Selected Biographies

Pearman, Alfred George – Born: Lavenham, Suffolk in 1859.  Parents: Samuel Pearman of Long Melford (Gardener) and Catherine [née Andrews].  Home: Shilling Street, Lavenham, Suffolk (1861 to 1871).  Occupation: Labourer [1881].  Service Record: Alfred enlisted as Pte.7145 with the West Suffolk Militia, on the 16.5.1881 however he was listed as a deserter in the Police Gazette.

Pearman, Edgar Thomas – Born: Lambeth, London in 1895.   Parents: Thomas Pearman of Long Melford (Sewing Machine Collector’s Agent) and Emma Louisa [née Kerry].  Family Connections: Brother to Walter Edward Pearman [b1881]; also, nephew of Walter Steed Pearman [b1855] and cousin of William Henry Pearman [b1890] and Edith Pearman [b1895].  Home: 8 Santley Street, Brixton, London (1901), 12 Dane Avenue, Herne Hill, Brixton (1911), 10 Kenneth Road, Lambeth, London [1919], 141 Battersea Park Road, Battersea, London (1921), The Duke of Cornwall, Stewarts Road, Battersea [1925].  Occupation: Messenger Boy (1911), Insurance Agent for Royal London (1921).  Married: Julia Winifred Mouland [1895-1923] in 1919 and Jessie Hadley in 1924.  Service Record: Edgar was conscripted on 21.2.1916 as Rfn. S/16471 and posted to France with 12^th [Service] Battalion, Rifle Brigade, as part of 60^th Brigade, 20^th [Light] Division.  Rifleman Pearman saw action during the Somme Offensive of 1916, and it may have been while serving here that he was wounded, causing him to be issued with a Silver Wound Badge and discharged on 30.5.1917.[1]  Died: Lambeth, London on 19.6.1925.[2]

Pearman, Edith – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 17.8.1895.[3]   Parents: Walter Steed Pearman (Carpenter and Undertaker) [see above for military record] and Martha [née Drury].  Family Connections: Sister to William Henry Pearman [b1890], also, cousin of Walter Edward Pearman [b1881] and Edgar Thomas Pearman [b1895].  Home: The Green, Long Melford [1895], Church Row, Long Melford (1901 to 1921), Station Road, Clare, Suffolk (1939), Rochford, Nethergate Street, Clare, Suffolk [1968].  Married: Donald George Thompson [see below for details] in 1921.  Service Record:  Edith was an Air Raid Precaution Telephonist in Clare during the Second World War.[4]  Died: Clare, Suffolk on 7.2.1968.[5]

Pearman, Richard – Born: Islington, London on 21.11.1870.[6]  Parents: Joseph Pearman of Long Melford (Carman) and Maria [née Cornwell].  Home: 2 North Building, York Road, Islington, London (1871), 30 Rubert Street, Islington (1881), Royal Navy Gunnery School, Sheerness, Kent (1901), 69 Cornwallis Road, Holloway, London (1911), 94 Upper Tollington Park, Finsbury Park, London [1945].  Occupation: Sailor (1901), Royal Navy Pensioner (1911).  Service Record: Richard enlisted as No.139516 with the Royal Navy in 1888 serving to at least 1915 and rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer.[7]  Died: Finsbury Park, Middlesex on 20.11.1945.

Pearman, Walter Edward – Born: Diss, Norfolk on 16.6.1881.[8]  Parents: Thomas Pearman of Long Melford (Sewing Machine Collector’s Agent) and Emma Louisa [née Kerry].  Family Connections: Brother to Edgar Thomas Pearman [b1895]; also, nephew of Walter Steed Pearman [b1855] and cousin of William Henry Pearman [b1890] and Edith Pearman [b1895].  Home: 37 Lorrimore Road, Newington, London (1891), 8 Santley Street, Brixton, London (1901), 17 Abernathy Road, Lee, Kent (1911), 46 Thurston Road, Lewisham, London (1921) to [1948].  Occupation: Collector of Life Assurance (1901), Motor Bus Driver (1911), Lorry Driver (1921 to 1939).  Married: Amy Elizabeth Feasey in 1906.  Service Record: Walter was conscripted after 1915 as Spr.169469 with the Royal Engineers.  During his time in the army, he was also issued with other regimental numbers, namely: Spr. T/1492 and Spr.446926.[9]  Died: Lewisham, London on 18.12.1948.[10]

