| Brief Description |
Sepia original carte de visite photograph of Mr Edwin Bezar wearing Druid regalia. Studio portrait photograph of man standing with left hand rested on left hip and holding a rolled white paper in right hand. Man wears several layers of clothing. He wears a suit over white collared shirt and pinstriped tailored necktie. Overtop this formal dress a wide white sash with dark edging is draped across his right shoulder and across his torso. Over top the sash he wears a tassle-trimmed decorative waistcoat, with hand-stitched applique stars onto dark background of the waistcoat. Two tassles hang from each bottom corner of the vest. At the waist, an embroidered apron is worn over the waistcoat but under the open jacket. The apron is white with tassle trim, and the elaborate allegorical image depicts a two robed women seated either side of a coat of arms, beneath which a scene depicts a forest scene in which bearded figue kneels before a standing figure. The apron is fastened with a tassled cord tied at his left hip. Man has full moustache and medium-length beard and hair styled with side parting.
Edwin Bezar was born n England in 1838 and arrived in New Zealand in 1861, and was Sergeant Major of the 65th Regiment and Drill Instructor for the region. He later went on to become the proprietor of the Railway Hotel in 1875, but (Edward) declared bankruptcy in 1880.
In 1866 he married Mary Ann Kearns, daughter of Sergeant Kearns of the 5th Regiment. Mary was born on the 'Java' in November 1846 and was the first white child in the Porirua district. They had the following children together (although some instances refer to the father as Edward):
Catherine Margaret born 1868 (father Edward), married Henry Charles Wilkinson 1886, died 1954 aged 85 years
George Edward born 1870 (father Edward), died 1877 aged 6 years
Thomas Herbert born 1872
Frederick William forn 1874 (father Edward), married Lucy Ellen Ryan 1898, died 1955 aged 84 years
No Name Registered born 1875 (father Edward), possibly Mary Agnes died 1877 aged 1 year
Charles Edwin born 1876 (father Edward), married Mary Hoskins 1909, died 1959 aged 82 years
Kathleen Jane born 1880 (father Edward), unmarried, died 1913 aged 33 years
Albert Ernest born 1882, married Jean Butter Edminds 1906, died 1960 aged 79 years
Harry Featherston born 1883, died 1889 aged 5 years
Percival George born 1886, married Matilda Eliza Brown 1925
Victoria born 1888, married John Thomas Watson, died 1962 aged 74 years
Mary died in 1907 aged 60 years, and Edwin died in 1936 aged 97 years.
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