SECOND GENERATION

4. Capt. Samuel PEIRSON was born on 27 Jul 1733 in probably Bucks County, PA near Quakertown. It is probable that he removed directly from Bucks County, PA to Boston in about 1755, the year that the rest of his family removed to Guilford County, NC. Since his first child was born just a year after his family arrived in North Carolina, there would have been scarcely enough time for Samuel to have made the trip to North Carolina and back to settle in Boston. His cottage "with paling in front, and a garden in the rear" was on Congress St. (then called Quaker Lane) between the old Exchange Coffee House and State St. (then called King St.), very close to the Quaker meeting house. However, He married outside the Society.

His wife's family were proment members of King's Chapel, founded in 1686 as the first location of the Church of England in New England. Three of Samuel's children that died in infancy were burried at Kings Chapel, one as early as November 1756. In 1785, after the Revolutionary War, Kings Chapel became the first Unitarian Church in America. By 1789, the annals of King's Chapel show a Cap't Peirson as the owner of pew #85, the same pew that had belonged to his father-in-law.

Lizzie Pierson's 1878 "Pierson Genealogy" states that he commanded the first ship that made the passage to China by way of the Cape of Good Hope, but there is no other evidence of this. There are records of a Samuel Peirson commanding the ship "Samuel and Betsy" between Newcastle and Boston in 1763 & 1764. He must have been the owner or majority shareholder since the ship carried the names of his parents. In 1765, Capt Peirson is listed as a "mariner" aboard the sloop "Eagle" from North Carolina, and in 1774 he is listed as the master of the "Amerest" from London bound for New England. He was later engaged in "commercial business" in Boston. In March 1770, the Boston massacre took place in his immediate neighboorhood and one of the wounded citizens fell upon his doorstep. He died in Jul 1791 in New Gloucester, ME.

He was married to Elizabeth COX (daughter of Capt. John COX and Mary KNIGHT) on 17 Aug 1756 in Boston, MA. Their intentions were declared on 3 Aug 1756. As the date of birth of their first child is also August 1756, their marriage must have been a "hurry-up" affair. Elizabeth COX was born on 14 Mar 1726 in Boston, MA. seven years older than her husband. After her husband died, she removed to Biddeford, ME and lived in her son Samuel's house. She died 25 April/May 1809 in Biddeford, ME. Lizzie Pierson's genealogy states that they had children Samuel & George, who were probably the surviving children. This more complete listing is from the records of births and deaths in Boston during that period. The LDS data base shows two additional children of Samuel Pierson (sic) and Elizabeth, both born in Boston; Thomas b. abt 1761, and Elizabeth b. 1767. Although the birth dates are compatable with the birth dates of the other children, since these names are not found in the records of Boston births or Deaths from 1700 to 1800, they are not included here. Capt. Samuel PEIRSON and Elizabeth COX had the following children:

9 i. John PEIRSON was born about Aug 1756 in Boston, MA. He died on 24 Nov 1756 in Boston, MA. He was buried in Kings Chapel, Boston.
10 ii. Mary PEIRSON was born on 16 Jan 1758 in Boston, MA. She died on 19 Sep 1758 in Boston, MA. She was buried in Kings Chapel, Boston.
+11 iii. Samuel PEIRSON.
12 iv. John Cox PEIRSON was born on 6 Feb 1764 in Boston, MA. He was baptized on 15 Feb 1764 in Kings Chapel, Boston.
13 v. Mary PEIRSON was born on 31 Jan 1765 in Boston, MA. She died on 9 Feb 1765 in Boston, MA. She was buried in Kings Chapel, Boston.
14 vi. George PEIRSON was born on 31 Dec 1765 in Boston, MA. He died on 19 Jul 1837 in Portland, ME.

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