William Almy Pirce (February 29, 1824 – March 5, 1891) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

Early life

Born in

Hope, Rhode Island The Hope Village Historic District is a historic rural mill settlement within Hope Village in Scituate, Rhode Island. Hope Village is located on a bend in the North Pawtuxet River in the southeastern corner of Scituate. Industrial activity has ...

, Pirce attended the common schools and Smithville Seminary (now Lapham Institute). For ten years, he was a manager of his father's cotton mills, store and counting room in Simmons Upper Village, a part of Johnston.

Political background

From 1854 to 1863, Pirce worked in manufactured cotton goods. Then in 1855 and 1882, he served in the

Rhode Island State Senate The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of w ...

. Then in 1858 and 1862, and then from 1879 to 1881, he served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. In 1880, Pirce was a delegate to the

1880 Republican National Convention The 1880 Republican National Convention convened from June 2 to June 8, 1880, at the Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Delegates nominated James A. Garfield of Ohio and Chester A. Arthur of New York as the offic ...

and in 1884 was a member of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...

. Then from 1862 to 1873, Pirce was the assessor of internal revenue for the second district of Rhode Island and, in 1863, he was appointed paymaster with rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the State militia. On November 4, 1884, Price was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

. On March 4, 1885, he presented credentials as a Republican Member-elect to the Forty-ninth Congress. He served from March 4, 1885, to January 25, 1887. The 1884 results were successfully contested by

Charles H. Page Charles Harrison Page (July 19, 1843 – July 21, 1912) was a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island. Born in Glocester, Rhode Island, Page attended public schools. During the Civil War Page enlisted in the Union Army as a private at the age of ...

, and the seat was declared vacant because of election irregularities. Page then won a special election in February 1887 and served from February 1887 until the end of the term on March 3, 1887. Pirce was also a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and an assessor of taxes in Johnston, Rhode Island.

Death and burial

Pirce died in Johnston on March 5, 1891, and was interred at Swan Point Cemetery in

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pirce, William Almy 1824 births 1891 deaths Republican Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Republican Party Rhode Island state senators Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island Burials at Swan Point Cemetery 19th-century American politicians