Funeral of Mr and Mrs Edward Pearson, Immanuel Church, Oswaldtwistle

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iBase ID

321347

Reference identifier

HAC-H02-G3-6248-2

Title

Funeral of Mr and Mrs Edward Pearson, Immanuel Church, Oswaldtwistle

Place

Oswaldtwistle

Personal names

Mr Edward Pearson, Mrs Isabella Pearson

General notes

This is a photograph of the funeral of Mr and Mrs Edward Pearson, natives of Oswaldtwistle who later emigrated to Australia and then California. After their deaths their children made arrangements for them to be reinterred in Immanuel Church Burial-ground in Oswaldtwistle.

An article describing the event from the Northern Daily Telegraph, published on Wednesday April 24th 1912 is filed with the physical copy of this photograph. The article reads:
"From Beyond The Seas - Brought Home To Their Last Rest - A Remarkable Funeral At Oswaldtwistle.
The remains of the late Mr and Mrs Edward Pearson, of Fruitvale, California, U.S.A., were reinterred this afternoon at Immanuel Church Burial-ground, Oswaldtwistle. Mr Pearson was a native of Church, and in his younger days resided near Church Kirk. Mrs Pearson, whose maiden name was Isabella Hargreaves, resided at Rhoden, Oswaldtwistle, and she attended Immanuel Church when she was a girl.
As stated yesterday, they emigrated to Australia in 1848, when the gold fever was at its height. Mr Pearson was very successful at the gold diggings, where he amassed a fortune. In 1854 they sailed for California, and eventually settled in San Francisco. They only once revisited their native land, but their veneration for the home of their childhood led them to express a wish to be interred at Oswaldtwistle.
Mr Pearson died in December, 1907, and was interred at Fruitvale Cemetery. When Mrs Pearson died in November last, their son and daughter made arrangements for the embalmed bodies to be sent by train across the continent of America to Liverpool. Their coffins, encased in steel-shell caskets, were then removed to Mrs Varley's house Springhill-road, Oswaldtwistle, Mrs Varley being a cousin of Mrs Pearson. The coffin containing the remains of Mrs Pearson was covered with heliotrope plush, and had silvered handles. Mr Pearson's coffin was covered with black plush.
Thought absent from her native land so long, Mrs Pearson's love of England was so strong she was enshrouded in death with a silken Union Jack, whilst on her breast was pinned a medal in commemoration of the Coronation of King George.
Mr Pearson died at the age of 79, and Mrs Pearson was 85 years of age. The photograph of Mr Pearson [included with the article] shows him as the older generation of the Oswaldtwistle district will remember him."

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Medium

Photographic print

Colour

Monochrome

Year of image

1912

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Subjects

Place Names > Oswaldtwistle

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