Onesiphorus & Jane Pearce
             Paulette's Maternal Great, Great Grandparents


Onesiphorus Pearce was born abt 1835 at Tiverton, Devonshire, England to parents, Onesiphorus and Mary Ann Pearce (nee McClaughlin). Both Onesiphorus and his Father were farmers. At 22 years of age, Onesiphorus married Jane Hill at Ashbrittle, Somerset, England on 1st September 1859. Jane was born at Braunton, Devon, England, about 1837 to parents James Hill and Mary Westcott.

Onesiphorus and Jane had 3 children. The eldest child, Francis James, was born at Braunton, Devon, in England in September 1860. He was Paulette's Great Grandfather. Their next child, Mary Jane, was also born at Braunton, in March 1864, only months before the family had planned to depart England and immigrate to Australia. Approx 6 months after the birth the family traveled to Australia on the “Royal Dane”, a painting of which is shown here, arriving in Victoria in August 1864. Young Francis would have been almost 3-years old and Mary Jane an infant. Another child, Amelia, was born at Raywood in Victoria in 1866.

Onesiphorus was 58 years of age, and had lived 32 years in Victoria, when he died at Neilborough, near Bendigo, on 20th May 1896. He was buried at the Raywood Cemetery on 23rd May 1896.

Jane Pearce died in Preston Victoria in 1912 at the age of 71.


Children:

Francis James (Jim) (1861 - 1931)
Mary Jane (1864 -1940)
Amelia (1866 - 1942)