Person:Pearson Fisher (1)

Pearson Fisher was baptised on 24th April 1858 at Dalton-in-Furness in Lancashire, son of Isabella Fisher, formerly Chamley, and her husband Thomas Fisher, an iron ore merchant. The family lived at Salthouse Villa at the southern end of Dalton parish, on the edge of the rapidly growing town of Barrow-in-Furness, although Barrow would not become independent of Dalton parish until 1867.

Pearson's childhood seems to have been spent partly in Barrow and partly in Ireland. The family has not been found in the 1861 census, but one of Pearson's brothers claimed in 1881 to have been born around 1861 in Ireland. As an adult, Pearson reported that he had attended school both at Nevills Commercial School in Barrow and at Larne Model School in County Antrim in Ireland. In the mid-1860s the family was back in Barrow, with another son being born there, but again the family has not been found in the 1871 census.

The 1881 census finds Pearson living with his parents and siblings at 38 School Road in Barrow, and working as a marine engineer. At this time he was approaching the end of a five year apprenticeship at the Barrow Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, which he completed on 1st January 1882. He stayed at the company after completing his apprenticeship for another five years, working his way up to become leading draughtsman. From 1887 to 1888 he worked at Laird Brothers in Birkenhead. Whilst he was at Laird, Barrow Shipbuilding became part of the Naval Construction and Armaments Company. Pearson returned to Barrow to work for Naval Construction and Armaments from 1888 to 1890. In 1890 Pearson went to work as manager for Siddeley and Company in Liverpool.

On 31st March 1891, aged about 33, Pearson married Edith Lizzette Timothy. They married at the Catholic Apostolic Church on Stretford Road in the Hulme area of Manchester. The week after their marriage, the 1891 census finds them staying at a boarding house in Buxton in Derbyshire - quite likely on a honeymoon. Pearson and Edith would go on to have ten children together between 1892 and 1906. The first three children were born at Liverpool, where Pearson continued working for Siddeley until 1895. In July 1895 the family moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where Pearson worked for Nederlandsche Fabriek. They had one daughter born in Amsterdam in August 1896. A few months later, whilst still living in Amsterdam, Pearson applied to join the Institution of Mechnical Engineers, with his application form detailing his schooling and employment until that time.

By 1898 the family had returned to Britain, with their next three children being born in Scotland: a daughter at Partick west of Glasgow in 1898 and a son and daughter at Renfrew in 1899 and 1900.

The family moved south in 1900 or early 1901 to the Nottingham area of England, where they appear in the 1901 census living at Wilford Lane in South Wilford, just outside Nottingham. Pearson described himself as a general manager of an engineering works and mechanical engineer, as well as being a deacon in the Catholic Apostolic Church. The family had one son in the Nottingham area in 1902, but he died as a baby early in 1903. Later in 1903 the family left the Nottingham area and moved to the Manchester area, having another daughter there in 1903. By 1906 they had moved to Govan, just south-west of Glasgow, having their final son there that year.

The 1911 census finds the family living at 462 Paisley Road West in Govan with their nine surviving children. Their home was described as having five rooms with windows. Pearson described himself as a draughtsman in marine engineering at this time.

Pearson and Edith later moved to south-west Scotland, where they lived at Stanley Villa on Rotchell Park in the Maxwelltown area of Dumfries.^[10] Pearson died there on 20th September 1931, aged 73, having been suffering with pneumonia. Edith survived him by over ten years.

