PEIRCE-HARALSON-RUMBLE FAMILY PAPERS Abigail L. Dixon CONTENTS
OF INVENTORY Named after her paternal grandmother Frances Temple
Cordis (1776-1815), Frances Temple Peirce was born in Boston,
Massachusetts, in 1826. Her father, Constantius Peirce (1801-ca.
1839), was a descendant of a locally prominent Bostonian family.
Her mother, Mary Steer (1800-1837) was a resident of East Baton
Rouge Parish, Louisiana, and was related by the marriage of her
aunt, Katherine Lintot (1770-1844), to the Minors, who owned
plantations in both Louisiana and Mississippi. Frances Temple
Peirce was one of six children born to the Peirces. Her siblings
included Laura, Hamilton McRee (1824-1866), Granville M. (b.
1827), Mary Steer (b. 1830), and Sarah Rowell (b. 1832). Upon
her mother’s death, Frances Temple Peirce and her sisters were
sent to live with Dr. Denny and his family. The Dennys were
probably relatives of Frances’ mother. They lived in Natchez,
Mississippi, and it was here that Frances received her
education. In 1856, Franc