What I infer from Prosper Thomson’s 1947 small ads:
- Thomson sold his second-hand car business around May 1947
- Thomson had a property in Belair that he sold around July 1947
- Thomson bought 90a Moseley st (just) before 18 October 1947
- Also: I see no sign that Thomson stopped renting 7 Main St, Henley Beach
The obvious question here is: who owned the 1939-built property in Alta-Mira crescent, Belair before Prosper Thomson?
This leads me to the most interesting pair of Adelaidean small ads of all, and they weren’t even placed by Thomson:
[25 Aug 1948] ELECT. eng, 50, many years’ exp., foreman, manager, contracts, maintenance, diploma “A” grade, Vic. licence, ex. refs. 7 Main st, Henley.
[27 Aug 1948] ELECT. eng., 50, many years’ exp., foreman, manager, contracts, maintenance, diploma “A” grade, Vic. licence, ex. refs. 7 Main st.. Henley.
Just so you know, according to 1947 (and 1948, and 1949) Sands and McDougall, 7 Main St Henley Beach was owned by “Miss R. Ward”.
Who was this Victoria-licensed electrical engineer living in 7 Main St, Henley Beach? Might he turn out to be the person who connects Prosper Thomson with Carl Webb? Over to you!
I’ve found two things that might possibly be connected. Firstly, this advert from 27 Jan 1948:
ELECTRICIAN seeks situation with accommodation for self and wife. Victorian licence and references. K267. Advertiser.
Secondly, there was an electrician called J. Girven living a few doors away (at 16 Main St, Henley Beach), who had previously (on 4 Jan 1947) placed this ad:
ELECTRICAL wireman wanted. Apply Girven, 16 Main st, Henley Beach. L8638.
Perhaps J. Girven had seen the 27 Jan 1948 ad, and had hired the Victorian electrician?
Now, it may be a bit of a stretch, but the K267 box was also used for an ad on 12 Oct 1948:
STRAYED, tan and white Pekinese pup from 1 Leicester av., Kilburn, Monday, 11th: good reward. K267. Advertiser.
And the same address (1 Leicester av., Kilburn) also came up exactly one other time in 10 Jan 1952:
DOHERTY.—On January 1 (suddenly), James “Len” Doherty, of 1 Leicester av., Kilburn, loved husband of Ivy, and loving father of Kathleen (Mrs. H. Armstrong), Maureen (Mrs. W. Badenoch), Agnes (Mrs. B. Baldock), Brian and Pat. Aged 52 years. Requiescat in pace.
Might this Victorian electrician have been James “Len” Doherty?
@ Nick,
I can hardly access the website, and when I can it takes forever to access the comments. Hopefully you’ll get it sorted soon. Very interesting this new approach to Carl’s whereabouts.
Nick Pelling: your confident claims for Prosper renting property 7 Main St. Henley Beach were never confirmed. For starters the Ward sisters R & or L be recorded as occupiers of property cnr. Sussex St. and Main St. usually No. 7, once 3 or else no number, for at least thirty years from 1928, as repirted in detailed previous posts. Likewise there being also no evidence that Prosper was ever owner of properties 90a Moseley St. or the semi vacant block (shed & water tower) at 13/15 Alta-Mira Cres. Belair. There be record of occupance at 90a Moseley St. New Glenelg in 1949 as Thompson P. Mc.C., thence 104 Partridge St. (NG) 1952/54 as Thomson P. M. and then back to 90a M9seley from 1955 to 1959 as J. Thompson from memory. Might pay those interested to check back and locate the more detailed related old posts (@ milongal &c.) for more reliable reference material (good hunting).
Regarding James “Len” Doherty, it would appear from records I can see on Genealogy SA that he was born Leonard Malechi (or Malachy) Doherty in SA on 4/11/1900. He married Ivy Chromella Hosking on 3/4/1923. For some reason he changed his name in 1941 to James Hilarion Doherty, which happened to be the name of his dead brother (born 1887 died 1900). Why, I don’t know. I can find no record of him in Victoria under either name.