Pearman, Walter Steed – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 15.6.1855.[11]  Parents: Walter Pearman (Carpenter) and Elizabeth [née Steed].  Family Connections: Father to William Henry Pearman [b1890] and Edith Pearman [b1895]; also, uncle of Walter Edward Pearman [b1881] and Edgar Thomas Pearman [b1895], and father-in-law of Donald George Thompson [b1897].  Home: The Green, Long Melford (1861 to 1891), Church Row, Long Melford (1901 to 1939), Holy Trinity Hospital, Long Melford [1942].  Occupation: Carpenter (1871 to 1891), Carpenter and Undertaker (1901 and 1911), Sexton [1916], Carpenter [1925 to 1937],[12] Master Carpenter, Joiner, and Undertaker (1939).  Married: Martha Drury in 1873.  Service Record: Walter was a member of the Long Melford Volunteer Training Corps in 1915.[13]  Died: Long Melford, Suffolk on 11.2.1942.[14]

Pearman, William Henry – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 27.4.1890.[15]  Parents: Walter Steed Pearman (Carpenter and Undertaker) [see above for military record] and Martha [née Drury].  Family Connections: Brother to Edith Pearman [b1895], and cousin of Walter Edward Pearman [b1881] and Edgar Thomas Pearman [b1895]; also, brother-in-law of Donald George Thompson [b1897].  Home: The Green, Long Melford (1891), Church Row, Long Melford (1901 to 1911), Brighton, Sussex (1914), Ivy Cottage, Long Melford [1918] to (1921), 7 Westgate Terrace, Westgate Street, Long Melford (1939), Ivy Cottage, 12 Church Walk, Long Melford [1982].  Occupation: Carpenter and Joiner (1911) to [1951].  Married: Annie Sophia Charlotte Loveluck in 1921.  Service Record: William enlisted on 17.8.1914 as Spr.941 with the Royal Engineers, being posted to France from 22.12.1914 to 20.8.1915, transferring on 20.6.1918 as Spr.534131 to ‘H’ Company, 15^th [Reserve] Battalion, RE, then to 941^st [2^nd Home Counties] Field Company, RE and finally to 550^th Field Company, RE before his discharge in 1919.[16]  During the Second World War Pearman was a member of the Long Melford Air Raid Precaution Utility Squad.[17]  He was also a member of ‘H’ Company, 10^th Battalion, Suffolk Home Guard when it was formed in August 1942.  His name is recorded in the official tribute to the organization entitled The Lion Roared his Defiance, photographed in and around Long Melford in 1944.[18] Died: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk on 17.5.1982.[19]

Related Biography

Thompson, Donald George – Born: Cockfield, Suffolk on 9.12.1898.[20]   Parents: William George Thompson of Cockfield, Suffolk (Miller and Engineer) and Emma [née Ollington].  Family Connections: Son-in-law of Walter Steed Pearman [b1855] and brother-in-law of William Henry Pearman [b1890].  Home: Cross Green, Cockfield, Suffolk (1901), Nethergate Street, Clare, Suffolk (1911), Church Row, Long Melford (1921), Station Road, Clare, Suffolk (1939), Nethergate Street, Clare, Suffolk [1976].  Occupation: Motor Engineer and Garage Proprietor (1939).  Married: Edith Pearman of Long Melford [d1968] in 1921 and Margaret Victoria Twiddy in 1969.  Service Record: Donald enlisted in 1915 as Pte.3472 with 1/1^st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment, being posted to France on 28.9.1915 as part of 118^th Brigade, 39^th Division.  During his time on the Western Front, he saw action on the Somme in 1916, at the Third Battles of Ypres in 1917 and the Battle of the Lys in 1918.  It was probably in this last action in April 1918 that he was wounded.  He was re-numbered as Pte.326258 and in March 1919 was issued with a Silver War Badge and discharged.[21]  During the Second World War Donald Thompson was a Retained Fireman in Clare.[22]  Died: Clare, Suffolk on 22.2.1976.[23]

Notes – [1] WO 329 – Silver War Badge [ref: 194427], Medal Roll [WO 329], Medal Index Card [WO 372], and Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 [ref: 11/M/256774].  [2] National Probate Calendar.  [3] Date of birth from Baptism Register of 6.10.1895 for Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.  [4] 1939 Register.  [5] National Probate Calendar.  [6] Date of birth from RN Record.  [7] Royal Navy Registers of Seaman’s Services [ADM 188] and Royal Navy Medal and Award Rolls [ADM 171/122]. [8] 1939 Register.  [9] Medal Roll [WO 329] and Medal Index Card [WO 372].  [10] National Probate Calendar.  [11] Date of birth from the 1939 Register for Long Melford. [12] Occupations taken from Kelly’s Directory for Suffolk 1916 and 1925. [13] For Training Corps article see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 10.3.1915. [14] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.  [15] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 1.6.1890, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford. [16] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [17] 1939 Register.  [18] Published by Marten & Son, Ltd., of Market Hill, Sudbury, Suffolk in 1946.  [19] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.  [20] 1939 Register.  [21] [WO 329 – Silver War Badge ref: B264102], Medal Roll [WO 329], Medal Index Card [WO 372] and Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 [ref: 11/M/187712].  [22] 1939 Register.  [23] National Probate Calendar.