Josiah Pierce was a son of Samuel and Abigail Pierce, of that part of Woburn which is now Burlington, where he was born July 13th. 1708; graduated at Harvard College in 1735; taught the school about 1738: went to Hadley, in this State, early in 1743, and was hired to keep the Grammar and English school in that town the same year—was to instruct in Latin and Greek, in reading, writing, and arithmetic. He kept the school in Hadley twelve years, from 1743 to 1755: and again six years, from 1760 to 1766.
During this time, and long after, he preached in Hadley, and in various other towns, when the minister was sick of the pulpit was vacant from some other ause. Sometimes he supplied a pulpit three or four months in succession, but was never settled, and probably never had a call to settle. Mr. Pierce was esteemed a very good man, and sound in the faith, but it is said to be have been uninteresting as a preacher.
He was a representative from the town. Justice and Town Clerk, and was engaged in farming to some extent after the year 1760. He was a good penman, accurate in his accounts, and lett several interleaved almanacs. Mr. P. was an ardent Whig in the Revolution. He married, in 1743, Miriam Cook, daughter of Samuel Cook, and sister of Rev. Samuel Cook, of West Cambridge. They had six children.
Mr. Pierce died the 10th of February, 1788, aged 79.
