Eliza (Sornberger) Pierce Sanford and Her Descendants - Part 3

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 Eliza’s First Marriage

Like many young women, Eliza married a man from her local community when she was in her mid-twenties. Unfortunately, her marriage lasted only a few years due to the early death of her husband Levi Pierce. They were married in Hillsdale on 15 June 1841 by Rev. Mr. White.[21] Levi was probably the son of Joel and Margaret Pierce of Hillsdale. His likely previous wife Sarah had died on 7 May 1839. [22] Levi and Eliza’s only child, Lizzie, was born in Rochester on 16 May 1842. [23]

Figure 5. Pierce & Osborn Ad
Wayne Sentinel. 22 December 1841 [24]


Levi was a merchant with the firm Pierce & Osborn, a dry-goods merchant located at One Main Street Bridge in Rochester. [25] They advertised a wide range of goods available from their store including carpets, fabrics, piano and table covers, floor cloths, buttons, silks, ribbons, gloves, and hosiery. [26] They were in business as early as 11 June 1840, when they advertised in the Rochester Daily Democrat. [27] By 13 January 1841, Pierce & Osborn had opened a branch location in Palmyra, Wayne County, New York. [28] Just a few weeks later, on 2 February, they announced that the Palmyra branch of their store would be closing. [29] Also in January, Pierce & Osborn advertised in the Republican Advocate newspaper in Batavia, Genesee County, New York. [30] Passenger train service on the Towanda Railroad between Rochester and Batavia began in 1837, so perhaps Pierce & Osborn hoped the train would bring customers from Genesee County to shop in their store. [31]

Figure 6. Pierce & Osborn Ad.
Rochester Daily Democrat. 8 April 1843. [32]


By the end of 1841, Pierce & Osborn had opened a second location in Rochester. They were selling carpets and oil cloths from their location at One Front Street, and other items at their One Main Street Bridge location. [33] They were a regional business, advertising in Palmyra in Wayne County, and Batavia in Genesee County. [34]

On 29 March 1843, Levi Pierce & D.H. Osborn announced the dissolution of their partnership in the Rochester Daily Democrat. Pierce would continue the dry-goods business at the Main Street Bridge store, while Osborn would continue to sell carpets at the Front Street location. [35] On 8 April 1843, Pierce & Osborn had a front-page ad in the Rochester Daily Democrat announcing a going out of business sale. In the ad, in addition to talking about the various products available, they made specific pitches to merchants, merchant tailors, peddlers, families, and Quakers. [36]

In late 1843, Levi purchased land in Rochester, lots nine and ten in the Fifth Ward in what was known as the Assylum Tract. On 5 December, he purchased the land for $337 from the Rochester Orphan Asylum. [37] The Orphan Asylum moved from its original location on Corn Hill in Rochester to Hubbell Park in 1844, which may account for the Orphan Asylum selling land it owned in late 1843. [38]

That same day, Levi gave a promissory note for $250 to James Freeland, Peter Hoffman, and John M. Stuart of New York City, with the land as collateral for the note. Levi was to repay the $250 in sixty days, on 2 February 1844, at the Rochester City Bank. [39]

Two weeks after purchasing the property, on 19 December 1843, Levi and Eliza mortgaged the same land to Edwin C. Hamilton, John S. King, and Marcus F. Dow of New York City for $1270.53. The terms were that the Pierces would repay $295.53 in sixty-five days, on 22 February 1844, and $975 plus interest on 19 December 1844. [40]

A week after taking out the second mortgage, on 26 December, Levi and Eliza used the land as “collateral security for the payment of two promissory notes, one of said Notes given to Artemis Johnson for $850 dated 15 August 1839 & interest and also a promissory note given to Quincy Johnson for $150 dated 16th August 1839 and interest,” for a $1000 loan from Uriah Sornberger of Macedon, Wayne County, Eliza’s father. [41]

It is not clear why Levi took out three loans totaling $2520.53 against the property in the span of just three weeks, but he never repaid any of them. Perhaps he planned to build a house for his family on the land. On 28 March 1844, Edwin C. Hamilton, John S. King, and Marcus F. Dow sought to have land in Assylum Tract, lots nine and ten sold at public auction since Levi and Eliza Pierce had defaulted on payment secured by a mortgage dated 7 December 1843 to James Freeland, Peter Hoffman, and John M. Stuart. The mortgage and amount due of $252.51 had been assigned to Hamilton, King, and Dow.

