FIRST GENERATION

1. Nathaniel PEARCE ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ (photo) was born about 1683 in Tewkesbury Co., Gloucester. ⁽³⁾ Tewkesbury is 11 miles from Gloucester and eight from Cheltenham, and features in Domesday Book where it is named Teodechesberie. He died in Dec 1760.⁽⁴⁾ He was buried in Church Brampton, Northampton Co..⁽⁵⁾ Nathaniel Pearce was born in Tewkesbury in 1683 and became a banker/goldsmith in Lombard Street, London, in 1718. He was granted a coat-of-arms, in recognition of his raising a Regiment of Foot, to defend London against the 'Old Pretender'. It was in April 1722 that the 'Jacobite' plot caused panic. At the trial of one of the plotters the plans were revealed, to distribute arms to sympathizers, to seize the Tower of London, the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange. As a result, there was a 'run' on the Bank of England and the Guards were called up to camp in Hyde Park, as a precaution.

In 1723 his business failed, only shortly after the disaster of the 'South Sea Bubble', which undermined the confidence of the business and financial world, in September 1720. In 1725 he moved into Brampton Hall, being the first of three Nathaniels to do so. This was a very important period in the parishes, as enclosure of Common land to private ownership had only been undertaken just over 50 years earlier and changes of a dramatic nature must have been continuing. The parishes had been divided into Church and Chapel Brampton in 1670; Nathaniel Pearce owned the three farms in Chapel Brampton, the Earl Spencer owned 770 acres in Church Brampton and the Rector, in right of his Church, had the remainder of 332 acres.

The earlier Manor House was called Brampton Hall (see painting) and gave the name of Hall Close to the parkland on which it and the later Brampton House were built. During the eighteenth century members of the Pearce family occupied the Hall for about one hundred years.

From "A Tale of Two Villages" p.63

Elizabeth MOORE⁽⁶⁾ (daughter of MOORE) died in London.⁽⁷⁾ Elizabeth Pearce died at age 50. She was buried in Church Brampton, Northampton Co.. ⁽⁸⁾ Elizabeth was coheir of Moore of Clerkenwell Co. Nathaniel PEARCE and Elizabeth MOORE had the following children:

+2 i. Nathaniel PEARCE.
3 ii. Charles PEARCE⁽⁹⁾ was born on 26 May 1720.⁽¹⁰⁾ He died on 26 Jan 1726. ⁽¹¹⁾ He was buried in Church Brampton, Northampton Co..⁽¹²⁾
+4 iii. Elizabeth PEARCE.
5 iv. Joseph PEARCE⁽¹³⁾ was born on 4 Oct 1724.⁽¹⁴⁾ He died on 15 Mar 1728. ⁽¹⁵⁾ He was buried in Church Brampton, Northampton Co..⁽¹⁶⁾
6 v. John PEARCE⁽¹⁷⁾ was born on 7 Mar 1728.⁽¹⁸⁾ He died on 7 Sep 1731. ⁽¹⁹⁾ He was buried in Church Brampton, Northampton Co..⁽²⁰⁾
7 vi. Jane PEARCE⁽²¹⁾ was born in 1729 in Chapel Brampton, Northampton Co..⁽²²⁾ She died in Dec 1801.⁽²³⁾ Jane Pearce died unmarried.

He was married to WELLER (daughter of WELLER). ⁽²⁴⁾ WELLER ⁽²⁵⁾ was born in Ranford, Essex Co.. Nathaniel PEARCE and WELLER had the following children:

8 i. Alexander PEARCE⁽²⁶⁾ was born on 11 May 1716.⁽²⁷⁾ He died on 4 Jan 1750. ⁽²⁸⁾ Alexandra Pearce of Chapel Brampton died unmarried. He was buried in Church Brampton, Northampton Co.. ⁽²⁹⁾
9 ii. PEARCE⁽³⁰⁾ was buried in Ranford, Essex Co..⁽³¹⁾ She died. ⁽³²⁾ Daughter killed when a child by accident.

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