PEARCE OF WARBSTOW AND NORTHCOTT HAMLET

This Pearce family is included in Ronald Ames Hill, The Pearse Families of Davidstow and Warbstow in Cornwall (Star, Idaho, 2013). Hill covers several earlier generations that are not reproduced here.

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PEARCE

HENRY PEARCE of Northcott Hamlet and of Willestrew, Lamerton, Devon, agricultural labourer, was born at Warbstow, Cornwall, baptised on 18 December 1791 at Warbstow,[1] and died on 31 July 1867 at Lamerton.[2] He married on 8 January 1817 at Luffincott, MARY VEAL,[3] daughter of John and Elizabeth (Brown) Veal (see here). Mary was born at St Giles on the Heath, Devon, baptised on 3 July 1791 at St Giles on the Heath, and died on 25 July 1860 at Lamerton.

Children of Henry and Mary (Veal) Pearce:[4]

i ELIZABETH PEARCE, b St Giles on the Heath,[5] bap 20 Apr 1817, St Giles on the Heath,[6] d 3 May 1884, Bristol;[7] m(1) 11 Sep 1840, Bedminster, JOHN MASTERS;[8] m(2) 30 Oct 1855, Bristol, GEORGE HENRY WESTLAKE, div 1876.[9]

ii MARY PEARCE, b Northcott Hamlet,[10] bap 26 Jun 1819, Boyton,[11] d 21 Apr 1898, Tavistock;[12] m 4 Mar 1849, Independent chapel, Tavistock, WILLIAM JOHNS.[13]

iii ANN PEARCE, b Northcott Hamlet, bap 8 Jun 1823, Boyton,[14] d 16 Jan 1909, Tavistock;[15] m 19 Mar 1861, Lamerton, CHARLES WALKEM.[16]

iv JANE PEARCE, b Northcott Hamlet, bap 18 Sep 1825, Boyton,[17] d 26 Nov 1886, St Stephen by Launceston;[18] m 7 May 1860, Wesleyan chapel, Tavistock, SAMUEL SYMONS[19] (see here).

v JOHN PEARCE, bap 11 Oct 1829, St Giles on the Heath,[20] d 11 Sep 1838, Northcott Hamlet.[21]

vi HENRY PEARCE of Buckfastleigh, farmer, b Northcott Hamlet, bap 1 Apr 1832, Boyton,[22] d 20 Nov 1873, Holne;[23] m 29 Mar 1863, Stoke Damerel, MARY ROWLAND.[24]

vii THOMAS PEARCE of Castle Cary, Somerset, policeman and innkeeper, b Northcott Hamlet, bap 28 Dec 1834, Boyton,[25] d 11 Mar 1888, Castle Cary;[26] m 8 Oct 1860, Alford, MARY ANN GOVER.[27]

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[1] Warbstow bishop’s transcripts; 1851 census returns, Lamerton (National Archives, HO 107/1884, fol. 93); Ronald Ames Hill, The Pearse Families of Davidstow and Warbstow in Cornwall (Star, Idaho, 2013), 94.

[2] Death certificate; will dated 29 Aug 1866, administration with the will annexed granted 3 Apr 1868.

[3] Luffincott parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).

[4] Whilst noting the proximity of the date to the baptism of Mary on 26 Jun 1819, Hill (Pearse of Davidstow and Warbstow, 95) includes the William, son of Henry and Mary Pearse, baptised at Boyton on 23 Jan 1819, in this family. As well as the nearness of the dates, William’s parents are stated in the register to have resided at Beardon Mill and his father’s occupation is given as shoemaker, whereas the residence of Mary’s parents is given as Northcott Hamlet and her father is described as a labourer. William seems to have been still living in 1881 (National Archives, RG 11/3877, fol. 97; marriage of William Pearce and Elizabeth Barlow, 4 Nov 1860, in Eccles parish registers). However, the will of Mary Veal’s widower Henry Pearce, written in 1866, states that he had six children, and the will of John Veal (proved 22 Dec 1875) names six surviving children of John’s sister Mary. William is not included among the six so it is apparent that he was not a son of Henry and Mary (Veal) Pearce.

[5] 1871 census returns, Bristol (National Archives, RG 10/2530, fol. 7).

[6] St Giles on the Heath parish registers.

[7] Grant of probate.

[8] Somerset Marriage Index (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).

[9] Divorce files (National Archives, J 77/168/4147).

[10] 1861 census returns, Tavistock (National Archives, RG 9/1460, fol. 65).

[11] Boyton parish registers.

[12] The Western Times, 25 Apr 1898; monumental inscription at Tavistock.

[13] Marriage certificate.

[14] 1861 census returns, Sydenham Damerel (National Archives, RG 9/1463, fol. 127); Boyton parish registers.

[15] The Cornish & Devon Post, 23 Jan 1909.

[16] Marriage certificate; 1861 census returns, Sydenham Damerel (National Archives, RG 9/1463, fol. 127).

[17] 1871 census returns, St Stephen by Launceston (National Archives, RG 10/2224, fol. 105); Boyton parish registers.

[18] Death certificate.

[19] Marriage certificate.

[20] St Giles on the Heath parish registers.

[21] Death certificate.

[22] 1851 census returns, St Giles on the Heath (National Archives, HO 107/1896, fol. 354); Boyton parish registers.

[23] Death certificate. The will of John Veal (dated 26 Aug 1873) leaves a legacy to Henry, but a codicil of 9 Dec 1873 states that Henry had since died.

[24] Marriage certificate.

[25] Boyton parish registers; 1851 census returns, Lamerton (National Archives, HO 107/1884, fol. 93).

[26] Grant of probate; The Western Chronicle, 16 Mar 1888.

[27] Alford parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).