Second pair of eyes please

[cuffie81]

I'm not sure if you have these records already but I presume (incorrectly?) this is James and Susan, in later years.

1871: 12, Birchwood Cottage, Hammersmith
James and Susan Pearce, and children James, William, Susan and Sarah
Ref RG10; Piece 63; Folio 51; Page 47
[couldn't find the record on FS]

1881: 12, Birchwood Cottage, Hammersmith
James and Susan Pearce, and son William (widower) and (grandchildren?) Elizabeth and Leonard?
Ref RG11; Piece 57; Folio 44; Page 17
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q273-QWZQ

1891: 60, Cardross Street, Hammersmith
James and Susan Pearce
Ref RG12; Piece 38; Folio 134; Page 54
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3TPH-4W2

Possible GRO death references:
1896 Q3 Death: James Pearce; age 72 (born c1824); Fulham; 01A; 158
1899 Q1 Death: Susan Pearce; age 76 (born c1823); Fulham; 01A; 181


West London Observer
12 Sep 1896
page 6, column 1
Strange Affair In King Street
Death From Shock
- at Hammersmith' Coroner's Court, Saturday
- inquiry into death of
- James Pearce
- aged 72 years
- a labourer
- of 60 Cardross Street, Hammersmith
- who died in the West London Hospital on Tuesday
- Sarah Hill
- married woman, of 55 Cardross Street,
- identified deceased as her father
- had seen him alive on Thursday morning
- he had been in good health,
- although he had been deaf for many years
- deceased deafness had prevented him from getting work
- and he went out "foraging" for wood and coals in the street
- deceased knocked down by butcher's cart in King Street,
- and a wheel ran over his legs
- he was taken to the hospital and died soon after
- from failure of the heart
- jury returned verdict of "Accidental death"


Weekly Dispatch (London)
06 Sep 1896
page 15, column 5
"Faker" Run Over And Killed
- inquiry into death of
- James Pearce
- a "faker" (a collector of odd wood, coal, &c, in the streets)
- of 60 Cardross Street, Hammersmith
[same story, different write up]


Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper
06 Sep 1896
page 3, column 5
A Deaf "Faker's" End
[same story]



Also in 1871, at 12, Birchwood Cottage, Hammersmith, are the following (listed separately in some transcripts):
Henry J Hill (24), lodger, and wife Matilda (24), plus children
John Hill (22), lodger
Ref RG10; Piece 63; Folio 51; Page 47
[couldn't find the record on FS]

It's not clear to me if there's any connection between Henry Hill and John Hill.

John Hill looks to be the same person that Sarah Pearce married.

GRO reference:
1872 Q2 Marriage: John Hill & Sarah Pearce; Kensington; 1a; 48

Marriage
married: 20 May 1872; St John the Evangelist, Hammersmith; banns
groom: John Hill (x); 25; bach; labourer; 12 Rose Gardens
bride: Sarah Pearce (x); 17; spin; -; 12 Rose Gardens
grooms father: Henry Hill; labourer
brides father: James Pearce; labourer
witnesses: Henry Weaver (x), Susan? Pearce (x)


1881: 12, Birchwood Cottages, Hammersmith
John and Sarah Hill, +children
Ref RG11; Piece 57; Folio 44; Page 17
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q273-QWHF

1891: 55, Cardross Street, Hammersmith
John and Sarah Hill, +children
Ref RG12; Piece 38; Folio 128; Page 42
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3TPH-KN2

1901: 55, Cardross Street, Hammersmith
John and Sarah Hill, +children
Ref RG13; Piece 48; Folio 17; Page 25
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X948-8YY

1911: Hammersmith
John and Sarah Hill, +children
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWLF-PGC

[Littlebn20]

Thank you everyone. Just catching up now! Will let you know.

Beccy

[Littlebn20]

@cuffie81 Would you mind letting me know where/how you find the newspaper articles. I hadn't seen them before. This is definitely him, poor fellow!

[cuffie81]

The newspaper items are from the British Newspaper Archives, available directly from the BNA or via FindMyPast (depends on subscription).

Snippet from the West London Observer:
https://postimg.cc/WqwLtLkq

[Littlebn20]

Thank you, that is wonderful. You are all such experts. I have been doing my family tree for about 10 years and am still stuck on the one branch. So frustrating!

