#52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Week 25: 'Same name'

Week 25 Prompt: ‘Same Name’

I thought I would look back on the name ‘Francis’ and 'Frances' in our family.  I knew it came down through the PEARCE family as a male name - my father’s line.  

My sister was named Frances Elizabeth and I was interested as to where that came from - to change it to a female name.

So looking at my ancestral tree I see the earliest one I can find is a male Francis PEARCE.

Francis PEARCE (Male). 24 May 1730 - 21 Oct 1799.

His parents were Richard Pearce and Martha BRITCHER. (Richard was a brother of my paternal 5th Great Grandfather - William).
Francis was born in Headcorn, Kent, England and resided there all his life, working as a carpenter. 
He died in December 1799 and was buried on Christmas Day.  

Francis was our 1st cousin X 6 times removed. All descending from Thomas Pearce born about 1680. (unverified)

Francis married Ann FLEET on 21 Oct 1755. 

Source: Entry from UK Register of Duties paid for Apprentices' Indentures, 1710-1911. Francis Pearce, Carpenter for apprentice- Adam Christian.

Francis and Ann had ten children including a girl Frances their fifth child.  

Ta-dah!!       So we have the first mention of a female Frances.

Frances PEARCE (Female). 30 Mar 1766 - 12 Oct 1842.  

As above - her parents were Ann and Francis PEARCE.

Frances married Thomas OTTAWAY in Headcorn, Kent on 11 Feb 1793 .

Frances and Thomas had four children that I know of but no Francis or Frances.

Frances (Pearce) OTTAWAY is buried in the St Peter & St Paul churchyard in Headcorn Kent, but sadly there is no headstone.

So it was another 100 years until our next Francis or Frances PEARCE came into the world. 

Francis George PEARCE (Male). 08 Mar 1870 - 30 Jun  1922.

Our grandfather - I have a photo of him as a young fellow, maybe 16 to 18 years old.
Although we never met this grandfather as he died before we were born, we can remember his face by the large portrait of him on the lounge wall at the Orrvale orchard house. Dark hair and a smart moustache.

When we were young, his wife, our Grandmother lived in the old orchard house with her oldest daughter (Auntie Tibbie) and next door was our Uncle Jim  Pearce and family. 

Francis George was born 08 Mar 1870 in Innerleithen Peeblesshire Scotland.and baptized on the 20 March.  The family had moved away from East Peckham, Kent and up to Scotland in about 1840 and were caretakers for St Ronan Wells and Gardens.

Francis married Isabella McIntosh LUMSDEN on 30 Dec 1898.    The family had emigrated on the ‘Demosthenes’ to Australia 07 Aug 1912 and Francis was listed as groundsman/orchardist.  He set up an orchard in Orrvale, near Shepparton.

Isabella and Francis (known as Geordie) had 5 children, missing out the name Francis/Frances again, instead passing on the George his second name he was known by.

Francis George died of pneumonia on 30 Jan 1922 in Orrvale, Victoria, Australia.

Frances Elizabeth PEARCE (Female). 09 Aug 1943

It was only twenty years later, Francis and Isabella’s son William Louden (our father) and mother Lilian COTTAM named their second child (1st daughter) - Frances Elizabeth when she was born on the 09 Aug 1943.

Frances (Back L) leaving Australia on the ‘Oriana’ with nursing girlfriends C 1966. Mother Lilian  next to Frances.

Frances settled in USA.

A more recent one of Frances in USA. - although she looks not much different !

So as far as I have managed to trace Francis/Frances Pearce - I have two males and two females. Maybe more will turn up as I research further.

#52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Week 13: 'The Old Homestead'

Week 13 Prompt: 'The Old Homestead.'

The Orchard is how we refer to our old place at Grahamvale, Victoria.  I think our family moved out there from town (Shepparton) when I was about two so it would have been around 1948.  Our family of five - Mum - Lilian Agnes (nee Cottam) and Dad - William Louden Pearce.  My older brother - William Joseph and older sister -  Frances Elizabeth and then me - Isabel.

The house was an old weatherboard with a big verandah at the back and the ‘Big Room’ as we called it -  built on as a spare room and playroom.  There was a fireplace in there with openings in the wall to put the wood into the woodboxes from outside.  We kids played Monopoly in there for hours in the school holidays. The big wooden table was so handy - it was also used for table tennis.  When we had visitors it was the meal room and it was decorated especially at Christmas time for the big meals.  
  

Family Christmas in the 'Big Room.'

Fran and I shared a bedroom and Bill had his own.  We had an inside toilet which had an outside door as well to the verandah, so you had to make sure you locked both when in there so nobody burst in on you.

Mum and Dad’s room was verboten to us, but we would sneak in there sometimes.  Their room was along the passage up the front of the house and next to it was the front door (never used) which had stained glass panels that the sun shone through.  In their bedroom was a large chest of drawers which I now have and in the top little drawers Mum would hide gifts.  We were always trying to sneak in and see what was in there.  On top of the chest there was a cute little weather barometer with a little girl and boy that swung in and out of the little house dependant on the temperature.

There was a smaller dining room inside the house,  a very dark room only ever used by the adults - not so much as a dining room but as a card room.  Especially when Grandpa Cottam lived with us.  Grandpa used to sit out on the verandah in his cane chair and we would love to comb his snowy white hair.

Grandpa Cottam (L) in his cane chair with his walking stick, on the verandah 

Outside the house my brother had a hut which was just his - and he had a note on the door “KEEP OUT”  He had a crystal radio set he spent a lot of time with.  We girls always tried to get in - but maybe I never did as I can’t remember it inside.  Then there was the Shed - a big shed for the orchard doings - grader, packing, cases, trucks, tractor, etc.  Under the shed there was plenty of room for playhouses and hiding spots.   

In the early days we had 2 lovely old draught horses for pulling the plough and other jobs.  Fran and I loved the horses - and occasionally were allowed to sit on their backs for a wee ride.   Jean was Dad’s worker and she was a quiet woman and extremely hard worker.  Unusual to have a female, but in reality Jean dressed as a man and spoke like a man.  We were all taken aback when later on she married and had children.

I have many happy memories from the orchard - it was an ideal place for children to grow up.