Paulette's Maternal Great Grandparents


Francis James (Jim) Pearce was born in September 1860 to parents Onesiphorus Pearce and Jane Hill, at Braunton, Devon, England. Onesiphorus Pearce was a farmer. Jim was about 3-years old when he left England with his parents and younger sister, Mary Jane, and immigrated to Victoria, Australia.

At 24 years, Jim married Mary Matilda Todd in the St. Peters Church of England at Eaglehawk, Victoria, on 30 June 1885. Witnesses were Mary's father, Benjamin, and her older sister, Sarah Ann Todd. Jim and Mary were both living at Eaglehawk at the time they were married.

Mary was 19, almost 20, when they married. She was born on 12 July 1865 at Pennyweight Gully, situated near Eaglehawk and Bendigo, to parents, Benjamin Todd and Mary Moses. Her Father was an Engine Driver and he was born at Corton, Suffolk, England. Her Mother was born at Bishop, Auckland, Durham, in England. Mary's parents were married 2nd October 1858 at Sandhurst, Bendigo. Mary had two older sisters, Elizabeth Ann (b. 1861) who was deceased at the time of Mary's birth, and Sarah Ann (b. 1862) who was 3 years. Mary later had two younger sisters, Florence Emily (b. 1867) and Amy Elizabeth (b. 1869).

Jim and Mary Pearce had 6 children. The first 3 children, Amelia Milly €�(b. 1885), Herbert (Bert)� Benjamin (b. 1887) and Flora Jane (Florrie)� b. 1889) were all born at Eaglehawk. The younger 3 children, Ethel Matilda (b. 1891), William James (b. 1893) and Annie (b. 1895) were born at St. Kilda because Kinglake, where they lived, was too remote and difficult to get to a doctor using a "Jinker" (a  horse drawn buggy) over rough country roads.

At the time they married, Jim's profession was given as Wood Carter. Later Jim was to become a farmer and the family lived for many years on a property at Kinglake in Victoria. In later years their son, Bert, was to purchase and farm an adjoining property.

Mary died aged 49 at South Melbourne in late 1914. Jim would have been 53. In 1916 Jim married Elsie May BELLINGHAM at Fitzroy. Jim and Elsie had no children.

While living at Kinglake West Jim died, aged 69 in the Melbourne Hospital at East Melbourne on 2nd January 1931. He had suffered with an enlarged Prostate for some months and died of cardio renal failure. Jim was buried on 5th January in the Whittlesea Cemetery not far from Kinglake where he had lived for much of his 67 years in Victoria.

Elsie died at 45 years of age in 1935 at Ararat, Victoria, Australia.


Children:

Amelia (1885-)
Herbert (Bert) Benjamin (1887-1969)
Flora Jane (1889-)
Ethel Matilda (1891-)
William James (1893-)