David Pierce Jr. (March 26, 1786August 16, 1872) was an American lawyer and politician who served in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

as State Auditor and as a state court judge.

Biography

Pierce was born in

Southborough, Massachusetts Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. At th ...

, on March 26, 1786, and raised in

Barnard, Vermont Barnard is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 992 at the 2020 census. The town has two unincorporated villages: Barnard and East Barnard, along with the hamlets of Newcombsville, Mountain Meadows, and Fort De ...

. He graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

in 1811. He then taught school, studied law with Charles Marsh, was admitted to the bar in 1816 and established a law practice in

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Cha ...

. Pierce was also interested in inventing and other scientific pursuits, and items he patented include a gold separator, a planing machine and a method for constructing watertight ship's holds. In 1823, Pierce was elected State Auditor, and he served until 1845. Pierce was named a judge of the court of common pleas in 1836, and he served until 1846.History of Royalton, Vermont: With Family Genealogies, 1769-1911
by Mary Evelyn Wood Lovejoy, Volume 1, pages 319-320 Pierce died in

, on August 16, 1872.

References

1786 births 1872 deaths Dartmouth College alumni State auditors of Vermont Vermont lawyers People from Woodstock, Vermont People from Southborough, Massachusetts Vermont state court judges 19th-century Vermont state court judges 19th-century American lawyers {{Vermont-politician-stub