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James E. Pierce |
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Susan A. St. Johns |
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No parents conclusively identified |
James E. Pierce★
(Franklin, Rebeca) was born on January 30, 1816 in England according to his
Ingham County, Michigan death certificate, which is in agreement with the census records. He
may have immigrated to America about the year 1829 and resided at some point in Brooklyn, New York IN11. He probably married Susan between the years
1838 and 1844, and he was a farmer. His obituary claimed that he “served in the
Indian war in Florida” IN11,
which, given his age, would have been the Second Seminole War, but the U.S.
National Archives and Records Administration was unable to locate a file for
James E. Pierce. While a record of any James Pierce or Pearce who served in a
company from New York in Florida during the Second Seminole War or any Indian
War has not been located, there were several men with
that name who served in companies from other states IN18. Private James Pierce enlisted in Sconce’s Company, 1st Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers in the Florida War IN18. Corporal James Pearce served in Barb’s Company, 1st Tennessee Mounted Militia in the Cherokee War IN18. There were four men named James Pearce who were privates, and
they served in Otey’s Company, Norwood Battalion,
Alabama Militia during the Cherokee Removal of 1838, Tuggle’s Company,
Lindsay’s Georgia Mounted Militia in the Cherokee War, Powell’s Company, 3rd Regiment 2nd
Brigade, Illinois Mounted Volunteers in the Black Hawk War, and Robinson’s
Company, Tennessee Mounted Volunteers in the Cherokee War IN18.
His death certificate indicated that he was the father of
eleven children, but at the time of his death, only seven remained alive. The
eldest child listed with his family during the 1860 census, “Wm” (William), was
born in Canada about 1845, and one of the sons of James, whose name began with
the letter “R”, was born in Canada about 1850, so the Pierce family should have been
enumerated in the 1851 Canada census or perhaps the 1850 United States census,
but their record has not yet been located. From Canada, the Pierce family
relocated to New York by the year 1853, as Esther Jane was born in that state
in November or December 1853, but were in Canada West less than three years
later, because George H., his son, was born there circa 1856 UN12. The Pierce family immigrated to the
United States in 1856. According to the 1900 (in Leroy, Ingham County,
Michigan) and 1910 (in Williamston, Ingham County, Michigan) censuses, their
son, William F. Pierce, was born in March 1845 in “Canada (English)” to a
father who had been born “at Sea” and a mother who had been born in “Canada
(English)”. The 1900 census indicated that William F. Pierce emigrated from
Canada to the United States in 1856. Assuming the 1870 census information is
correct, the Pierce family must have relocated from Canada West after the birth
of George, when he was still an infant. They were in Michigan by or in 1859, as
the 1870 census indicated that Florence was born there in that year. At the
time of the 1880 census, James and Susan resided in Wheatfield, Ingham County
with their daughter, Martha, their son, George, and George’s young wife and
infant son. They lived very near their son, William
“Pearce”, and his wife, Lucy.
James’ Ingham
County, Michigan death certificate indicated that he died at the age of
eighty-two years, one
month, and twelve days on
March 11, 1898 in Meridian Township, Ingham County, Michigan. The cause of
death was “disease resulting from age, probably heart disease”. It stated that
his last name was “Peirce”, but indicated that his
parents’ names were Franklin and Rebecca Pierce. The proposed burial location
was listed as Wheatfield, Michigan, and his obituary stated that he was
entombed at Dennis Cemetery in Wheatfield IN11.
Neither his will or a record of his estate was filed in
the archives of the Ingham County Probate Court in the years 1898 through 1932.
A brief notice regarding his death, as well as his obituary, were both printed
in the same issue of the Ingham County
Democrat, and have been copied; the death notice is directly below, and the
obituary follows IN11:
Old Mr. Pierce died at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. Husted, last Friday. The funeral
services were held at the house last Sunday, conducted by Elder Skinner. The
deceased was 82 years of age.
James E. Pierce of Okemos, father of R.E.
