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I am looking for my Great Grandfather, William Pearce. Until recently I didn't know who he was and it was finding an article in the Newspaper Archives that gave me the answer. My Great Grandmother, Priscilla Jewell sued him for maintenance of her child in 1885 (she did this again, with someone else in 1890 and this was the subject of a previous thread in which the GR community helped me find a previously unknown Great Aunt).

I have since been searching for William Pearce but have become somewhat bogged down and could do with some objectivity!

In the court case, she states that they worked in service together in Gwarder, which is a farmhouse near Penryn in Cornwall. In 1881 there is a William Pearce aged 18. working as Farm Servant (indoor) at Gonreve, which is a neighbouring property. His birthplace is shown as Mylor, also near to Penryn.

In 1871, there is a William Pearce aged 9 living in Mylor with Jane Pearce 76 and Eliza Pearce 40. Eliza Pearce is shown as daughter and a widow. Am I right in thinking that a daughter-in-law might have been shown as a daughter? I don't know if I should be assuming that Pearce was her maiden name or if she was married to Jane Pearce's son.

My grandmother was born in April 1884. In January 1884 (over a year before the court case) there is a marriage between a William Pearce aged 23 and Rebecca Peters both of Mylor. I have the certificate. He is shown as a Railway Packer, son of Willam Pearce, carpenter. Rebecca Peters address is Poplar Cottage Mylor, which is a neighbouring property to Gonreve. She is there in 1881 working as a dairymaid.

I thought perhaps William would have lost his job as indoor servant following his foray into fatherhood and therefore got a job on the railway!

There are other William Pearces in Cornwall at the same time, but none are geographically this close. It's all circumstantial of course, but I am going round in circles with this. I am reluctant to follow William Pearce the carpenter or Eliza Pearce, mother of the 9 year old in case I am barking up the wrong tree.

I really need some fresh eyes on this and would be grateful for anybody's input.

for ref
1871

1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Church Street, Falmouth, Cornwall, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Jane Pearce Head - Female 76 1795 - Cornwall, England
Transcription
Eliza Pearce Daughter - Female 40 1831 - Cornwall, England
Transcription
William Pearce Son - Male 9 1862 - Cornwall, England

???
1891


1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Perran Downs Road, Perranarworthal, Falmouth, Cornwall, England

L
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
William Pearce Head Married Male 29 1862 Railway Labourer Cornwall, England
Transcription
Rebecca Pearce Wife Married Female 29 1862 - Stithians, Cornwall, England
Transcription
Beatrice M Pearce Daughter - Female 7 1884 - Cornwall, England
Transcription
Eliza J Pearce Daughter - Female 6 1885 - St Gluvias, Cornwall, England
Transcription
Ethel M Pearce Daughter - Female 2 1889 - St Gluvias, Cornwall, England

image gives his pob as Mylor

could this be jane in 1861
Name: Jane Pearce
Age: 65
Estimated birth year: 1796
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: William Pearce
Gender: Female
Where born: Perranarworthal, Cornwall, England
Civil Parish: Mylor
County/Island: Cornwall
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

View image
Registration district: Falmouth
Sub-registration district: Mylor
ED, institution, or vessel: 5c
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 36
Piece: 1564
Folio: 60
Page Number: 7
Household Members:
Name Age
William Pearce 68 b 1793 ladcock
Jane Pearce 65
William Pearce 28 b 1833 mylor ---- widow, a shoemaker
Mary Pearce 4 b 1857 mylor ---- grandaughter

?????
WILLIAM
Last name PEARCE------- the one born 1833
Marriage quarter 2
Marriage year 1860
Registration month -
MarriageFinder™ WILLIAM PEARCE married one of these people
Mary James, Eliza Jane Williams
District Falmouth
District number -
County Cornwall
Country England
Volume 5C
Page 317


?? the Eliza in the 1871 census

Thank you Maddie. Yes, Jane, Eliza and William in 1871 and William, Rebecca etc in 1891 are the ones I was looking at. I am just not sure enough to pursue those lines with any confidence! The dates and places do all tie up but can I claim them as my own!

???????????????? ist marriage
Results:
Name: Mother's Maiden Surname:
PEARCE, MARY ANN TRELEAVEN Order
GRO Reference: 1858 S Quarter in FALMOUTH UNION Volume 05C Page 215


William
Last name Pearce
Name note -
Marriage year 1858
Marriage date 10 Jul 1858
Marriage place St Gluvias
Father's first name(s) William
Father's last name Pearce
Spouse's first name(s) Eliza
Spouse's last name Trelevan
Spouse's father's first name(s) Richard
Spouse's father's last name Trelevan
Residence St. Gluvias, Cornwall, England
County Cornwall

ELIZA
Last name PEARCE
Gender Female
Birth day -
Birth month -
Birth year -
Age -
Death quarter 2
Death year 1853
District Falmouth
County Cornwall
Volume 5C
Page 141

The Eliza Pearce death record isn't the right one I don't think, because unless William Pearce was much older than I thought (the ones I have found were born c1862), she died too early.

i was thinking, probably wrong, if his father born 1833 married twice that death could be hs ist wife and willliam remarrying in1860 to another eliza.
IF the 1861 is correct for jane and william they had a grandaughter mary whose birth ties with with the maiden name on the 1858 marriage for son william who is a widow in 1861.
so maybe

william 1862
william 1833 m eliza williams 1858 ------ eliza and jane in 1871 census
william 1793 m jane

You could be right Maddie - I just wish he'd had a more unusual name!

I am extremely grateful to Maddie for her interest and confirming the possible connections and the 1858 marriage - I am sure that these are strong possibilities, which I would love to pursue.

However, I am left with my original dilemma. Have I got the right candidate(s) to start with? Is the William in the 1881 my William? Is the William in the 1884 marriage my William? Is the 9 year old William in the 1871 my William?

I would love to lay claim to these possibilities, but don't have enough confidence to make those assumptions. Help!