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| Birth |
30 Apr 1925 |
Petone. NZ  |
| Gender |
Female |
| Person ID |
I228 |
Jean Mailer Forsyth |
| Last Modified |
21 Sep 2017 |
| Father |
Benjamin Martin Athol PEARCE, b. 13AUG1891, Onehunga. NZ , d. 26MAY1960, Sydney. NSW |
| Mother |
Jean Mailer FORSYTH, b. 19FEB1889, 95 Lower Bridge St, Stirling. Scotland , d. 29DEC1968, Parramatta, Sydney. NSW |
| Married |
02MAY1919 |
5 Phillips St, Paisley. Scotland |
| Photos |
 | Benjamin Pearce & family 1923 per Corinthic.jpg
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 | Benjamin Jean & Helen Pearce to UK 1922.jpg
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 | Benjamin & Jean Pearce 1930 Electoral Roll.jpg
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 | Benjamin & Jean Pearce 1936 Electoral Roll.jpg
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 | Pea1919bjmForsyth.jpg
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| Family ID |
F76 |
Group Sheet |
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| Notes |
- Jean Muriel Pearce was born 30Apr1925 in Petone NZ the second daughter of Jack and Jean Pearce. She was just a baby when the family sailed to Sydney.
Stories tell of Jack 'helping' with the dirty nappies on the voyage over by throwing them out the port hole!
Poor Jean had few nappies left on arrival in Sydney.
According to cousin Molly, baby Jean was the favourite of Grandma Newey with whom the family lived for a time after their arrival.
There are several photos of Jean and baby sister Dorothy with their mother - in one they each are holding a tennis racquet!
I presume that, like Helene, both Jean and Dorothy did their schooling at Brookvale Primary School when the family lived at Consul St.
I have no details of Jean's schooling.
I am not sure what Jean's first job was on leaving school. I believe she did work in a Department Store for a time.
Jean joined the AWAS - Australian Women's Auxilliary Service - and served for 4 years from 1943-47.
She enlisted on 8Jun1943 at Paddington and was discharged 23Jun1947.
During this time she was engaged to an American called Wally. He was a rear tail gunner and was killed in action.
Sometime later Jean met Colin Newton Williams whom she would eventually marry. But not for many years to come.
Jean lived at 4 Francis St, Fairlight with her parents until they died - Jack in 1960, Jean in 1968 -
and moved to Balgowlah Heights soon after her marriage to Colin in Jun1969.
During all those years Jean worked in the city, travelling every day by the Manly Ferry.
Every morning Jean got up very early and took their dog 'Patchy', then 'Ragsy' for a walk up to Fairlight to get the days groceries for the house.
I loved that house. The big solid door with the green glass, the smell - a mixture of old house and gas - holds special memories,
the beautiful multicoloured carpet runner down the hallway passed the two bedrooms,
the living room with the beautiful sideboard next to the gas fire under the mantel (from this we hung our stockings at Christmas time),
the picture rail around the wall, into the kitchen with the old 'stand alone' gas stove, the big kitchen cupboard and table with the sink under the window.
Into the bathroom with its huge built in copper and bath to one end with that evil gas heater that terrified me.
Out the back under the verandah was a wooden crate which was used mostly to store old papers etc -
when cousin Margaret and I visited we would transform into our cubbyhouse.
The grassed area was small but lush with a high back fence with purple morning glory vines growing up it.
The pathway up the side of the house led to another world under the house -
a musty cavern used for storage which was very cool in temperature because it was cut out of the sandstone.
I just loved those huge front sandstone steps going up the side of No 4 and back down No 6.
From the stoop I could survey the whole domain and felt like a queen. I always wanted to live on the top side of the street like at No 4!
I loved all the front fences from the house to the shops. I used to try and walk along them all.
I am sure I made my Aunt squirm with embarassment at times at my attempts at being an acrobat.
I loved the shops - the greengrocer where the man used to say 'one and siggies, two and siggies' (translated means one shilling and six pence!)
and especially the cake shop. It was the pink bird shaped meringue that caught my eye on my first visit.
Everyone used to always buy me one when we visited the cake shop. Years later we were talking about it and I was asked why I always had the same cake.
I replied that I just liked the look of it, did not even like the taste of it but was never brave enough to say so during all those years.
Would much preferred a chocolate eclair!
Friday was 'Go to Town Day' to meet Jean for lunch. All the visitors would get dressed in their best clothes, new shoes and blisters and all, and head for the Ferry.
I especially remember Nani on these days. She loved to get dressed up - everything matched, the hat, the gloves, the handbag, the shoes.
Her large hearing aid and accessories were always a challenge - making sure the batteries weren't flat
and hiding that cumbersome batterypack in her lace petticoat were also. Sometimes we would get the double decker bus down to the Ferry -
I always wanted to go upstairs. It was so exciting walking up the plank to get aboard the ''South Steyne" or one of the other large ferries for the journey across the Heads to Circular Quay. I loved to stand and look down at the clanking engine of the ferry or stand out the front and watch the bow cut through the swell.
I remember the trams up from Circular Quay to the centre of town then to the Coles Cafeteria or the one at DJs. It was all so wonderful.
Colin also worked in the city and lived at the Tattersalls Club Hotel. He worked at Horden Bros, then at Anthony Hordens, eventually managing their midcity store.
For years they had a weekly routine of visiting Mrs Williams for dinner one night, the pictures or a show another night, dinner with either of Col's sisters June or Peggy another night. On Friday night they had dinner with Nani and Colin slept on a stretcher in the loungeroom. Saturday was a busy day with shopping, washing, ironing, and washing the MG car which was garaged next door at No 2 - the Medinas. Sunday was a day of rest which in summer meant a day at the beach sunbaking.
Both Jean and Col had the best tans. A picnic lunch would be prepared - fresh soyabread sandwiches of devon and cheese to be washed down with ice cold bottles of GI lime - followed by a special icecream.
After Pop ('Jack') died in 1960 Jean and Nani continued on at No 4. The previous years had not been easy with Pop's cancer making him not the easiest person to live with. Throughout it all Nani's sense of humour kept her going. Sadly two accidents caused Nani to become 'strange' and the next few years were a nighmare for Jean. Dot helped as much as she could. Nani died Dec1968.
Jean worked for John Nossiter, an Accountant, for many years. Over Christmas holidays of 1964 I lived with the Nossiters for a few weeks in Buckingham Rd, Killara and helped in the office (I think that was in Castlereagh St). Later it became Nossiter & English. In the mid 80s Jean changed jobs and worked in York St.
For years Jean had been the loyal worker - the family retainer even. And for years overworked and underpaid. So she hitched up her skirt, put a different tint in the hair, lowered her age, demanded more money, got the job and the money.
Jean only 'retired' after Colin had a stroke in the late 1990s. She now has a 'home office'. Many of her longtime clients still want her to do their books.
They just don't feel right letting anyone else do them.
Jean and Colin live the quiet life now, meeting up with Hennie and June for dinner every week.
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