Pierce of this city, died last Friday morning at nine o’clock. Old age was the
cause of his death, he being 82 years of age. He was
born in Kent county, England, in 1816, came to
American when 13 years of age and settled in Brooklyn, N.Y. In early life he
was a sailor and served in the Indian war in Florida.
Mr. Pierce came to Ingham county in 1857 and settled
in the township of Wheatfield. He was the father of 11 children, seven of whom
are living. Funeral services were held at the home of his oldest daughter, Mrs. Albert Husted, Sunday forenoon at 10 o’clock, his
remains being interred in the Dennis cemetery in Wheatfield.
·
1860
US Census: lived in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan.
·
1870
US Census: lived in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan.
·
1880
US Census: lived in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan.
Susan A. St.
Johns was born about 1826 UN12, UN13 in Canada UN13, Canada
West UN12, or Canada East (“Can E”) UN11. The 1880 census stated that her father was
born in Connecticut and her mother was born in New York. Susan was the mother
of William Francis, Prudence A., Richard W., Esther Jane, George A., Florence
P., and Martha E. Pierce.
William
Pierce was born about 1845 in Canada UN11. The Ingham County death certificate for William Francis Pierce stated that he
was born on March 13, 1845 in Canada to James Pierce, who was born in England, and
Susan St. Johns, who was born in Canada. “Wm. F. Pierce” and Rhosette
A.W. Plummer were married by John C. Martin in Locke, Ingham County, Michigan
on February 10, 1868 MI23.
William and Rosette Pierce lived in Wheatfield, Ingham County in 1870 UN12. William F. “Pirce”,
age thirty-four of Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan, and Jane “Maltoon” or “Mattoon” were married on January 11, 1880 in
Williamston, Ingham County, Michigan MI23. William “Pearce”, thirty-five, his wife, Lucy J., and his step-daughters, Liddie and Lillia
Mattoon, resided in Wheatfield Township, Ingham County, Michigan in 1880 UN13. William’s death certificate stated that he died
of apoplexy at age
seventy-three on December 27, 1918 in Williamston, Ingham County, Michigan.
Prudence Pierce was born on April
20, 1850 in Canada to James Pierce and a mother whose maiden
name was St. John MI5. Her name was reduced to the first initial
in the 1860 US Census: “P”, a girl who was eleven years old and was born in
Canada UN11. John and Prudence A. “Babbage” resided next to James and Susan
Pierce in Wheatfield Township, Ingham County, Michigan in 1870; Prudence stated
that she was twenty years old and was born in “Canada West” UN12. James and Prudence “Babedge” lived in the same township in 1880, this time near
William and Lucy J. “Pearce” UN13. Prudence
(Pearce) “Baberedge” married Albert Husted on August
18, 1890 in Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan MI23. Prudence did not state the names of
her parents for this marriage record but did state that she was born in Ingham
County, Michigan MI23. The obituary for James Pierce stated that his
eldest daughter, Mrs. Albert Husted, hosted her
father’s funeral service IN11. Prudence Husted died at age seventy-eight on November
24, 1928 in
Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan MI5. The Ingham County, Michigan death
certificate for Prudence stated that her death was due to bronchopneumonia with
chronic tuberculosis as a contributive factor.
Richard E. Pierce was born on April
16, 1851 in Canada to James Pierce (who was born in England) and Susan St.
Johns (whose birth location was also said to have been England) MI5. The 1860 US Census
enumerator recorded that “R” was a male who was ten years old and born in
Canada UN11. Richard E. Pierce stated that he was born in Ontario, Canada in
his marriage record; he married Eliza (“Haight”) Beaumont in Mason, Ingham
County, Michigan in a ceremony officiated by Frank Hoyt on September 17, 1887 MI23. The Ingham County, Michigan death
certificate for Richard E. Pierce stated that he died on March 12, 1922 in
Mason, Ingham County, Michigan from apoplexy due to a cerebral hemorrhage, and
at the time of his death he was married to Eliza Pierce. Esther
Jane Pierce was born in December
1853 in New York UN14 or November 23, 1853 according to her Washtenaw
County, Michigan death certificate.
