Michael Pierce

Of Scituate. Father of Abigail, who married John Holbrook (c. 1650-1731) in 1671, and of Ephraim, who married John’s sister Hannah Holbrook in 1670. His first wife, whose name is unknown, died in 1662 (Hobart’s journal); he married second, about 1663, Annah, widow James, “my beloved wife Annah Pierce” of his will (Deane p. 325; Pierce Genealogy pp. 33-34).

He was at Hingham by 1653: on 15 July 1653, as “Michael Pierce of Hingham,” he took John Read as an apprentice for nine years (Pierce Genealogy p. 21). When Scituate chose him lieutenant in 1666, the Court answered: “conserning Mr Peirse, wee haue not to object concerning him but that hee is a stranger to vs,” and put Sergeant John Damman in charge instead (PCR 4:127, 5 June 1666). The Colony court commissioned him captain of Scituate’s company in 1669 (Pierce Genealogy p. 17n), with Isaac Buck as his lieutenant. A London tract of 1676, News from New-England, calls him “Brother to Captain Pierce of London.”

His will, dated 15 Jan 1675/6, opens “being now by the appointment of God going out to war, against the Indians, doe make this my last will.” It gives “my daughter, Abigail Holbrook five pounds”; “my daughter Mary Holbrook, twenty pounds”; and £5 each to his grandchildren Elizabeth and Abigail Holbrook (Pierce Genealogy pp. 34-35).

On 26 Mar 1676, near Pawtucket Falls, his company of English soldiers and Native allies was surrounded. Rev. Noah Newman wrote from Rehoboth on 27 March that Pierce’s men “were enclosed with a great multitude of the enemy, which hath slain fifty-two of our Englishmen, and eleven Indians.” Fifteen of the dead were from Scituate, including “Capt. Pierce” and Benjamin Chittenden (Deane, History of Scituate, pp. 122-123, printed from the original letter). Two London tracts of 1676 give different figures. A New and Further Narrative: Pierce “cast his 63 English and 20 Indians into a Ring, and fought Back to Back,” and he “and 55 of his English, and ten of their Indian Friends were slain.” News from New-England gives 48 men and 8 “Christian Indians” killed after a fight of “about five Hours” (Drake, The Old Indian Chronicle).

Open questions

• His origin, and his first wife’s name. The mother of Abigail (b. about 1646) was presumably the first wife, who died in 1662.
• His will is known from the Pierce Genealogy’s printing; read the original in the Plymouth Colony probate records.