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Thomas Pierce, immigrant, and his descendants are the subject of the 2nd of the 4 Pierce Genealogy books. Note that the Percy nonsense began in the 3rd book. There seems to be no reason to suspect the first two books of any worse than the usual handwaving.
The 1st book deals with John Pers of Watertown, plausibly identified with a known weaver of that name, of Norwich, England, who obtained permission to emigrate to Boston in 1637. Nothing is claimed about his parentage or ancestry, beyond the observation that the surname derives from the given name Piers.
The 2nd book (with Frederic Beech Pierce as lead author, though Frederick Clifton Pierce is heavily involved) sets this context and then claims "it is reasonable to suppose" that Thomas Pierce of Charlestown was a brother of the said John (throwing in Robert Pierce of Dorchester as a third brother). But there seems to be nothing to make this reasonable.
The book mentions a record from the 23rd year of Elizabeth (1580-81) of this Norwich family. It cites "History of Norwich, Norfolk, England" which was not found and is instead: An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Freebridge (concluded). North Greenhow. Happing. Holt. Launditch by Francis Blomefield (W. Miller, 1808)[1]
The author further claims "it is reasonable to suppose" that the 3 supposed brothers were "of this family", though no attempt was made to say how they might connect.
Note the Thomas Perse named in this record is not claimed to be the immigrant himself (being evidently dead by 1581). But the internet has concocted a garbled version in which a Margaret Cony with made-up dates is made to be the immigrant's mother. (Actually, it's not even certain that Margaret was a Cony, since she could be John's maternal half-sister.)
This profile lacks any proof of Peter Percy was the father of Richard Thomas Pierce - the last name change is odd, considering how prominent Percy was as a surname. Also, the move from Norfolk to Wiltshire points to a different family, especially considering his former father lived in Yorkshire.
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Categories: Frederick Clifton Pierce Fraud | Unsourced Profiles
Shirley