This was the only Pearce I could find born Briantspuddle at about the right time. Interestingly he had a Shadrack connection.
1881 census RG10 2102 folio 6
Throop Cottage Tonerspuddle Dorset
Shadrack Hardy 53 Bradford, Dorset, Head Married Farm Labourer
Mary Hardy 39 Puddletown, Dorset, Wife Married
Thomas Hardy 24 Bere Regis, Dorset, Son Farm Labourer
James Pearce 11 Briantspuddle, Dorset, Wife's son Jane Hardy 1 Throop, Dorset, Daughter
Willoughby Hardy 2 mths Throop, Dorset, Son
1871 census RG10 1997 folio ?
Affpuddle Dorset
Thomas Pearce 51 Puddletown, Dorset, Head Married Ag lab
Elizabeth Pearce 50 Athelhampton, Dorset, Wife Married
Sarah Pearce 23 Bryantspuddle, Dorset, Daughter
Frederic Prance 15 Bryantspuddle, Dorset, Son
Ellen Pearce 10 Osmaston, Dorset, Daughter
Alice Pearce 6 Athelhampton, Dorset, Daughter
James Mitchell Pearce 1 Bryantspuddle, Dorset, Grandson next door to the Mitchell family
Following James Mitchell Pearce led me to Frederick C Maidens.
1881 census RG11 2102 folio 21
Affpuddle Dorset
Thomas Pearce 65 Puddletown, Dorset, Head Widower Ag lab
Alice Pearce 17 Athelhampton, Dorset, Daughter
Frederick C. Maidens 8 East Indies Grandson
There may be some doubt where Frederick was staying the night of the 1881 census.
1881 census RG11 2143 folio 176
Royal Artillery Barracks Exeter Heavitree Devon
Charles Maidens 37 Boston, Lincoln, Head Married Gunner R H A
Emma Maidens 36 Puddletown, Dorset, Wife Married
Fredrick Maidens 8 India Son
Anna L. Maidens 8 India Daughter
Florence? Maidens 6 Woolwich, Kent, Daughter
Thomas Maidens 5 Dublin, Ireland Son
Edward Maidens 4 Dublin, Ireland Son
Arthur Maidens 2 Newbridge Kildare, Ireland Son
Elizabeth Maidens 1 Newbridge Kildare, Ireland Daughter
Marriages Dec 1870
MAIDENS Charles Wareham 5a 629
Pearce Emma Jane Wareham 5a 629
Frederick was not with his parents in Aldershot on the 1891 census and he was no longer using the Maidens surname.
1891 census RG12 1654 folio 22
Parsonage House Dewlish Dorset
Fredrick Pearce 18 East Indies Lodger Shepherd
Frederick's birth registration will be in the overseas military section of the GRO index. It can be found on the web but only on a pay by view website.
http://www.findmypast.com/HomeServletTo find what happened to Edith you at least need to know her second married name. I would trawl first through the GRO death indexes looking for the possible death of Frederick C. Pearce. It doesn't yet appear to be indexed on FreeBMD.
You can search the GRO index quarter by quarter here.
http://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/rectype/vital/freebmd/bmd.aspxThis shows you which quarters have been fully indexed by FreeBMD
http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/progress.shtmlOnce you have found a possible or possibles within the time frame you think he died, you have an area/county to begin to search for Edith's marriage. That will help narrow down whether she married as Edith J etc. (after 1911 the second name is only shown by an initial in the GRO index) You will need her first marriage details since you need to know who her father was to be sure you have the correct second marriage. With the information from the second marriage it will probably be a long haul through the death indexes to find her death. You just have to hope her second husband did not have a common surname and a fairly unusual first name, because tracking him might also help find Edith.
Regards
Valda