Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Richard PEARCE (1740-1796)

and Ann BENNET (1747-1832)

Richard Pierce and Ann Bennet may have been my 5x Great Grandparents.  (Click here to see their place in my pedigree chart.)  They married on 12 April 1768 at the parish church of St. Andrew and St. Mary in Fletching, Sussex.  At the time Richard was of Chailey, Sussex and Ann of Fletching.

Richard Pearce was baptised on 23 May 1740 in Fletching.  He was the son of Stephen Pearce (c1694-1758) and Mary Langridge (1701-1766).  Another Richard Pearce was baptised on 20 December 1741 in Newick, Sussex, the son of John Pearce and Hannah Jenner (1716-1798).  He may have been buried on 17 April 1796 in Fletching.

Ann Bennett was baptised on 1 February 1746/7 in Fletching.  She was the daughter of Thomas Bennett (c1717-1799) and Sarah Shirley.  She may have died aged 88, as per the burial register, and have been buried on 29 April 1832 in Fletching.  The burial register notes that she died in the Workhouse.

Richard Pearce and Ann Bennet had at least 5 known children:

1. Stephen Pearce was baptised on 28 August 1768 in Fletching.

   At the time of the 1841 census Stephen Peirce was said to be a 75 year old agricultural labourer and he was living at Chelwood Common in Fletching.  Also with him was 25 year old Martha Baker, 5 year old James Baker, 3 year old William Baker and 5 month old John Baker.  (Martha Wood married John Baker on 13 April 1834 in Fletching.)

   When the 1851 census was recorded Stephen Pierce was an 82 year old widower living at Stonehouse in Fletching where he was earning his living as an agricultural labourer.  Also with him on census night was his son Stephen the the family of Jesse Bennett and his wife Sarah.

   Stephen married Ann about or before 1793.

   Stephen and Ann had 2 known children:

   1. Elizabeth Pearse was baptised on 7 April 1793 in Horsted Keynes.  She died aged 51 years and was buried on 12 January 1844 in Fletching.  The burial register noted she was from Chelwood.

      Elizabeth married George Beard on 3 November 1813 in Horsted Keynes.

      George was baptised on 27 May 1792 in Horsted Keynes and was the son of Richard Beard and Ann Coppard.  He died aged 53 years and was buried on 28 June 1845 in Fletching.  The burial register noted he was from Chelwood.

      George and Elizabeth had the following children:

      1. Ann Beard was baptised on 5 June 1814 in Horsted Keynes.

      2. Louisa Beard was baptised on 10 May 1818 in Horsted Keynes.  The baptism register noted that her father was a farmer of Fletching.  She died aged 15 years and was buried on 20 November 1833 in Fletching.  The burial register noted she was from Chelwood Common.

      3. George Beard was baptised on 17 September 1820 in Fletching.

      4. William Beard was baptised on 14 December 1823 in Fletching.

      5. Mary Beard was baptised on 9 September 1827 in Fletching.  She died aged 6 years and was buried on 24 March 1834 in Fletching.  The burial register noted she was from Chelwood Common.

      6. Stephen Beard was baptised on 6 June 1830 in Fletching.  Stephen married Sarah King in 1858.  (They have their own page.)

      7. Sarah Jane Beard was baptised on 18 August 1833 in Fletching.

      8. Richard Beard was baptised on 30 October 1836 in Fletching.

   2. Stephen Pearse was baptised on 27 July 1794 in Horsted Keynes.  In 1851 he was an unmarried 55 year agricultural labourer and living with his father.

2. Elizabeth Pierce was baptised on 10 May 1772 in Horsted Keynes, Sussex and buried on 7 July 1772 in Fletching.

3. Ann Pearce was baptised on 12 June 1774 in Fletching.

   Ann may have married Joseph Wynne by banns on 14 December 1794 in Fletching.  They were both then of Fletching.

   They had 6 known children:

   1. Elizabeth Wynne was baptised on 14 December 1794 in Fletching.  She married John Bennett on 28 November 1815 in Maresfield.  At the time they were both of Maresfield.