1.   Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Pearson FISHER, June Quarter 1858, Ulverston Registration District, Volume 8e, page 607, mother's maiden name Chamley

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, England. Bishop's Transcripts (Lancashire Record Office, Preston).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Dalton in Furness in the County of Lancaster in the Year 1858
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   458	1858 April 24th	Pearson	Thomas & Isabella	Fisher	Salthouse Villa n[ea]r Barrow	Merchant	Thomas Horsfall, Curate

3. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 4286; Folio 15; Page 24, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 38 School Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire
   Thomas Fisher, head, married, male, 60 [1820/1], Iron ore merchant, b. Barrow, Lancashire
   Isabella Fisher, wife, married, female, 57 [1823/4], b. Kirkby Ireleth, Lancashire
   Pearson Fisher, son, unmarried, male, 23 [1857/8], Marine Engineer, b. Barrow, Lancashire
   William K. Fisher, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1861/2], Stone Cutter, b. Ireland
   Thomas Fisher, son, unmarried, male, 15 [1865/6], Clerk, b. Barrow, Lancashire
   Annie M. Fisher, daughter, unmarried, female, 24 [1856/7], b. Barrow, Lancashire
   Mary Fisher, daughter, unmarried, female, 21 [1859/60], b. Barrow, Lancashire
   Jane Chamley, sister-in-law, unmarried, female, 49 [1831/2], b. Kirkby Ireleth, Lancashire

4. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 2778; Folio 70; Page 32, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 1 Chapel Street, Buxton, Derbyshire
   William Jones, head, married, male, 61 [1829/30], Mining Engineer & Certified Colliery Manager, neither employer nor employed, b. Dawley, Shropshire
   Harriett Jones, wife, married, female, 59 [1831/2], Boarding House Keeper, neither employer nor employed, b. Dawley, Shropshire
   Mary L. Jones, daughter, single, female, 36 [1854/5], Boarding House Assistant, neither employer nor employed, b. Wellington, Shropshire
   Ruth A. Jones, daughter, single, female, 21 [1869/70], Boarding House Assistant, neither employer nor employed, b. Nuneaton, Warwickshire
   Pearson Fisher, boarder, married, male, 33 [1857/8], Engineering Works Manager, employer, b. Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire
   Edith L. Fisher, boarder, married, female, 27 [1863/4], b. Markgate St[reet], Bedfordshire

5.   UK, Mechanical Engineer Records, 1847-1938 (Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London / ancestry.co.uk).

   Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
   ESTABLISHED 1847.
   PROPOSAL OF MEMBER, OR ASSOCIATE MEMBER, OR ASSOCIATE.
   Name in full: Pearson Fisher
   Designation of Occupation: Engineer
   Business Address: Nederlandsche Fabriek Amsterdam
   being 38 years of age, and being desirous of admission into the INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, we, the undersigned proposer and seconder from our personal knowledge, and three other signes from trustworthy information, propose and recommend him as a proper person to belong to the Institution.
   Witness our hands, this 15th day of December 1896.
   [signatures of proposers etc. and rules of institution follow, then:]
   Schools Nevills private commercial school Barrow-in-Furness
   Larne Model School, Co[unt]y Atrim Ireland
   Served an apprenticeship in the workshops and drawing office of the Barrow Shipbuilding & Engineering Coy. for 5 years ending 1st Jan[uar]y 1882 From that date daughtsman and leading draughtsman to April 1887. From that date leading draughtsman Messrs Laird Bros Birkenhead to April 1888. Leading draughtsman Naval Construction and Armaments Coy. LH[?] 1888 to 1890. From June 1890 to June 1895 Manager Siddeley & Coy. Engineers Coppersmiths Iron & Brass Founders Liverpool from July 1895 up to date Engineer in the employ of the Nederlandsche Fabriek Amsterdam Holland.

6. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 3163; Folio 128; Page 18, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Wilford Lane, South Wilford, Nottinghamshire
   Pearson Fisher, head, married, male, 43 [1857/8], General Manager Engineering Works Mechanical Engineer also Deacon Catholic Apostolic Church, worker, b. Barrow in Furness, Lancashire
   Edith Lizzette Fisher, wife, married, female, 37 [1863/4], b. Markyate Street, Bedfordshire
   Pearson Vincent Fisher, son, male, 9 [1891/2], b. Liverpool, Lancashire
   Thomas Chamley Fisher, son, male, 7 [1893/4], b. Liverpool, Lancashire
   Adrian Cecil Fisher, son, male, 6 [1894/5], b. Liverpool, Lancashire
   Edith Isabella Fisher, daughter, female, 4 [1896/7], b. Amsterdam, Holland (British Subject)
   Evelyn Mary Fisher, daughter, female, 3 [1897/8], b. Partick, Glasgow
   Frank Amstel Fisher, son, male, 2 [1898/9], b. Renfrew, Scotland
   Violet Laura Fisher, daughter, female, 9 months [1900], b. Renfrew, Scotland
   Louisa Eliza Garlick, servant, single, female, 25 [1875/6], Nurse (Domestic), b. Bath, Somerset

7. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1911 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   Census 646/1 23/2, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 462 Paisley Road West, Govan, Lanarkshire
   5 rooms with one or more windows
   Pearson Fisher, head, male, 52 [1858/9], married, Draughtsman - Marine Engineering, worker, b. England
   Edith Lizzette Fisher, wife, female, 46 [1864/5], married 20 years, 10 children born to marriage, 9 children still living, b. England
   Pearson Vincent Fisher, son, male, 19 [1891/2], single, Apprentice Enginer - Marine Engineer, worker, b. England
   Thomas Chamley Fisher, son, male, 17 [1893/4], single, Clerk - Timber Broker, worker, b. England
   Adrian Cecil Fisher, son, male, 16 [1894/5], single, Civil & Mining Engineering Student, b. England
   Edith Isabella Fisher, daughter, female, 14 [1896/7], School, b. Holland, British Subject by parentage
   Evelyn Mary Fisher, daughter, female, 13 [1897/8], b. Glasgow, Lanarkshire
   Frank Amstel Fisher, son, male, 12 [1898/9], School, b. Renfrew, Renfrewshire
   Violet Laura Fisher, daughter, female, 10 [1900/1], School, b. Renfrew, Renfrewshire
   Iris Jessie Fisher, daughter, female, 7 [1903/4], School, b. England
   Valentine Craig Fisher, son, male, 5 [1905/6], b. Govan, Lanarkshire

8. ↑ Death register, in General Register Office for Scotland. Civil Registration.

   1931. DEATHS in the District of Dumfries in the County of Dumfries
   No. 365
   Name:Pearson Fisher
   Rank or Profession, and whether Single, Married, or Widowed: Technical Engineer (Retired), Married to Edith Lizzette [her surname faded]
   When and Where Died: 1931. September Twentieth [time faded] Stanley Villa, Rotchell Park, Dumfries
   Sex: M
   Age: 73 years
   Father: Thomas Fisher, Mining Engineer (deceased)
   Mother: Isabella Fisher M.S. Chamley (deceased)
   Cause of Death: Acute Lobar Pneumonia, Cert[ifie]d by Charles Stewart M.D.
   Informant: Thomas C. Fisher, Son, 33 Linchmere Road, Handsworth, Birmingham
   When Registered: 1931, September 21st At Dumfries, A.E. Brown, Interim Registrar

9. ↑ Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Troqueer Cemetery Burial Register (Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dumfries).

   Troqueer Cemetery, Dumfries
   Section D, Grave 113
   First Burial:
   Name of Deceased: Mr. Pearson Fisher
   Occupation: Retired
   Place of Death: Stanley Villa, Rotchell Park, Max[welltown]
   Date of Burial: 23/9/1931
   Age: 73 years
   Depth of Grave: 7ft
   Second Burial:
   Name of Deceased: Edith Fisher
   Occupation: Nil
   Place of Death: Stanley Villa, Rotchell Park, Max[welltown]
   Date of Burial: 29th Feb. 1944
   Age: 81 yrs.
   Depth of Grave: 6 ft.

10. ↑ Prior to 1928 Maxwelltown was administratively a separate town to Dumfries, and was in Kirkcudbrightshire - it is not clear whether Pearson and Edith moved to Maxwelltown before or after it was absorbed into Dumfries.