Contents [hide]

Pears History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Pears History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Pears originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Peter. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Pears family

The surname Pears was first found in Somerset where one of the first records of the family was listed with an early spelling of the name: Richard Perys, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) The same rolls included Robert Peres; Ralph Peres; and Adam Peres. 1

Some of the family were also found in Cornwall. "The barton house of Davidstowe, [in the parish of Davistow, Cornwall] which is now inhabited by labourers, and Trehane, now occupied by a farmer, were originally seats of the Pearse family, from whom, together with their estates, they passed in marriage to John Nicholls, Esq. Since that time Davidstowe has again returned to the Pearse family; and, together with the great tithes, is now the property of William Pearse, Esq.. whose residence is at Holwell." 2

Early History of the Pears family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pears research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1520, 1548, 1603, 1612, 1615, 1622, 1625, 1629, 1630, 1645, 1661, 1667, 1674, 1690, 1691, 1694, 1697, 1699, 1714, 1719, 1726, 1772, 1845 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pears History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pears Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Pears has appeared include Pearce, Pierce, Pierse, Pearse, Pears, Peerce, Peers, Peirse and many more.

Early Notables of the Pears family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Edmund Peirce or Pierse (died 1667), of Greenwich, Kent and Holborn, Middlesex, was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Maidstone 1661 to 1667. Thomas Pierce or Peirse (1622-1691), was...

Migration of the Pears family to Ireland

Some of the Pears family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 201 words (14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pears migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Pears arrived in North America very early:

Pears Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Pears, aged 43, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863

Pears migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pears Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mrs. Ann Pears U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 3
Mrs. Elizabeth Pears U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 3
Mr. Elizah Pears U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 3
Mrs. Mary Pears U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 3
Mr. Samuel Pears U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pears migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pears Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Pears, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Francis Pears, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Louisa Baillie" in 1849 5

Pears Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

"Miss Ellen Pears, (Pierce), (b. 1807), aged 21, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years for robbery, transported aboard the ""Competitor"" on 9th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia" 6

Pears migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 7

Pears Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Pears, who settled in Barbados in 1680

Contemporary Notables of the name Pears (post 1700) +

Andrew Pears (b. 1766), English farmer's son from Cornwall, who invented the eponymous transparent soap, a gentle soap based on glycerine and other natural products that was a hit in Soho
Frank H. Pears (1866-1923), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Erik Anders Pears (b. 1982), American football offensive tackle
Don R. Pears (1899-1992), American Republican politician, Berrien County Register of Deeds, 1927-32; Berrien County Clerk, 1941-42, 1945-48 8
Francis Pears, English grandson of Andrew Pears who joined the soap making firm and renamed it A & F Pears; he was awarded the prize medal for soap at The Great Exhibition of 1851
Richard James Pears (b. 1976), English professional footballer
Tim Pears (b. 1956), English novelist
Stephen Pears (b. 1962), English former footballer
Iain Pears (b. 1955), English art historian, novelist and journalist
Sir Peter Pears (1910-1986), English tenor
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Pears family +

RMS Titanic

Mrs. Edith Pears, (née Wearne), aged 22, English First Class passenger from Isleworth, London who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 8 9
Mr. Thomas Clinton Pears (d. 1912), aged 29, English First Class passenger from Isleworth, London who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 9

Citations +

Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The LOUISA BAILLIE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849LouisaBaillie.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html