Looking at land records I can see that the Alta Mira property in Belair was purchased by a Reginald John Fullgrabe (died 1959 in Hobart) in 1937. He then sold it to Prospert McTaggert Thomson on 24/2/1947 who in turn transferred it to his wife Jessie Ellen Thomson on 11/4/1947 who in turn sold it to Allen David Stanley (died 1990 in Adelaide) on 25/6/1947. Maybe someone can explain why the house was bought by Prosper and then transferred to his wife and then sold within a few months?
RichardD: thank you very much for both of your helpful comments! It’s always nice when you end up with more questions than answers. 😁
The only problem is the age of the engineer – unless Carl was pretending to be older and more experienced. But great research by Nick P showing a link of an electrical engineer tenant of Prosper Thomson.
=====
This is an interesting item a canoe that turns up in March 1949 on Henley Beach after being at sea for months with a number A2567 – a telephone number? Possibly Shapcott in Perth who retired 1941 and a JP in 1942.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130249486?searchTerm=%22A2567%22
1947 Mr Shapcott – scouts jamboree, donated canoe.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118391086?searchTerm=shapcott%2C%20canoe
I’m still waiting for my food parcel from Australia.
David Morgan: to be completely clear, I’m not suggesting Carl Webb was living at 7 Main st, Henley Beach. But the Somerton Man did have an (unused) railway ticket to Henley Beach in his pocket, and the reason for this remains unknown. My working hypothesis has long been that he may have originally been going to meet Prosper Thomson at 7 Main st, but then changed plan: but that has always sat rather awkwardly. All I’m doing here is looking for a missing link in the chain.
David Morgan: I seem to recall in re Prosper’s favour that, somewhere along the path to becoming what he is alleged to have been by the late thirties and forties
ie., a false pretender and malingerer etc., he had qualified as an electrician. This being noted twice in his service record ie. ‘Spec. Grp. 1 Electrician’ (trade skill) and earning him instant promotion to L/Cpl upon his direct posting to Royal Australian Electrical & Mechanical Engineer Corps on 5//5/42.
Funny and all in that from 1938? up until at least 1950, the no number, no street name property in Belair was still listed in the name R. Fullgrabe, there being no Alta Mira Crescent recorded in Sands & McDougall. The ads for Thomson seem to ratify that as correct when advising the address as two back from the Methodist Church. That by my reckonning gives it No. 13 and real estate details confirm a house being built there in 1938 which still stands. When the chuch was built, I’d seen a photo of the block with a natural low sandstone ridge at front and a work shed at rear with a water tower further back. Any takers on this discovery.
…in later years the old Church building was listed as being situated at 15 Sheoak drive as opposed to Alta Mira? when it was built in the late 20’s even thiugh the run of numbers didn’t alter with the change (ptp).
@Nick P,
That’s why I’m pursuing a diecasting engineering route. We have from the late 1930s to 1940s and they had exemption from military service for their engineers. I could easily imagine Carl as some sort of engineering apprentice instructor in Adelaide before meeting Dorothy.
But the constant contact with molten metals and chemicals might have led to Carl’s bad health. I Read ‘alpha brass’ diecast was formed using arsenic to protect from corrosion.
Almost forgot to wish all CM punters and ardent followers a very happy and PROSPERous year ahead … we are all of us likely going to need it.
In breaking news we can confirm that R. J. Fullgrabe moved from Belair to 8 McGrabe Ave., East Glenelg in 1951. We’re not to know who moved in to his old place due to Alta Mira Crescent not being gazetted in S & Mc. at that juncture.
This image has been haunting my sleep. suddenly I realised why…
https://imgur.com/a/nuPY5rc
John Sanders: maybe electoral rolls will help us tie people to places. 🤞
RichardD: there’s an undigitised 49th Battalion record for Leonard Malechi Doherty at the NAA, my best guess is that there was a 1940/1941 court martial that led him to change his name.
Reg Fullgrabe may have been an elder of the Metho. congretation at Belair. He was an accounts clerk who had served as a full lieutenant in the army pay corps during WW2. Don’t know what made him upstakes again and move to Tasmania so soon after getting settled with Carmen and the billy lids at Glenelg. Was he on the run?
