John Thomas Pearce

John Thomas Pearce

1852-1905

John Thomas Pearce, postmaster, and daughters
John Pearce and two of his daughters, pictured in 1903

One of the most important appointments in Bourne in years past was that of postmaster and the longest serving was John Thomas Pearce. He was appointed in 1875 when the post office moved from Abbey Road to premises next door to his shop in North Street.

In addition to holding the office of postmaster, he also carried on an extensive business in printing, stationery and musical instruments and was well known in the town for his social and public work, associating himself with almost every function that took place.

His death on Saturday 1st January 1905 at the early age of 52 was a shock to the community although he had suffered ill health for almost 12 months and had undergone a serious operation the previous summer. The Stamford Mercury reported his passing in these words:

It was thought that he had been gradually recovering from a long and serious illness and had begun to return to his official duties. Strong hopes were entertained for his ultimate recovery because the improvement in his health seemed to have been maintained but he was taking a walk with his family who were home for Christmas when he complained of feeling unwell.. He was assisted back home where he had a stroke which took away his speech and paralysed his body down one side. He remained conscious during the whole of the week but was unable to speak and only at times able to take nourishment. On Sunday, he became worse and passed peacefully away in the afternoon.

He left a widow, Harriett, four sons and three daughters, all of whom were at home at the time with the exception of one son who was a sailor and had started a voyage around the world the previous autumn. Mrs Pearce survived her husband by 25 years and died on 27th July 1930 at the age of 82.

John Pearce was a member of the Hereward Lodge of Freemasons and had held all of the various offices in that organisation and was also an enthusiastic member of H Company, the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment, until retiring the previous spring on medical advice.

The funeral was held on Wednesday 4th January, the cortege proceeding from his home in North Road to the Abbey Church and as it passed the Drill Hall in North Street, it was joined by a contingent from H Company under the command of Captain Bell. Several members of the Ancient Order of Buffaloes, to which he also belonged, joined later together with fellow freemasons, post office workers and a number of tradesmen from the town.

The service at the church was conducted by the vicar, the Rev Hugh Mansfield, and afterwards the coffin was taken to the town cemetery where he was buried, the coffin being covered by a number of floral tributes from family, friends and the various organisations with which he was connected. His tombstone also records his years as the town's postmaster.

John Pearce's grave

John Pearce was contracted to supply stationery to many public organisations with offices in Bourne and this letterhead from 23rd February 1892 was used to confirm an order from the town's magistrates that had been placed by the clerk, Joseph Phillips. Other customers included Kesteven County Council.

Book title

In 1900, John Pearce produced a small book of photographs entitled Picturesque Bourne containing views in and around the town taken by local photographer William Redshaw. It was tastefully produced with a green cover and gilt embellishments and printed by W & T Gaines of Leeds.
The photographs were of the Market Place and Town Hall, Peter’s Pool, West Road, North Road, Market Place and North Street, Bourne Institute and West Street, the exterior and interior of the Abbey Church, the cemetery, Bourne Wood, Queen’s Bridge and Eastgate, Edenham, Grimsthorpe Castle, Grimsthorpe Park, the Old Mill [now Baldock’s Mill] and the Abbey Church, the Red Hall and station. The book also included a full page advertisement for Pearce’s business at the Post Office premises in North Street (below).

Shop advertisement

John Pearce was the son of Thomas Pearce, who had a silversmith's business, also in North Street. After his death, the entire stock in the shop was sold during a two-week sale but was eventually taken over by his son William who immediately began modernising the premises, putting in a new front, and adapting the rear of the building, then a corn store, for the purposes of printing and stationery warehouses. He had long experience in various parts of the country in the musical instrument business, and he paid special attention to this department because he was also a qualified tuner and repairer of pianos.

His shop was a forerunner of the general store that became popular in later years because although his main business was as a stationer, he was also engaged in a wide variety of commercial activities including printing and book binding as well as the sale of newspapers, books and sheet music, patent medicines, paper hangings, sewing machines, organs and pianos. William also succeeded his father as the town's postmaster responsible for the running of the Post Office which remained at this location until moving to the new purpose-built headquarters in West Street in 1981.

FROM THE ARCHIVES
William Pearce commissioned many articles that were manufactured especially for the holiday and souvenir trade at a time when visitors to the town were increasing because of the popularity of the railways. They included postcards of local views, pottery featuring local scenes and pocket paperback editions of Hereward the Wake by Charles Kingsley, all of which sold well. The mug, pictured right with a transfer print of the Abbey Church, was specially made for his shop in the Staffordshire potteries and the base bore his own authentic stamp (below). This item is typical of his commemorative wares from the early 20th century and the range was extensive and varied. He was also responsible for publishing Historic Bourne, a history of the town by J J Davies, in 1909, and it was so popular that it ran to a second, enlarged edition.

PEARCE'S ILLUSTRATED ALMANACK AND DIARY for 1877 has just been issued and will compare favourably with previous numbers. It contains a large variety of useful matter as well as local information and will no doubt attain a large circulation. It is published at threepence. - news item from the Grantham Journal, Saturday 9th December 1876.

REVISED APRIL 2013