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Parents edit
I'd thought that through a combination of PapersPast, BDM Online, and Ancestry (Wikimedia has given me an account; very useful), I could figure out his parents. And indeed, a birth search returns registration number 1918/1855 for the date of birth given in the article, with Leslie Arthur Pearce's parents listed as Frank and Bessie Jane. So far, so good. The Online Cenotaph lists "F. Pearce" as his father so that's fine. One entry on Ancestry, which is strange for a famous person; no parents listed; no children; just his spouse.
What I find next on PapersPast is weird. In September 1922, the Auckland Star has several articles on divorce proceedings between Frank Pearce and his wife, Bessie Pearce, and this one is the main one:
- Married 12 June 1918
- No children
- She left him on 6 June 1919
- Both had been widowed beforehand
This does seem to be a strange coincidence and they are in fact not his parents. Digging further, I find a marriage certificate 1904/7085 for a union between Bessie Jane Crespin and Frank Pearce. And yes, I can find them in the Manawatū Standard, having married on 4 August 1904 at the Wesleyan Church, New Plymouth: "Frank, fourth son of W. Pearce, of Wellington, to Bessie J., youngest daughter of A. J. Crespin, of Wellington."
It's safe to conclude that his parents were Bessie (née Crespin) and Frank Pearce. And I can find them on Ancestry:
- Frank Pearce, born July 1874 in Bristol, died 24 August 1956 in NZ
- Bessie Jane Crespin, born April 1879 in Bristol, died 29 Jan 1940 in Auckland
And indeed, there's a death notice for her in both the Auckland Star and The New Zealand Herald. Buried at Waikumete Cemetery. Schwede66 10:26, 3 June 2021 (UTC)