I came into life with parents who were Spiritualists, and my mother was a trance medium. When I was quite young they had their own church in which they were very much involved. About this time they were running circles which I was still too young to take part in.
I went to a good school in Ilford until I was fourteen but unfortunately I did not go on to college as my mother was ill and I left school to look after her. I did occasionally get a job in between but her needs were greater. My brothers and sisters were already married and living their own lives so I, as the youngest, gave up my work to run the home.
In the early part of 1930 my parents moved to Peacehaven and left the church as mother was so ill. Not long afterwards she passed to the higher life and then soon after that my father also passed away. There was now nothing to hold me back from getting on with my own life.
I married Hughie and our son was born in 1934. He has always been a great joy to us. He is now fully involved in the church. We went through the second World War without mishap as my husband had so rightly predicted.
Later on, after the war, I became interested in the Spiritualist church through my friends. It was then I met Beatrice Swaby who was the senior healer of the Spiritualist Church at Romford. She told me I would become a healer. Many other mediums also told me this, including Doris Collins.
Consequently I started to do healing in the church and after a while I studied under Harry Edwards, who requested me to come to the summer school to learn. I gained much knowledge there. In 1959 I received a certificate of merit as a first class healer. I also went to many direct voice séances, transfiguration meetings, discussion groups and demonstrations of physical mediumship which all gave me much insight.
In 1962 my brother and his wife went to New Zealand and we planned to follow them in 1966 but in the meantime I became very ill and was taken to hospital. I had an operation, but complications set in and it was doubtful that I would pull through. I linked in with my guides and told them that if I did, I would dedicate my life to healing. I went to sleep and when I awoke I was amazed to find that I had had a miracle healing. The doctors were amazed at what had happened. The tube which was in my body was however adhering to the tissues and had to come out. I was told I would need another operation to have it removed. The next morning when they removed the bandages, there was the tube on top of my body. To my delight I was told that I could go home in a few days.
After I recuperated from the operation I began healing work, going to the people who had not been able to come to church. My husband helped me tremendously as he drove me around and waited outside in all sorts of weathers. I also worked other afternoons and evenings at the church.
In 1996 we came to New Zealand and met Beatrice Swaby who helped me organise and start a Spiritualist Church in Nelson. With Hughie’s help we took off to a flying start. We organised a committee and began circles and started to train interested people. In time we had workers whom I knew to be psychic helping on the platform. But most important of all, I organised healing groups which were very successful. Later on I started to do private readings to bring funds into the church. This helped us to buy our own building. Of course there have been many changes since I stepped down from the presidency, but my work still goes on giving counselling and advice, healing, circles and private readings.
– Pearl Watson, Co-founder of Nelson Spiritualist Church.
Source: Vision, The Magazine of the Spiritualist Church of New Zealand, Autumn 1994.