Stephen Pearce (1752 - 1815)

Husband of Eleanor (Ricker) Pearce — married 7 Feb 1781 in Lebanon, York, Massachusetts, United States

Died 28 Jan 1815 at about age 63 in Lebanon, York, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Stuart Bloom [send private message]

Note

The claim made herein that the same Stephen Pierce married (1) Sarah Nock, (2) Eleanor Ricker, and (3) Sarah Ricker is speculative. See the Research Note below for a discussion of the evidence.

Biography

Birth

No record has been found of the birth of Stephen Pierce. According to this gravestone and his death record, he was born in 1752. Nothing is known of his parents.

Revolutionary Service

Stephen Pearce enlisted in the Revolutionary Army on 10 Jul 1775 and served until 3 Jul 1778. He served in Capt. John Shapleigh's company of Col. Edward Cutts' regiment, Capt. Stephen Russell's company of Col. Samuel Bullard's regiment of General Warner's brigade, and Capt. Esaias Prebles comany of Col. Jacob Gerrish's regiment. He was stationed at Kittery, Winter Hill, and "with Northern Source."^[1]

Marriages

1. Stephen Pearce and Sarah Nock published their intention to marry at Berwick, Maine (then in Massachusetts), on 28 Jan 1776, and they were married there on 20 Feb 1776.^[2]
2. Stephen Pearce of Berwick married Eleanor Ricker at Lebanon, Maine (then in Massachusetts), on 7 Feb 1781.^[3][4]
3. Stephen Pierce and Sarah Ricker, both of Berwick, published their intention to marry at Berwick on 23 Aug 1783^[5] and married there on 28 Oct 1783.^[3][5]

Death and Burial

Stephen Pearce died at Lebanon, Maine (then in Massachusetts) on 28 Jan 1815, with his birth date shown as 1752 and his age as 63,^[6] and the cause oif death given as lockjaw.^[7] He is buried at the Pierce Family Cemetery in Lebanon.^[8]

Research Note

There is no indication in the records that there was more than one man named Stephen Pearce (or Pierce) in Berwick or Lebanon in the late Eighteenth Century. Therefore, it is likely—though certainly not proven—that it was the same man who married Sarah Nock in 1776, and then Eleanor Ricker in 1781, and then Eleanor's sister Sarah Ricker two years later.

The FindAGrave page of his wife Sarah, who survived him, calls her Sarah Knox (a name frequently interchanged with Nock), but it cites no sources—and that page is suspect, because it also says that Sarah was born in 1766, which would make her just 10 when Stephen Pearce and Sarah Nock were married.

The only record that has been found of a child of Stephen Pearce is a death record for Leighton Pierce, who is called the son of Stephen and Sarah Pierce, aged 12 years, on 8 Oct 1824. His death is recorded both at Lebanon^[9] and at Berwick.^[10] The name of Leighton is evidence that his mother may have been Sarah (Ricker) Pearce, for her mother was Elizabeth Leighton.

A thorough search of the microfilmed Lebanon records might reveal other children, but if any are there, FamilySearch does not seem to have indexed them under Stephen's name. Bloom-1124 02:34, 28 June 2019 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918, database with images, FamilySearch, King Philip's War to Spanish-American War > Cushman, T.-Young > image 2201 of 3452; State Archives, Augusta., citing "Mass. S. & S. of Rev., Vol 12, Page 383"
2. ↑ John Eldridge Frost and Joseph Crook Anderson II, Vital Records of Berwick, South Berwick, and North Berwick, Maine, to the Year 1892 (Camden, Me., 1993), 12
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Percy Leroy Rickers, and Elwin R. Holland, A Genealogy of the Ricker Family (Bowie, Md. 1996), 1:40
4. ↑ Maine Marriages, 1771-1907, FamilySearch, database with images, Town of Lebanon, York County, Maine, Town Records, Vol. 1, 1765-89. image 10 of 563, showing the marriage of Stephen Pearce and Elly Ricker
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} John Eldridge Frost and Joseph Crook Anderson II, Vital Records of Berwick, South Berwick, and North Berwick, Maine, to the Year 1892 (Camden, Me., 1993), 21
6. ↑ Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, database with images, FamilySearch, Delayed returns for vital records 1670-1891 > Peterson, 1880-Plummer, 1838 > image 2271 of 5247; Division of Vital Statistics. State Board of Health, Augusta.
7. ↑ John Eldridge Frost and Joseph Crook Anderson II, Vital Records of Berwick, South Berwick, and North Berwick, Maine, to the Year 1892 (Camden, Me., 1993), 292
8. ↑ Photo of gravestone of Stephen Pierce and other family members (Find A Grave: Memorial #190105615)
9. ↑ Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, database with images, FamilySearch, Delayed returns for vital records 1670-1891 > Peterson, 1880-Plummer, 1838 > image 2301 of 5247; Division of Vital Statistics. State Board of Health, Augusta.
10. ↑ John Eldridge Frost and Joseph Crook Anderson II, Vital Records of Berwick, South Berwick, and North Berwick, Maine, to the Year 1892 (Camden, Me., 1993), 297