COMPLETED - Percival Bartle Short: contacting his descendants

[garagecollective]

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 

[Lucy2]

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

[Lucy2]

    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

[Lucy2]

Have you checked the (joint) National Library / Alexander Turnbull Library website, to see if papers may have been deposited there ?

   ~  Lu

[garagecollective]

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 

[Lucy2]

Hi

Have possibly found the son (now deceased)  ...  but just need to do a little further checking.

[Lucy2]

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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[garagecollective]

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!

[Lucy2]

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).  
 

  ~  Lu