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  1. #11

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    What a link! I do hope it is him. Funny to think of him appearing as a cushion or poster. Adam Asar is represented by Saatchi Art so I have submitted a question on how this image came to be and any more background. Will post the result.

  2. #12

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    Finally! if you dig you find! Still no news on birth and earlier life, but I have found his death. Frederick James Mears aged 49 years, confirmed from the certificate as dying at Sydney Road, Ealing. Died of Pulmonary TB. 29th May 1931. Occupation artist, watercolours. Present at death was Mrs D Popey who also registered it. On digging further Mrs Dorothy Popey was a picture dealer in Brentwood in the 1930's. I can find her on the 1939 census at the same address. No sign of Mrs Mears yet or service records, but I will carry on digging. I currently have five contenders that could be our FJ Gunner Mears.
    Nil info back from Saatchi Art.

  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by StintonLomas View Post
    Have you seen this, which purports to be a portrait of FJ Mears?
    https://fineartamerica.com/featured/...adam-asar.html
    Sadly that's not Mears; it's Gustave Caillebotte's 'Portrait de Georges Roman', painted in 1879; see https://www.sothebys.com/fr/auctions/...ng-sale-l17002

  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by NORWICH123 View Post
    I have found his death. Frederick James Mears aged 49 years, confirmed from the certificate as dying at Sydney Road, Ealing. Died of Pulmonary TB. 29th May 1931. [...] I currently have five contenders that could be our FJ Gunner Mears.
    Most sources give 1929 as the year of death, but even 1931 would not make him aged 49, if born in (or circa) 1890, as the same souces also say.

    Any news on your five contenders?

  5. #15

    Default Wikipedia biography

    I have written a Wikipedia biography of Mears:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._J._Mears

    I would be happy to update it with the information discussed here, if it can be cited to reliable sources.

  6. #16

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    I have the death certificate for Gunner Mears and the information on the person present at death was an 'art dealer' who I tracked down using the census, so pretty legit info I think. Artists were always prone to being vague or 'hyping' and image to hopefully sell more. Also others do not always listen or check the details. Either way a talented evocative artist.
    I am down to three contenders now. Still searching for that birth.

  7. #17
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    Join Date
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    How certain are you that he was born in the UK? Might he have been an American who enlisted earlier than the US joined in? or he might have been born elsewhere of parents who returned to the UK while he was a child? I'm not wanting to rain on your parade but offer some alternatives to consider. pwholt

  8. #18

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    Its a thought, but very unlikely. With the newspaper article and the comments from purchasers this is a Brit. There are very few American early enlisters. If he was 'foreign' it would have been commented on. Impression is one of ours. I think he is most likely an eastender who spent time in the workhouse, hence records not accurate. Awaiting the reopening of the 'Gunners Archive' currently stuck in a warehouse on Salisbury Plain, having closed down at Woolwich. He will be found!

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