Capt Eli Pierce & Family

Rock Village RR Station

I had been looking for Eli Pierce and his wife Fidelia Rider (3rd gr grandparents) for some time.  I knew that they had lived in Rock Village, Middleboro, MA near the railroad station for their son Thomas Warren Pierce (2rd great grandfather) was born there.



Church at Highland Street Cemetery

 I found a cemetery on Highland Street that had my 4th and 5th great grandparents; that was exciting to find, but no Eli or Fidelia.  The family surely attended church here.  Sadly, the church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.  A new church was built near where the old railroad station was.

So now I was on the hunt for the missing 3rd set of grandparents.  Fidelia was the link that led me to nine grandfathers that came over on the Mayflower.  So she alone was a very important person for me to find.

Eli Pierce and other generations of the Pierce line were all men with wonderful  military histories.  Eli  was commissioned lieutenant of a company of militia in Middleboro's south part, May 18, 1824, and captain on May 11, 1827, in the regiment of Col. Benjamin P. Wood, of Middleboro, 4th regt. of 1st brigade, 5th Division.

I next searched in Rochester, the next town over for one full day to no avail.  I then discovered they had moved to Rochester and Fidelia died there and was buried in Acushnet.  I chose the cemetery closest to the Rochester line, Long Plain Cemetery, Circa 1800.  This is where I found not only them, but others were noted on this gravestone that is taller than me.

Here I discovered their son Eli Wilson who was named after Fidelia's brother Wilson, and who was a minister.

 His wife Annie A (Slocum)  is here with a dedication to her on the back of this tone that reads:
"Weary hands lay still and rest folded oe'r a lifeless breast. God these hours of toil will bless, He will give thee sweetest rest"

Eli and Fidelia's son Nathaniel is there, named for Fidelia's father. This son was a clerk in the town of Rochester and at the age of 20 died of Typhoid fever.  Son Samuel who is listed here worked for years in his brother's, Thomas', hardware store in the town of Middleboro.

Now we have an Annie F and an infant that I have yet to connect.  That mystery will be solved another day.