William Peirce (burgess)

William Pierce
Member of the Virginia Governor's Council
In office
`1632-43
Member of the House of Burgesses for James City, Colony of Virginia
In office
1624-1625
Preceded byWilliam Powell
Succeeded byHumphrey Rashell
Personal details
Bornca. 1598
Essex England
Diedbefore 1647
Colony of Virginia
SpouseJoan
ChildrenJoan Peirce Rolfe
RelativesElizabeth (granddaughter)
Occupationmerchant, soldier, planter, politician

William Peirce (b. c. 1585 to d. 1645-1647), emigrated with his family to the new Colony of Virginia, where he became a valued soldier, as well as a planter, merchant and politician. Although Peirce fought in several skirmishes with Native Americans and served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly as well as helped topple governor John Harvey, today he may best be known as one of the first slave owners in the colony.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Wolfe, Brendan (2022). "William Peirce (1802–1846)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities in partnership with the Library of Virginia. available at https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/peirce-william-d-btw-1645-and-1647/ | publisher=Encyclopedia Virginia/Dictionary of Virginia Biography|accessdate=18 July 2023|
  2. ^ Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography (1915) vol. 1, p. 101-102
  3. ^ Martha W. McCartney, Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company 2007 ISBN 978-0-8063-1774-8) pp. 314-315