Here's some further info, including electoral rolls
I should mention that the children were arrested and charged in accordance with the 1870s NSW Child welfare practices, and thus were presented to the police court which then recorded convictions as noted on those images - uploaded to Ancestry. You can see the names of the Justices of the Peace at page 216 - yes, so they were 'convicts', and it is thanks to those convictions (which) sent the lads to Sydney firstly to Vernon Industrial School... If the lads had not had convictions recorded and those records kept, ummm.... likely there would be a much more difficult quest to find what happened to them.
NSW Electoral Roll 1878 MORPETH
John PEARSE, Albion Farm, Freehold, Albion Estate
Thomas PEARSE, Hinton, Freehold, Hinton
Thomas Henry PEARSE, Albion Farm, residence, Albion Estate.
Grevilles 1875 PO Directory HINTON
Thomas PEARCE, farmer
NSW Electoral Roll 1870 MORPETH
John PEARSE, Albion Farm, Freehold, Albion Estate
Thomas PEARSE, Hinton, Freehold, Hinton
1888 Aldine Centennial History of NSW
Elizabeth PEARSE, Prospect House, Hinton, was born near Plymouth, Devonshire. Came to Sydney with her parents and three brothers in 1838 per Fortune. 1839 the family moved to the Hunter, with her father renting a farm for ten years. Then they moved to Hinton, where her father purchased land. Her mum died January 1863, and her dad died in February 1863. Miss Pearse has 500 acres of land, a splendid residence on an elevation overlooking the town of Hinton, land at Miller’s Forest, allotments and two cottages in Morpeth.
NSW BDM
In 1891, Elizabeth PEARSE death #9530 registered Morpeth, parents as John and Ann
In 1863, John PEARSE death #4570, registered Morpeth
In 1863, Ann A PEARSE, death #4560, died Hinton, registered Morpeth
Trove
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18994067 Maitland Mercury 24 Jan 1891
further Obit to support Judith’s post - Miss Pearse
JM
ADD, the charge was
having no visible lawful means of support.
ADD the mum was serving three months in Gaol when the lads were sent to Sydney in 1876. Likely they returned to her once she had completed that sentence. The admissions to Randwick were where she gave them up as she could not support them. They were admitted in June 1884, and discharged in 1887.