Submitted by: Devonna Edwards

Exciting New Photos and Stories of The Piercey Family on Dutch Village Road in Fairview

Mr. Piercey (first name unknown) was a Non Commissioned (N.C.) Officer with the British Army who served in England, Jamaica and Halifax for thirty years. He retired in 1853 and bought a house in ‘Dutch Village’ today known as Fairview. His homestead was located on the westside of Dutch Village Road in Fairview. The site was identified as being where the Fairview United Church once stood before it was demolished in December 2025. His son Charles Edward Piercey took over ownership of house, I assume it was after his father’s death. Charles and his wife Eleanor Jane Drysdale then resided there with their children: 

• William (Will) Drysdale
• Charles J.(John)
• Ellie (Ella) Jane
• Ida (May)
• Bessie
• John (George)
• Annie Olive  

Later Charles purchased property on the eastside of Dutch Village Road and there he started a Dairy Farm. Today the Dairy Queen occupied the site.

Memories of Ella Jane (Piercey) Mont  1878-1983 

Daughter of Charles and Eleanor Piercey
With Added Notes by Devonna Edwards

One of my first recollections was of brother Willie (W.D. Piercey) taking me to school Friday afternoon when I was 4 years old and he was 18 months older. I was Registered at school when I was 5 years old.

Note: School was probably at St. John’s Church on Kempt Road near the Fairview Under/Overpass.

We lived in Grandfather’s house located where the United Church stands on Dutch Village Road. The well was in the basement and we used a bucket and rope to draw water. Mother lost her wedding ring in the well. Cleaning and scraping failed in finding it, but it was found years afterward by Sam Castile between 2 rocks. Mrs. Harry Deal, retired school teacher held evening class for Charlie Piercey, Will Piercey and Charlie Deal, who was Willie’s chum and friend. He died when he was a young man of a heart attack. We picked blueberries and sold them to Mrs. Pickford, who lived in the big house next to MacKinlays, which was afterward owned by Will (W.D. Piercey). Our first teacher was Miss Allison. Miss Fanny Prierson was one teacher we remembered as being very strict “cross” we called her. She later went to Korea as a missionary. We used to pity the heathen.

In winter we set rabbit snares, had to go back in the woods across the road. A good path went back for miles. We were told it led out to St. Margaret’s Bay Road. So one day, we decided to go through but didn’t get that far. We heard the dim sound of traffic so turned back.

Note: Ella Jane was probably talking about the old road leading from Geizer’s Mountain/Hill (top of Main Avenue) to St. Margaret’s Bay Road.

Father had served 7 years as apprentice to shoemaker Mr. Merrick. He built a small addition to the house where he worked at the trade. He never liked the work and suffered from headaches, so he decided to buy the farm across the road and built a house there. We moved there when I was 5 years old. Dad started a milk route. Up at 5 a.m. every morning, had to milk 10 cows, mother helping, boys too, soon. I tried it one day without success. I was frightened to pass them (cows) so climbed out a small window.

Willie had to take the herd away each day to pasture, generally back of Mount St. Vincent. One day he went swimming in Bedford Basin. The cows wandered off, so he had to come home without them. He didn’t want to tell Dad, so he asked me to. I said, “Dad, Willie can’t find on one of the cows.”
“Which one?” he asked. “He can’t find any of them,” I said. He and Charlie went off to look for them, but met them coming home on their own.

Note: They probably took the path up what is known today as Titus Street and then followed a trail behind the Rock Quarry until they reached the rich grass in back of the Mount. The front of the Rock Quarry was on the Bedford Highway where a car dealership now occupies the site.

Willie left school when he was 14 years old and later went to night school. His first job was at Fenerty’s Shovel Factory. One evening he came home looking very pale and Mother said, “You look as if you had seen a ghost.” He said, “I saw three of them and helped to get them out of the lake.” They were the three Doyle children of one family.

Note: He was probably talking about Chocolate Lake which was near his work at Fenerty’s Shovel Factory.

His second job was at Rhodes and Curry in Halifax and later he went away to Sydney, N.S. to work. He went away a boy and came back a handsome young man. I remember feeling very proud of him when walking down to church. Later he joined S.O. Tem. in Fairview where he and Annie Forbes were elected Secretary and Treasurer. That was where he first began to see her home. They were married some years later.

Note: S.O. Tem. was short for “Sons Of Temperance” which was a temperance organization.

A special Thank You to Carolyn Mont who provided the memories of her grandmother Ella Jane and photos of the Piercey family.

The oldest son William Drysdale Piercey became well known as one of the developers of Fairview. He also donated property at the top of Frederick Avenue for the community to play sports on. Today the site is called “W.D. Piercey Sports Field.”  He also established Piercey Building Supplies Ltd. located on Robie Street. Later he built a beautiful house on Dutch Village Road (that part now known as Joseph Howe Drive) at the bottom of Mumford Road and lived there until his death in 1964.

Annie Olive Piercey became a Nursing Sister in World War 1 and later died at the age of 75 in 1959.

George (John ‘George’) Piercey joined the Army in World World 1 and became known as Lieutenant Colonel John George Piercey and died fighting for his country. He is buried in Auberchicourt British Cemetery in Nord, France.

Later William Olie purchased the Piercey Farm property on the east side of Dutch Village Road in Fairview and lived there in the 1920s. At one time he 
worked at a Saw Mill located in back of the Deal/Keeler Farm just up the road from his homestead. William Olie came from Holland and was married. They had three sons, Sam, Tony and William (Bill). Ann (Veinotte) Tattrie told me that an aunt also lived there, who was unbalanced and was never allowed out of the house. The Dairy Queen, and Giant Tiger Store occupy the site today.