Henry Edward Pearce

1861 Census:
RG9/1729 Ashley, Clifton Folio 122 Page 17
19 Picton Street, Parish of St James and St Paul
Elizabeth P Calloway Head Unm 52 Grocer Born Gloucestershire, Bristol
Ann S Calloway Sister Unm 58 Born Gloucestershire, Bristol
Lemuel C Pearce Nephew Unm 20 Classical and Maths Tutor Born Somerset, Bristol
Henry E Pearce Nephew Unm 17 Merchant's Apprentice Born Gloucestershire, Bristol


1871 Census:
Lambert Terrace, Milton Road, Brixton (London), Surrey, England
Henry Pearce Head Mar 27 Warehouseman Born Bristol
Hattie Pearce Wife Mar 27 Born Bristol
John Pearce Son 6 Scholar Born Bristol
Lionel Pearce Son 3 Born Bristol
Lincoln Pearce Son 1 Born London


So it seems that Henry Edward Pearce and his family left Bristol in 1868 or later, after the birth of Lionel. Perhaps the choice of name for his one year old son indicated admiration for America and a wish to get there as soon as possible.

1881 Census:
33 Bickley Street, Moss Side, Lancashire, England
Henry E Pierce Mar 37 Born Bristol
Harriet Pierce Mar 38 Born Bristol
John W E Pierce 17 Born Bristol
Lionel H Pierce 13 Born Bristol
Lincoln B Pierce 12 Born London, Middlesex
Tom E Pierce 7 Born London, Middlesex
Elsie M Pierce 5 Born London, Middlesex

Could the spelling of Pearce have been a mistake by the enumerator?
Doug Pearce writes, January 2011: It took me a long time to find the 1891 record for the family. They were disguised as H. E. Pierre and wife Kattie in Montreal. Enumerator and transcriber error. It is interesting and pleasing to me that Mabel, listed as partly deaf and dumb in the 1881 census (she was at school with Priscilla Elizabeth and Emma), is listed as a professeur de musique in 1891.
From 1901 Census, Toronto, 31 March 1901. District: Toronto West (Ontario 118); Sub-district: City Toronto, Ward 4 b-39 Page 4:
Schedule 1, Microfilm T-6500, Transcriber: Helena Doran Stacey. [Info provided by Charlene in Canada, while researching her own 'Pearce' family].
34 35 Pearce, Henry E M White Head Married Sept 15 1842 58 English Canadian Presbyt'n Pub Agent
Pearce, Harriet F White Wife Married Aug 25 1841 57 English Canadian Presbyt'n
Pearce, William M White Son Single Apr 11 1883 17 English Canadian Presbyt'n Clerk
Pearce, Cecil M White Son Single Nov 9 1885 16 English Canadian Presbyt'n

The census record also gave the year of arrival in Canada (for Henry and Harriet) as 1882.






From unpublished autobiographical notes by Edward Holroyd Pearce (Lord Pearce) 1989:

"It was typical of Grandfather Pearce that on my father going to Oxford at the age of 17 he gave him no advice and no money, but he did give him a tasteful tea set of Minton china (a few pieces of which even survived the Blitz), three tolerable water colours and a dozen bottles of very fine Claret. Thereafter he really passes from this story His financial affairs collapsed.....

Grandfather Pearce undismayed by his own ill-success, was persuaded that Canada opened a wider field for his talents He took his younger children there and lived to a very ripe old age, full of culture, keen on freemasonry, spoilt by his sweet and loving wife, comforted and helped by kindly sons and daughters who went with him I never heard that he earned any money but he bred affection and nice children. My father for the greater part of his own life regularly sent an appreciable part of his earnings to Canada." Douglas Grant Pearce wrote on 20 November 2010: "Henry Edward was a merchant’s apprentice in 1861 in Bristol, a warehouseman in 1871 in Lambeth, a commercial traveller in 1881 in Moss Side Lancashire, an agent d’assurance in Montreal in 1891, a publisher’s agent in 1901 in Toronto, and a traveller (wholesale stationery) in 1911 in Toronto. In the latter censuses he states that he came to Canada in 1892 and 1890." On 4 January 2011 Douglas Pearce wrote to Alan Ray-Jones via Facebook: Alan. May you and your family have a good year. Yes, my grandfather was called Billy. As for the family's arrival in Canada, Henry Edward stated 1892 (1901 census) and 1890 (1911 census). In fact, the family was in Montreal for the 1891 census. Harriet, Elsie, and Cecil arrived 22 May 1890 on the Nova Scotian from Liverpool, bound for Montreal. 1 March 1890 on the Vancouver is possible for Mabel and William. 10 Nov 1889 is possible for Henry Edward, gentleman. (source: Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935) Doug. Later on 4 January 2011 Doug Pearce wrote: There are English birth records for the two boys. The E&W, FreeBMD Birth Index has William Callaway (1883) and James Cecil (1885), both registered in Chorlton, Lanc.

I have copies of the 1891, 1901, and 1911 Canadian census records for Henry Edward et al. The place of birth for all family members on all three of them is England. In the 1901 census, the year of arrival recorded is clearly 1892. In 1911, it is clearly 1890. Somehow, that 1892 (a mistake)became 1882 (another mistake), and you were misled. In addition, Cecil’s death record (not the certificate signed by the attending physician) gives Ontario as his place of birth, obviously a transcription error. He was hydrocephalic, by the way.

It took me a long time to find the 1891 record for the family. They were disguised as H. E. Pierre and wife Kattie in Montreal. Enumerator and transcriber error. It is interesting and pleasing to me that Mabel, listed as partly deaf and dumb in the 1881 census (she was at school with Priscilla Elizabeth and Emma), is listed as a professeur de musique in 1891.

Doug.