James PIERSEE & Mary JEFFERS
Father: James PIERSEE, (son of Andrew PIERSEE), b. ABT 1807, Mason Virginia, d. 1870/1880
This is beyond an excellent possible for Elias Piersee's parents In fact all info makes it a certainty. there are so many tie ins. . In the 1860 Census in Adair County under the spelling of James Pearcy there is a family with a little boy named Eli. His age is right on the money and Elias seems to have a firm grip on most census of his age. He also seems to know he was born in Indiana which is where this child is born. Adair County is right next door to Sullivan which is where Eli is found with his family when he is married in the 1880 Census. Also note that Elias first child later is named James often done. Also, when you type in the name Eli Piersee or Elias Piersee under soundex with the 1846 birth year even using a 5 year variable you get only this one child with any info that fits at all. . So there is no other child near this spelling in all of the US in the 1860 Census. Another interesting note is that the entry at one World Tree has Elias Piersee married in Adair MO!! Lots of coincidences The only negative is that his father James is born in VA UPDATE ON THE 1900 CENSUS FOR ELIAS PIERSEE MISSPELLED AS PEIRCE, HE NOW LISTS HIS FATHER AS BEING BORN IN VA.. Given that Elias has no idea later where his mother is born , it is not unusual for children to get their parents birthplace confused. On this genealogy disk. there are several instances of that. Finally most importantly, James and Mary have a child named Freeman . Right next to the gravestone of Eli Piersee in Dallas County Missouri, found by a Piersee genealogist Bettie Wallander from Joplin is a gravestone for Freeman Piersee. Being such an unusual name it must be that Elias is buried next to his brother. NOTE Right next door to James Pearcy/Piersee in 1860. is another family of Piersee's/ Pearcys that has a three year old child named Elias. Perhaps the little boy of 13 was called Eli to distinguish him from this cousin or whatever. The two families I am sure were related by proximity. In 1860. James is 53 with birthplace of Virginia , his wife Mary is 50 with birthplace of Indiana. Son Freeman is 19 and born in Indiana. Minerva is 17 and born in Indiana as little Eli is 13 born Indiana. Cen Also on the 1860 Census in Adair County is JL Pearcy 29 born in VA which would fit with the son of this James Pearcy now out in a household on his own.It is fair to say that his familys path started in Mason County VA according to marriage info of James Piersee with Mary Jeffers on both World Connect and FamilySearch. James father Andrew is listed in 1830 Mason County as being between 60 and 70.(See Andrews notes for logical connection to son James) 0n the 1830 Census for Andrew in Mason County Virginia he has two males living with him between 20 and 30 and a female between 20 and 30 and two males children between 0 and 5 years old. It is not unreasonable to think that James Pearcy (now 23),his son who was married at that time may have been living there with Andrew and have his wife Mary(around 20) and child James (1) in the household accounting for those individuals. and in 1840 Andrew is still alive in the 70 and 80 category with a little boy under 5 living with him.(Don't know who that five year old is) There are no other individuals living in that house in 1840 so most of his children including James probably have their own households.In fact James is found in the 1840 Census of Indiana White River Township in Hamilton County there is a James Piersee, whose household info fits that of all his children and himself, Childrens names are not given as in 1840 only head of household is listed. However, Freeman is listed as being born in Indiana in a later census so this also places the family firmly in Indiana in 1840. So that would account for James no longer being in his fathers house. James own death date estimate is based on the fact that he disappears from the census's prior to 1880. His name is actually spelled Piersee.on this census!! His last appearance on a census has him farming in Adair County Mo Morrow township. with his wife Mary. He is 63, she is 60 and daughter Minerva (25) with the surname Trimble is also living there. She has three children Samuel 8, Geneva 6 and two year old Georgeanna. Her husband may have passed or is living elsewhere. Women were deserted a lot in those days and they were also widowed young so it is hard to tell. as 1870 Census did not ask marital status. All her babies were born in Mo
Mother: Mary JEFFERS, b. 1810, Mason Virginia
Married 31 Jul 1828, Mason Virginia
Children:
- James L P PIERSEE, b. ABT 1831, Virginia
- Andrew PIERSEE, b. ABT 1835, Virginia
- Freeman PIERSEE, b. Oct 1841, Indiana, d. 4 Apr 1909, Dallas County Missouri, bur. AB Cemetery, Dallas County Missouri
- Minerva PIERSEE, b. ABT 1843, Indiana
- Elias A PIERSEE, b. 11 Apr 1846, Madison County Indiana, d. 4 Jul 1902, Dallas County Missouri