Warren, My understanding is that Pearce Hall was a large castle / estate. The Percy family seemed historically to be on the wrong side in political battles, so the idea to change the spelling of the name at that time probably had merit. In the early 1700's, my ancestor spelled the name Piercy, however his name is recorded as Pearce in the Northampton, MA record of his marriage in 1708 Also, I have read the need for caution in working with Frederick Pierce's data, as he was not always consistent in his effort to tie families into the Percy/Northumberland line which dates back to Denmark and Normandy. Basil R. Percy