History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

184 History of Swansea
In public affairs he was interested and active. He served in the town
council in Cumberland, R. I., and in 1863 represented Swansea in the State
Legislature. He was also a volunteer in the Dorr war. Oct. 3, 1836, in the
Christian Church at Swansea Centre, he married Rosanna M. Gardner,
daughter of William and Annie L. Gardner, and grand-daughter of Alexander
Gardner, of Swansea. Their children were: Anna Elizabeth, born
April 1, 1838, married James G. Darling, and died at Woonsocket, R. I.,
April 8, 1895; Lydia Gardner, born March 4, 1840, married George C.
Gardner, and died in Somerset, March 2, 1904; Isabel Frances, born Dec. 1,
1842, married Capt. Aaron H. Wood, and died at Santa Clara, Cal., Dec. 2,
1903; William George was born May 21, 1848; Ruth Ellen, born Nov. 1,
1849, is unmarried and resides at Touisset; Henry Baylies, born Dec. 7,
1858, died May 29, 1875.
Mrs. Rosanna McKoon (Gardner) Pearse was born Aug. 16, 1817,
daughter of (V) William (born Aug. 23, 1786) and Annie L. (Gardner)
Gardner, granddaughter of (IV) Alexander and Anne (Luther) Gardner.
(See Gardner Family).
(IX) WiUiam George Pearse, son of William H., was bom at Bristol
Ferry, R. I., May 21, 1848, and obtained his education in the district
schools of the vicinity. He also attended the Bryant & Stratton Commercial
School in Providence. While he was quite young the family removed
to Cumberland, R. I. where he worked on his father's farm until 1857,
when he located in Swansea, Mass., and formed a partnership with Daniel
Mason under the firm name of D. Mason & Co., to deal in hve stock,
principally horses and cattle. For ten years he continued in this and minor
enterprises, and, Jan. 9, 1877, he engaged in the wholesale fruit and produce
on Second street, in Fall River, associating with himself E. O. Easterbrooks.
Three years later they added agricultural implements to their stock, as
weU as a fine of hardware; and still later they dropped the produce business,
and added harness and horse trappings. At this time Mr. Easterbrooks
withdrew and his interest was taken by his brother, Charles E. Easterbrooks.
Soon after, the latter also retired and Mr. Pearse became the sole
proprietor. In 1897 Mr. Pearse took his son, WiUiam H., into the firm, the
name being changed to William G. Pearse & Son. In August of that same
year, George Marvel was also admitted, at which time the firm took the
name of W. G. Pearse & Co. In 1897-98 Mr. Pearse's health required him
to take a vacation, and upon his return to business Mr. Marvel retired
from the firm.
For more than forty years Mr. Pearse made his home in Swansea,
where he was active in social and pubhc life, and enjoyed the confidence and
esteem of his townsmen in a marked degree. In politics he was a Republican.
For many years he was a member of the South Somerset Methodist
Episcopal Church, and taught in the Sunday School. He was a busy,
active merchant, a genial man, and had many personal friends. He died
June 19, 1912.
Sept. 21, 1870, Mr. Pearse married Elizabeth M. Slade, daughter of
Gardner Slade, of Somerset, a descendant of one of the oldest families of
Southeastern Massachusetts. Two sons were born to this union, WiUiam
H., and Nathan G., the latter, born Sept. 27, 1874, died Feb. 10, 1894.
(X) WiUiam Henry Pearse, son of WUham G., was born July 28, 1871.
He married, (first) Bertha Frances Wilbur, daughter of Daniel Wilbur and
Marion F. (Brown), of Somerset, and to them were born two children:
Elizabeth W., Aug. 29, 1890 (graduated from the FaU River High School in
1908, died Oct. 17, 1911); and Wilfiam Henry, Dec. 3, 1891, a graduate of
Thibodeau Business CoUege, of Fall River and one of the firm of W. G.
Pearse & Co., and a 32d degree Mason.
Mrs. Pearse died May 28, 1902. Mr. Pearse married (second) Mrs.