ^B ** ^Jtfl\\^ of Middleboro and a hun- ^^^^tntmi? Vi ^^^^ thousand to the JLilfl? i'BmihJE^fflfil public library, after lib- erally providing for more than twenty-five of his relatives.

Levi married Sarah Bourne. [Group Sheet]

Ebenezer married Joanna Weaver on 24 Apr 1803. Joanna (daughter of Col. Benjamin Weaver) was born about 1787; died on 6 Jan 1859. [Group Sheet]

Mary married David Augustus Leonard in 1797. David (son of Capt. David Leonard and Mary Hall) was born on 25 Sep 1771 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA; died on 22 Jul 1819 in , Harrison Co, Indiana, USA. [Group Sheet]

Sarah married Abial Nelson. Abial died in 1829. [Group Sheet]

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:

The last in his line of descendancy.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E00E3DD143AE63AA15754C2A96F9C946097D6CF