email from Mike Short
paper dealer
1891 Cen. Living 366 New John St, St Georges parish, Birmingham with second wife; children of first wife Charlotte Louisa & James William - caster; children of second wife Albert, Fanny Florence, Ernest, Percival, Alfred Leonard & Ethel; also two domestic servants. James Dempster’s occupation: Licensed Victualler public house
What happens to Alfred Leonard SHORT next is a little unclear. Legend had it that he emigrated to America reputedly on his own at the age of 16, lying about his age to secure a passage. Recently, I have been told an alternative story was that he had ‘run off with the boss’s daughter’!
In fact he married June Q 1901 Bromsgrove, Edith Lavinia BAYLIS. Edith Lavinia BAYLIS was b. 1875 in Redditch, Worcester (b. reg. Dec Q 1875 Bromsgrove). From various censuses it appears that her father was Francis BAYLIS b. 1834/5 Redditch, a Joiner who later also kept a Grocery Shop on Red Lion Street in Redditch. From Censuses it appears that her mother was Ann who had died before 1901. The wider BAYLIS family manufactured fishing tackle and made fish hooks. At the 1901 Census, Edith Lavinia BAYLIS was living with her older brother and family in Redditch.
However, the Lexington Cemetery records show Edith’s parents as Francis BAYLIS & Florence NEWALL. No trace of a Florence NEWALL m. to a Francis BAYLIS have been found. The Cemetery records show both Alfred Leonard and Edith Lavinia as b. Redditch: Edith was, Alfred Leonard was b. Birmingham.
Where Alfred Leonard SHORT is when the Census is taken is not known although there is a ‘A Leonard SHORT’ working as a barman at the ‘Builder’s Arms’ in Amblecote, Staffordshire. The age is given as 22 whereas Alfred Leonard SHORT was only 16. On the face of it, this cannot be him but Alfred Leonard was known to be very tall and knew the pub trade - his stepfather and mother were running the Aston Tavern at the time. In all probability this is not him because Amblecote is about twelve miles to the West of Birmingham and Redditch is five miles to the East of Birmingham, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Family letters made available to me by the GUEST family of Birmingham, their memories, and a researcher in USA, helped put the story together. Sixteen year old Alfred Leonard (always known as Leonard) left for the USA with his new twenty-six year old wife. It does seem that he added years to his age and his wife deducted some from hers and they carried their revised ages throughout their lives. Possibly he had to add years to enable his passage and she may have felt some embarrassment at the age gap. Once they had official ages in USA, it was probably difficult to revert to their real ages.
The couple settled in Lexington, Massachusetts and had one known child, Leonard Victor SHORT b. 3 Jul 1905 Lexington; died May 1983 residing Belmont, Middlesex, Mass. He was a Doctor of Medicine and lived with his wife Winifred at 1433 Lexington Avenue, Lexington 73, Mass. They had three children but they, and their many grandchildren, of which I know only a few, have been omitted from this record for reasons of privacy.
Leonard Victor SHORT corresponded with Constance Nora SHORT (m. GUEST). During the winter months, Leonard Victor and his family spent time in their property on the Caribbean island of St Martin/St Maarten (a place I love very much!). They also spent time in Florida. After WW2, with food still rationed in Great Britain, Leonard Victor and family sent food parcels to the GUESTS with tinned goods, comics, chocolates and nylons. They came to England to visit the GUESTs in the late 1960s.
Alfred Leonard SHORT was bur. 1 Jun 1944 in Westview Cemetery, Lexington, Mass. USA. His age is given as 63 but he was, in fact, 59.
His wife Edith Lavinia BAYLIS d. or was buried at the same place as Leonard on 15 Mar 1957 with a recorded age of 79 but was, in fact, 81. They are commemorated on a plaque.
a Joiner who later also kept a Grocery Shop on Red Lion Street in Redditch.
1891 Cen. Living 366 New John St, St Georges parish, Birmingham with second wife; children of first wife Charlotte Louisa & James William - caster; children of second wife Albert, Fanny Florence, Ernest, Percival, Alfred Leonard & Ethel; also two domestic servants. James Dempster’s occupation: Licensed Victualler public house
1901 Cen. Living Aston Tavern, 10 Aston Road, Aston Manor with wife; child by first wife Charlotte Louisa - barmaid; children by second marriage Albert - musician, Fanny Florence - barmaid, Ernest Dempster - Clerk ?Brewery?, Percival - railway clerk, Ethel, Harold, Victor James & Howard; also present servant-nursemaid aged 12
1901 Cen. Living Aston Tavern, 10 Aston Road, Aston Manor with wife; child by first wife Charlotte Louisa - barmaid; children by second marriage Albert - musician, Fanny Florence - barmaid, Ernest Dempster - Clerk ?Brewery?, Percival - railway clerk, Ethel, Harold, Victor James & Howard; also present servant-nursemaid aged 12
1901 Cen. Living Aston Tavern, 10 Aston Road, Aston Manor with wife; child by first wife Charlotte Louisa - barmaid; children by second marriage Albert - musician, Fanny Florence - barmaid, Ernest Dempster - Clerk ?Brewery?, Percival - railway clerk, Ethel, Harold, Victor James & Howard; also present servant-nursemaid aged 12
email from Mike Short 8.4.2006
As a boy, keen on calligraphy and made sixpence (0.025 GBP) a time selling illuminated manuscripts of ‘Bless This House’ and ‘Trees’. I have copies of pages of his Flight Log Book with impeccable written entries.
Joined Royal Air Force. Achieved rank of Flight Lieutenant and was singled out for fast-track career advancement being appointed as Aide-de-camp to Air Vice Marshall.
Blacksmith of Yalding