   2. Ann Wynne was baptised on 27 May 1798 in Fletching.  She may have married John Backshell by banns on 18 May 1813 in West Hoathly.  She was then a spinster and he a bachelor and they were both of West Hoathly.  The witnesses to the marriage were William Backshell and Hannah Winn.

   3. Mary Wynne was baptised on 5 January 1800 in Fletching.  She may have married James Tompsett by banns on 1 December 1817 in Fletching.  They were both then of Fletching.

   4. Philadelphia Wynne was baptised on 4 April 1802 in Fletching.  She married Robert Newnham by banns on 27 January 1821 in Fletching.  At the time they were both of Fletching.

   5. Joseph Wynne was baptised on 4 March 1804 in Horsted Keynes.

   6. Thomas Wynne was baptised on 15 June 1806 in Horsted Keynes.  He may have married Sarah Partridge by banns on 11 February 1827 in Fletching.  He was then a bachelor and she a spinster and they were both of Fletching.

4. Mary Ann Pearce may have been part of this family.  She was my 4x Great Grandmother and was born about 1778/9 in Fletching.  She married William Sawyers in 1805.  (They have their own page.)

5. Richard Pierce was baptised on 23 July 1780 in Horsted Keynes.  The baptism register noted that his parents were from Fletching.

   Richard married Sarah Parsons by banns on 17 October 1806 in Fletching.  They were both then of Fletching.

   Richard and Sarah had 1 known daughter:

   1. Sarah Ann Pierce was baptised on 15 March 1818 in Fletching.

6. John Pearce was baptised on 29 May 1785 in Fletching.  He may have married Elizabeth Sanders by banns on 30 December 1806 in Newick, Sussex.  He was then a bachelor and she a spinster, and they were both of Newick.  However, a John Pierce was baptised in Newick in 1784.

7. Thomas Pearce may have been part of this family.  He was born about 1789 in Fletching.  In 1841 he was a 52 year old agricultural labourer.  When the 1851 census was recorded he was a 62 year old widower living on Chellwood Common in Fletching along with his son Edward.  Thomas was then an agricultural labourer.

   Thomas married Elizabeth Gurr by banns on 20 September 1810 in Fletching.  They were both then of Fletching.

   Elizabeth may have been baptised on 16 June 1791 in Fletching and have been the daughter of Henry Gurr and Philadelphia Faulker.  She may have died before the recording of the 1841 census as she was not then living with her husband and children.  They were then living at Chelwood Common.  An Elizabeth Pearce died aged 45 years in Danehill and was buried on 27 March 1835 in Fletching.

   Thomas and Elizabeth had 9 known children:

   1. Elizabeth Peerce was baptised on 19 July 1812 in Fletching.

   2. Mary Ann Pearce was baptised on 12 September 1813 in Fletching.

   3. Philadelphia Pearce was baptised on 18 August 1816 in Fletching.

   4. Hannah Pierce was baptised on 15 March 1818 in Fletching.

   5. William Peirce was born about 1822.  When the 1841 census was recorded he was 19 years old and the eldest of his siblings living at home.

   6. Harriet Pearce was baptised on 18 February 1827 in Fletching.  In 1841 she was 14 years old.

   7. James Peirce was born about 1829.  He was 12 years old in 1841.

   8. Eliza Pearce was baptised on 3 July 1831 in Fletching.  She was 10 years old in 1841.

   9. Edward Pierce was born about about 1834 in Fletching.  In 1841 he was 7 years old.  He was a 17 year old agricultural labourer when the 1851 census was recorded.

A Richard Pierce married Ann Denman by banns on 14 May 1769 in Newick.  He was a bachelor and she a spinster and they were both of Newick.  This Richard may have left a will in 1819, at which time he was of Newick.

A Richard Pearce was baptised on 20 December 1741 in Newick, the son of John Pearce and Hannah Jenner.

BENNET          PEARCE