Richard's parents are my elusive ancestors. Northampton, MA vital records use the Pearce spelling in reporting the marriage of Richard Pearce and the widow Thankful Canfield in Hatfield, MA on December 28, 1708. I know that we normally put little stock in the early spellings, however I have reason to believe that Richard was a literate person, and that the spelling of the name is significant. What I find interesting is that early descendants of Richard and Thankful in Pittsfield, MA are referred to as Piercy--and beginning in the late 1700s, and to the present time, the name has been consistently spelled Percy. Richard died in Westfield, MA. His grandson, Sylvanus Piercy, was in Bennington County, Vermont in 1782, and removed to Highgate, Vermont where his will is found in 1798...all descendants since that time have used the Percy spelling. In the educational posting of the Dummers War to the Jenkins Ear War, Richard is listed as serving in 1725 from Hatfield, MA. To date I have been unable to determine Richard's parents. The Pearce name has not normally reverted back to its original Percy spelling. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Basil R. Percy