Makers: Kate Jordan, Mary-Anne Isdale and Liz Fitzsimons

Panel number: 17

Petition Sheet Number: 5 

Person honouring: Charlotte Pearce 

Relationship to makers: Great and great-great granddaughters 

Charlotte Pearce (nee Hill) was born in 1838 and arrived in New Zealand on the ship ‘Arab’ in 1841. She was just 3 years old and became so ill on-board that she was carried ashore on a pillow. 

She grew up in Wellington, then Lower Hutt, where her family attended the Wesleyan Methodist Church. She married Richard Edward Pearce on the 29th May 1856. They lived together in Lower Hutt and later went on to buy land in Sanson, along with others from the Hutt Small Farm Association. 

They had ten children and farmed in Sanson for more than 35 years. The family were active members of the local Methodist Church. In 1909 Richard and Charlotte retired to Fielding, leaving sons Willoughby and Herman to run the farm. The farm is now run by Willoughby’s grandson Desly. Charlotte died in 1932, aged 94. 

Panel materials: Old and new patchwork fabrics, sashiko and embroidery threads, old lace and printable fabric