Author Topic: Depear / De Pear family  (Read 7800 times)

Offline alexreg

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Depear / De Pear family
« on: Friday 30 March 18 01:58 BST (UK) »
I am descended from a certain John William Depear, who emigrated from England to the USA in the 1880s, and am having a hard time pinning down his English roots with any certainty. Here is the information I have on him so far.

Certain

Death certificate: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MZ-WBPN (born abt. 1870)

State of Colorado, Division of Vital Statistics
County: Denver
No. 14772
Husband's Name: Depear, John W.
Wife's Name: Revels, Johanna
Place of Marriage: Denver, CO
Date: 4/26/1893 (American format, obviously)
Official who Performed Ceremony: J. H. Brinker
Title: MIN (Minister?)
Address: Denver, CO

1900 US Census
Name: William Depear
Age (inferred): 38
Birth Date: Apr 1862
Birthplace: England
Home: Chicago Ward 24, Cook, Illinois
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Johanna Depear
Marriage Year: 1893
Years Married: 7
Father's Birthplace: France
Mother's Birthplace: France
Years in US: 15
Naturalization: Na

1910 US Census
Name: William De Pear
Age: 45
Estimated Birth Year: abt. 1865
Birthplace: England
Home: Chicago Ward 20, Cook, Illinois
Spouse's Name   Johanna De Pear
Father's Birthplace: France
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland
Native Tongue: English
Occupation: Proprietor
Industry: Restaurant
Naturalization Status: Naturalized

1920 US Census
Name: Wm Du Pear
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt. 1870
Birthplace: England
Home in 1920: Chicago Ward 18, Cook (Chicago), Illinois
Spouse's Name: Johanna Du Pear
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Occupation: Electrician
Industry: Construction
Naturalization Status: Naturalized

Candidate (John James William Depear, born 1864, Holbeach, Lincolnshire)

Birth registration: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2XMZ-T2V

1871 England Census
Name: William Depear
Age: 6
Estimated Birth Year: abt. 1865
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Matthew Depear (age 45)
Mother's Name: Ann Depear (age 45)
Where born: Holbeach, Lincolnshire, England
Civil parish: Holbeach
Ecclesiastical parish: All Saints
County/Island: Lincolnshire
Country: England

1881 England Census
Name: John J.W. Depear
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt. 1864
Relationship to Head: Servant
Where born: Holbeach, Lincoln, England
Civil parish: Holbeach
County/Island: Lincolnshire
Country: England
Street Address: Washway Rd
Occupation: Ag Lab

As you can see, a good deal of conflict in the data! The only thing I can be fairly sure of is that his full name was "John William Depear" (possibly with another middle name too), and that he was later known only by "William". There is also variation between "Depear" and "De Pear". Furthermore, he seems either unsure where his parents originated, or to be lying about it (they vary between France and England). Perhaps there is a French / Huguenot origin to the family, though?

Anyway, what do you think of this candidate? If it's not him, any other suggestions? It's the only reasonable one I could find up to now. (There's a John William Depear born in Greenwich, London in 1851, but this seems too early, and there's also a John William Depear born in 1870, but he died in 1904, Salford, Lancashire. So I've ruled out these two candidates on pretty clear bases.)

Offline AMBLY

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Re: Depear / De Pear family
« Reply #1 on: Friday 30 March 18 04:14 BST (UK) »
The child birth born in Holbeach, registered in Dec Qtr 1864 - the GRO Index has him as DEHEAR (their  error) and shows his mms as BROWN.

I note your man was 'William' in the 3 US Census 1900, 1910 and 1920. And in 1900, he has 2 sons children - one is a son, named Matthew.

The Holbeach boy born 1864, is listed as William age 6 in 1871, and his parents are listed as Matthew (b abt 1838 Holbeach)  and Ann.  A quick squiz at the Holbeach BMD indexs show a good number of DEPEARS, the names Mark and Matthew particularly feature.

