Thomas Pears

The 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. On April 10^th 1912 titanic set sail on its maiden voyage from South Hampton. The ship had on board 2200 passengers and crew it was one of the deadliest peacetime disasters. She was believed to be “unsinkable” but, only four days into her voyage titanic hit an ice berg on the 14^th April at 11:40pm less than three hours the ship sank.

RMS Titanic, one of the biggest and most luxurious ocean liners of its time. It was 269 meters long. Journalists at the time said it was as long as three city blocks and as tall as an 11-storey building. The Titanic was described at the time as being as luxury being compared to the best hotels at the time. Even second and third class was better than any other ships of its time.

On board Titanic was Thomas Clinton Pears who was 29 when he died in the sinking of the Titanic. He was the great great grandson of Andrew Pears the founder of the Soap-manufacturing company A&F Pears LTD. Thomas joined the company in 1903, he was not a director of the company but, he was responsible for the running Isleworth Works and Lanadrom Rubber's estates in Malaya.

Thomas was a keen sports man. He supported the Pears' Athletic Club and participted in motor car and motor cycle races. Two gold medals remain in the possession of the Crowe family. The inscriptions the medals record his participation in 'The 23 Hours Run, London - Edinburgh on May 28-29, 1908 Car' and 'The 24 Hours Run, London to Edinburgh, June 5th and 6th, 1908, Car'. Tom had had the two medals mounted as table napkin rings, inscribed 'T.P' and 'E.P' respectively

Thomas married Edith Wearne on September 1910. Between them they had a wide circle of friends in the neighbourhood and Edith was reported as endearing herself to all those who knew her. They worshipped together at St John the Baptist Church, Woodlands, Isleworth.

In 1912, three years after his father's death, Tom prepared to cross the Atlantic, possibly to look at a site for his company's expansion into America. He boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a first class passenger (ticket number 113776 £66, 12s), he and Edith occupied cabin C-2. At 6.05 p.m. on 13 April a radio message was sent from the Titanic via the S.S. Potsdam to the company's Isleworth Works, which read 'All well, telephone Hampstead [his wife's family address] and Pyrford'. The message would not arrive at the works until 1.30pm on Monday 15 April leading to considerable confusion over whether Mr Pears had survived or not. Edith was rescued in lifeboat 8.

Memorial services for Tom Pears included one held on Sunday 21 April at St John's, Isleworth, attended by about 1,200 people, including many of his local workforce, collections at these services were donated to local charities that he had been connected with.

After Thomas Death Edith was left a sum of £16,763 10s 7d so Edith was probably well provided for however, she was shocked to learn that she could not continue to live at her home as it was a company-owned house.

During the first world war Edith, at her father's suggestion, was sharing a London flat with Norah, the daughter of an old friend of his, Dr. Crowe. Edith served as a nurse in the British Red Cross, for whom she drove an ambulance. She also joined the WRNS, for whom she drove a cab, her main duties being to fetch Admirals and other senior officers from the Admiralty, from their Clubs at night! Norah's brother Mr D. V. Crowe was an electrical engineer by training. His poor eyesight had ruled him unfit for military service. He therefore became a tea-planter in the South of India at When he came home on leave, he met Edith while visiting his sister. In due course they were engaged, then married. A daughter was born in Travancore in 1920 and a son in 1924, at Worcester Park, Surrey.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4258888/Haunting-whistle-blew-at-1140pmas-wreck-of-Titanic-lay-below-us.html

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Descendant-soap-entrepreneur-perished/story-15781028-detail/story.html