Hugh Pearson was vicar of Sonning

Sonning

Sonning, occasionally called Sonning-on-Thames is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Wokingham in the English county of Berkshire, a few miles east of Reading. The village is situated on the River Thames and was described by Jerome K...

 and a Canon

Canon (priest)

A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....

 at Windsor

Windsor, Berkshire

Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....

, both in Berkshire

Berkshire

Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

Life

Hugh Pearson was the son of Hugh Nicholas Pearson

Hugh Nicholas Pearson

Hugh Nicholas Pearson was Dean of Salisbury in southern England.He studied at St John's College, Oxford and obtained his MA in 1803. He received his Doctor of Divinity in 1821.Pearson was the Dean of Salisbury during 1823–46...

 (1776–1856), who was Dean of Salisbury

Dean of Salisbury

The Dean of Salisbury is the Head of the Chapter of Salisbury Cathedral in the Church of England. The current Dean is The Very Revd June Osborne, who was installed in 2004.-Selected office-holders:*Walter 1102*Osbert 1105*Robert 1111*Serlo 1122...

 (1823–46). He was born in Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

 and studied briefly at Eton College

Eton College

Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

, before moving on to Harrow School

Harrow School

Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...

, where he was Head Boy. He then attended Balliol College, Oxford

Balliol College, Oxford

Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....

, where he obtained his MA

Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

 degree in 1841.

Pearson was ordained a Deacon

Deacon

Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...

 in 1941 and became a curate

Curate

A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...

 at Withyham

Withyham

Withyham is a village and large civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The village is situated 10 miles south west of Tunbridge Wells and 3.5 miles from Crowborough; the parish covers approximately .-Geography:Withyham parish lies on the edge of Weald, in the...

, near Tonbridge Wells in the same year. He moved to the Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

-side village of Sonning (then in the Diocese of Salisbury

Diocese of Salisbury

The Diocese of Salisbury is a Church of England diocese in the south of England. The diocese covers Dorset and most of Wiltshire and is a constituent diocese of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese is led by the Bishop of Salisbury and the diocesan synod...

) as vicar in the following year and became a notable Victorian

Victorian era

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...

 vicar at St Andrew's Church

St Andrew's Church, Sonning

St Andrew's Church is in a central position in the village of Sonning, Berkshire, England, close to the River Thames.- Location :The church is located close to the historic Bishop's Palace, which has long since disappeared apart from some grassy mounds. The historic Bull Inn is immediately next to...

 there for forty years. Soon after he arrived, he suffered a riding accident on a bridge at the then newly created Sonning Cutting

Sonning Cutting

Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is to the east of Reading station and to the west of Twyford station near the village of Sonning in Berkshire, England. It had been intended to route the railway around the north of Sonning Hill past the...

 on the Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway

The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...

, when his horse bolted due to a passing steam train. This was a possible reason why he did not move on to higher office and he remained vicar of Sonning for the rest of his life.

While Pearson was vicar, many changes to the church took place. He arrived at Sonning in 1842 to find the church in poor repair. The church as it can be seen today is largely Victorian

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

, with major restoration

Victorian restoration

Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...

 started by Henry Woodyer in 1852.

Pearson was a close friend of Arthur Penrhyn Stanley

Arthur Penrhyn Stanley

Arthur Penrhyn Stanley was an English churchman, Dean of Westminster, known as Dean Stanley. His position was that of a Broad Churchman and he was the author of works on Church History.-Life and times:...

 (1815–1881), Dean of Westminster, who also attended Balliol College. In addition, many of Pearson's curates at Sonning were from Balliol.

From 1876 until his death in 1882, Pearson was also a Canon of the Eleventh Stall at St George's Chapel within Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...

, during the reign of Queen Victoria. He collapsed on Easter Sunday, during Holy Communion, on 9 April 1882.

Pearson Hall

Pearson Hall (the Sonning village hall) and Pearson Road, in which the hall is located within the village of Sonning, are named in Hugh Pearson's memory. There is a bust of him in Pearson Hall. The village hall was built and opened in 1889 and Sonning Street was renamed to Pearson Road.