George Joshua Pierce (abt. 1714 - 1775)

Born about 5 May 1714 in Chester County, Pa

Ancestors

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Biography

CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Part of the AMERICAN LOCAL HISTORY NETWORK

MARLBOROUGH TOWNSHIP (INCLUDING EAST & WEST) Home | Township Listing

EAST MARLBOROUGH TOWNSHIP | WEST MARLBOROUGH TOWNSHIP

Marlborough was named from Marlborough, in Wiltshire, England. The eastern part was laid out about 1700, in right of purchases made in England, as was also some of the western part. As first designed by Penn, the eastern part was to be rectangular, the Street road passing through the middle. The land on the north, next to Newlin, was described as in Bensalem township, but afterwards added to Marlborough.

Marlborough was organized as a township about 1704. The name of Thomas Wickersham as constable occurs on the court records 12th months 27, 1704-5. He was the first constable of the township.

In 1715 the tax-rate was as follows:

In 1728, Joseph Pennock, John Strode, Joel, Joel, Jr., and Isaac Baily, Richard, Joseph and William Hayes, Joseph Taylor, Aaron Baker, Ezekiel and William Harlan, and John Passmore petitioned to have the boundaries already agreed upon entered on record, which was done Nov. 27, 1728. By this decree the township was to be bounded--

"Eastward by the Eastern Lines of the Land late of Vincent Caldwell, the Land of Joshua Pierce and the Land late of Hugh Harry to the southeast corner of a Tract of Land which Jeremiah & Mordecai Cloud Purchased of Benjamin Chambers, and from thence by the east & north Lines of the sd. Tract to the Eastern line of the Society Tract, and then down the Society line to the South East Corner of the sd. Tract, and from thence by the sd. Society line to the northwest Corner of the same Tract, and thence to the north East corner of the Land late of Thomas Nickson, and from thence by a line to the Eastern corner of the Land late of David Brintnall, and thence by a line westward, Including the Land of Ezekiel Harlan to the northwest corner of the Land late of Isaac Taylor, and then by the western lines of the same Land and the other Land late of Thomas Nickson's to the northwest corner of Joseph Pennock's Land, and from thence by the western known boundaries of the sd. Township of Marlborough to the Southern boundaries," etc.

Feb. 25, 1728-9, William Swaine, Caleb Pusey, Henry Hayes, and others petitioned for a division of the township and on May 27, 1729, it was decreed that it should be divided by a line beginning at the western corner of Caleb Pusey's land, in the line of New Garden; thence northward, between Caleb Pusey and Joseph Pennock, to Marlborough Street; thence east along the street to a corner of land late of James Treviller; thence north by the said land, and land late of Robert Jones, Walter Cock, and John Simcock, to the land of John Bennet; thence west to the southwest corner of the latter, and north, between Bennett and Henry Hayes, and land late of John Simcock and vacant land, to the northwest corner of Haye's land; thence east by the same to the society line (Newlin).

November, 1730, on petition of John Strode, Joseph Pennock, and five others, it was ordered that the line of West Marlborough, beginning at the north corner of the division line above, should extend thence to the northeast corner of William Harlan's land, and then, by a line to include the lands of William and Ezekiel Harlan, to the northeast corner of John Taylor's land, and by the western line of Taylor's land, and land late of Thomas Nickson, to Marlborough Street.

In West Marlborough a large tract of 2875 acres was surveyed to John Simcock, of Ridley, and was then said to be in Hilltown township. It was afterwards settled by Richard Barnard and others. Joseph Pennock took up 1250 acres in right of his grandfather, George Collett, and was among the first settlers. He built "Primitive Hall," which is still standing.

In East Marlborough, George Peirce obtained a patent, 12, 14, 1700-1, for land which included the present Peirce's Park, or "Evergreen Glade," as it was named by the owner. George Peirce conveyed it to his son, Joshua, 6, 6, 1725, who devised to his son Caleb, 8, 23, 1752. Samuel and Joshua, sons of the latter (twins), established the botanical garden or arboretum thereon, and were succeeded by the late George W. Peirce, son of Joshua. Part of the house was built in 1730. George Peirce the first also gave to his daughter Betty and her husband, Vincent Caldwell, 200 acres adjoining. After their deaths it was purchased by Caleb Peirce, in 1758, and is now in possession of his great-grandchildren of the Cox family. Longwood meeting-house and cemetery are situated on a part thereof.

"Cedarcroft," the home of Bayard Taylor, is in this township, less than a mile north of Kennet Square. In the neighborhood of Unionville Henry Hayes too up several hundred acres, which he divided among his sons. To his son Stephen he gave 177 acres in 1736, and this was bought in 1743 by John Jackson, who was succeeded by his son George in 1759. The title to the old tavern property in Unionville runs through George Jackson, Garnet Jackson, George Jackson, Samuel Entriken, Jesse Buffington, William Taggart, Jr., James Wollaston, Issac Taylor, and others. Quite a village has grown up around the old tavern, and our friend, Thomas F. Seal, reports there are now about eighty dwellings, besides meeting-houses of Friends, Presbyterians, and Methodists, an academy, public school, public hall, a library,--beside those for "First-day" and Sunday-schools,--a hotel, two smitheries, wheelwright-shop, tannery, cabinet-maker's shop, and wareroom, greenhouses in connection with the nursery, and about seventy barns, stables, etc.

