williams mum and dad

Hi Mark

Here is what I found on the internet. The original can be found on rootsweb at: http://news.rootsweb.com/th/read/GLOUCESTER/2000-05/0959076483

The following couple married at the Corps Meeting House Chalford (Baptist)
25 Feb 1849
James PEARCE bachelor aged 58 a labourer of Chalford, father William PEARCE
weaver
and Eliza BUTT aged 28 spinster of Chalford, father James BUTT weaver

Minister Robert WHITE

Witnesses James BUTT and Martha NAVALL? who both Xed. I have sighted this
cert myself and NAVALL is the closest I could come although it does not
make much sense.

This couple were living at Chalford 1851

23
PEARCE James 58 Servant Bisley
Eliza 28 Bisley
William 1 Bisley
Thomas 3 Bisley

in 1861 at Chalford Vale

PEARSE Eliza widow 39 Stonehouse Umbrella stick turner
Thomas 13 Bisley Bone turner
William 11 Bisley Turner
Mary 9 Bisley Scholar

The only James BUTT I can see likely to have witnessed the marriage is also
living Chalford in 1851

108
BUTT James 31 Hand Loom Weaver Ebley
Mary 40 Hand Loom Weaver Bisley
John 10 ? Wool Quillwinder Bisley
Jesse 8 Scholar Bisley
Frederick 4 Scholar Bisley
ROWLES Sarah Lodger Widow 61 Pauper Bisley

Of course this could be a brother James, not a father. James said he was
born Ebley which would agree more with the Stonehouse Eliza gives on 1861
census.

I can see no IGI entry for Eliza BUTT father James but there are entries
for Ebley Chapel at Randwick which give no parents' names:

Harriet 24 Jul 1814, Martha 24 Jun 1816, James 27 Jul 1818

This would accord well with the James BUTT at Chalford in 1851. The IGI
gives a patron submission for the marriage of Harriet BUTT to Jacob WILKINS
11 May 1835 Bisley and this couple is at Stonehouse 1851

Stonehouse 1851
2
WILKINS Jacob 42 Wool Scourer Stanley
Harriet 39 Stonehouse
Hannah 15 Wool Piecer Chalford
Mary 9 Stonehouse
William 5 Stonehouse
Charles 2LL

Could the third sibling Martha be the NAVALL ? who also witnessed the
marriage and could they all be siblings of Eliza ????

I imagine a GRO search for the death of James PEARCE Bisley area 1851-1861
would not be feasible; and if the PEARCE and BUTT family were Baptist or
otherwise non-conformist I would not expect baptisms to show up in
Bisley/Chalford or Ebley/Stonehouse/Randwick parish registers.

Eliza PEARCE, widow, and chn Thomas, William and Mary arrived 1862 "Eastern
Empire" (Sydney NSW). Their passage had been paid by Mary WATTS, who was
apparently married to Samuel. No relationship is given and I cannot find
any arrival to NSW for this couple, nor any sign of their having chn in
NSW. I feel it is more likely they were friends rather than relations,
because no relationship is mentioned.

Another possible link to Oz is Sarah CLISSOLD who had arrived with her
husband John 28 and son Frederick 6 1838 per "Layton" (Sydney NSW)
(Daughter Amelia aged 1 had died on the voyage). On her arrival Sarah said
she was aged 26, of Bisley, the daughter of James BUTT and Martha, and gave
her religion (or that of her husband) as Wesleyan. Could this be yet
another BUTT sibling? Sarah died in Sydney 1847 and John was also dead by
the time Eliza PEARCE arrived. There is an IGI patron submission for the
marriage of James BUTT and Martha WORKMAN Bisley 1798; it is stretching
things to think this couple could be the parents of Eliza born c1822 but I
suppose is just possible if Martha was married very young.

Hi Mark

Further to Eliza Pearce. She arrived in Australia in 1862 and it says she was aged 41, so, this means she was born c1821. This accords well with her age 28 at marriage in 1849, also putting her birth at 1821. The 1861 census says she was 39 and this would put her birth at 1822, however the census is well known for distorting ages by rounding them up to whole years, so this does not really change the date of her birth. Still likely 1821.

In the 1851 census Eliza and James are listed together. In the 1861 census Eliza is listed as being a widow. So James died before 1861. They had 3 children in 1861. Thomas born 1848. William Born 1850. Mary born 1852. So James was alive until at least 1852. This would make him aged 61 in 1852. He does not seem to have aged at the census in 1851 since his marriage in 1949. This could mean that he was attempting to minimise his age a little because his wife was so much younger than him. So this could mean he was actually older than stated in 1849 when he was married. What do you think?

Hey Mark, I found some more info.
Mary Ann Pearce the daughter of James Pearce and Eliza Butt. She married Edwin Coles on the 29th October 1873, District Berrima (on the internet it says Sutton Forest. Mary Ann died 25th June 1912 at Moss Vale and she was buried on the 26th June 1912 at Bong Bong. She had a daughter named Elizabeth before she was married, father's name unknown. Elizabeth was born 16th July 1870 in Meroo, NSW. Elizabeth married Joseph Bray, Son of John Bray and Mary Varcoe, on 29th October 1887 in Yarrunga, NSW. Elizabeth died 17th November, 1933 at 20 Pearl Street, Newtown, aged 63. She was cremated, 18th November 1933 at Rookwood Crematorium. I have updated the profiles to reflect this information. The info can be found at: http://users.cyberone.com.au/nevmoya/bray families2-o/p199.htm. Still looking for info on Mary Ann's brother Thomas and the early life of her brother William, also what the heck happened to their mother? I can't seem to find her anywhere!

good work gail. the more info we can get on the elusive pearces the better