Sgt. John Pearson, V.C., & Selina Smart

John Pearson, born 19 January 1825 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England; died 18 April 1892 in Lion's Head, Eastnor Twp., Bruce Co., ONT. He was possibly the son of 2. Stephen Pearson and 3. Elizabeth Darley???. He married (1) Selina Smart in the General Baptist Church in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England on 6th April 1851. At that time he is shown as age 25 a Private in the Eighth Hussars, living in the Barracks in Trowbridge, the son of Stephen Pearson, a gardener. Selina Smart is shown as age 20, a Spinster, a Feeder by Profession, living on Stallard Street, the d/o Edward Smart, a Spinner.

Notes for John Pearson and Selina Smart:

She is listed in the 1841 Census on Fore Street with:

SMART, Edward, age 50, Spinner; Mary, age 40; John age 20 a Cloth Worker; Selena age 10 and Charles age 5

In the 1851 Census, she is living on Stallard Street with the Samuel Jones Family. John is listed as living in the Barracks, age 26, Unmarried, born in Seacroft, YKS.

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In the 1881 census, the Pearson's were living at 11 Melville Place in Halifax, YKS, England. They were enumerated as follows:

Pearson, John; Head; Age 56; Chelsea Pensioner (retired Army); Born: Near Leeds in Yorkshire
Pearson, Selina; Wife; Age 50; Born: Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Pearson, Albert; Son; Age 16; Cotton Doffer; Born: Bengal, India, during father's military service
Pearson, Frank; Son; Age 14; Millhand (cotton); Born: Bengal (same as above)
Pearson, Selina; Daur; Age 11; Scholar; Born: Halifax, Yorkshire
Pearson, Ida; Daur; Age 9; Scholar; Born: Halifax, Yorkshire
Pearson, Mary; Daur; Age 7; Scholar; Born: Halifax, Yorkshire

Eastnor Twp. Cemetery Transcript shows: Name: PEARSON, John; Cemetery: Eastnor; County: Bruce; Township: Eastnor; Reference: BG-76-2

Children of John Pearson and Selina Smart are:

i. John Pearson, born 18 September 1854, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England; Baptised St. James Church 19 November 1854

ii. Albert Pearson, born Abt. 1865 in Bengal, India.

iii. Frank Pearson, born Abt. 1867 in Bengal, India. Obit [15 July 1957 for Selina says survived by brother Frank Pearson of Los Angeles, CA]

iv. Selena Pearson, born 10 January 1870 in Northowram, Halifax, Yorkshire, England; died 14 July 1957 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; married (1) John Thomas Eno in ONT, CANADA; married (2) William "Billy" Richardson in Edmonton?, AB, CANADA; married (3) Ernest Demers in Edmonton?, AB, CANADA.

Notes for Selena Pearson:

NAME: Selina Demers; EVENT DATE: 1957; July 14; AGE: 86; GENDER: Female; EVENT PLACE: Vancouver, BC; Registration No.: 1957-09-007703; BC Archives Microfilm No. B13233; GSU Microfilm Number: 2033183; Information from Vital Statistics Death Registration Index for British Columbia

Obituary: Vancouver Sun: 15th July 1957
DEMERS: Passed away in Vancouver, 14 July, 1957, Selina Demers, in her 88th year. Late residence 2990 W. 12th Ave. Survived by her loving husband Ernest; 3 daughters, Mrs. B. (Ida) Rutherford, Mrs. J. (Rena) Streich of Vancouver, Mrs. W. (Evelyn) Smith, Elk, Wash.; 14 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; 9 great-great-grandchildren; 1 brother, Frank Pearson, Los Angeles. Funeral service Tuesday July 16 at 3 p.m. in the Chapel of Chimes, Harron Bros. Ltd., 10th Ave. and Ontario St. Rev. T. Oliver officiating. Interment Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Mrs. Demers, the former Mrs. Billy Richardson, was a long-time resident of Edmonton.

Edmonton papers please copy.

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v. Ida Pearson, born Abt. 1872 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

vi. Mary Pearson, born 17 January 1874 in 17 Brook St., Halifax, Yorkshire, England; died 9 August 1956. Married to George Thomas BAKER [d 24 February 1942] Issue: George M. Baker and Carl Lowell Baker 26 November 1910 - 10 March 1975]

Notes for Mary Pearson:

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth; Application # 797406; Registration District - Halifax; 1874 Birth in the Sub-district of Halifax in the County of York. Father listed as John Pearson, Army Pensioner; Mother listed as Selina Pearson, formerly Smart. Address given as 17 Brook St. Halifax. The birth was registered on the 27th of January 1874 by R. H. Hartley, Registrar.

