Is this the same family.

[anne fraser]

I have just had a contact from America via Ancestry and I wonder if we are talking about the same family. In my tree I have Ann Horne marrying John Pearman a cabinet maker in 1860. They lived in Weston Super Mare and had several children including Robert Horne Pearman born 1865 in Weston Super Mare. Robert married Florence and had a daughter Vera Maude. My contact says her grandmother was Vera Maude Pearman.

By googling I came across this story http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85054468/1897-07-07/ed-1/seq-8.pdf but I wonder if I can find out if it is the same family. It sounds a sad story.

[Merry]

I am a bit confused on why you would think it wasn't the same family?

Here's your man's marriage and the bride has the same name as in the article....

Marriages Jun 1887
Clements Florence Maud Frome 5c 828
MATTHEWS Harry Frome 5c 828
Pearman Robert Horne Frome 5c 828
Scammell Sarah Frome 5c 828

[Merry]

Looks like this is her marriage to the co-respondent:

Marriages Sep 1899
Birch Thomas Kingston 2a 886
Boxall Florence Kingston 2a 886
Pearman Florence Maud Kingston 2a 886
Yerbury Frederick Augustus Kingston 2a 886

[anne fraser]

thanks Merry. I have just never found any of this family in America, since posting I have found a birth for Ralph Louis in Melksham where Vera Maude was born (though he is with another family in 1891). It seems a shame to think of the little children in an orphanage. The Horne family were quite rich and could easily have helped out.

[Langley Vale Sue]

I gather from the newspaper article that Robert came to Washington in 1895 "intending to become a citizen of the United States". It also states that in November 1891 he found out his wife was "constantly guilty of adultery" whilst still living with him.

Does that mean he moved to America with his children, leaving his wife in England with Frederick Yerbury? Why would he do that only to put them in an orphanage, or am I misunderstanding and the orphanage was in England?

[Langley Vale Sue]

I've found a New York passenger record for a Vera M Pearman aged 5, travelling with Louis R Pearman aged 3 and an Annie L Pearman, a spinster aged 29, in August 1893 aboard the Gallia from Liverpool to New York.

Was Annie Robert's sister?

Vera and Louis are listed on 1910 census in Washington D.C. as 'boarders'. Vera is listed as 'skilled laborer' working for US government and Louis is an engineer in a department store.

[Langley Vale Sue]

There's a WW1 Draft Registration card for Louis Ralph Pearman, dated
5 June 1917, which states he is a naturalised US citizen and married. He is a stationary engineer working for US Government in the Treasury Building in Washington. He gives his dob as 18 December 1889 in Wiltshire, England.

He also appears on the 1920 & 1930 censuses in Washington DC with his wife Veazie. There are no children listed on either census.

[Olde Crone]

The newspaper article states that the children are in an orphanage in the US because he could not properly care for them due to the nature of his work.

This would have been very common then - men were not expected to be able to care for children.

OC

[Langley Vale Sue]

It just seems strange that he would have the children taken to America, knowing there was no-one to look after them, just to put them in an orphanage. I know that was the accepted thing to do then, but I would have thought he could have employed a nursemaid or someone.

This story has got me hooked, I wonder what happened to Robert?

[Merry]

He may have come back:

Name: Robert H Pearman
Birth Date: abt 1866
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1943
Age at Death: 77
Registration district: Henley
Inferred County: Oxfordshire
Volume: 3a
Page: 1878

[Olde Crone]

Spite. He would rather put them in an orphanage than let his adulterous wife have them.

OC

[Langley Vale Sue]

He did come back with his wife Gertrude and daughter Marguerite in June 1926, but then they went back to Massachusetts in July 1926. :)

Maybe he came back again!

He seemed to commute across the pond quite regularly! I've just found Robert, wife Gertrude & daughter Marguerite sailing from Liverpool to New York in August 1904!

[anne fraser]

thanks folks you have been busy. I only found Ralph today as he was with another family in 1891. My greatgrandmother was running a boarding school and could easily have taken in the children. Robert had a sister Annie but I have her marrying Mr. Easterbrook and living in Islington. According to my contact Vera married Ernest Frakes. Robert's father came from Henley on Thames. I have just noticed Robert is a photographer on the 1891 census. Just when you think you have finished your tree something totally unexpected comes to light.

I wonder if Florence ever saw her children again?

[anne fraser]

I have just heard back from my contact she is very grateful for the information I was able to pass on after your hard work as she had always been told she would never be able to find out anything about her family. She has now got ancestors going back to about 1750!