Joseph Peirce was a United States Representative from New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

. He was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...

. He attended school in Portsmouth and served during the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

 in Colonel

Colonel

Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

 Pierse Long

Pierse Long

Pierse Long was an American merchant from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He served as a colonel of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War and served as a New Hampshire delegate to the Continental Congress in 1785 and 1786....

's regiment

Long's Regiment

Long's Regiment was raised on May 14, 1776 at New Castle, New Hampshire under Colonel Pierse Long for service with the Continental Army. The regiment was stationed at Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence on Lake Champlain and fought a delaying action at Fort Ann, New York on July 8, 1777 against...

 in 1775 and 1776.

His father was Isaac Peirce (1722–?) and mother was Mary Hardy, daughter of Captain Joseph Hardy of Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...

. A son Joseph Hardy Peirce (1773–1832) became active in politics, and grandson Henry A. Peirce

Henry A. Peirce

Henry Augustus Peirce was an American businessman and diplomat. Some sources spell his last name as Pierce.-Early life and business:...

 (1808–1885) ran shipping businesses and served as U.S. Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii

Kingdom of Hawaii

The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...

.

Peirce was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives

New Hampshire House of Representatives

The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 103 districts across the state, created from divisions of the state's counties. On average, each legislator represents about 3,300...

 in 1788, 1789, 1792–1795, 1800, and 1801. He also served as Portsmouth town clerk 1789–1794. He was elected as a Federalist to the Seventh Congress and served from March 4, 1801, until his resignation in 1802. After leaving Congress, he engaged in agricultural pursuits. He died in Alton, New Hampshire

Alton, New Hampshire

Alton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,250 at the 2010 census. It is home to Alton Bay State Forest and Mount Major State Forest. Alton includes the village of Alton Bay, a long-time resort located beside Lake Winnipesaukee.The primary settlement in...

on September 12, 1812.