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William George Pearn GOTHAM
1882 - 1961 (78 years)
Has 36 ancestors and 14 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
-
Name William George Pearn GOTHAM Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born 11 Jan 1882 Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England 
[1] - GRO ref: Gotham, William George P q1 1882 Plymouth RD 5b 255; GRO online index shows mother's maiden name as Smith
Actual date from baptism register, also from school admission register and the 1939 register
Baptised 29 Feb 1884 St. Andrew’s Church, Plymouth, Devon, England Gender Male Residence 1891 21, St. John's Road, Plymouth, Devon, England - When admitted to the Cattedown Road School
Education 18 Aug 1891 Cattedown Road School, Senior Boys Department, Plymouth, Devon, England Admitted to school - Entry shows William was one of many admitted on 18 August.
Actual entry:
Admission Number: 76, Date of Admission: 18 8 91, Name in Full: Gotham Wm., Name of Parent or Guardian: John, Residence: 21 St: John's Road, Whether exemption from Religious Instruction is claimed: [blank - as it was for every boy on the page], Date of Child's Birth: 11 1 82.
(from Admissions register, image of page on FMP; document held at the PWDRO, Archive reference 2048/4)
Residence 1894 20, Armada Terrace, Plymouth, Devon, England - From the Mount Street School admission register
Education 4 Sep 1894 Mount Street Higher Grade Board School, Plymouth, Devon, England Admitted to school - Entry shows William was the only boy admitted on 4 September. It appears to have been the norm for boy to join this school singly or in small groups, rather than at the start of a school year or term.
It was a 'higher grade' school, access depending on successfully passing the 4th Standard; presumably boys could pass this when they were ready, not depending on a test taken once or twice a year. Boys appear to have joined the school when aged about 11 to 14.
The Mount Street Board Schools were opened by the Mayor of Plymouth, one Mr W. F. Moore in 1876.
This Higher Grade Board School for 260 boys was one of four departments formed following refurbishment and extension of the premises in 1886, and was officially opened by the Reverend Professor F. E. Anthony on 18 March 1887. If William was still at the school in 1897 he would have been one of 146 boys who then transferred to a new building in Regent Street.
Actual entry:
Admission Number: 731, Date of Admission: 4 9 94, Name in Full: William Gotham, Name of Parent or Guardian: John H. Gotham, Residence: 20. Armada Terrace, Whether exemption from Religious Instruction is claimed: No, Date of Child's Birth: 11 1 82.
(from Admissions register, image of page on FMP; document held at the PWDRO, Archive reference 2323/7)
Middle name relationship A surname of a gt grandmother before she married. - His great grandmother, Charlotte PROWSE, was probably also (and more correctly) known as Charlotte PEARN.
PEARN has continued to be used as a family middle name, so far having been given to a total of 8 Gothams (that I know of, as at May 2020), born over 6 generations, from 1858 to 1995, all descended from each other. In one generation in the 1940s 3 siblings, two girls and a boy, were all given PEARN as a middle name. They are listed here (details of living / possibly living not made public).
Military Service Boer War - Private William George P Gotham of the 2nd (Prince of Wales) Volunteer Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Returned home safely from South Africa 7 June 1901 to Plymouth.
(source: Boer War Roll of Honour on the Devon Heritage website)
Residence 1911 Brownlow Terrace, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, Ireland Occupation 1911 Brick layer retort setter Residence 1939 7, Bayswater Terrace, Plymouth, Devon, England - There were 3 households of 3 with rooms in this house, William and his wife Annie and son William, the Hicks family: Vera, the young woman William-the-son was shortly to marry with her parents, and the Shearman family.
More than one family having digs in the same house was very common in Plymouth at this time.
(from the 1939 register, ref Ref: RG101/6784D/002)
Occupation 1939 Mason Died Jun Q 1961 Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England - GRO ref: GOTHAM, William G P aged 79 q2 1961 Plymouth RD 7a 661
Siblings2 brothers and 1 sister Patriarch & Matriarch 
GOTHAM, d. Bef 1613 (7 x Great Grandfather)
Johanna ROWE, b. Abt 1816, Kenwyn, Cornwall, England, d. Dec Q 1892, Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England (Age ~ 76 years) (Great Grandmother) Person ID I300049 All | All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study , All subjects of the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study Last Modified 3 Feb 2024
Father Henry John Pearn ("John") GOTHAM, b. Jun Q 1858, Shaldon, Devon, England , d. 10 Feb 1934, Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England (Age ~ 76 years)
Other Partners: Annie PERRY m. Sep Q 1926Mother Mary Johanna SMITH, b. 2 Oct 1859, Plymouth, Devon, England , d. Mar Q 1923, Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England (Age 63 years) Married 31 Jul 1881 Sherwell Congregational Church, Plymouth, Devon, England - GRO ref: Gotham, Henry John P TO Smith, Mary Johanna, q3 1881, Plymouth RD 5b 486
"No. 96, Male: Henry John Pearn Gotham, Female: Mary Johanna Smith, Date: July 31 1881, Minister: Fredc. Pascoe"
Details from church register entry (image on FMP, viewed 20 Mar 2018)
At this time for this marriage in a non-conformist church a registrar would have been present, and the officially registered copy would have been made by him. Unlike for Church of England Churches, the church register does not contain this and hence does not have the same details.
