PEARSON, Blanche Alice
Blanche Alice Pearson was born at Hemingstone Hall, near Ipswich, Suffolk on 18 April 1863, daughter of James Jamison Pearson (12 June 1799-20 July 1872), landed proprietor & fund holder, and his wife Augusta Sarah née Godfrey (11 February 1817-30 December 1900), who married at Dartmouth, Devon on 23 June 1846. The Pearsons' spent the early years of their marriage in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia where Augusta was born and where at least five of their children were born between 1849 and 1856 and on their return to England lived at Hemingstone Hall where their son David Chambers was born in 1859 followed by Blanche. The family left Hemingstone sometime after 1863 and in 1871, when 7-year-old Blanche was a pupil/boarder at Chandos House, Fonnereau Road, Ipswich, the rest of the family were living at Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath, Kent where her father James died in 1872, aged 73. In 1881, 17-year-old Blanche was living at 47 Anerley Park, Penge, Surrey with her 61[sic] year old widowed mother and they were still there in 1891. Blanche was a member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club in 1891 and exhibited from 47 Anerley Park in 1890, 'A Rainy Day', in 1891 'Pansies' and in 1893 'Field Flowers' and 'Chrysanthemums' all watercolours. She married at St Bartholomew's Church, Sydenham, Kent on 6 June 1894, Revd Mason Cornish Wells (1868-1 June 1915), curate at St Mary's Ely. In 1901 Blanche was living at 46 Tweedy Road, Bromley, Kent with her 33-year-old husband but in 1911 Blanche was staying at the St Andrews Club, 27-35 Mortimer Street, London with several ladies from Suffolk. Her husband died at 80 Unthank Road, Norwich, on 1 June 1915, aged 47 and in 1939 Blanche was living at 29 Salisbury Road, Worthing, Sussex. Blanche Alice Wells died at 16 Church Walk, Worthing on 7 December 1945, aged 82.