Hi new cousin Julie! I, too, descend from Joshua Pierce and Hopestill Holloway. They did have a daughter Eleanor. My descent is through their daughter Anna. Here is a start for you and I'll be glad to share more. Anyone wishing further information on the direct Pierce line down to Joshua and Hopestill are welcome to see my web site at "http://members.aol.com/JAncestry/pierce1.html". Joshua Pierce: b. 25 Jan 1785/06 Pembrook, Plymouth, MA d. 15 Mar 1794 Cornwall CT m. Hopestill Holloway 20 Nov 1729 in Middleboro, Plymouth County,Massachusetts, and deceased 13 March 1794 in Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut. 7th Great Grandmother Hopestill, of Middleborough MA, deceased 10 April 1784.<< The book "Seven Pierce Families" has Joshua as descended from a Daniel Pierce of Watertown, Massachusetts. The story "The Seven Pierce Families" about how the Joshua Pierce of Newbury, Essex Co. ended up in Pembroke, Plymouth Co. has long been questioned and suspected that maybe, because of the name, it was assumed that they were the same person. It is more likely that our Joshua is the son of John Pierce and Elinor Chiles (Childs) rather than Joshua Pierce and Johanna Gerrish as stated in "Seven Pierce Families". The children of Joshua Pierce (son of Daniel) and Johanna Gerrish (daughter of Moses) in "Seven Pierce Families" were: Daniel, Anne, Mary, Henry, Moses, Samuel, and Joshua. The children of John Pierce and Elinor Chiles, as stated above, were: PRISCILLA (b.c1696 Duxbury), ELINOR (b. c1698 Duxbury), Caleb (b. c1700 Duxbury), Thankful (b. c 1703 Duxbury), Joshua (b. 1705 bapt. Feb 22, 1713 Pembroke d. Mar 13, 1794 CORNWALL), Nehemiah (b. 1708 Pembroke d. Feb 21, 1777 CORNWALL), Mary (b. c1710 Duxbury), Benjamin (b. 1712 Pembroke), Mercy (b. 1714 Pembroke). The children of Joshua and Hopestill were: Joshua (b. 1730 Pembroke), Elizabeth (b. 1733 Pembroke), JOHN (b. 1734 Pembroke ), Sarah (b. 1736 Pembroke), ELEANOR (b. 1739 Pembroke), Seth (b. 1742 Pembroke), PRISCILLA (b. 1745 Pembroke), Anna (b. 1750 Cornwall) None of the names from the Joshua/Johanna family carry through to the next generation while several do in the John/Elinor family. John and Elinor were married in Duxbury in 1695 and their children were either born in Duxbury or Pembroke. In addition, a Joshua Pierce was baptized in Pembroke on Feb 22, 1713 and, because of the date, it could not have been the one from Newbury. None of Joshua Pierce/Johanna Garrish's other children ended up in Cornwall where at least one other son (Nehemiah) of John Pierce and Elinor Chiles died there. Per Don Dickenson, while the information is circumstantial, it is believed and a very strong case that years ago someone assumed that the Joshua in Pembroke was the same as the one in Newbury and the story has been repeated over the years. Following are vital records from Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut for my 7th Great Grandparents Joshua Pierce and Hopestill Holloway for some of their children: As per letter rec'd from the Pembroke, Massachusetts town clerk, Pg. 160 Pembroke births - Pearce(see Pearse, Peirc, Peirce& Pierce) - Eleanor d. Joshua & Hopestill b. Apr. 28,1759 - Elizabeth d. Joshua & Hopestil b. Jan.25, 1732-33 - John s. Joshua& Hopestil b. Nov.18,1734 (Josh & Hopestill being my Gr..Gndpnts) - Sarah d. Joshua & Hopestill b. Dec. 24,1736 Pierce - Joshua s. Joshua & Hopestill b. Nov.8,1730 - Priscilla d. Joshua & Hopestill b. Oct. 28,1745 - Seth s. Joshua & Hopestill b. Oct. 28,1742 Cornwall, Connecticut. Vital Records Barbour Collection (Obtained from Connecticut State Library in Hartford, CT) - Pierce, Peerce (Also see Bierce) - Anna d. Joshua & Hopestill b. Feb.20, 1749-50 - Anna d. Joshua jr. & Amy b. Feb. 5, 1758 - Ame d. Joshua & Ame b. Sept. 16, 1759 - Eleanor d. Joshua & Hopestill Apr. 28, 1739 - Elizabeth d. Joshua & Hopestill b. Jan. 25, 1732-33 - John s. Joshua & Hopestill b. Nov. 20, 1734 - John s. Joshua & Amy b.May 15, 1774 - Joshua s. Joshua & Hopestill b. Nov. 8, 1730 - Joshua Jr. m. Amy Johnson b. of cornwall Sept. 11,1754 by George Kellogg, Jp. sworn to Aug. 9,1745 before Gideon Thompson J.P. by John Pierce and Nehemiah Pierce. - Joshua s. Joshua Jr. & Amey b. sept. 16,1762 - Joshua (Capt.) d.Jan. 22, 1793 - Joshua d. mar 13, 1794 in the 89th yr. of his age. - Low Rain d. Joshua & Amy b. Mar. 23, 1766 (Lorain) - Presilla d. Joshua & Hopestill b. Oct. 28, 1745 - Samuel Johnson s. Joshua Jr. & Amy b. Dec.27,1769 - Sarah d. Joshua & Hopestill b. Dec. 4, 1736 - Seth s. Joshua & Hopestill b. Oct.28,1742 Looking forward to hearing from you, Jeannie Winter ([email protected])