Welcome to the "P" SURNAME GENEALOGY Books

Descendants of Reuben Phillips - John Wesley Phillips. 1995, 419 pp, maps, bible, index, paper $54.00 #P334

The Descendants of Thomas Pier - Joseph Pierre. The author spent several years researching and compiling this anecdotal history, detailing genealogical data covering 12 generations of descendants of Thomas Pier. The only book of genealogy on the Pier family in America to date, it is of obvious interest to those with the same surname wishing to trace their ancestry. However, the author also devotes extensive time to those families historically allied with the Piers including the Beebes, Churches, Davises, Deweys, Eddys, Mungers, Roberts, Roots, Sewards, Stanwoods, Stevens, Tremaines and Yocoms. The book also addresses a line of Piers descended from Tunis Jansen Pier, from Holland, who also came to America in the late 17th century. 1995, 319 pp., illus., append., maps, index, paper $27.50 #ZP317

Pierson Millennium - Richard E. Pierson and Jennifer Pierson. This book "covers the approximate period 850 AD to 1850 AD, ...though some data earlier than 850 and later than 1850 is presented." Three distinct spellings of the name Pierson (Pierson/Pearson/Peirson), all derived from "the surname's place-name origin about 1100 AD in Yorkshire, England, at the vill of Pericne alias Persene," are included. Two major sources used in compiling this work are books written by Lizzie B. Pierson and George Rogers Howell, originally published in the 19th century. These two books consist almost entirely of primary sources gleaned from personal interviews, family records, bible records, wills, probate records, burial records and other official state records. All information included, from these as well as other sources, has been examined for accuracy; errors, where found, have been corrected.

Among the topics investigated are the English ancestry of six American immigrants of the 1600s, with "family inter-relationships provided." These six individuals are Rev. Abraham Pierson, Bartholomew Pierson, Henry Peirson, John Pearson of Lynn, Stephen Pierson and Thomas Pierson Sr., who variously settled in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Although Deacon John Pearson and Samuel Peirson have been investigated, "their English ancestors were not discovered"; however, the results of the research are included in Appendix B.

Another major topic addressed is 34 Pearson/Peirson/Pierson coats of arms which are provided for England, Scotland and the Netherlands. Ten Pierson legends have also been examined, discussed, and in most cases verified. One example of such deals with the origins of the Pierson name. It has been determined that "the Pierson line descended from Vikings" and the name originated "in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England." Two legends indicate that three of the earliest immigrants (Henry Peirson, Rev. Abraham Pierson and Bartholomew Pierson) arrived in America as passengers on the (2nd) Mayflower. Various other legends deal with topics such as family inter-relationships and details of their immigration. Separate from these legends is a chapter dedicated to "Pearson/Peirson/Pierson men in the Revolutionary War."

Sources are cited alongside the data, making both more accessible to researchers. A number of theories which cannot be verified are presented, along with the rationale to explain them, so that the readers can arrive at their own conclusions. An everyname index and detailed table of contents make this well organized text a convenient as well as a reliable research tool. 1997, 332 pp., 8.5x11, index, paper, $43.00 #ZP319>

John/Jean Poinset ( - by 1739) of Burlington, New Jersey, Pierre Poinset l'ain� ( -1699) of Charles Town, South Carolina and Some of Their Descendants - Doris Jean Post Poinsett. This book is an attempt to provide more information for the families of John/Jean Poinset and Pierre Poinset l'ain� who settled in New Jersey and South Carolina. Both were in America before 1700. Places of origin in France are provided when known. This well-documented work is limited to the first three generations of descendants of two French Protestant families: John/Jean and Elizabeth (Moreau/Murrow) Poinset and Pierre l'ain� and Sarah (Fauchereau) Poinset. Within these boundaries, descendants through great-grandchildren for whom records were found have been included. Allied families: Bachelor, Bennet, Bisset, Braman, Bullen, Carwithen, Cheulalier, Cowperthwaite, Dalton, Dobell, Dupree, Earl, Essleby, Fauchereau, Fley, Fordham, Gaskill, Gracia, Guinard, Harris, Hartshorne, Holmes, Horry, Jennett, Lesueur, Martin, Martineau, Moreau, Morris, Pacquenet, Padget, Richardson, Roberts, Shreve, Smyth, Stockton, Thorp, Varin. Illustrations and maps are included as well as a fullname index. Doris Jean Post Poinsett is the author of Valentin Pfost/Post 1740-1800 of Hardy County, (West) Virginia and Some of His Descendants, which in 1991 received the American Society of Genealogists' Donald Lines Jacobus Award for excellence. 1998, 130 pp., illus., maps, fullname index, cloth, $23.00 #ZP535

The Family History of a Lot of Pounds and Their Travels - Walter C. Pounds, Jr. In 1635 two brothers, Thomas Pond (Pound) and John Pownd (Pound), emigrated separately to the colonies from England. Thomas settled in New England and is believed to be the progenitor of the Pound family in the northern tier of the states, but of him not much is known. The second brother, John, settled in Virginia and is believed to be responsible for those branches of the Pounds who populated the southern tier of the states. This genealogy is an attempt to link together the members of the Pound family who descended from this early colonist in Virginia. Organized with an easy-to-use numbering system, this book catalogs over 5,000 descendants of John and Elizabeth (Joy) Pound. 1994, 681 pp., 2 vols., paper, $50.00 #ZP585

Pratt Families of Virginia - William Neal Hurley, Jr. Beginning with Henry Pratt (born pre-1765) of Washington County, VA, the bulk of the book deals with the Pratts of southwestern Virginia. Four chapters trace Henry Pratt's descendants. Next are eight chapters primarily dealing with descendants of Oliver Pratt (born 1784) son of Henry Pratt above, and Mary Fulks Pratt (born c.1813). To aid future researchers, several chapters present the descendants of Marshall Pratt of Accomack County, VA, and Jonathan Pratt (1714-1781) of Orange County, VA; connections have not yet been established between these and the book's central Pratt lineage. The book closes with a chapter on miscellaneous Pratt family members which includes a list of military records. 1996, 320 pp., illus., bibl., index, paper, $29.500 #ZH871

Valentine Prentice: His origins and the descendants of his grandsons John, Jonathan, Stephen, and Thomas. From 1514 to 1992 - Linus Joseph Dewald, Jr. Valentine Prentice was born c1598 in Essex, England, immigrated to the U.S. in 1631, and died in Roxbury, Massachusetts; he married Alice Bredda. His father, also called Valentine, and his probable grandfather and great-grandfather are also mentioned. The bulk of the book, however, treats the descendants of his grandsons and covers a total of seventeen generations. In addition to vital statistics, data covered may include residences, the spouse's parents, biographical information, and analysis of conflicting or unclear facts. A variety of primary and secondary sources were used to compile this new work. 1992, 606 pp., 8.5x11, 2 vols., illus., index, paper $70.00 #ZD180

The Pritchard Family History: The Virginia Line from Thomas, Jamestown Immigrant, With related families of Tichenell, Nestor and Meredith and including Memoirs of Ernest Markwood Pritchard - Emily Pritchard Cary. 1999, 381 pp, maps, photos, fullname index, paper $34.00 #C072.