Lady Chater, aged 25 years. 

Courtesy of Hong Kong Records Office

Born Maria Christine Pearson on 6 May 1879 in Sweden.  Her father, Lars Pearson was a merchant and her siblings' names were Emma, Hilda, Erica, Anna and a brother whose name is unknown.

There are a number of theories as to why Maria Christine went out to Hong Kong.  One of those theories is that she went out to marry a fiancée but when she arrived he was not there and was stranded.  Another theory is that  she was a victim of the white slave trade. A further theory is that she was from a "house" in Hollywood Road [Hong Kong] and a man called George Hutton Potts persuaded the then Governor to invite her to Government House.  Sir Paul was very grateful to Mr. Potts for this and clearly found her good company.  A variation on the last theory is that Maria Christine was in fact in the "house" of a Madam called Bella Emmerson.  Allegedly, Bella was familiar with Sir Paul and recommended Maria Christine as a suitable companion.

Whichever, if any of the above theories are correct, the end result was that Maria Christine was Sir Paul's life long companion from the tender age of 17 until his death in 1926 when she was aged about 47 years.

Researching Lady Chater has been quite difficult but it appears that in 1933 she arrived back in Hong Kong  after a visit home.  I don't know exactly where "home" was but a typical way to travel to Hong Kong from Britain (before the air age) was to sail from Britain to New York, Halifax or Montreal then take the Train across Canada to Vancouver. From Vancouver ships including the Pacific Empresses, ran regular schedules to the Orient.  Lady Chater disembarked in Hong Kong from the Empress of Asia in December 1933 the ship having sailed from Vancouver to Yokohama with stops at Shanghai, Manila and Hong Kong.

Empress of Asia Courtesy of  The Ships List at Rootsweb

When Lady Chater died on 11 March 1935 at Marble Hall, she stated in her Will that  her estate was to be divided amongst her sisters, along with a request that her string of pearls should go to Gladys Bagram wife of John Theophilus Bagram who was a nephew to Sir Paul and Lady Chater.  Lady Chater also left HK$1,000 to her gardener Wong Lai.  She also bequeathed to the Trustees of the Church of England in the Diocese of Victoria Hongkong incorporated by the Church of England Trust Ordinance 1930 Ordinance No.2 of 1930 and their successors the sum of Fifty thousand Dollars UPON TRUST that they shall invest the same and shall apply so much of the income  necessary in keeping the grave of her husband Sir Catchick Paul Chater and her grave in good order and repair and she request that they will keep in good order and repair the grave-stones and will keep the lettering legible and will cause the same to be recut from time to time for that purpose And as to the rest and residue of such income  that such Trustees shall use the same in such manner and for such purposes as such Trustees shall in their absolute discretion think fit.

Her funeral took place on 12 March 1935, the service was held at St. John's Cathedral. The principal mourners were John Theophilus Bagram and Gladys his wife.  Lady Chater was laid to rest with her late husband at Happy Valley Cemetery.