George Pierce was born about 1856 in Canada UN11, UN12, UN14. George
A. Pierce and Mary M. Carr were married on December
20, 1876 in Williamston, Ingham County, Michigan, and John and Esther
“Morrison” were witnesses to the wedding MI23. George
Pierce and his wife, Mary lived in Eden Township, Mason County, Michigan next
to John and Esther Marrison at the time of the 1900 US Census, which stated
that George was born in February 1856 in Canada, and his father was born in
England and mother was born in Canada UN14. George
A. Pierce, aged sixty-three, married Amelia (Brown) Stephens on October 11,
1919 in Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan MI23. In
this marriage record, George stated that he was born in Hamilton, Canada to
James E. Pierce and Susan A. St. Johns MI23. Four
years later, George A. Pierce married Elizabeth (Worden) Carter on December 25,
1923 in Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan MI23.
The 1930 US Census recorded George and Elizabeth Pierce in Lake Odessa, Ionia
County, Michigan, and George stated that he immigrated to the United States in
1857 UN17.
Florence Pierce was born on July 18,
1858 in Okemos, Ingham County, Michigan to James Pierce MI5, and census records
indicate that she was born about 1859 in Michigan UN11, UN12. Florence P. Pierce
married Edward Strong on July
3, 1878 in Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan MI8. Florence Strong
died on September 13, 1944 in Munising, Alger
County, Michigan MI5. Otis O. Pierce was born about 1866 in Michigan UN12, but he perished from a broken neck at the age of
twelve in November 1877 MI3. The name on his death record was “Otiff” Pierce MI3.
Martha E. Pierce was born in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan on April 13,
1867 to James E. and Susan Pierce IN25. At age sixteen, Martha E. Pierce married John Woodard on
January 27, 1884 in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan MI23. Martha E. (Pierce) Woodard, the
daughter of James Pierce and Susan A. St. John, married Alfred Haney on July
28, 1894 in Mason, Ingham County, Michigan MI23. She was described as “Mrs. Alfred Haney” in a newspaper
article dated April 30, 1897 which described her attack on her mother-in-law,
Maria Haney CU25:
In a fit of insanity Mrs.
Alfred Haney, wife of a laborer at Williamston, cut off the head of her
mother-in-law, Mrs. Maria Haney, and set the body on fire. When Mr. Haney
returned at noon from his morning work he discovered the body of his aged
mother on the floor, while on the table in a plate was the head, cut off clean
from the shoulders. On the floor nearby was an ax. He ran for help and when he
returned the insane woman had set the body on fire. Wandering around the yard
was the murderess, muttering incoherently. She refused
to say anything of the tragedy and did not appear to realize what she had done.
The murdered woman was about 74 years
old, while the younger Mrs. Haney is 30, and has been
married three years. Several months ago she began to
show signs of insanity, and steps were taken to have her committed to an
asylum, and the hearing was to have taken place within two days. The Haneys are very poor.
According to her
Ionia County, Michigan death certificate, Martha Haney died at age forty-three
from phthisis on September 24, 1898 at the Michigan Asylum for Dangerous and
Criminally Insane in Easton Township, Ionia County, Michigan. Phthisis is
another name for tuberculosis.
Contrary
to the death certificates of William Pierce, Prudence Husted, and Richard
Pierce, which indicated that their mother’s maiden surname was “St. Johns” or
“St. John”, the death certificate for Esther (Pierce) Marrison, her daughter,
stated that the name of Esther’s mother was “----- Wertinburg”,
who was born in “English”.
A death record for
Susan St. Johns, who died of pneumonia as a married woman at the age of
sixty-seven in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan on November 29, 1891 MI3, was probably the record for Susan A.
(St. Johns) Pierce. This death record stated that Susan was born in Canada to
unknown parents MI3. Her death notice in the December 10, 1891 issue
of the Ingham County Democrat
stated “Mrs. James Pierce died Sunday morning of inflammation of the lungs,
after a short illness. Funeral services were held Monday morning at 10 o’clock
at the Caswell school house” IN10.
·
1860
US Census: lived in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan.
·
1870
US Census: lived in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan.
·
1880
US Census: lived in Wheatfield, Ingham County, Michigan.