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Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: garagecollective on Friday 16 December 11 22:46 GMT (UK)

Title: COMPLETED - Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: garagecollective on Friday 16 December 11 22:46 GMT (UK)
Hi team,

I'm trying to get hold of the descendants of Percival Bartle Short (d. 1944, age 63). He is buried at Karori Cemetery, Wellington, and according to a reference I'm trying to follow up for labour history research, he and his family were based in Johnsonville.

Percy played a prominent part in radical labour circles in New Zealand leading up to the First World War, and as part of my research on this topic I would love to track down his family and any possible papers of Percy.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Cheers  :)
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: Lucy2 on Friday 16 December 11 23:31 GMT (UK)
Hi   :)

I see that he married Annie HEYWORTH in 1916.

Do you actually know if there were children of this union ?
(Please don't post any names here unless these children are known to be deceased.)

I ask the question, simply because the death notice for Percival which appeared in the "Evening Post" - 9 November 1944 - Funeral Notices, page 1, made no mention of any of his family. 

   ~  Lu
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: Lucy2 on Friday 16 December 11 23:41 GMT (UK)
 :-[   oops  ... silly me  ... just did another newspaper search using wife's name and it returned a Death Notice for Percival (same paper, same page).   From that I see there was a son.

Will do a bit more digging for you.

  ~  Lu

Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: Lucy2 on Friday 16 December 11 23:45 GMT (UK)
Have you checked the (joint) National Library / Alexander Turnbull Library website, to see if papers may have been deposited there ?

   ~  Lu
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: garagecollective on Saturday 17 December 11 00:10 GMT (UK)
Yes I have checked there, and there's a little bit. However a reference is made to papers in the family's possession... hence my search!

Thanks for your help  :)
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: Lucy2 on Saturday 17 December 11 00:27 GMT (UK)
Hi

Have possibly found the son (now deceased)  ...  but just need to do a little further checking.
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: Lucy2 on Saturday 17 December 11 01:22 GMT (UK)
Hello again

The son.   ;)

I can't of course be 100% sure, because the last listing for Percival on electoral rolls is in 1938 - at the Wakefield Street, Johnsonville address - and thereafter, his wife Annie is not to be found in that locality.
[Had been hoping to find mother and son perhaps sharing an address.]

Prior to living in Wellington, Percy is at Oroua (Manawatu area) 1905-06 through to 1914 ... his occupation shown in all listings, as "painter".

On the 1946 and 1949 e/rolls, Onslow Electorate, is a "John Leslie SHORT", residing at Woodland Road, Johnsonville -- occupation, "painter".

I've been able to eliminate others named John SHORT ... and this John Leslie (because of the similar occupation and location), seems to be the most obvious.

NZ Death

1991 - SHORT - John Leslie - d.o.b.  7 February 1918

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Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: garagecollective on Saturday 17 December 11 01:32 GMT (UK)
That's excellent, thank you. Percy was a painter, so that all makes sense. So I wonder if John had children... thanks that gives me a bit to go from!
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: Lucy2 on Saturday 17 December 11 01:34 GMT (UK)
After 1949, John Leslie SHORT and his wife Muriel Joy, are residing in Wanganui.   [I haven't managed to find place of death for John. ]  

However, Muriel Joy SHORT died on 14 August 2008 and the Wanganui Cemeteries database has a record of her cremation.  

http://www.wanganui.govt.nz/Cemeteries/CemeteryPlotDetail.aspx?EstateID=711

I'm unsure as to whether the Wanganui authorities can supply you with further details re: name of funeral director or next-of-kin ?   If not, then you could try sourcing a copy of this lady's funeral notice (the National Library of NZ "ask-a-Librarian" service may be able to assist.)

Good luck with your search (just hope I haven't led you on a wildgoose chase with this).  
 :D

  ~  Lu

Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: garagecollective on Saturday 17 December 11 01:36 GMT (UK)
Thanks, that's great!
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: Lucy2 on Saturday 17 December 11 01:40 GMT (UK)
whoops  ... our posts crossed  ... but to the question of children, I think - yes.  (Pretty sure I spotted a daughter living at same address on a later e/roll).
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: garagecollective on Saturday 17 December 11 01:45 GMT (UK)
Cool. The reference to his papers in the possession of the family is from the 1960s, so hopefully they are still around.

Again, many thanks for your help.
Title: Re: Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants
Post by: LiliBean on Saturday 24 December 11 09:16 GMT (UK)
I am Percy's grandaughter.