Pte 16862 Arthur John Pearson

His parents, both widowed, married in 1888 in Shanghai, his father, 47, giving his employer as Imperial Maritime Customs (Chinese Maritime Customs Service was largely staffed at senior levels by foreigners, mostly British).  His mother, Annie Williams, gives her age as 38, and her father as Samuel Rogers.  Annie had at least two daughters, Annie Lilian and Mary Williams.  James also had at least two daughters, Mabel Elinor Pearson, born in Shanghai in 1880, and Ada Elizabeth Pearson, born in London in 1882.  It is not known why their parents waited to marry until after the birth of Arthur.  It is possible that Annie was the mother of Mabel and Ada. Arthur appears to be the youngest of the children born to both parents.

 

An entry in the I.M.C. Records shows that J.T. Pearson, clerk, began employment in 1873, and was appointed to his present rank on 01/3/1881.

 

On the 1891 census his sisters Mabel, 11, and Ada 9, are living with their widowed aunt, Mary Thomas, 52, a farmer, in Llanwnda, near Carnarvon.  (They are listed as nieces, so it is likely that they are related by blood.). There are three other nieces in the household: 

Minnie Nelson, 17, born in Shanghai about 1873 (relationship unknown),

Lillie Williams, 15, born in Glasgow about 1875, and 

Mary Williams, 13, born in New Ferry, Cheshire, about 1877,

as well as a nephew, Elliott Rogers, 3, from Liverpool, and three servants.  The census was taken on 5th April.

 

Passenger records show that on 9th September 1891 Annie Pearson, a married woman, and Arthur, a child under 12 years old, left for Shanghai from London on the Glenshill, with 17 passengers.

 

The I.M.C. Records show that J.T. Pearson resigned on 1/5/1903, in Shanghai.  Probate records for Anglesey show a James Thomas Pearson, gentleman, of Gwynant, Rhosneigr, Ty-Croes, Anglesey, died in January 1906, age 65, effects £573 to widow Annie.  James and Annie, with Arthur, likely returned to the U.K. after his resignation, although no passenger records have been found.  His Pearson sisters remained in Shanghai.

The 1911 Census shows Arthur living with his widowed mother and his married sister, Annie Lillian Parry at 39 Parkside, Seacombe and gives his place of birth as Shanghai, China. He names his next of kin as his mother, Annie Pearson, Moranedd, Valley, Anglesey so presumably she was no longer living with her daughter, Annie Lillian Parry and her husband John. There is a further complication in that Annie Lillian Parry when marrying John at Birkenhead in 1896 gave her maiden name as Williams, not Pearson and her place of birth as Glasgow. At the time of her marriage she would have been only 20 years old and presumably had not already been married. She was older than Arthur John Pearson so it is likely that their mother had her during an earlier marriage.

Arthur enlisted in Liverpool on 31^st August 1914, giving his age as 27 years 11 months, his place of birth as “Seacombe near Liverpool” and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being five feet seven and three quarter inches tall, weighed 114lbs, of fresh complexion, had light blue eyes, fair hair and gave his religion as Church of England. He was posted to 3 Company, 18^th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16862.From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Arthur earned his three medals.

 

In early January 1916, the 18^th Battalion was in the line near Carnoy and on 10^th January he was wounded in action, incurring a gun shot wound to his stomach. The following day he died of his wounds aged 29.

He now rests at Carnoy Military Cemetery, Grave P 10, France. 

The cemetery was begun in August 1915, by the 2nd King's Own Scottish Borderers and the 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, when the village was immediately South of the British front line. It continued in use by troops holding this sector until July 1916, when Field Ambulances came up and a camp was established on the higher ground North of the village. It was closed in March 1917. From March to August 1918, it was in German hands, and German (and a few British) graves were made between the British graves and the entrance, and also in a German Cemetery alongside; but the German graves and the German Cemetery were removed in 1924.

There are now over 850, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly 30 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 17 soldiers and one airman from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery covers an area of 4,441 square metres and is enclosed by a red brick wall.

Arthur’s death was reported in the Liverpool Echo dated 21st January 1916  

- Died from Wounds – PEARSON – Died from wounds received on January 10 in France, Arthur John Pearson son of Mrs Pearson, Valley Anglesey and the late J. T. Pearson, Shanghai, China. – 39 Parkside, Liscard. 
 
A further report in the Liverpool Echo on 22nd January 1916 confirmed Arthur's death with the headline:

ANOTHER "PAL" KILLED

Private Arthur John Pearson, who joined the Liverpool "Pals" in August, 1914, and who resided with his sister, Mrs Parry, at 39 Parkside, Egremont, has died from a bullet wound received while engaged behind the trenches unloading food transport. He was 23 years of age, and prior to enlistment was employed by Messrs. W. P. Greenhalgh and Son, cotton brokers, Liverpool. He was born at Shanghai, his late father being a Customs Inspector there, and was educated at Wallasey Grammar School. His mother resides at Valley, Anglesey.

Mabel Elinor Pearson, daughter of the late James T. Pearson, I.M. Customs, Shanghai, married Richard Johns in Shanghai in November 1906.  In 1921 Mabel and her husband and two daughters sailed from Shanghai to Liverpool to visit “sister, Parry” (Annie/Lillie Williams, now married) in Egremont, Cheshire.  After their visit the family returned to Shanghai.  Daughter Monica married and left Shanghai before the roundup of Allied citizens by the Japanese.  The other daughter Ada Lilian married an American ex-Marine in Shanghai in 1940. He was murdered in 1942 by a Chinese citizen. Ada and their baby daughter were interned and released after about six months.   Mabel and her husband were interned by the Japanese from 1943-45.  They returned to England in 1946, and both died in Norfolk in the early 1960s.

 

Atrthur's sister Ada married Guy Watson-Paul of the Merchant Marine in Shanghai in 1907. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy in 1915, and died on 19/8/1919 in Malta, aged 43. He now rests in Malta Naval Cemetery. She never remarried and died in 1961.  

Hall of Remembrance, Roll of Honour at Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 54.

 

We currently have no further information on Arthur John Pearson, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.