Transcript

of

Francis Drake Pearce [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., 1884, Vol XVI, p. 52.

by

W. Harpley

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1891 Tiverton meeting. The Plymouth Archives hold a draft pedigree with amendations from John Drake, mayor of Plymouth [OB 1752] to the children of Francis Drake Pearce of Kingsbridge (1810-67) - see catalogue. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Francis Drake Pearce was born on April 15th, 1841, at Brook House, Kingsbridge, being the second son of Francis Drake Pearce, surgeon, of that town, to whose practice he succeeded in 1867, having previously qualified at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, in 1863.

For many years in his earlier life Mr. Pearce took great interest in genealogy, and particularly in tracing his collateral descent from the first celebrated circumnavigator, and collecting statistics of his and related families. At his decease he left behind an immense number of letters, cuttings from papers, &c. - quite unarranged - chiefly about Drake and allied subjects, as well as some interesting relics that formerly belonged to his renowned ancestor.

Mr. Pearce became a member of the Association in 1875. He died at his residence at Brook House on March 18, 1891, having suffered for several years previously from gout.