Elizabeth “Bessie” Cooper Pearson (1857-1938) Part 2

Bessie was the sixth child of Austin COOPER and Elizabeth GIBSON. Of all fourteen children born to this couple, Bessie and her elder brother, Arthur Lincoln Cooper were the only two born in England.

Bessie married John David PEARSON on 4 June 1878, in Ballentemple, Co. Caven, Ireland.

Ireland Marriage Records. John David Pearson and Elizabeth Cooper. 4 June 1878. Quarter 2. Volume 3. Page 57. No. 83. Civil Registration Office, Roscommon, Ireland. Accessed 13 November 2008.

John David PEARSON was a bank clerk in Dublin, Ireland, where the couple settled to make their home. 

After the death of Bessie’s father, Austin COOPER in 1883 and the emigration of her mother, Elizabeth Gibson Cooper to the United States in 1884; Bessie takes in her youngest sister Marian Frances COOPER, age 12, to raise for the next six years.

I find 18 year old Marian emigrating also to the United States in 1890 to Texas with her brother- in-law John David Pearson. 

“New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957,” digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 September 2015), image 115 of 735, Line 1174, John D. Pearson, & Line 1175, Maria[n] F. Cooper entries; citing List Number 555 of National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, Roll 547, Ship City of Richmond out of Liverpool, England & Queenstown, Ireland,    Francis S. Land master, arrived  New York on 28 April 1890.

I will cover Marian’s story in a future blog post.

I easily find the couple Bessie and John in the Ireland 1901 and 1911 census records as mentioned in Bessie’s previous post. They had no children.

Bessie became a widow on 9 May 1918, when John died of Pneumonia Cardiac failure at home 72 Upper Leeson Street. He was 67 years old.  

Ireland. Death Records. John David Pearson. 9 May 1918. Quarter 2. Volume 2. Page 460. No. 49. Civil Registration Office, Roscommon, Ireland. Accessed 18 April 2009. 

Two years later, when Bessie came to the United States to visit family, the ship record stated that she is a housekeeper and that she lived with her niece, Mrs. Barlow. Who is this and is she a niece from her side of the family or her husband, John David Pearson’s side? Another new family member to hunt down!

"New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 May 2017), Image 835 of 1107, Line 3, Bessie Pearson entry; citing List Number 14 of National Archives Microfilm Publication T715, Roll 2930; Ship Carmania out of Liverpool, Geo. W. Melson master, arrived New York on 28 February 1921.

Bessie also brought some family heirlooms to share with her nieces and nephews here in the United States. These include two family Cooper crest rings mentioned in two previous posts.

Another one is a hand petite point piece of the face of Christ which she presented to her nephew, my grandfather, John Carrick Cooper. The family story is that my Pop, rolled up the piece and put it in the closet for 20 years! When my grandparents came to Texas to visit my parents, they brought this hand stitched piece to present it to them, which my mother framed. This has been hanging proudly in my home ever since. 

Petite Point of Christ in author’s possession

I was ecstatic to find the post card below with the hand stitched Christ’s history in family files. I will cover more detail of its history when I post my blog on its creator, Samuel Cooper (1802-1874), my 3rd great grandfather. What other items did she bring to share with other relatives in the United States?

Austin Cooper NOT Austin Damer Cooper

Transcription of postcard:

Back

Given to Marty by Sophie Cooper May -1955

Framed in Feb. -1956

PETITE POINT OF CHRIST

Samuel Cooper

(1802-1874)

Aunt Bessie - daughter of Austin Damer Cooper & 

Elizabeth Gibson

(Handwritten by Martha L. Cooper)

Front

This was worked by Samuel Cooper of 4 Merrion Sq. Dublin & Abbeyville Kinsealy, Co. Dublin about 70-80 years ago. (Handwritten by Bessie Cooper Pearson 1920)

May 1920 was date Aunt Bessie of Dublin brought it over here. History of petite point written in Aunt Bessie's handwriting above. (Handwritten by Sophie R. Cooper 1955)

I had no idea as to Bessie's death, until I found her obituary in an American newspaper, The Sedalia Weekly Democrat dated 2 Dec 1938. (Newspapers.com). This leads me to order her death certificate verifying her death in Manchester, England, in late 1938. Bessie was buried with husband, John David Pearson, in Dublin, Ireland.

Mrs. J. W. [D.] Pearson [Elizabeth "Bessie" Cooper Pearson] obituary. The Sedalia Weekly Democrat, 2 December 1938, p. 5, col. 4. Sedalia, Missouri  Newspapers.com on Ancestry.com : Accessed 18 Mar 2015.

This article was a great find to fill me in with more of her (and my great grand father’s) siblings. Interesting to see that her visit to New York in 1922 and her New York relatives were not mentioned in this piece.

More stories to follow on Bessie’s siblings.