Pearson (Persoon)/Robertshaw
Dirk Persoon was born the son of Christoffel (Christopher) Persoon and Anna Maria Donne (Sonne) on 4th June, 1831 at Amsterdam, Holland. He came to Australia in 1850 as a carpenter.
Daniel Robertshaw, born about 1810 at Elland (near Huddersfield) UK, married on the
22nd February 1829 at Elland, Rachel Peel who was christened on the 17th April 1808 at
Elland. Their known issue was as follows, all born at Elland:
1. Son - Kitson baptised 19th July, 1829
2. Daughter - Elizabeth baptised 25th December, 1830. She came to Australia around 1852/53
and later married Dirk Persoon (see following story)
3. Son - William baptised 25th December, 1832
4. Daughter - Sarah baptised 19th April 1835, who married on the 20th December, 1857 at St
John The Baptist Church, Halifax, William Scargill, aged 22, a Cloth Miller, of Stainland
(near Elland). Sarah and William had 6 children (Friend, Albert, Ernest, Emma, Mary-Jane
and Lily - all born between 1857 and 1869). In 1881 Sarah and William and their family
were living in Stainland. In 1901 they were both living in Brighouse (near Hauddersfield).
William's death was registered in Halifax in 1907 aged 72. The death of a Sarah Scargill
was Registered in Bradford in the 2nd quarter of 1914 aged 80, which would fit although
this is not proven as yet.
5. Daughter - Melicent baptised 2nd April, 1837.
6. Daughter - Mary Ann baptised 11th November, 1838.
Acknowledgement to Kevin Scargill (UK) for his valuable input to this research. It has
not been possible to trace the arrival details of Dirk and Elizabeth into Australia.
Dirk and Elizabeth were married on 17th April, 1854 at Scots Church, South Melbourne, Victoria.
They lived at Prahran until about 1861 then moved to Bendigo area and Dirk went goldmining.
Dirk changed his name from Dirk Persoon to Dirk Frederick Pearson about 1865. Dirk died at his daughter's home (Helen Emma Rachel Pearson) in Loch Street, St. Kilda on 10th October, 1887 aged 56 years. His occupation is now cited as Mining Manager. He is buried at St. Kilda Cemetery, Wesleyan Section "C" Grave 403. Also in the same grave is his daughter Helen Emma Rachel Pearson, who died aged 22 on 15th May 1889 and his grand-daughter Muriel Helen Lamb aged 20 years who died on 1st September 1909.
Elizabeth died on 10th March 1895 at Forest Street, Long Gully, Bendigo and is buried in Bendigo (Sandhurst) Cemetery.
Dirk and Elizabeth's family consisted of:
1. Annie Maria (Persoon) Pearson b. 1855 at Prahran, Vic. Married in 1879 (Vic. Reg. 1004)
James Wright.
2. William (Wilhelm) Persoon b. 1856 died 1858 at Prahran.
3. Harry (Persoon) Pearson b. 1858 at Prahran. Married in (Vic. Reg. 3965) Mary Jane
Walker.
4. Amelia Elizabeth (Persoon) Pearson b. 1860 at Prahran. Married in 1882 Joseph Lamb.
(See Lamb/Pearson story).
5. Daniel Persoon b. 1862 died 1863 at Sandhurst.
6. Sarah (1) Adelaide Charlotte Persoon b. 1864 died 1866 at Sandhurst.
7. Helen Emma Rachel Pearson b. 1866 Long Gully. Died 1889 St. Kilda.
8. Sarah (2) Adelaide Charlotte Pearson b. 1867 Sandhurst. Married in 1888 (Vic. Reg.
5832) Harry William Wakeman.
9. Christopher Frederick William Pearson b. 1869 Sandhurst. Married in 1898 (Vic. Reg.
6493) Emily Field.
10. Elizabeth Mary Pearson b. 1872 Sandhurst. Married in 1894 (Vic. Rec. 3378) Don Norman.