…Fullgrebs had left Glengowrie (East Glenelg) by ’52 replaced by Sparrows with Thompson the dentist next door. This is getting a little out of hand and so soon after Dorothy’s move to Bute with Geoffrey Lockyer.
Rebecca Ward was living at 3 Main Street according to the 1939,41 & 43 Electoral Rolls. She purchased what I presume to be 7 Main St on 10-7-1945, described as spinster, the property being sold in 1970 after her death. Looks like she was one of about 12 children, born in SA. Being a single woman, perhaps she regularly took in boarders?
It appears that the house presently listed as 13 Alta Mira was built in 1955? and one next door towards the church numbered 15? in 1989 which doesn’t show on recent maps. The last known owner from the multiple change of ownerships in 1947, Allen David Stanley does not appear on S & Mc. until 1970, but we did have some luck with getting him on 16 mm movie film as a 23 year old RAAF Flt. Lieut (1945) visiting the sub continent. I was wondering how ligitimate the property title for ‘Jessie’ Ellen ‘Thomson’ might have been, bearing in mind her single status at the time and whether it actually included a dwelling. I think not.
Apparently, Charles Fulgrabe solved Enigma in 1920.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/79569795?searchTerm=%22fullgrabe%22
Eva won in 1918
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/81370154?searchTerm=%22fullgrabe%22
Though oftentimes I’m near, you, I seldom come in sight; ‘
Some people try to banish me; but
their efforts oft are vain,
Though thousands of my kindred
from time to time they’ve slain; ‘..,
Others-— superstitious— think my presence bodes good luck,
And tremble when from some strange
whim their hearths I have forsook
In another phase – yet view me— I’m
England’s noble game
And though you change my meanlng,
You spell me all the same
Was this the sort of thing Charlie Webb liked to solve as well?
Carl Webb was a qualified and experienced instrument maker yet I cannot imagine him showing up for work whether it be in a professional workshop or a job with such a set of primitive tools.
Can anyone convince me otherwise?
Peteb: reckon we both know someone what thinks they can ….Ya there Dud?
David Morgan: ” DEAR me Charlie Webb.” says Doff, “That’s a hard one.”
RichardD….You’ll find that there was a Miss L. Ward amongst the Main St. mix; presumably one of Rebecca’s sisters….?
Peterb,
Have you considered the sort of things an instrument maker needs? It’s very specialised work, and while I understand that you think of his profession as a sort of journeyman-tinker, the materials aren’t so portable. Think more like a chemistry lab. He’d need a lathe, a furnace, a supply of beeswax, maybe a loupe (a jeweller’s magnifying lens), and all the things that go with them.
Being qualified as an instrument maker doesn’t mean that he was always working to that level; he’d adapt to his market.
@JS
Those difficult Enigma puzzles attracted an elite. Almost a way to find talent for ASIO. Code breakers. They’d write in and give you their name and address.
Those Fullgrabes kept winning. You wonder if the one smart one told the others to enter and win the prize. You could imagine Charlie F was a code breaker when it was his sister Eva gave him the answer to win a pen.
It could be the same with Carl Webb. Perhaps Roy gave him the answers to bridge puzzles. I could imagine Roy being the pool and card game player with his contacts with the Gaveys.
@PeterB,
I imagine Carl had progressed to being a design engineer in 1946 but reverted to heavier unskilled work to 1948 because of Dorothy. I think the tools in the suitcase were tokens of people not jobs. The kitchen knife his dad’s, the scissors his mother’s etc.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/268555148 – This might possibly be Leonard Malechi failing to turn up to the Mildura Court in 1938, though I can’t see any other trace of this action in Trove (e.g. Martin B. Meaney).
NP: seems to ring a bell, ‘A Plea for Martin Meany’. That the case?
John Sanders: nope, is that in Trove?
@js i was hoping for pheasant pluckers or grouse. Perhaps they ate swans.. Perhaps it was bad luck if the bird flew out of the open hearth fire while being cooked.
NP: nope; only reference I can find in Trove for Mildura be Pat’s ‘F Hall’. Sorry!