The property was to be sold at auction at the Court House in Rochester on 22 June 1844 at 10 A.M. Notice about the sale was published in the Rochester Daily Democrat newspaper on a weekly basis between 28 March and 22 June. On 28 May, Uriah Sornberger was notified of the pending sale as someone who had an interest in the mortgaged premises due to a subsequent encumbrance. The property was sold at public auction on 22 June for $40 to Edwin C. Hamilton, John S. King, and Marcus F. Dow - $20 for each lot.[42]

Shortly after the foreclosure process began, Levi Pierce died at the age of twenty-nine, on 22 April 1844 in Palmyra. [43] He was buried in Bryant Cemetery in Macedon, Wayne County.[x] With Levi’s death, Eliza was left a widow with a daughter under the age of two, and the looming sale of her property at a foreclosure sale.


 21. "Marriages," The Rochester Gem and Ladies Amulet, Vol. XIII No. 13 (June 26, 1841), page 108, column 3, Levi Pierce and Elizabeth Sornborger.

 22. For parents, see New York, Columbia County, Hudson, County Courthouse, Deeds, volume S, 1832-1834,  pages 290-291, 25 October 1832, Peggy Pierce to Levi Pierce; FamilySearch.org, DGS 007120573, images 409 of 644.  For death of wife Sarah,  New York, Columbia County, Chatham Center, Phelps Burial Plot, memorial 94965386, Sarah Pierce; FindAGrave.com. No image of gravestone.

 23. Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Great Barrington, Death Records, 1841-1915, _Pre 1903, 1878, page 38, number 40, 7 September 1878, Elizabeth Seeley; image, “Massachusetts, U.S., Death Records, 1841-1915,” Ancestry.com, image 51 of 1134. Birth date calculated from death date information.         

24. “Carpets, Carpets, Carpets,” The Wayne Sentinel  (Palmyra, New York), 22 December 1841, page 4, column 2; NYSHistoricNewspapers.org.

25. “Died," Rochester Republican, 30 April 1844, page 6, column 6, Levi Pierce.

26. “Carpets, Carpets, Carpets,” The Wayne Sentinel. See note 24.

27. "Cloth Table Covers," Rochester Daily Democrat (New York), 11 June 1840, page 3, column 3.

28. "Cloths", The Wayne Sentinel (Palmyra, New York), 13 January 1841, page 3,  column 3.

29. “Great Attraction at the Branch of the Original!,” The Wayne Sentinal (Palmyra, New York), 3 February 1841, page 3, columns 5-6.

30. "Carpets! - Carpets! - Carpets!!!," Republican Advocate (Batavia, New York), 4 January 1841, page 3, column 2.

31. William F. Peck, History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York from the Earliest Historic Times to the beginning of 1907,” (New York: Pioneer Publishing Co., 1908), page 73.

32. "At Cost! At Cost! At Cost!," The Rochester Daily Democrat (New York), 8 April 1843, page 1, column 5, FultonHistory.com, pdf 0313.

33. “Carpets, Carpets, Carpets,” The Wayne Sentinel. See note 24.

34. "Carpets! - Carpets! - Carpets!!!," Republican Advocate. See note 30.

35. "Dissolution" The Rochester Daily Democrat (New York), 8 April 1843, page 5, column 2.

36. "At Cost! At Cost! At Cost!," The Rochester Daily Democrat. See note 32.

37. New York, Monroe County, Deeds, Volume 62 1843-1844, pages 387-388, 5 December 1843, Ophan Assylum to Levi Pierce; FamilySearch.org, DGS 007157036, images 389-390 of 582.

38. William F. Peck, History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York, page 222. See note 31.

39. New York, Monroe County, Mortgages, Volume 35, 1843-1844, page 301, 7 December 1843, Levi & Eliza Pierce and James Freeland, Peter Hoffman, and John M Stuart; FamilySearch.org DGS 007157773, image 449 of 600.

40. New York, Monroe County, Mortgages, Volume 35, 1843-1844, page 327, 7 December 1843, Levi & Eliza Pierce and Edwin C Hamilton, John S King, and Marcus F Dow; FamilySearch.org, DGS 007157773, image 462 of 600.

41. New York, Monroe County, Mortgages, Volume 35, 1843-1844, page 361, 26 December 1843, Levi & Eliza Pierce and Uriah Somborger; FamilySearch.org, DGS 00715773, image 480 of 600.

42. New York, Monroe County, Mortgages, Volume 37, 1844-1845, pages 149-151, 26 December 1843, Levi & Eliza Pierce and Edwin C Hamilton, et al; FamilySearch.org, DGS 007157774, image 378-380 of 604.

 43. “Died," Rochester Republican, 30 April 1844, page 6, column 6, Levi Pierce.

44. New York, Wayne County, Macedon, Bryant Cemetery, memorial 8902082, Levi Pierce; gravestone image added by Daryl VerStreated, 4 May 2010; FindAGrave.com.

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