The Pearce Family

Today I worked on the Pearce family of South Molton, Devon. I extracted all the Pearce entries from the IGI and built a table with names of fathers across the top and in columns under the names I entered the male children born to the forename from the earliest register to the 1730s. I then organized the births into ten year intervals and blocked family groups and redid the chart. I then drew family charts and found that there were nine males who were fathers of children born between 1600 and 1630 and labeled them as A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I. I was able to enter all but three sets of information into these nine heads of families except for determining the children of three Johns born 1629, 1636, and 1638. As it turned out this was less of a problem once I started looking at potential fathers for my John baptized between 1655 and 1665.

The other problem I was trying to solve is the marriage of my Philip Pearse (b 1703). There were two possibilities for the mother of my Martha Pearse. It is logical to choose Grace Hobbs because of the naming of the children and the age of the groom. Philip would have been only 20 years old at the first marriage and it would have been a second marriage for the other Philip. The name Philip was used three times until the last child survived. The burial of the first wife is, I think, in the burial register. It is difficult to read. I wonder if I can link the heads of families together into families but that will be a project for later when I get back further in time.

I know that Philip's father is John and that his mother was Martha Gwythers. The father of this John becomes the problem area - a patron entry on the IGI suggests that his father was Robert and that fits ideally into one of the family trees that I created. This would be John baptized 14 Apr 1660 at South Molton and the son of Robert Pearce from the Parish Register Transcription. This Robert was baptized Mar 1631 and his father was Robert baptized 25 Jun 1602 and the son of John Pearse (one of my founders in my chart). This is the largest family chart and the sons of the first John are: Robert, George, William, Thomas and Philip. The names George, William and Philip are used a great deal in my family lines later.

I extracted all the Pearse members from the South Molton Protestation Returns. I am able to fit all of them into family groupings except the four Johns.

Pearse Alexander
Pearse Christopher Sen
Pearse Christopher Jun
Pearse George
Pearse Henry
Pearse Humphrey
Pearse John Sen
Pearse John
Pearse John
Pearse John
Pearse Oliver
Pearse Philip
Pearse Philip
Pearse Simon
Pearse William

Marriages in the International Genealogical Index (IGI)

18 Oct 1628 Pearse Christofer Walron Mary
4 May 1720 Pearse Christopher Dunning Mary
22 Oct 1721 Pearse Christopher Tapscott Hannah
9 Sep 1658 Pearce Henry Shopland Emmott
29 Oct 1623 Pearse Hugh Sheerland Marye
10 Nov 1604 Pearce John Moore Peternell
15 Jan 1619 Pearce John Huctstable Agnes
1 Oct 1627 Pearse John Cannyforde Jane
15 Jan 1628 Pearse John Kinge Maude
19 Jun 1638 Pierce John Cole Rebecca
30 Jan 1670 Pearse John Woollocot Joane
9 May 1686 Pearce John Gwythers Martha
9 Feb 1723 Pearse Philip Parramore Joan
7 Apr 1728 Pearse Philip Hobbs Grace
27 Oct 1712 Pearse Phillip Turner Grace
14 Oct 1632 Pearse Robert Beere Christian
23 Aug 1681 Pearse Robert Jess Agnis
18 Sep 1639 Pearce Samuel Carpenter Agnes
20 Jan 1720 Pearse William Harries Joan



No Pearse entries in 1581 Tax Subsidy which is interesting.

Forename Surname Suffix Status Amount
Thomas Hacche ar L 10
William Horwood Gent L 10
Hugh Pollard Gent G 10
Dorothy Clotworthy Wid G 8
Christopher Squyre G 8
Thomas Rashleigh G 7
Joan Carpenter Wid G 5
William Amerye G 7
Robert Cotworthie G 7
John Herneman G 4
George Chaple G 4
Geffry Lawdye G 3
Thomas Allen G 4
Thomas Hobbes G 4
Roger Walshcotte G 3
William Cobleye G 3
William Chapell G 8
Richard Paynter G 3
Christopher Pincombe G 4
John Snowe G 3
Robert Hoyell G 6
John Pincombe G 4
Hugh Chapington G 3
John Haywodde G 3
William Rashley G 4
Thomas Jennynges G 3
Robert Gun G 3
Anthony Rashleighe G 3
Hugh Badcocke G 4
John Lock G 3
Thomas Brooke G 3
Maculin Bulkworthie G 3
John Pincombe Jun G 3
William Maye G 4
Gabriel Webber G 3
Thomas Griffin G 3
John Shapton G 3
John Takle L 1
Agnes Bonde Wid L 1
Grace Hunt Wid L 1
Anthony Clatworthie G 12
John Pincombe Sen G 12
John Pawle G 7
Roger Webber G 6
John Sherland G 8
Nicholas Chappie G 4
Thomas Harrys G 5
John Tamse G 3
William Huton Alien
Thomas Gun G 3


Tomorrow I will prove Martha Pearse as I now have enough information and then move on to the next couple of 4x great grandparents. This is going much slower than I thought that it would. I want to spend only my mornings on genealogy once I have got all this information entered for the 4x great grandparents and sew or do other needlework the other half of the day.

Took the two gift bags into Church this morning in a rush since we are really going to be busy and I did not wish to miss the deadline of December 7. When I arrived I suddenly realized I had forgotten to write on the tags that they were for a man medium and a woman medium. I had to buy a second bag and it was a little bit smaller so didn't know what they would want to do. I probably should give up trying to do some of these things as it makes for extra work for committee members. I find rushing since I injured my shoulder is always a bad idea. Yesterday was too full a day.