[Littlebn20]

All the names and addresses match the census records that I have, however the ages are wrong. Definitely the right people, whereas it says that he was only 17 when she was born but he was actually in his 30's! Sarah Pearce was born in 1855, making her 41 and James somewhere around 1814, making him 82 at the time of this article. As I say, I am confident that it is the right people as everything else matches!

[cuffie81]

I'm slightly confused by your last comment Littlebn. I'm not understanding how or where you're getting those birth years from.

Personally, I think James was probably born 1822, the son of James & Mary. If that's right, his age at death, 72 in 1896 (born c1824), would be about right. And would have been about 33 at the time of the birth of Sarah (1855).

On the census records his birth place is often Heston or Hounslow.

There are a few baptisms for children in Heston of parents James & Mary, and a later one in Hammersmith which seems to fit with the same family.

Baptisms - Heston, Hounslow:
08 Jun 1822: James Pearce; James & Mary; labourer; Heston; born 02 Jun
19 Sep 1824: Sarah Pearce; James & Mary; labourer; Heston; born 14 Sep
10 Jul 1826: William Pearce; James & Mary; labourer; Shepherds Bush; born 14 May

Baptisms - St Paul, Hammersmith:
16 Jul 1837: Thomas Pearce; James & Mary; labourer; Hammersmith


James & Mary, and children, appear to be in Hammersmith in later years. I couldn't find a baptism for George, so there's some doubt it's the same family, but it's a reasonable fit (might George and William be the same person?).

1841 census: Frog Island, Hammersmith
James Pearce, 45
Mary Pearce, 45
James Pearce, 19   
Sarah Pearce, 17   
George Pearce, 12   
Thomas Pearce, 4   
Louisa? Morriss, 2   
Ref HO107; Piece 690; Book 3; Folio 4; Page 2
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQJC-T6T

1851 census: 3 Frog Island, Hammersmith
Mary Pearce, 56, Hounslow
Sarah Pearce, 26, Heston
William Pearce, 24, Hammersmith
Thomas Pearce, 13, Hammersmith
Ref HO107; Piece 1470; Folio 354; Page 2
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG6R-GBG

1861 census: 3 Frog Island, Hammersmith
Mary Pearce, 66, Hammersmith
Thomas Pearce, 23, Hammersmith
Ref RG09; Piece 26; Folio 85; Page 36
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7KL-C9D


Possible deaths and burials for James and Mary:

GRO BMD references:
1846 Q2 Death: James Pierce; age 52 (born c1794); Kensington, Paddington And Fulham; 03; 213
1864 Q3 Death: Mary Pearce; age 71 (born c1793); Kensington; 01A; 106

Burial
name: James Pearce
buried: 21 Jun 1846; St Paul, Hammersmith
age: 52
abode: Hammersmith

Burial
name: Mary Pearce
buried: 23 Sep 1864; West London and Westminster Cemetery, Old Brompton
age: 71
died: Frog Island, Hammersmith
ref: 38752
grave: common grave
remarks: x grave 10ft, pauper internment at expense of parish of Hammersmith


Also at Frog Island in 1861 is a William Pearce, possibly the son of James and Mary and possible brother of James (jun).

1861 census: 8, Frog Island, Hammersmith
William Pearce, 34, Hammersmith
Eliza Pearce, 34, Wantage
Priscilla Pearce, 8, Hammersmith
Ref RG09; Piece 26; Folio 85; Page 36
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7KL-C91


As an aside, Birchwood Cottages was on Rose Gardens, Hammersmith. Rose Gardens was renamed Cardross Street, seemingly in the mid 1880s, judging by newspaper references to the streets and census records.

Map: Rose Gardens, Hammersmith (1866)
https://maps.nls.uk/view/103313033#zoom=5&lat=4152&lon=14295&layers=BT

Map: Cardross Street, Hammersmith (1892)
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=51.49816&lon=-0.23465&layers=168&b=1

[Littlebn20]

Ah sorry, it wasn't clear what I meant. The article says Sarah Hill was 55 at the time of the incident in 1896 which would make her born around 1841. However when she was married in 1871, she gives her age as 17, which would make her born in 1855 (which matches my records).

Maths or my eyesight are def not my strong points so apologies if I have caused any confusion.

Beccy

[josey]

It's not your maths - ages were very elastic in those days, or not known exactly.

- who died in the West London Hospital on Tuesday

I worked there in the 1970s!!

Comprehensive work there cuffie. You must be able to type quickly because if ever I post a long reply, by the time I'm finished sorting it someone else has often posted the info while I'm still typing.