A part of East Marlborough was taken in the formation of Pocopson township in 1849. In 1875 the line between West Marlborough on the one said and Londonderry and Highland on the other being in dispute, was run and re-established by order of court.

"Clermont" is the name of he farm of William Chalfont, situated in East Marlborough township, near Unionville, and which consists of 125 acres. Mr. Chalfont has owned it thirty-two years, and has put most of the improvements upon it. The residence is an elegant one, and, with its fine surroundings, shows the taste of its owner and of is family, one of the oldest and best known in the county.

The farm is nicely located in a fine region of country and good neighborhood. It lies some three miles north of Kennet Square, and of the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad, and six miles from Delaware State line. It is situated between the east and west branches of Red Clay Creek, in the centre of the township, and midway between the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central and Wilmington and Northern Railroads.

Joshua (my 6th great grandfather) built a log cabin on his part and raised a family. In 1722 he married his second wife, Rachel Gilpin (my sixth great grandmother) 15 Feb 1696- 20 May 1776, daughter of Joseph, who had been born in a cave. In 1730 they built this fine red brick house, at least the western part, with their initials and the date up under the ridge.

Joshua died in 1752, leaving the property to all his children, but the home place went to Caleb, Rachel’s third son, on condition that he permit his mother to “Possess and Enjoy the Chamber above stairs and likewise below, and one Sellar in the west end of my Present Dwelling House. Caleb was “to fetch and carry as much firewood (fit for the Chimney) as his said Mother will burn in moderation.” She was also to have the use of a mare and a cow. There is good inventory of all the furniture in the house but the only books mentioned are the bible and Sewell’s History of Friends. (from Joshua’s will).

3. Joshua Pierce, b. 5 Mar 1684, Thornbury Township, Chester, Pennsylvania d. 15 Sep 1752, Kennett Mm, Chester, Pennsylvania. Joshua married Ann Mercer in 1713, and second, Rachel Gilpin, 1722. They were settled in Marlborough, Chester County, and had nine children, among those were those who planted the well known Aboretum. Their son George Joshua Pierce is my 5th great grandfather

Susan Pierce 2018

SOURCES: History of Chester County, Pennsylvania; Futhey & Cope; Louis H. Everts; Philadelphia; 1881.

User ID

User ID: 52C4D40C84D18848AE6EDAAF58AEB15ED5F6

Research Notes

The FindAGrave entry ^[1] for George Pierce of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with grave and stone located at Nottingham Cemetery, Chester County, states:

Date: 12 Sep 1775 Prove date: 24 Oct 1775

"Remarks: George Pierce. Newlin. 9/12/1775. Oct. 24, 1775. To son Joshua tract of land in Newlin purchased of John Newlin containing 23 acres together with 80 acres adjoining, to be taken off the land I had by deed of my father lying on south side of Brandywine, also about 50 acres of same land lying on north side of said Creek paying to son Thomas £80. To son Robert £60. To daughter Hannah Martin £100. To son George all that land in Newlin purchased of John Stantion containing about 100 acres, also all lands purchased fo Nathl. Newlin about 32 acres adjoining with a part of land I had of my father paying to son Robert £80. Executors to convey to Sarah Stubbs 2 lotts of land in Newlin purchased of Wm. Thompson containing 12 acres and 18 perches according to bargain made with her. All remainder of lands to sons Caleb, Jesse and David. To son Thomas £25 and his debt of £30 owing to me. Remainder to sons Joshua and Caleb, also Executors."

Excerpt from his will provided by contributor L Evans 47540766 10/04/2020.

"George was raised on his family farm, in East Marlborough Township. The farm is located on what is now Longwood Gardens. His father Joshua built in 1730 the original part of today's Peirce-DuPont House. The basement of that building may show proof of the original family cabin."

Provided by Loraine Lucas 48176490 on Saturday, July 23, 2022.

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Edits

• Nickname Sugg By: Loraine Lucas (481764900) 13 Jun 2022.
• Will - Sugg. by contributor L Evans (47540766) 0n 04 Oct 2020.
• Father - Sugg by Mary McClelland (#47081453) on 10 Feb 2015.
• Mother - Sugg by Mary McClelland (#47081453) on 10 Feb 2015.
• Surname - Suggested By: L Evans (47540766) on 01 July 2022

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"Please note that the family surname is spelled in different ways, in various documentation and cemetery records. It may be viewed as either Pierce or Peirce."

The tombstone, or at any rate the picture of it, is almost comptetely illegible except for his name. The excerpt from his will should tie to an existing record in the extensive FamilySearch documentation for Chester County, hoever the various will and probabe records for this county are scattered throuh many source documents, and a specific source link is not available here, yet. A notable aspect of the above excerpt is the list of heir names: Joshua, Thomas, Robert, Hannah (Martin), George, Caleb, Jesse and David.

Sources

1790 United States Federal Census Ancestry Family Trees Chester County, Pennsylvania Wills, 1713-1825 Chester County, Pennsylvania, Estate Papers, 1714-1838 Colonial and Revolutionary families of Pennsylvania : genealogical and personal memoirs Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775 England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Family Data Collection - Marriages North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801 Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current U.S., Hinshaw Index to Selected Quaker Records, 1680-1940 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935

U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935

1. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #101399847 (accessed 25 January 2024)
   Memorial page for George Pierce (5 Jul 1713-2 Oct 1775), citing Nottingham Cemetery, Nottingham, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Johnny Mac (contributor 46906238).