Sir Edward Charles Pearce

Sir Edward Charles Pearce (庇亚士, Bìyàshì) was a British merchant who sat on the Shanghai Municipal Council (工部局) for most of 1911-1919 and twice served as its chairman.

He arrived in China in 1884 and in 1899 joined the firm 老公茂洋行, rising to manager. He served seven years in the Council’s fire brigade before being elected nine times to the board between 1911 and 1919.

His longest-lasting work was in education. As a member of the Council’s Education Committee he oversaw the building of new Council schools and the takeover of several privately run ones, which the gazetteer treats as the foundation of the Council’s own school system. With the French Concession he also worked on filling in the Yangjingbang creek.

Outside the Council he chaired Asia Realty, the 老公茂 cotton mill, Moutrie and the Major Brothers company, and in 1921-1923 headed the British Chamber of Commerce and the China Association. The gazetteer records that he consistently opposed Chinese membership of the Council board.