Person:Nehemiah Pearce (1)

NEHEMIAH PEARCE was born about 1640-. He came from England to America at a very early date. (He may have been born in America.) He made a settlement in Albany, New York, fifteen years before Albany was ordered by Lt. Governor Jacob Leisler to hold a free election in December 1689 to elect a mayor and aldermen. Governor Leisler recommended Johannes Wendell, Pieter Bogardus, Robert Sanders, John Bleecher, and others for office. The earliest record we have of Nehemiah Pearce's being in Albany is in April 1675 when he purchased property there. At the time the real and personal property assessment of the inhabitants of Breuchlen (Brooklyn) was made up on August 20, 1675, the names of Matthias and Adam Brouwer, and Pieter Jansen were included. Middelwout, New York's assessment included Jan and Dierckj Jansen and Jacob Hendrickse. Jan Roeleffse, Hans Jansen, and Pietter Hendrickse were among those assessed at Amsfortt in 1675. In the town of Hamsted, Long Island, resided George Heulitt, John Allin, and Samuel Allin; in the town estate of Jamaica, Long Island, dwelt George Woolsey and Samuel Matthews. Many of the descendants of these families intermarried, and their descendants are now scattered throughout the United States.

Nehemiah Pearce was evidently a very shrewd businessman and had much business transactions with the Indians. He sent to England for supplies of all kinds in the way of merchandise and traded with the Indians for furs. The business prospered, but there seemed to be a certain loss in the fur trade that could not be overcome. That a credit business had been established is of record by the following acknowledgment made in 1675.

In the presence of Robert Livingston: Appeared before me, Robert Livingston, secretary, etc., in the presence of the afternamed witnesses, Christopher Skaysse and Samuel Massie, who acknowledge that they are justly and honestly indebted, etc., and in arrears to Mr. Nehemiah Pearce for the use of Mr. Samuel Wilson in the sum of 838 guilders seewant for goods, received to their satisfaction, to be paid in beavers, seewant or wheat of beavers' value, on or before the 25th of March 1676, pledging therefor generally and specially their persons and estates, Jointly and severally, real and personal, present and future, nothing excepted, submitting the same to the force of all the duke's (Heeren) laws and judges, to promote the payment thereof if need be, without cost or loss. Dated in Albany in the presence of Dirk Albertse Bradt and Johannes Wandelear as witnesses hereto invited on the fourth day of December 1675.

Father: Richard PEARCE b: 1615 in Bristol, Somerset, England

Mother: Susannah WRIGHT b: 5 AUG 1627 in Waltham Abbey, England

Sources:

Title: Pearce, Bartlett, Matthews, Smart, and Allied FamiliesAuthor: James Alonzo Matthews, Jr Publication: Publihsed by Eakin Publications in Austin Texas in 1983 'Note: As new Repository: Media: BookText: He is generation 25 in the book.