Entry Form - LDS - IGI Batch 8032302; Sheet 35; Source call No. 1260797 contains an Entry Form from George M. Baker, son of Mary Pearson and George Thomas Baker.

Each year as November 11th draws near, we gather to remember those that answered the Call to Arms and went forth in service of their country. At this time, questions invariably arise as to the notable service of a family member. They are honest questions, asked in the spirit of the occasion, and always receive the same answer...."Not in this century, but let me tell you about my Great-Great-Great Grandfather."

Born in England on 19 January 1825; JOHN PEARSON began his gallant and distinguished career 8 days shy of his 20th birthday. He attested to the 8th Hussars at Leeds in the County of York on 11 January 1844.

The next 24 years, 151 days were spent in the service of his country. Twelve of those years were spent abroad, including time in the Crimea and Turkey; with nine years and eleven months being served in India. His Service Record and Discharge Papers bear witness to his participation in some of history's more famous events as in the case of the "Charge of the Light Brigade" and the "Indian Mutiny". Such stories were told often over the years to various newspapers by his daughter, Selena.

By the time of his discharge on 9 June 1868 at Netley; John Pearson had obtained the rank of Sergeant with the 19th Hussars and had been awarded 5 medals: Sabastopol and Balaclava Clasp, 1854; Turkish Medal; Central India Campaign Medal; the Medal with Annuity; and the famed Victoria Cross. The latter his received for his valiant efforts at Gwalior, India on 17 June 1858, and was dutifully recorded in the London Gazette 20 January 1859.

Little is known about his life following the discharge. He returned to Halifax, Yorkshire and sometime during the early 1880's he brought his family to Canada and settled in Eastnor Twp., Bruce Co. Ontario. It was here he died 18 April 1892. In Lion's Head, Ontario on Sunday the 28th of June, 1964; a Historic Plaque was unveiled in his honor by a grandson, Mr. L. C. Baker of Toronto, Ontario. [Of whom I have no further knowledge] Sgt. John Pearson also appears on the Lion's Head and District "Honour Roll" for his service in the Indian Mutiny.

An article on Sgt. John Pearson, dated May 1939; indicates that daughter Selena and Mr. Richardson were living at 10030-105A st. Edmonton. It goes on to say that Selena was to be presented to Their Majesties on the 2nd of June 1939 in honour of her distinguished father. A further article in the Edmonton Bulletin on Monday, January 12, 1942, shows that she is still Selena Richardson, but her address has changed to 10649-95th st. The story deals mainly with the discovery of her father's grave in Bruce Co. Ontario and mentions that she is the eldest daughter of the family.

Thursday, 10 November 1949; an article headlined RECALLS FATHER WON EARLY V.C., appeared in an Edmonton newspaper. At this time, she is married to 3) Dr. William DEMERS, and living at 10213-106 Ave. Selena is portrayed as a "silver-haired, soft spoken, Edmonton resident of 45 years".

Monday, January 5, 1953, the Edmonton Journal ran an article headlined - FAMILY OF GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER - and shows a photo of Mrs. William Demers (Selena) with 3 generations of her family during a recent visit to their home in Manning, Alberta. With her in the photo are grand-daughter Elaine ENO-SCHOFIELD; Dorothy Schamehorn (d/o Elaine); and Dorothy's two sons Dwight and Brian. The article says that Mrs. Demers has been a resident of Edmonton for 46 years and that she came here a few years after her father's death.

In writing of this family, it is my hope that someone will recognize the surnames contained herein and be able to provide clues as to what became of them. It is also my fondest hope that I may be able to locate the medals John Pearson so rightfully earned. They were believed to have been placed in a museum for safe-keeping after being carried in the tunic pocket of a nephew serving in France in Col. J.K. Cornwall's Irish Guards. Also missing, is the sword that John Pearson carried with him throughout his distinguished career which is believed to have been in the possession of one of his descendants.

