1851 Census Lookup - PIERSON - Chesterton

[Wayne]

Looking for information from the 1851 census of Chesterton, specifically, whether William Pierson, shoemaker, was living there at that time, the name of his wife and whether he had any children. Would appreciate any help with this!

[Koromo]

Hi

1851  HO107/1759/224/38
Little London, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire [Chesterton Reg. District]
William Pierson, head, 37, Ag Lab, b. Cottenham, Cambs
Ann Pierson, wife, 36, b. Histon, Cambs
Charles Pierson, son, 16, Ag Lab, b. Histon
James Pierson, son, 10, Ag Lab, b. Cottenham
William Pierson, son, 7, scholar, b. Cottenham
Anna Pierson, dau, 4, b. Histon
George Pierson, son, 1, b. Cottenham

This is the only William Pierson in Cambridgeshire, and he's not a shoemaker. There are quite a few William Pearsons, though. What was your William's date of birth?

Koromo

[Wayne]

Thanks very much for this information from the census. I am trying to clarify some details about the life of Emma Pierson, who married an ancestor of mine in 1872. On her marriage certificate, her father is listed as William Pierson, shoemaker, and he signed his name this way, so I'm pretty sure he is not Pearson. I don't know his date of birth. I found a reference to the birth of an Emma Pierson in the Chesterton district in 1852, so to clarify if it's my Emma, I thought to check if William Pierson was listed on the census of 1851, which you have found.

With thanks,
Wayne

[Koromo]

Hi Wayne

Hmmm. I'm a bit worried that Emma is not with them in 1861 or 1871, and her father William is still an Ag Lab.

1861 RG9/1019/89/28
Parish House, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire
William Pierson, head, 51, Ag Lab, b. Cottenham
Ann Pierson, wife, 46, b. Histon
William Pierson, son, 17, Ag Lab, b. Cottenham
Hannah Pierson, dau, 13, work in field, b. Cottenham
George Pierson, son, 11, farmers boy, b. Cottenham
John Pierson, son, 8, scholar, b. Cottenham
Alfred Pierson, son, 5, scholar, b. Cottenham
Eliza Pierson, dau, 3, scholar, b. Cottenham
Henry Pierson, son, 1, b. Cottenham

1871 RG10/1580/53/ 27       (all transcribed as Kirson)
Little London, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire
William Pierson, head, 58, Ag Lab, b. Cottenham
Anne Pierson, wife, 55, b. Cottenham
John Pierson, son, 18, Ag Lab, b. Cottenham
Eliza Pierson, dau, 13, b. Cottenham
Henry Pierson, son, 11, scholar, b. Cottenham
George Pierson, son, widr, 21, Ag Lab, b. Cottenham
Henry Pierson, grandson, 2mths, b. Rampton, Cambs

It may be that the family wrote their name as Pierson, but census enumerators, registrars and others could well write it as the more common Pearson - I bet they still get it wrong!!

Have you found your Emma on the 1881 census? Perhaps it would be better to work backwards from there - what is her age and birthplace?

Incidentally, in 1861 I found a William Pierson, born Marylebone 1785, lodging by himself in Holy Trinity, Cambridge (town of). He was a shoemaker - trouble is he is written down as unmarried!! The further problem is that I can't locate him in the 1841/1851 censuses. 

Cheers
Koromo

[Koromo]

Curiouser and curiouser! 

1851 HO107/1760/709/21
Sun Street, Holy Trinity, Cambridge, Cambs
Hannah Hayles, head, wid, 60, shoemaker, b. Swaffham, Cambs  (transcribed as Hayter)
Thos Benson, brother, mar, 62, miller, b. Swaffham
William Pearson, servant, unmar, 63, shoemaker, b. "not known"

1861 RG9/1026/105/36
50 East Rd, Holy Trinity, Cambridge, Cambs
Hannah Hayles, head, wid, 70, shoe seller (maker), b. Gt Swaffham, Cambs
/   [separate household, same house]
William Pierson, lodger, unmar, 76, shoemaker, b. Marylebone, Middx


However, I am still not convinced.  This would make Emma illegitimate so who brought her up?

We still don't know if the Emma you found born in Chesterton 1852 is your one. Definitely need to find her on the 1881.

[Wayne]

Hi Koromo,

Thanks for  delving into the records on my behalf. It seems, unfortunately, I have yet to locate "my" Emma. The only hard data I have on her is that she married in 1872 in London, she was listed at that time as "full age", her father's name was William Pierson and his occupation was shoemaker. Her married name was Alland. I checked the 1881 census on the Mormon site and couldn't find her, though there are several Piersons, but they don't match. I know her husband left her around 1875, which is the primary reason for my research into her background and her fate.

With thanks, Wayne

[J.J.]

There's an Emma Aland on the 1881 Wiltshire who says unmarried, which isn't unusual for a woman to put widow or single after marriage breakup...says born Chippenham- 1851...? J.J.

[bedfordshire boy]

I'm less than convinced about a Cambs connection!

They married in Lambeth registration district, south of the river.

In 1861 RG9/336 folio 55B
3 Bulls Head Court Newington Surrey (next door to Lambeth)
William Pearson head marr 36 bootmaker b Kettering Northants
Emma Pearson wife 31 b Hackney Middlesex
Alice Lydia Pearson dau 11 scholar b City of London
William Pearson son 10 scholar b Limehouse Middlesex
Emma Pearson dau 9 scholar b City of London
Harry Samuel Pearson son 3 b Newington Surrey

Might be her, might not. I'll see if I can find them in later censuses to see if they were still in Surrey

Who were the other witnesses at the marriage? Who was Henry's father?

Regards

David

PS Perhaps not. In 1871 the family was living in Barking, north of the river, and in 1881 the parents were still there

[J.J.]

Plus, was there an age for Emma on the marriage cert or was it a guess? I was assuming it was around the mark for which you found the one in Chesterton?
Oh, yes...I see now...FULL AGE?  Now there's a help! J.J.

Just means "You may see a marriage certificate stating the age to be "FULL AGE" - this means that the person was over 21 years of age"  ....so she could be sixty three for all we know?