The oldest ancestor of Group A is William Pierce Sr. He was born about 1705. He
married Elizabeth Rucker, daughter of Peter Rucker and Elizabeth Fielding. He is
first found in Virginia records in Spotsylvania county, Virginia in 1731. He later is found in Orange and Augusta County, Virginia records. He was granted 100 acres in Orange
County in Aug. 1735 in a fork of the Rapidan River. In Sept. 1745 he leased land in
Augusta County, Virginia. He died in Orange County about Mar. 1760. His son,
William Pierce, Jr. left the Orange and Culpepper County area in the late 1760's and moved southwest into Montgomery and Wythe Counties of Virginia. William Jr. settled
on Reed Creek, a branch of the New River in Wythe County. He operated Pierce's
ferry which crossed the New River. He was a veteran of Lord Dunmore's war in Herbert's company. He pledged his Allegiance to the American cause in Montgomery Co. in 1777. William Pierce, Jr. is the MRCA (most recent common ancestor) of Group A.
