Alfred George Pearce was born on 9 March 1892 in Stoke Newington, London, one of the six children of Ernest Pearce (1858-1939) and Mary Elizbeth Pearce née Rolfe (1859-1914). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1892 in the Hackney registration district, London. On 3 April 1892 he was baptised at St Mary's Church, Stoke Newington, where in the baptismal registers his family is shown as living at 76 Church Street, Stoke Newington and that his father was a photographer.
In the 1901 census he is listed as Alfred G. Pearce, aged 9 years, and living at Victoria Tavern, 30 Victoria Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, with his parents and four of his siblings: Ernest Rolfe Pearce (1884-1941); Harold East Pearce (1885-1937); Marjory Helen Pearce (1885-1937) and Leslie Philip Pearce (1893-1973), together with a female domestic servant. His father was shown as a licensed victualler.
When his father completed his 1911 census return form he described his son as aged 19 years and as a counting house clerk living in a nine roomed property at 15 High Street, Bloomsbury, London, with his parents and three of his siblings: Harold East Pearce - a barman & manager; Marjorie Helen Pearce - a drapery saleswoman and Leslie Philip Pearce - hosiery apprentice, together with a barmaid and a female domestic servant. His father described himself as a licensed victualler.
On the outbreak of World War One, using the name of George Alfred Pearce, he enlisted in August 1914 as a Rifleman in the 16th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Queen's Westminster Rifles), service number 2223 and entered France on 1 November 1915. Promoted to Lance Corporal, he was serving in the battalion's 'C' Company, when he was killed in action, aged 22 years, on 26 January 1915. His body was originally buried in Houplines Old Military Cemetery on the North-Eastern edge of the village, but between 19 December 1924 and 7 January 1925, the 235 servicemen buried there were exhumed and reinterred in the Houplines Communal Cemetery Extension, Rue Roger Salengro, 59116 Houplines, France. His body was placed in Plot3, Row C, Grave 44.
On 25 March 1915 his army effects totalling £5-5s-3d were sent to his father who was also sent his £3-0s-0d war gratuity on 28 July 1919. He was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as PEARCE. G.A. L.CORPL. QNS. WESTMINSTERS. on the Quebec Chapel war memorial at the Church of The Annunciation, Bryanston Street, London, W1H 7AH. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on the Imperial War Museum's Live of the First World War website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
