Joseph Fletcher Peers was born on the 12th of March 1856 at Cheadle Moseley, Cheshire, England. His father was James Peers and his mother was Sarah formerly Fletcher nee Wharmby. He had two older full-brothers, William Peers and John Fletcher Peers, a half-brother, Samuel Fletcher, and two half-sisters: Eliza Fletcher and Ellen Fletcher. Ellen had died in 1851 and William in 1852. All of the children from the second marriage, except for William, were given "Fletcher" as a middle name.

In England, Joseph's parents may have owned a hotel called Bird in the Hand, although it is possible that this hotel was run by his mother and her first husband John Fletcher.

When Joseph was just 11 months old, he left on the 14th of February 1857 from Liverpool with his family for New Zealand on a ship called the Alma. It arrived in Wellington on the 15th of May 1857, so Joseph would have celebrated his first birthday at sea.

He lived with his family in Karori Road, Wellington, where his father was the overseer of a prison gang building roads around the city. Joseph may have celebrated his first birthday at sea, but his second birthday was celebrated at his half-sister Eliza's wedding. She married Charles Shotter on the 12th of March 1858 in Wellington. In 1859, just before his 4th birthday, Joseph became an uncle and his nephew was named Joseph after himself!

In 1861 his sister Mary Ann Fletcher Peers was born. In 1862, when Joseph was six years old, his sister Eliza died giving birth to her second child, Jane. By now, Joseph's half-brother, Samuel, had moved to Hawkes Bay and had bought a farm called Pendle Hill at Wakarara.

In 1866 his brother Samuel married Harriet Lomas. Early in 1867, Harriet returned to Wellington to have her first baby. Harriet's mother was expecting her 11th child but died giving birth. So Harriet returned to Hawkes Bay with both babies, and the rest of the Peers family went with her. Joseph would have just turned 11.

For the next 16 years Joseph worked on various farms around Central Hawkes Bay. On 12 January 1884 he travelled from Onga Onga to Hastings in preparation for his wedding to Mary Jane Kerr. They were married at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Hastings, on Monday 21 January. The witnesses were Richard and Margaret Kerr (Mary Jane's brother and sister-in-law), farmers from Hastings. The Minister at the wedding was Father Euloge Reignier. He was a French Marist missionary, by now well in his 70s, who was famous for his work with Maori of the Taupo area.

Mary and Joseph lived at Takapau where they stayed at the Railway Hotel from where Joseph worked as a shepherd. There is a small excavation in the bank on the east side of the road five miles west of Takapau. Frederick Howe Drower, a sawmiller, had erected a fourteen roomed hotel on this excavated site at the edge of the Seventy Mile Bush by early April 1871. Because it was thought the railway would eventually run nearby, it was called the Railway Hotel right from the start. It would seem that a general store and a stable were constructed at the same time. The hotel ceased to operate as a hotel in June 1879. A Post Office was opened on 1 May 1877 at the hotel site, and continued to operate from there until 28 June 1887 when business was transferred to the Takapau Railway Station.

Several people used the hotel building for accommodation, including the Peers family. Children followed quickly for Joseph and Mary. James Whamby Peers (called Jim) was born on Sunday 9 November 1884, Mary Josephine (called Jo) was born on Wednesday 21 April 1886, Richard Taylor Peers (called Dick, the Taylor coming from Mary Jane's father's name) was born in 1887, Henry Joseph in 1889, Sarah Olivia (called Ollie) in 1891, and George on Saturday September 15, 1894.

On the 29th of May 1890, Joseph is recorded as testifying at an inquest held at the Junction Hotel of Norsewood on the death of a Norwegian, Lauritz Larsen. It records that: Joseph PEERS - Shepherd. Resided at the old Railway Hotel, Norsewood. He had heard a horse gallop passed about 8.30 - 9.00 pm on Monday evening, when he heard someone call "woh".

In April 1892, Joseph's half-brother, Samuel Fletcher, died at Wakarara.

On Friday afternoon 17 February 1893, the Railway Hotel in which the family lived burned to the ground. Some sparks from the chimney lodged on the shingle roof and started a fire. Mary Jane called for help to a man passing by. He hesitated for a while then tied up his horse and proceeded to enter the building. After a brief look around, he said there was nothing he could do and left her to battle with the flames on her own. Soon after, the Lutheran minister living at Makaretu, came on the scene and gave what assistance he could. He was unable to save much but stayed with Mary Jane until other people arrived.

In September 1893, Joseph's brother, John Fletcher Peers, died of the measles at Wakarara.

In 1895 Joseph purchased a block of land at Wakarara. It was 365 acres. He never moved on to it, for in late June of that year, he was using phosphorus to kill rabbits. The phosphorus burnt his hands. The burns became infected and in the beginning of July he was admitted to the Waipukurau Hospital. On 9 July tetanus set in. Mary Jane was home with the children and unaware of the tetanus. On Wednesday 10 July she called at the hospital to bring her husband home and was told that he had died. He was 39 years old. Rev. Allen Gardiner of the Church of England at Waipawa conducted the burial service on Friday 12 July. Mary Jane was left with a family of young children, including the nine month old George.

Joseph was buried at Waipawa Cemetery. Mary and the children moved to Tikokino and lived with Joseph's parents. Not long after she moved onto the farm at Wakarara which her late husband had purchased.