The Pearmans of Acton Green
by Mark Pearman
In 1878 Alfred Pearman aged 28, along with his wife Ellen (Nee Smith)
and their daughter Selina, made the move from Winchester to Back Street,
Acton Green. By trade Alfred was a Master Bricklayer and later in life
was a Clerk of Works for Wills Tobacco in Swindon. His move may have
been something to do with the amount of brick work required as Acton
developed at this time but was obviously influenced by his step mother
who owned a shop back in Hampshire. At the age of 13, both natural
parents had passed away as well as three siblings.
In 1881 his family were living in Evelyn Cottage, Back St, Acton and by
1891 lived at 24 Antrobus Road. Selina was the only child not to be born
in Acton Green. Alfred Lewis was born in 1878, Frederick George 1879,
James William 1880, John Henry 1882, Charles Sydney 1883, Alfred Edward
1887, Walter Ernest 1888, Christopher Percy 1889, Ellen Amelia 1891 and
Elizabeth in 1891. Ellen died in 1899 and in 1901 the family lived at 29
Berrymeade Rd where his eldest daughter Selina ( b1877) stayed at home
to help raise the younger children. In 1907 Alfred married widow Susan
King (nee Smith), the younger sister of his first wife Ellen. Susan may
have been partly responsible for the family to split from Acton Lane,
apparently she did not want a great deal to with the younger Pearman's,
however marrying your wife's sister may have been frowned upon. She was
known as 'Aunt Susan' to the family. Ellen and Susan's father was a
local publican Lewis Smith.
Alfred Pearman 1850-1919
Alfred was the registered proprietor of a shop at 28 Cunnington St,
Acton Green in 1912, this later became 'Mrs Pearman's Shop' and then S.
Pearman, where it still operated until December 1959. Alfred died in
1919 and was buried with his first wife at St Mary's church yard. His
funeral was well attended and his grand daughter Grace, at the age of 98
in 2007 recalled "All his children who attended were in horse drawn
carriages and Alfred's coffin was carried by a horse drawn hearse,
dressed in traditional black plumes. Crowds had gathered either side of
Acton Lane to pay their final respects". Apart from James William b
1880, who in 1912 had immigrated to Australia, this is believed to be
sadly the last time ever the Victorian Pearman's of Acton were together.
The shop was then managed by his second wife Susan until she passed it
on to her daughter from her first marriage, Frances Kitten ( Nee King),
who was never paid but was given the shop on Susan's death in 1950.
Susan Pearman (Nee King) who owned the shop after Alfred's death and
daughter Francis Kitten in Dec'1959 at 28 Cunnington Street, Acton.
After raising her siblings Selina Jane
Pearman 1877-1956 eventually married Fred Beagley in 1907 and had a
daughter Daisy born in Hammersmith in 1909. Fred managed his fathers
Grocery store in Acton Lane but they moved to 135 Brackenbury Road in
Hammersmith and were successful shop owners. Selina's younger sister
Ellen Pearman 1891-1971 went on to became a servant in Fulham where she
Met her husband Albert Granger Brown. They managed a Newsagents at 133
Brackenbury Rd, next door to her older sister. Both were relatively
successful
in later years both buying land in Marlow. Alfred Lewis Pearman
1778-1958
married Ada Louisa Davis and followed his father into Brick laying.
However
in 1911 he opened Pearman's Dairy at 215 Acton Lane where he kept until
1920, selling on to Welfords Dairy. He went on to open a Grocers at Bell
corner
in Hounslow, he owned land that grew produce on the Great West Rd and
also
a farm in Sussex. He had five daughters and a son, also called Alfred,
and moved to Worthing in the 1930's. Right: Ellen Amelia Pearman
1891-1971
Frederick George Pearman 1879-1936 was also a Bricklayer although
information is vague. He married Anne Marie Tidball in 1901 at St Albans
Church but he was widowed, marrying again to Edith Whelan in 1925.
Ironically he is buried with both woman in Acton cemetery but little is
known of his three sons, Frederick born in 1902, Edward in 1903 and
possibly an Albert in 1913.
James William Pearman 1880-1950 married his childhood sweet heart Helen
Holland in 1902 at St.Albans Church. Helen worked as a servant for the
Eden family in Berrymeade Rd. and recalled how the Pearman family were
very good to her, often walking her and her sister to church. They had
two children, Helen born in 1903 and George in 1905 and resided at 56
Priory Road. In 1912, possibly due to marriage difficulties, he
immigrated alone to Australia. James was given a send off for before he
set sail on the 'Geelong' on the 27th of May 1912. He was last heard of
by his immediate family in 1916, his son George went to Australia in the
1920's to try and find him but had no luck, James was presumed dead
possibly on national service for Australia during World War I. It was
discovered in 2004 by his great grandson that he actually had another.
family in Australia and married as a Bachelor. His wife in England Helen
had a relationship with a Soldier in 1916 which bore a boy, he was kept
in a safe house in Princes St, Acton, until he was two years old before
being transferred to Dr. Barnado's in Stepney in 1918 under the name of
Albert Smith. Perhaps James William's family had informed him in
Australia.
Alfred Lewis Pearman in the doorway of his shop in 1911, with his
brothers right to left, Christopher, Sidney Charles and Albert, 215
Acton Lane
The mass book of Frederick
Pearman from 1936
James W Pearman 1880-1950
Walter Ernest with his step brother and cousin George King, photo c1909.
Walter Ernest Pearman 1888-1877 received a luminated wall certificate
for 25 years service at Imperial Tobacco in Swindon. He gave the false
surname of 'Smart' when he began employment as his father Alfred also
worked there along with his elder brother Alfred. Imperial Tobacco would
not allow an employee to have more than one son working for the company
and when his elder brother Alfred left in c1911 to set up Pearman's
Dairy', Walter used his real name for employment. He married Ellen
O'Neill in 1915 and moved to Swindon shortly after before returning to
London to join the Army in 1916.
John Henry Pearman 1882-1977 married Elizabeth Holman and had four
children, Edith, Henry John, Grace, Bernard and Dennis. Their second
child Henry was crushed under a Milk Cart in 1908 aged 3 and this
prevented the family from buying Pearmans Dairy from Alfred in 1920.
John Henry and his daughters Edith and Grace after returning from
National service in c1917
John
There is little known about Sidney Charles 1883-1925. He
died in Ealing in 1925 of Bronchitis , he had married a
Harriet Harrison-Hill and Albert Edward 1887-1935
Christopher Percy Pearman 1889-1960 disappeared from Acton, marrying
Eleanor Waterer at Brenford Registry office in 1912. He is listed in
Whites Directory as owning A bakery in Felix Road in Ealing and he died
whilst living in Southall. There are no records of them having children
and Eleanor eventually moved to Ramsgate where she passed away in a
nursing home. Not one ancestor I have contacted knew anything about
Christopher's existence. The last of the Pearman children was Elizabeth
Pearman, 'Aunt Lizzie' 1893-1960, who is believed to have resided with
her sisters in Hammersmith before marrying an older man. She was
apparently mistreated but once again, information is limited about her
life.
Alfred James John Sidney Charles
Albert Walter Christopher Ellen
In 2004 I found the family burial plot of Alfred and Ellen Pearman, in
the same grave two of their children; Charles Sidney and their youngest
daughter Elizabeth, at St Mary's Cemetery, in Church Road. It is one of
only a few gravestones that remain as the cemetery is now a solitude
park. Having moved myself to London in 1983, living in Winchester St, W3
I was unaware of the extent of my ancestors in that lived in the area
and to think I followed their footsteps on many occasions not knowing of
their existence. My research only began four years ago and it has been
an incredible journey just to find this information, especially about my
great grandfather James William who my father and my grand father knew
so little. I am sure there is so much more but I would be grateful if
anyone had further information it would so greatly appreciated.
Mark Pearman 2009