Three Edward Pierces
 

Edward Pearce d Brighton 1844 – boatbuilder – certificate online. Husband of Kitty Harmon and a Harmon was present at the death. No DNA matches found.

PEARCE, EDWARD 49
GRO Reference: 1843 J Quarter in BRIGHTHELMSTON Volume 07 Page 181
This Edward was apparently a baker/victualler, married to Mary Goldsmith 23 Sep 1818 • West Grinstead, Sussex, England
Their first child, Mary, was bp 1819 in West Grinstead and Henry bp 1821, but all subsequent known children bp in Brighton: Edward 1823, Ann 1826, Jane 1830

And then we have Edward b c 1800 in West Grinstead, married Ann Millham 8 Jun 1824 • Shipley, Sussex, England
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...0?pId=16070751

All three above Edwards (surname variously spelled Pierce, Peirce and Pearce) are born between about 1792 and 1801.

My family were yeomen/labourers, so they might put a son to a trade, but boat builder seems far fetched: I would think you would need capital to start you off in such a business.

I appear to have DNA connections with a Henry Pierce, who usually says he was born in Shipley, 1821-1824, son of Edward, was a railway porter and moved to Portsmouth.

Both Edwards had sons Henry:
Brighton Edward's son was bp 1821, West Grinstead, mother Mary
Shipley Edward's son was bp 1824, Shipley, mother Ann.

As Brighton Edward dies before 1851, I do not know where or when he was born, but his widow gives West Grinstead as birthplace in 1851.

Shipley Edward gives West Grinstead as birthplace in c 1800. He may well be the brother of Joseph Pierce, also born abt the same time in West Grinstead. Family Search does not cover this period, so I don't know who is parents were.

I have a spare Edward Pierce! He is bp Cowfold 6 Jan 1793, son of Thomas Pierce and (hopefully) Mary Ashfold.

It seems reasonable that he should move in search of better conditions to Brighton, but I'm not entirely convinced that he would become a baker/victualler.

So *deep breath*

Who were the parents of Edward and Joseph Pierce, born West Grinstead c 1800?

When Henry Pierce married Louisa Hill 13 Jun 1848 Broadwater, Sussex, England, was his father Edward a baker or a labourer?

I found two Edward Pierce baptisms in Sussex 1805 and 1810.
1805 has James and Sarah as parents
1810 has Henry and Catherine.

I hope it was Sussex you wanted.

There is another Edward Pierce in 1794 to add to your 1793 fellow. Cannot find a Joseph though between 1790 and 1810

1803 Joseph Pearce but his parents are Thomas and Mary.

1793 Edward has parents Thomas and Mary, but I have no idea if they are same family. 1793 Edward is at Cowfold and Joseph is at Ashurst. No idea if they are close.

He may have just been a ship's carpenter.

My people are Ashurst and Cowfold. And West Grinstead is pretty close to both places, with Shipley just west of it. But when you are local to were you were born, you probably get the parish correct.

But the Joseph born Ashurst is very unlikely to have had the same parents as the Edward born Cowfold UNLESS his father remarried. My gut feeling is that this would be the child of Thomas Pierce and Mary Churcher, m 1794 and moved from Cowfold to Ashurst in 1795.