The Pearce business dynasty that played such an important part in the commercial life of Bourne for more than 100 years began in 1841 when Thomas Pearce moved to the town and opened a watchmaker’s shop.

He was born at Stratford-on-Avon, the youngest son of John Pearce, a watchmaker and silversmith, where he learned the trade from his father and on leaving home while still in his teens, he went first to Boston but after two years, moved to Stamford and then, at the age of 20, to Bourne to commence work on his own account. One of his earliest recollections was of Queen Victoria, then a princess, driving through Stratford in a coach on her way to Leamington in the company of her mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg.

His first shop was in West Street but after a few years he moved to larger premises at No 32 North Street, expanding the business for the sale of glass and china, boots and shoes. The footwear was phased out after six years but other retail sales thrived until he retired in 1890 when the business was taken over by his youngest son, Edward, and two of his daughters, Mary Ann and Elizabeth.

In 1916, Edward Pearce’s daughter, Marjorie, obtained her diploma for sight testing from the British Optical Association and this added another department to the business and one which soon gained in importance.

The popularity of radio brought yet another sales opportunity and a special department was added in 1930, an expansion that prompted Edward Pearce to turn the business into a limited liability company with himself as managing director and his son William Ronald Pearce, daughter Marjorie Pearce and W J Matthews as co-directors.

Yet another responsibility was added in 1935 with the formation of a motor and electrical engineering business and the building of the Jubilee Garage in Abbey Road when Mr S Turner was added to the list of directors.

The founder, Thomas Pearce, was reputed to have an answer for any customer who wanted a certain article because his usual reply was: “You had better come to a rogue that you know than go to a rogue you do not.”

He also related one incident with humour, the occasion that a sheep ran amok in his china shop. It walked in through the front door and made straight for the glass and china department but when it saw other sheep out in the street it tried to jump through the front window and in doing so, shattered a large amount of stock on display. The animal was eventually caught and locked securely in a warehouse until the farmer came looking for it only to be informed that it would not be released until he had paid for the broken crockery, which he did with some reluctance.

In July 1844, Thomas Pearce had married Mary Ann and they had nine children. She died in 1887, aged 67, and he survived her until 1919 when he died in April 1919, a few weeks after celebrating his 99th birthday on February 28th when he became the oldest resident living in Bourne at that time. Mr Pearce was a prominent member of the Baptist Church where he and his family attended regularly. The funeral was held on Tuesday 29th April 1919 at the church, conducted by the minister, Rev H G Drake, before a large attendance of family and friends and afterwards he was buried in the town cemetery.

Their children were Elizabeth 1845-51 (died aged 5 years 8 months), Susan 1848-1879 (died aged 30), William 1850-93 (died aged 43), John 1852-1905 (died aged 52), Mary Ann 1854-54 (died aged 7 months), Mary Ann (1856-1918) (died aged 62), Henry 1858-1919 (died aged 60), Elizabeth 1860-94 (died aged 34) and Edward 1862-46 (died aged 83).

After Edward Pearce’s death, No 30 North Street was sold to Wherry and Sons Limited and the sale helped fund new premises for the Jubilee Garage in Abbey Road, now run by his son, William Ronald Pearce (1901-1974)..

No 32 North Road was also sold but the radio department, now expanding to embrace television, moved to Abbey Road in a separate stone building and run by John Ulyatt who subsequently bought the business but that has since been closed.