Arthur Crabtree born 12 October 1892

[Janette]

Hi SNG,

No don't post your email addy here,use the PM system

http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php

Cheers Janette

[Janette]

From what I remember my mother saying - Ernest paid for Arthur to travel to NZ. He seemed to prosper in NZ and was a respected business man from all accounts. It must have been highly embarassing for him when Arthur stole from them.

I wonder if that was family folklore to keep face
stranger things have happened in families

Cheers Janette

[Special Needs Girl]

Hi Janette.

No I believe Ernest was quite wealthy.  He 'married into money'  as the saying goes.

Also reading the articles in the NZ papers he was a hotelier and always seemed to be donating to charities etc.

He travelled to the UK a few times to see his family - that cannot have been cheap.

I also found an article which implied that a lot of money had been won on the horses but hadn't been paid up so May Crabtree took the chap to court.

Ernest & May had no children and photos we have of them show a posh car, furs and high lifestyle while back in the UK their youngest brother was a miner in a small Welsh village and their sister doing dressmaking alterations for people and 'ghost' writing for a very famous author (when she could) and not getting her own recognition for her writing.

Arthur was definately a thorn in everybody's side.  BUT .... his lfe had been terrible and perhaps he envied his older brother's life in NZ.  He saw the charity money as a quick way to make money on Christmas Eve.

Best wishes
SNG

[spades]

Images sent.

Spades

[Special Needs Girl]

Thanks VERY much Spades, they are absolutely fantastic.

And thank you so much for taking time and effort to visit the archives department to take the photos.

I am now going to study them.

Thanks again

SNG

[Louie McMillan-Grant]

Hi there, I'm a descendant of Rupert and Maggie Crabtree and am tracing back the line and trying to find Arthur as well. Perhaps I could be of some help  

[Special Needs Girl]

Hi Everyone,

I can’t remember when I started this posting but I have retired since!!

I did my DNA in the hope that there may be a descendent of Arthur’s looking for family but years have passed and there has been no “match”.

Whilst looking through my F****k feed today I found an article that the NZ Obituaries group had “shared” from Friends of Karori Cemetery.

This article contained entries for men who had died in Wellington and were buried without being identified.

I was immediately drawn to the burial on 30th December 1914 in Plot: *Ch Eng 2/A/39
Constable Thompson had found a male in the harbour.

I am wondering what are the chances that this man was Arthur?

The newspaper article about money going missing from his brother’s hotel states the date as Christmas Eve 1914.

Can anyone put me in the right direction to find more information and perhaps a Coroner’s report.

Many thanks
Best wishes
SNG

[Lucy2]

Hello again ...

An update to the article you posted  re: Constable THOMPSON - body found in harbour.

The deceased man was described as being about 50 years of age.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19141228.2.150

  ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Body found in harbour ... man's identity now known ? 

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19150107.2.46