The 1911 census shows that Henry and Mary (or perhaps I should say John and Joanna) had had 4 children or whom one had died.
Family ID F300008 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 1 Bessie WEETMAN, b. Mar Q 1883, Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England , d. Jan 1910, Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England (Age ~ 27 years) Married 1 Aug 1903 St. Jude’s Church, Plymouth, Devon, England [2] - DFHS index (on FMP, viewed 3 Apr 2014)
GRO ref: GOTHAM, William George P to q3 1903 Plymouth RD 5b 541
Children2 children Last Modified 14 Feb 2017 Family ID F300159 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 2 Annie POTTS, b. 27 Jul 1893, Rochdale, Lancashire, England , d. Mar Q 1962, Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England (Age 68 years) Married Dec Q 1910 Register Office or Registrar Attended, Rochdale Reg Dist, Lancashire, England [3] - At Rochdale Register Office or Registrar Attended. They were recorded as 'United Methodist' in the 1911 census so might have married in a Methodist Church.
Lancashire BMD website shows:
GOTHAM, William George Pearn to POTTS, Annie; 1910; Church / Register Office: Rochdale Register Office or Registrar Attended; Registers at: Rochdale; Ref: RM/132/149
Children + 1. William Henry Pearn GOTHAM, b. 7 May 1913, Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England , d. May 1997, Plymouth Reg Dist, Devon, England (Age 84 years)▻ Vera HICKS m. 25 Oct 1939Last Modified 14 Feb 2017 Family ID F300158 Family Group Page | Family Chart
- GRO ref: Gotham, William George P q1 1882 Plymouth RD 5b 255; GRO online index shows mother's maiden name as Smith
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Sources - [S336] FreeBMD, FreeBMD, (( http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ )), accessed 2 Apr 2014), Marriage of William G P GOTHAM. (Reliability: 3), 2 Apr 2014.
Surname: Gotham, First name(s): William G P, District: Rochdale Vol: 8e Page: 138
Same page includes:
Surname: Potts, First name(s): Annie
(also another couple)
I believe William married Annie POTTS rather than the other bride as there is a birth of a GOTHAM with mother's maiden name of POTTS in 1913. That was in Plymouth RD but despite marrying in Rochdale RD William's birth and death were registered in Plymouth RD so that is consistent with him being the father in the 1913 birth. - [S336] FreeBMD, FreeBMD, (( http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ )), accessed 2 Apr 2014), Marriage of William G P GOTHAM. (Reliability: 3), 2 Apr 2014.
(index image checked as well as database)
Surname: Gotham, First name(s): William George P, District: Plymouth Vol: 5b Page: 541
Same page includes:
Surname: Weetman, First name(s): Bessie
(also another couple)
I believe William married Bessie WEETMAN rather than the other bride as William appears to have remarried in q4 1910. There was a burial of a 26 year old Bessie GOTHAM in Plymouth RD in q1 1910, consistent with being William's wife. (No burial of a Fanny Edith, the name of the other bride, between 1903 and 1910) - [S336] FreeBMD, FreeBMD, (( http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ )), accessed 2 Apr 2014), Marriage of William G P GOTHAM. (Reliability: 3), 2 Apr 2014.
(index image checked as well as database)
Surname: Gotham, First name(s): William G P, District: Rochdale Vol: 8e Page: 138
Same page includes:
Surname: Potts, First name(s): Annie
(also another couple)
I believe William married Annie POTTS rather than the other bride as there is a birth of a GOTHAM with mother's maiden name of POTTS in 1913. That was in Plymouth RD but despite marrying in Rochdale RD William's birth and death were registered in Plymouth RD so that is consistent with him being the father in the 1913 birth.
- [S336] FreeBMD, FreeBMD, (( http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ )), accessed 2 Apr 2014), Marriage of William G P GOTHAM. (Reliability: 3), 2 Apr 2014.