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PIERCE begins 972 in Denmark
with Manfred of Percy

CRUTCHFIELD begins before 1683 in England with Richard Crutchfield

CULLUM begins before 1719 in Virginia
with Thomas Cullum

CONLEY begins about 1750 probably in Maryland with John Conley

BIAS begins about 1722 probably in Ireland with James Byas/Bias

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Interesting People / Facts

PIERCE

• Pierce line believed to trace back to Manfred de Percy, b. 972 AD in Denmark.  Manfred became a Danish chieftain, and along with his son Galfred, joined the son of a Norwegian Viking in relocating to France, and began using name of Percy (which was later changed to Pierce).
• Galfred and his brother William de Percy, crossed the English Channel in the army of William the Conqueror in 1066 and took part in the Battle of Hastings.  As a reward for their allegiance, they received large land holdings in Hamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
• Agnes de Percy (abt 1142 - 1204) her only brother died in infancy, so the family inheritance fell to Agnes, from whom all Percys descended.  Agnes married Josceline of Louraine, who agreed to adopt the Percy name.  He was the brother of Alice of Louraine, King Henry II's second wife.  Josceline descended from Gerberga, who was daughter of Charles Duke of Lorraine, from Charlemagne, king of the Franks and later Emporer of the Romans.
• Agnes and Josceline's son Richard de Percy was one of the barons who rose against King John and was one of the 25 barons named to enforce the Magna Carta under Henry III.
• Agnes and Josceline's other son Sir Henry de Percy married Isabel de Bruce of Skelton (many of Scotland's kings were from the Bruce family).
• Henry de Percy (d. 1403, nicknamed "Hotspur" by the Scots) was one of the most recognized knights of his day (at 11 years he was knighted at the Coronation of Richard the II to become Sir Harry Percy, Knight by the Kings hand).  He spent most of his life defending England from the Scots, was immortalized in a Shakespeare play and helped make Henry of Lancaster King Henry IV.  Hotspur later refused to surrender Scottish prisoners to King Henry causing the king to strike Percy in the face, draw his sword, and call him a traitor.  In 1403, Hotspur, tired of king Henry, supported a revolution by the Scots, but was killed in battle, his head cut off and suspended on the gates of York.
• Around 1560, Richard Percy changed the family name to Pierce.
• Captain William Pierce (abt 1595 - 1651), captained the Mayflower on its second voyage to New England and is credited with many "firsts": brought the first cattle to New England (from England, ship Charity, 1624); brought the first cotton to New England (1633, from the Wes Indies) and the first sweet potatoes (ship Desire in 1636); published the first bound book in English to be printed in North America - Pierce's (Peirse's) Almanac of 1639.  Described as the most celebrated master of ships to come into the water of New England during the Colonists' early history, master of the Mayflower on nine different voyages and captain of many other ships. William was also instrumental in the first Thanksgiving (colonies were running short of food; William was sent to bring back supplies but was delayed as he towed a disabled ship to port; Gov. Winthrop, thinking the ship was sunk and with the colonists on the verge of starvation designated Feb. 22, 1631 to be a fast day of prayer; however, on Feb 21, William returned and Feb. 22 turned into a day of Thanksgiving).
• Jane Pierce, probably daughter of William's, married John Rolfe, the widower of Pocahontas, the Indian princess who saved Capt. John Smith's life.
• John Pierce (b. abt 1600, brother to Capt. William Pierce) was likely owner of the Mayflower, on which the Pilgrams made their voyage to America.  He also procured the first two Patents (permission to start new settlements) used by the Pilgrams.  The first "Peirce Patent" gave permission to start a new settlement (to be inhabited by the Pilgrims) in the Virginia territory, but was never effective, because the Mayflower landed outside the bounds of the Virginia Company.  The Pilgrams created the Mayflower Compact to temporarily establish a government for establishing a settlement in New England.  When the Mayflower returned to England in April 1621, Pierce learned that the Pilgrims had settled at Plymouth. He then obtained a patent from the Council for New England; the Council had the authority to plant and govern land in the Plymouth area. This Second Peirce Patent confirmed the Pilgrims’ settlement and governance of Plymouth and superceded the Mayflower Compact.  The patent is the oldest extant state document in New England.
• George Foster Wells Pierce was a Bishop in the Methodist church, the first president of Georgia Female College (now Wesleyan College), the third president of Emory College, helped organize the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

• Thomas Ferguson Crutchfield paid $275 for the lot where in 1852 he built The Crutchfield House, the first hotel in the then village of Dallas, Texas.  It was destroyed by fire in June, 1860, at the same time that all business houses in Dallas, numbering fifteen, went down in flames.  In 1850, Thomas was the third Postmaster of Dallas, 30 years before the first mail carriers started.
• Nancy Morgan Hart, GGG Grand Mother of Charles Thomas Crutchfield, was a Revolutionary War heroine.  It's been said she stood six feet tall, had flaming red hair, and apparently was quite a marksman with her musket. The neighboring Indians called her "Wahatchee", meaning "War Woman" out of the healthy respect and fear they had for her.  From 1852 article on her actions during the war: "One day six Tories paid Nancy a call and demanded a meal. She soon spread before them smoking venison, hoe-cakes, and fresh honeycomb. Having stacked their arms, they seated themselves, and started to eat, when Nancy quick as a flash seized one of the guns, cocked it, and with a blazing oath declared she would blow out the brains of the first mortal that offered to rise or taste a mouthful! She sent one of her sons to inform the Whigs of her prisoners. Whether uncertain because of her cross-eyes which one she was aiming at, or transfixed by her ferocity, they remained quiet. The Whigs soon arrived and dealt with the Tories according to the rules of the times."  Honors: Only county in Georgia named after a woman, 1853, Hart County, Georgia; Nancy Hart Highway (in Georgia) - according to the United States Bureau of Roads in Washington, D.C. in 1950, this was the only highway in the United States named for a woman.

• Marcus Hiram Cullum was Charter Member and first official pastor of the Oak Lawn Methodist Church in Dallas; his circuit also included Cochran's Chapel and Caruth Chapel.

• William Gustavus Conley served as Governor and Attorney General of West Virginia, and in 1896 he was chosen assistant secretary of the Republican National Convention that nominated President McKinley.

• Henry Bias was conscripted into the Confederate army, and served for three years under "Stonewall" Jackson. He passed through nearly all the battles of that famous general, unharmed, and surrendered at Brandy Station.