“PIERCY, ROBERT, an elder brother of the above-named Benjamin Piercy, and his partner and associate in his Montoromeryshire undertakings, was born at Trefeglwys on the 26th January, 1825. After spending some time in his father’s office at Chirk and elsewhere, he was appointed Engineer to the New British Iron Company at Ruabon, in whose service he remained for 10 years. He carried out all the Company’s lines in and about their Collieries and works, including the Plas Madoc branch, and had charge of the underground Colliery surveys, &c. His experience during this period proved of the greatest value to him in after life. Having joined his brother in partnership during the construction of the Montgomeryshire lines he resided for some vears at Welshpool, and thence removed to London. It fell to his share chiefly to superintend the office work. He was essentially a practical Engineer and a first rate Surveyor and Leveller, well up in locating lines and possessing a thorough knowledge of the details of engineering works, but he was of a retiring disposition, and therefore less known to the general public than his more celebrated brother Benjamin. About the year 1874 he married Miss Valleria, by whom he had one son and two daughters, who survive him and reside in Switzerland. From 1879 to 1884 he was in India constructing the Assam Railways, and opening the rich and important Collieries at Margherita from which a large trade is carried on with Calcutta by means of the Railway and the flotilla on the Brahmaputra River. His residence in India materially affected his health, but before he left he had put both the Railway and works on a good and satisfactory footing. He was an old member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and was held in high repute as an able and practical Engineer, notably in dealing
with treacherous foundations for bridges. He had numerous works of this class without practically a single failure. He died on the 29th January, 1894, aged 69 years, at Celyn, Caergwrle, and was buried at the parish church of Chirk.”

Taken from: Montgomeryshire Worthies (1894) by Richard Williams