Born Anna Catherine Ricardo on 9 April 1889, her birth was registered in the St Giles-in-the-Fields district of London. She was the second child and elder daughter of the three children of architect Halsey Ralph Ricardo (1854-1928) and Catherine Jane Ricardo née Rendel (1857-1941). She was baptised on 20 May 1889 at Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, London, and the family were living at 13 Bedford Square, Bloomsbury.
The 1891 census confirms that the family still resided at this address and she was living there with her parents, her brother Harry Ralph Ricardo (1885-1974), a cook, a parlour-maid, a nurse and a housemaid. The 1901 shows her still living at 13 Bedford Square with her parents, her sister Esther Mary Ricardo (1893-1985), a cook, a nurse, a parlour-maid and a housemaid. She was confirmed by the Bishop of Islington on 13 March 1906 at St George's Church, Bloomsbury and the records give her address as 13 Bedford Square. On the night of the 1911 census she was visiting the home of Hugh Thackeray Turner and his family at the 23 roomed house called Westbrook, in Westbrook Road, Godalming, Surrey.
On 21 May 1914 she married Charles Maresco Pearce (1874-1964) at the Parish Church of St Giles-in-the-Fields, Holborn. His occupation was recorded as an Artist and his address was shown as Belgrave Mansions, London, SW whilst her address was 13 Bedford Square. Their son, David Maresco Pearce (1915-2001) was born on 17 May 1915 at 13 Bedford Square and their second son, John Ricardo Pearce (1917-1996) was born on 30 August 1917 in Romford, Essex. Her father designed their new house at 117 Old Church Street, Chelsea and their daughter, Naomi Anne Pearce (1923-2007) was born on 22 November 1923 in Chelsea.
Telephone directories from 1925 onwards show the family not only at 117 Old Church Street but also at Carpenters Town, Graffham, Petworth, Sussex and it was at the Sussex address that she was shown on the 1939 England and Wales Register with her husband, their son John, her mother, a parlour maid, a housemaid, a kitchen maid, a children's nurse and a chauffeur.
She died, aged 70 years, on 20 May 1959 at Carpenters Town, Graffham and was buried in the St Giles Churchyard Extension, Graffham, Petworth, West Sussex. Probate was granted to her husband and son John on 26 November 1959 and her estate totalled £28,052-3s-1d.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan
