#52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks; Week 12 Prompt: ‘12’

Week 12 Prompt: ‘12’

For this prompt, I am writing about the 12^th grandchild of my GGGrandparents Richard PEARCE and Ann NYE.

He was: Winfred (Fred) Stuart PEARCE

and one of my paternal Great Uncles

Coincidentally Fred seemed to be attached to Number 12.

He was born on 12^thof the 12^th.

He married on the 12^th

and he died on the 12^th

^{-------------------------------------------}

Fred as a young man - date unknown

Fred PEARCE was born on 12 Dec 1871 in Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, Scotland as the sixth child of William (Will) PEARCE and Sarah CLARK.

Scotland Select Births & Baptisms 1564-1950

He had nine siblings, namely: 

Charles Albert, 

Francis George (Geordie)- my Grandfather, 

Frederick William, 

Edward (Ned)John, 

Mary Elizabeth, 

James (Joe) Arthur, 

Richard (Dick), 

Alice Annie (Elsie), 

and Joseph Henry (Harry). 

They certainly seemed to love using nicknames!

As a child, Fred lived with the family in Innerleithen, and along with the other children helped where they could in the soft drink factory run by their father, William Pearce.

Whilst a lot of his siblings as adults moved to other countries seeking work, Fred stayed in Innerleithen.  He ran a ‘chip shop’ there and delivered drinks for the family Lemonade factory

When he was 28, he married Margaret (Maggie) Jenkins LAMONT, daughter of Duncan and Grace LAMONT, on 12 Oct 1900 in Miller Street, Innerleithen. 

Fred and first wife Maggie with their children from left - 

Peggy, William, and Grace.

Fred and Maggie's children:

1.    William Clark PEARCE, 

born on 07 Feb 1901 in Galashiels, Selkirkshire. He died on 25 Dec 1962 in Peebles, Scotland.

2.  Grace Jane PEARCE, 

born in Jan 1903 in Galashiels. She died in 1986 in Galashiels, Scotland.

3.  Sarah Margaret (Peggy) PEARCE, 

born in 1905. She died in 1985 in Peebles, Scotland.

His wife Maggie died on 15 August 1921. 

Fred remarried his housekeeper - Mary Stobie STEVENSON around 1925 - unconfirmed. (Family myth says Mary only had one leg - also unconfirmed.)

They had two daughters:

1.   Winifred Agnes PEARCE, 

      born on 16 Apr 1924 in Nursing Home, Tweedgreen, Peebles.

 2. Alison Robertson PEARCE, 

      born on 13 Oct 1925 in Nursing Home, Tweedgreen, Peebles.

Fred was 54 when he died of Tuberculosis on 12 Mar 1926 in Innerleithen, his home town, leaving his second wife with two young babies.

 Scotland National Probate Index. 1926.