Born at Brompton, in Kent, in the year 1835. Learned practical shipbuilding in Her Majesty’s Dockyard at Chatham, and was at the same time engaged in the office of the master shipwright there, the late celebrated Mr Oliver Lang. When the Government in 1861 determined upon the construction of iron ships in the Royal Dockyards, was the first officer selected to carry on that work, and superintended the building of H.M. _Achilles_ in the dockyard at Chatham. In 1863 left the Government service to become a Surveyor to Lloyd’s Registry in the Clyde district, and in 1864 was appointed General Manager in Messrs R. Napier & Sons’ shipbuilding establishment, where, in 1865, his ability as a naval architect was first brought into prominence through the designing of the _Pereire_ and _Ville De Paris_, built for the Compagnie General Transatlantique, which vessels maintained for several years a foremost place amongst the fast ships on the Atlantic. After the death of Mr John Elder, in 1869, joined by request the late Messrs John Ure and J. L. K. Jamieson in carrying on and extending the gigantic shipbuilding and engineering business at Fairfield, under the title of John Elder & Co. In 1878 Mr Ure and Mr Jamieson retired from the firm, and Mr PEARCE became sole partner, which position he has occupied up to the present time. Has constructed many steamships that are amongst the most celebrated in existence, of which it may suffice simply to name the _Arizona_, _Alaska_, and _Oregon_; the _Orient_, _Austral_, and _Stirling Castle_; also the _Umbria_ and _Etruria_, just being completed for the Cunard Steamship Company. Another vessel built by Mr PEARCE, the construction of which excited, perhaps, a greater amount of interest than any of the above named, was the yacht _Livadia_, for the late Emperor of Russia. The design, which was a fantastic one, was by Admiral Popoff. Mr PEARCE’S enterprize has not been confined to shipbuilding and engineering, having projected or become largely interested in several lines of steamers, amongst which are, the Pacific Mail Steamship Co.; the New Zealand Shipping Company; the Guion Line; and the China Line of the Scottish Oriental Steamship Company. In 1880 Mr PEARCE gave the opening lecture in the course delivered in connection with the Marine Exhibition held in the Corporation Buildings, Glasgow. In 1881 was appointed a member of the Royal Commission on Tonnage, and in October of the present year was appointed a member of the Royal Commission on Merchant Shipping. [Illustration: Yours faithfully W. Pearce (signature) INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & C^o. LONDON.] PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE. JAMES ANDERSON. JAMES ANDERSON, F.R.G.S. CHAIRMAN OF THE ORIENT STEAM NAVIGATION COY., LIMITED; CHAIRMAN OF THE LONDON BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SCOTTISH PROVINCIAL INSURANCE COY.; DIRECTOR OF THE HOME AND COLONIAL INSURANCE COY., DIRECTOR OF THE BANK OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, ETC.