Beeks line: Anthony Pierce (etc) 1611-1678

 This man is a direct ancestor in the Beeks line, and a collateral relative in the Holbrook line.  His sister, Hester, was married to Joseph Morse.  So I'm doubly glad to find a few nuggets about this man.  Anthony and Hester, along with eight other siblings, were born to John and Elizabeth Trull Pierce in Norwich, Norfolk, England. 

Anthony grew up in England, but in 1633 he came to America, ahead of his parents.  He was married at the time to Sarah, maiden name not known, but she died, perhaps in childbirth, perhaps in England.   He then married Ann, maiden name not known, in Boston or Watertown, probably during the first half of 1633.  (I found one tree that said her name was Moore, but there was no record or documentation to support that.)

Anthony must have been a respectable man for he was admitted as a freeman in 1634, meaning he belonged to the Puritan church and had property.  He was therefore allowed to vote in town meetings.  He was not listed with the honorific of "Mr." so he was probably not a college graduate. His father, John, was a weaver and as the oldest son, it is likely that Anthony followed his father's trade.  

Anthony and Ann settled in Watertown, near the border with Cambridge, and lived the rest of their lives there.  He is listed as a founder of the town, although Watertown had actually been founded in 1630, at least three years before his arrival there.  Anthony acquired considerable land, some when his father died, some apparently from grants, and some that he purchased.  It is clear that he farmed, whether or not he also was a weaver.  (Some men of this time period did their weaving during the winter, when there were no crops to tend and fewer demands from the animals, so he could well have had two vocations.)

Anthony and Ann had nine children together, and their household would also have included John, Anthony's son by his first wife, so both persons would have needed to be hard workers.  The book Divided We Stand, by Roger Thompson doesn't mention Anthony as having been a town or military leader, so we are left with the idea that he was busy raising his family and conducting his business, if there was one.  He would have been part of the training band, similar to a militia, but we have no indication that he was ever involved in battle.  

Anthony died May 10, 1678 and while I've not found a copy of his will, Thompson reports that his widow, Ann, insisted that Anthony had promised son Benjamin some of his real estate, (the homestead that had been Anthony's inheritance) and that was not to be part of the estate settlement.  The court didn't see it that way, and the estate was divided according to law. (Note: Ann intended to live with Benjamin so she was possibly not entirely objective, but it may be that she was correct.)  We do, however, have Anthony's inventory and that gives us some good clues into the life he'd lived.  The inventory, while not totaled, indicates considerably more household goods than most households had, tools in the shop that include looms, yarn, and finished fabrics, and several parcels of land.  I'm sure there is much more of interest in the inventory, but I'm unable to read more.  

I of course always want to know more about an ancestor, especially an immigrant ancestor who was in New England so early.  There is enough information here to lead one to the idea that he was an ambitious man, a family man, and one of those who made this country great.  

The line of descent is

Anthony Pierce-Ann

Daniel Pierce-Elizabeth Shedd

Elizabeth Pierce-Samuel Smith

Shubael Smith-Prudence Fitzrandolph

Mary Smith-Jonathan Dunham

Samuel Dunham-Hannah Ruble

Jacob Dunham-Catherine Goodnight

Samuel Dunham-Eliza Matilda Reese

Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants