William and Jane Pearce's Children

This is what I know about William and Jane's children and grandchildren.  Any additions would be much appreciated.  

Henry Pearce (1855  -  25-07-1931)

Not much is known about Henry.  He appears with his mother Jane Pearce in the 1861 census in London.  The only other record found for him is a burial record at Bromley Cemetery.  He is in a grave alone, so may never have married.  He died at age 76 and his occupation is listed as Blacksmith and his home address 176 Antigua Street, Christchurch.   No headstone has been found for him in Bromley Cemetery.

Mary Ann Pearce (Abt. 1857  -  15-08-1898)

Mary Ann (also known as Polly) did not appear with her mother Jane Pearce in the 1861 census in London which is very strange and possibly an error.  She  married widower William James Glanville on 12-09-1888 at the Registrar’s Office in Christchurch.  He had three children from a previous marriage and his first wife had died of syphilis.  William probably had syphilis as well and would have passed it on to his second wife Mary Ann.  It appears Mary Ann and William had no biological children (probably because of the syphilis disease) but did adopt a baby which they named Henry Glanville, known as Harry.  He was born on 22-10-1893 and baptised at St Luke's Church, Christchurch on 7 January 1894.  He died on 20-03-1894 aged five months old of gastroenteritis and the gravestone inscription read, "In Memory of Dear Little Harry".  How devastating his death would have been to Mary Ann and William.  The family were living at 30 St Asaph Street at the time of his death.  Harry's unmarried biological mother was Amelia Stackhouse and Harry also has the name James Stackhouse in the records.  Mary Ann Pearce died young at the age of 40 years old of heart disease which she had had for "some years" and again likely caused by syphilis.  Her death notice was in The Star 16-08-1898.

Alice Jane Pearce (Bet. Oct-Dec 1858  -  27-08-1942)

Alice was born in Camberwell, Surrey, England and appears in the 1861 British census as a 2 year old with her mother Jane Pearce.  She won a two prizes at St Luke's School, Christchurch in 1870, one for Scripture History and one for Arithmetic, presented by the Rev. E. A. Lingard.  She married William Stone on 27 October 1878 at St Luke's Church, Christchurch with the Rev. E. A. Lingard officiating. 

  

It appears that William died in 1917 in Dunedin where he is buried and Alice in 1942 up in Christchurch where she is buried in Bromley Cemetery.  William's death was reported in the Press on 7 February 1917:


CASUALTIES.
William Stone, an old man, a. printers' machinist by trade, who was employed in the publishing department of the "Otago Daily Times," had a seizure in the street in Dunedin on Monday morning, while conveying a bundle of papers to Messrs Duncan and Simpson, Princes street. He was conveyed to the Hospital, where he died at 4.45 p.m. The deceased was at one time letterpress machinist on the Christchurch Press Company's staff. He is survived by a grown-up family resident in Christchurch.
It appears the family didn't have enough money to bring his body back to Christchurch and he was buried where he died, down in Dunedin.  

William and Alice Stone had four children that we know of:

Emily Alice Stone born 1880
Florence Mary Stone born 1883
Frank William Stone born 1885
Arthur Edward Stone born 1887

Alice Jane Stone (nee Pearce) was buried to the side of her daughter's plot with a tiny stone.

William Pearce (25-04-1863  -  08-11-1940)

William Pearce was born in Ticehurst Road, Lyttelton on 25-04-1863 where his father was a storeman at the time.  William married Sarah Elisabeth Unwin on 06-07-1892 at Holy Trinity Church, Avonside, Christchurch.  They had two children that we know of, Evelyn Jane Pearce (born 1893) and Alice Mabel Pearce (born 1895).

William was a coal merchant and died in 1940.  His wife died in 1944 and they are both buried at Bromley Cemetery.

Arthur James Pearce (06-02-1865  -  17-04-1943)

Arthur James Pearce was born to William Pearce and Jane Fogden on 06-02-1865 in Christchurch.  He married Eliza Jane Luff on 20-06-1893 in Christchurch.  See the upcoming blog “A Cobbler and a Carpenter”  for further information on Arthur and Eliza. 

James Pearce (20-04-1867  -  12-09-1937)

In 1890 James Pearce and his brother Henry Pearce were both living at their father's residence at London street, Richmond, Christchurch.  Henry was listed as a blacksmith in the electoral roll and James a coachbuilder.  James was still a coachbuilder at the time of his first marriage to Annie Elizabeth Franklin on 21-12-1891 at Holy Trinity Church, Avonside, Christchurch.  Their children were:

Ada Mary Hopkinson Pearce born 1892 at Tuam Street, Christchurch.
Annie born 1895 in Christchurch

The family then moved to Blackball where Annie Elizabeth Pearce taught children in her house and at the local Sunday school.  She was well known in the town as the daughter of Thomas Franklin.  There was a story that she dropped dead of peritonitis at age 25 on 15 July 1897.  An article in the local paper states her dead was from "inflammation the result of a chill."  Whatever happened it was a terrible tragedy and James was left with 5 and 2 year old daughters to look after.  Annie was buried in Brunner cemetery on a day of inclement weather.  There was much sadness at her passing as she was well known in the Blackball community.   James was also heavily involved in the community, helping with the Sunday School (he taught maypole dancing) and in the Blackball Brass Band which he received a medal for in 1900.  What instrument he played is unknown.

James Pearce decided to come back to Christchurch and there he met Esther Webley, a bookbinder, who lived on London Street, Richmond, the same street as the Pearce family.  They would probably have met each other through being neighbours.  They were married on 16 April 1900 at the home of her father Joshua Webley, London Street.

They had the following children:

Dorothy Myrtle Pearce born 1901 (known as Myrtle)
Eileen May Pearce born 1904 (known as Maisie)
Laurence James Pearce born 1907

In 1905 James and Esther went back to Blackball where James worked as a blacksmith but it appears Esther returned to Christchurch to have their son Laurence and James was working between the two towns (according to census records).  In the 1911/1914 electoral roll they seem to have settled at Ellesmere in the Doyleston area.

In 1919 James opened his own business in Doyleston and there were advertisements in the local papers.  However he gave up the business fairly quickly and moved to Feilding where he appeared in 1928 electoral rolls. 


In 1935 James and Esther were living in Mt Maunganui, Tauranga where James was still working as a coachbuilder.  

James died on 12 September 1937 in Tauranga and his widow Esther moved closer to family in Wanganui.  She then moved to Feilding and died on 25 October 1939.

Edward Pearce (27-10-1868  -  18-06-1950)

Edward married Elizabeth Voice on 25-02-1904 at St Mary’s, Addington, Christchurch.  They had at least two children named Rhoda Lillian Pearce (born 1907) and Eric William Pearce (born 1912).

Elizabeth, born 1870, was the daughter of George and Elizabeth Voice who came out to New Zealand in 1863 on board the Brother's Pride, a most tragic ship indeed.  George's brother, James and his wife Sarah Voice, also came out on this ship and the Voice family settled at Templeton.

In 1913 Edward was a carter, living at 44 Cox Street, Merivale.  He was a witness to a motorcycle accident on 4 October 1913, where a motorcyclist hit a train and was killed.  He was driving his cart down St Albans Lane towards Papanui Road when the accident occurred.  Click here to read the article.

On his death Edward was listed as a coal merchant, the same as brother William.  Elizabeth died in 1929 and Edward in 1950.  They are both buried at Sydenham Cemetery.  When Edward died in 1950 he was still living at 44 Cox Street, Merivale, Christchurch.

The following photo is of their headstone at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, which has the following inscription:  "In Loving Memory Of My Dear Wife Elizabeth Pearce who departed Jan 16th 1929 aged 57 years." and on the other side, "Her Dear Husband Edward Pearce who departed June 18th 1950 aged 81 years."  And at the bottom.  "Nearer My God to Thee.  To Thee I Come."

 

Sources:
Information on James Pearce from J.K.Pearce
Information on Voice family from L. Amoake - "The Voices of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, and their descendants in New Zealand 1798 - 1984."