Alexander William Pearson
| Full name | Alexander William Pearson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1854 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mount Ridley, Kalkallo, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | date unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Blackheath Proprietary School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Guy's Hospital Medical School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position(s) | Fullback | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1873–1878 1873–1877 |
Blackheath F.C. Guy's Hospital |
() | |
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1875–1878 |
 England
|
7 | Goals:4; Conv:4 |
Alexander "Alec" William Pearson (born 1854) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1875 to 1878. He was described as late as 1925 as "about as fíne a full back as ever played", and was the first Australian born rugby union international.
Alexander William Pearson was born in 1854 at the son of Captain James Pearson by his second marriage to Augusta Sarah Godfrey. Alexander's father, James, had been born on 12 June 1799 in Furris, Kincardine, Scotland, himself the son of Peter Patrick and Elizabeth (née Pride) Pearson. Having worked in a Liverpool Shipping Office James ran away to sea, voyaging to China and India and by the age of 29 was the Captain of the 'Lady of the Lake", chartered by the British Government in March 1829 to deliver a consignment of female prisoners to Hobart, Van Diemens Land. Captain Pearson stayed in the colony of New South Wales, and met and married Jane Mackey of Sydney at St. James Church, Sydney on 27 June 1835. The following April, Alec's older half brother Jamie was born, but died of dysentery before reaching 6 months of age. Then on 27 March 1838, on older half sister, Janet, was born, and christened in Calcutta. The following year, in Perth, a third older half-brother was born in November. However, James was widowed shortly afterward as Jane died on 25 November 1839 and a few days later on 3 December James' newborn son also died. Alec's only remaining half-sibling from his father's first marriage, Janet, also died an infant, in June 1841. Having lost his entire family, James resumed his voyaging and at the end of 1842, undertook a Leasing Arrangement in Melbourne in the Parish of Kalkallo, on the crest of Kinlochewe Hill. On 30 June 1846, James married Augusta Sarah Godfrey, the daughter of John Race Godfrey, a Royal Navy captain. The marriage took place at St. Petrox Church, Dartsmouth, Devon. Immediately, the couple began preparations to sail to Port Phillip District, along with Augusta's 18-year-old cousin Frederick Race Godfrey (1826–1910). Augusta was pregnant on the voyage and in Port Philip Alec's older sister, Augusta Janet, was born on 12 April 1847. Captain Pearson then purchased a total holding of 1547 acres in the parish of Yuroke. He also bought his previously leased Kinloch Hill property and renamed the geographical feature "Mt. Ridley" after a rocky outcrop behind Augusta's family house in Dartmouth, Devonshire. On 22 August 1848, Alec's older brother, James Godfrey Pearson was born in Melbourne. In April 1850, another older brother, Freddy, was born in Melbourne. However he died on 3 March 1851. Emily Lillias was born, on 24 December 1851. In 1854 Alexander William was born at Mount Ridley, the first of the children to be born at the house. The following year his younger sister, Caroline Maria Josephine was born.
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