FreeBMD Marriages: Matthew DEPEAR and Mary Ann BROWN.
Married Jun qtr 1853 in Holbeach.

Their son is with them in 1871, as mentioned - and in 1881 Census is listed as a17 year old servant (not at home).

Thereafter there is no sign of him.

I think he may have left the UK in 1885:
Wm Depear, 20,
In the SS Sardinian, arrived Quebec 31 May 1885.

The DEPEAR / DE PEAR think is not a big issue. That was quite common - and the space was not always put there by the owner of the name either. :)

If you could get your man associated with mms surname 'Brown'........

Cheers
AMBLY
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

"Now that we're all here, I'm not sure if we're all there...."

 Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz
 Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace
    ~Benito Juarez (1806-1872)

Offline alexreg

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Re: Depear / De Pear family
« Reply #2 on: Friday 30 March 18 04:31 BST (UK) »
Thank you very much for your reply, Ambly. That was excellent that you were able to locate his possible travel across the Atlantic! Arriving in Quebec would explain the lack of immigration documentation in the US, and indeed a seeming lack of naturalisation documentation (despite him claiming otherwise). Do you have a link to this record, so I could save it away? What he did in the years between arriving in Quebec and getting married in Colorado would be then be a mystery, but I suppose it's not hard to imagine him ending up there.

You're right, a mention of his mother's maiden name would really help clinch it. I'm not sure where I'd find that in an American document though. Perhaps the marriage certificate, but it looks like there's precious little on that paper, unless what I linked to above is only a summary, perhaps?

Offline AMBLY

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Re: Depear / De Pear family
« Reply #3 on: Friday 30 March 18 07:31 BST (UK) »
Hi  :)

You can find and view the image of the passenger list at the Canada Archives site:

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/passenger-lists/passenger-lists-1865-1922

This should take you to the page his is on (page 4)
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ltz/.

He's abt halfway down page. Ticket number 368622

Cheers
AMBLY
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

"Now that we're all here, I'm not sure if we're all there...."

 Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz
 Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace
    ~Benito Juarez (1806-1872)


Offline alexreg

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Re: Depear / De Pear family
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 31 March 18 03:44 BST (UK) »
Hi  :)

You can find and view the image of the passenger list at the Canada Archives site:

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/passenger-lists/passenger-lists-1865-1922

This should take you to the page his is on (page 4)
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ltz/.

He's abt halfway down page. Ticket number 368622

Cheers
AMBLY

Thanks very much, Ambly. I think this makes it very likely this is the John James William Depear of Holbeach, born 1864. The job description "labourer" matches even. To confirm this man is also my ancestor though, and matches the US person, it sounds like I'll need more information from the full marriage certificate... unless you can think of another way?

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Depear / De Pear family
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 31 March 18 06:31 BST (UK) »
Confirming his father as Matthew will help too, but I agree that mmn Brown would clinch it.

I don't know what US certificates include, but if he married and died in the US then one or both of those certificates might be worth purchasing.

Sometimes obituaries give useful information about the person's life and origins, so perhaps check for one, though many people did not have one of course.  ;)

Offline alexreg

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Re: Depear / De Pear family
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 31 March 18 17:43 BST (UK) »
Confirming his father as Matthew will help too, but I agree that mmn Brown would clinch it.

I don't know what US certificates include, but if he married and died in the US then one or both of those certificates might be worth purchasing.

Sometimes obituaries give useful information about the person's life and origins, so perhaps check for one, though many people did not have one of course.  ;)

Good shout. I have information about his death and burial in August 1929 already, so this might well be worth pursuing!

Offline alexreg

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Re: Depear / De Pear family
« Reply #7 on: Friday 13 April 18 03:28 BST (UK) »
Sadly, no additional information about his parents or birthplace on his marriage or death certificates. Not sure where to go now...

Offline MichaelDepear

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Re: Depear / De Pear family
« Reply #8 on: Monday 27 May 19 14:31 BST (UK) »
Hi I believe this is my ancestor also, would be interesting anything else you have found.