UPDATE:  The medals in question were located at the auction house of Morton and Eden in November 2004 where they were listed for sale in an auction to be held on November 23, 2004.  This  was brought to my attention by another relative who found me through the internet.  While the news is distressing, Mr. Morton was very kind and sent me a photograph for which I am grateful.  There is a silver lining to this cloud - not only do I know of the medals, I have also found a new relative and that is a treasure unto its own.  From the description provided below, it is apparent that this items are very valuable and to part with them must not be easy.  I hope the purchaser will treasure them as we do.  

Since writing the original article, I have also done a little more research and we found photos of Selena in Grandma Reimers' things after she passed away.  They are linked here. [lgw] 

An article in later years [July 29th - Guardian Press - year unknown] states:

LONELY LION'S HEAD GRAVE RECALLS WARRIOR'S VALOUR; AWARDED "V.C." IN 1858

People of Lion's Head Discover Grave of John Pearson, V.C.; Died in 1892

[Canadian Press Dispatch]

TORONTO, July 29 -- The drums are thumping and the trumpets are sounding and the Canadian Corps of 1914-1916 is again moving to complete a colorful conquest of Toronto, says the Toronto Globe and Mail.

But up at Lion's Head, on the east shore of the Bruce Peninsula, there is a lonely, little cemetery with a few scattered headstones, one of which carried the weather-beaten inscription:

JOHN PEARSON, V.C.
Born Leeds, Eng., April 19, 1825
Died 1892

Who was John Pearson? The people of Lion's Head, including Dr. Charles Bell who made the recent discovery of this isolated tombstone, would like to know. They are asking whence he came and when and under what circumstances he died and was buried here, far from "trumpets blaring to the charge."

Routed Enemy

Search of Britain's list of Victoria Cross winners reveals only one hero of that quiet-sounding name. He was one of four members of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars who, on June 17, 1858 -- nearly threescore years before a Canadian Corps was ever heard of let alone acclaimed -- charged and routed the enemy advance against Brigadier Smith's position.

The scene was Gwalior, the setting the Indian Mutiny, and the plight of the Smith command, desperate to say the least.

With some Bombay Horse Artillery, and her Majesty's 95th Regiment in support, the K.R.I.H. in as almost a forlorn-hope aggair as that of Balaclava, hacked and smashed their way through the rebel horde, surrounded two batteries, and returned to their lines with two of the enemy guns, notwithstanding the heavy and coverging fire to which they were at all times subjected from the Gwalior Fort and the Gwalior Town.

Four Honored

Private Pearson, No. 861; Captain Clement Walker Heneage; Sgt. Joseph Ward, No. 1584; and Farrier George Hollis, No. 1298, were all awarded the little bronze cross "For Valor" for their gallant work in that sanguinary and memorable encounter. They were selected for the honor by their companions and Major-Gen. Sir Hugh Henry Rose G.C.B., commanding the Central India Field Force, approved of the recommendations.

At a time like this when the Canadian Corps pauses to remember some consideration might be given to the old sweats of other wars -- to the stout lads like John Pearson who have died far from their native homeland and who lie in lonely little cemeteries beneath inconspicuous tombstones against which the rains of summer and the sleet of winter maintain the relentless campaign of obliteration.

"The Victoria Cross and Distinguished Service Order"; Sir O'Moore Creagh & E.M. Humpries; Standard Art Book Co,; c 1924; 3 Volumes; Page 57.

PEARSON, JOHN, Private, served in the Mutiny, and was awarded the Victoria Cross [London Gazette, 20 January 1859]: "Clement Walker Heneage, Capt., 8th Hussars; No. 1584, Joseph Ward, Sergt.; No. 1298, George Hollis, Farrier; No. 861, John Pearson, Private. Date of Acts of Bravery: 17 June 1858. Selected for the Victoria Cross by their companions. In the gallant chage made by a squadron of the regiment at Gwalior on the 17th June, 1858, when, supported by a division of the Bombay Horse Artillery and Her Majesty's 95th Regt., they routed the enemy, who were advancing against Brigadier Smith's position, charged through the rebel camp into two batteries, capturing and bringing into their camp two of the enemy's guns, under a heavy and converging fire from the fort and town (Field Force Orders by Major-General Sir Hugh Henryt Rose, G.C.B., Commanding Central Indian Field Force, dated Camp, Gwalior, 28 June 1858." Private John pears later joined the 19th Husssars. He died 18 April 1892.

Somewhere in my boxes of books and papers, I have John Pearson's pension file papers. lgw

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