Male

December 3, 1779

May 10, 1846

Litchfield, CT

James Pierce was the son of John and Mary Goodman Pierce. He was the half-brother of Miss Sarah Pierce, head of the Litchfield Female Academy.

"School consisting of 15 only -- now there are so few I hope the native ladies of Litchfield may stand some chance for a part at least of the attention of Mr. Reeve's students."
Said by James Pierce regarding the romantic competition between local Litchfield women and Litchfield Female Academy students for Litchfield Law School's male students, 1800.
Emily Noyes Vanderpoel, Chronicles of a Pioneer School from 1792 to 1833: Being the History of Miss Sarah Pierce and her Litchfield School (1903) p.378.

"Does Polly [Mary] Pierce attract the attention of any buck in particular yet? Or is she still obliged to rely on other folks' sweethearts for the amusement of her evenings? Has she nothing to do but look on from 6 o'clock till 10 to see other folks court?"
Said ...by Timothy Pierce, 1800.

"At this time the world is pretty well stocked with lawyers of a middling class, they swarm like locusts and are equally useful to the community, it can hardly be at this time considered to be an admirable profession excepted to minds of the first order there are always favorable situations for them_ as the law is now practiced the profession must be considered at best a necessary evil_ the inducements to young lawyers to depart from the upright principle of doing as they would be done by request, if this golden rule was adopted by the advises few would be the suits brought before a court of Justice for decision_ nine times in ten an honest and candid lawyer would advise his client to settle with his adversary or refer it amicably to a neighbor to do right between them but the lawyer would starve under such a system. Few are therefore to be found to be a blessing instead of being a curse as they often are to a neighbor."
James Pierce to John Pierce Brace 1812 July 9
Loring Family Correspondence
Litchfield Historical Society
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1798

Litchfield, CT in 1799

The Students, Catalogue of the Litchfield Law School, From 1798 to 1827 Inclusive (Litchfield, CT: S.S. Smith, 1822), 7.

Kilbourne, Dwight. The Bench and Bar of Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1709-1909 : Biographical Sketches of Members, History and Catalogue of the Litchfield Law School, Historical Notes, (Litchfield, Connecticut, 1909).