@dm: Might well have been an uncooked goose, or a Phoenix risen from its own ashes as in G. Greene’s ‘The Quiet American’. Then again you seem to be on the money with the tired old Pheasant Plucker’s Mate (or Son) jingle…btw did your hackles rise with my late mention of Adelaide’s Belair Methodist (Uniting) Church?
Seeing’s we’re still on Main Sreet, might I remind that S & Mc., affirms J Robinson to have been domiciled at 11, a Mrs. J. Seary at 7 and R. Ward at 3 in 1946. At that time an ex RAAF LAC fitter and former barber/billiard hall owner Authur Bruce Rau (son of nee Kate Keane) was living in Main Street (@Trove). After divorcing his first straying missus in ’46, following a decent interval he cherry picked Audrey Isabelle Robinson in hopes of a better run and they begat John Robert in ’59. Some will recall that Rau Jnr. as S.A. Attorney General resolutely declined to have SM uplifted for evaluation. I’m not suggesting that he’d based his decision on personal motives but, It’d be remiss to overlook a certain off white tie with the T. Keane ID as having played some part in negative deliberations.
NP: guess you might be referring to C. Girvin (Gurnin ’47 Girvin ’48) electrician who according to S & Mc. lived at 16 Main St. way down across Military Rd. amongst shops on the opposite side from 7 (R. Ward). I can only come up with two initial J’s, both James (father & son) bn. 1880 & 1908. Jim Douglas the younger working for S.A. rail and his father James Helsby probably retired (67) both living at Grange in the 40s. You might recall Milongal describing in some depth the tricky layout of Main St. Henley Beach some years ago which may be worth a re hash..NB. Younger son Harry worked for NCR as a typewriter mech. and served in WW2 (Army/RAAF).
NP: I can recall yet another highly qualified electrical engineer with Victorian certification. Tom Harkness of Mentone, still in his fifties in ’47 was perhaps looking for some casual work to pay his way during a visit with daughter Jess and newborn grandson Robin in Adelaide. Does that seem logical to you?
…Folks not up to date with Thomas Lawson Harkness Snr., biological and family details, steer well clear of The Fairhall Files, a family search webb site. Along with a host of other misleading information on Jessica Thomson’s lineage, her father lived to 82 dieing in Melbourne in 1970, not 1947 as stated by Bruce Foulhall.
@Js,
I don’t know when the Uniting started of the methodists. I assume it was way before my Cruel suspect got involved. It is a shame that Behrooz’s high court judge who was from PL is behind an iron wall as he would have the salacious gossip of who was doing what with whom in PL and who was living where. I’d like to know who was in 13 Morgan st in 1994/5. My guess is some old geezer died and the distant family wanted to sell it. But an ideal opportunity for a crook to use the house and number while empty for 12+ months and stick an answering machine in.
But who would you trust with the keys in PL?
I am still researching the diecasters as a possible direction for Carl and the poison in his system using e.g. alpha brass or lead. I noticed Holden’s used diecast radiators made in parts. Though I’m not sure if diecasting was heavy enough work to build muscle on Carl after 1946. There was a post-war shortage of some metals so perhaps they experimented with chemicals trying to turn lead into gold or some other alchemy.
From a more or less attentive overview, your 13 Morgan Court Port Pirie up until the milenium, was almost certainly a vacant block probably for sale; It being part of a large subdivision within Risdon Park developed in 1992 and bordering on Jubilee recreational grounds near PP cemetery. Don’t know how that fits with suspected Mr. Cruel’s for sale ads though I guess he may have done so by watching from a nearby park bench or the front verandah of his new house opposite.
Correction be in order in that John Rau’s grandma was Margaret not Kate and she was known as Alice from memory. Also his dad Arthur was a Hairdresser pre war, and only took to being a barber during his year spent in the Islands during WW2 ie., shaving heads and collecting hair supplies for uncle Otto, Paul Lawson’s boss at SA museum.
@JS,
It’s Morgan St
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.7276926,135.8506955,3a,75y,138.28h,88.55t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1stYdQWAjk3My4u3LByI6O_w!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DtYdQWAjk3My4u3LByI6O_w%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D40.026794%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
David Morgan: Here’s me stuck in Port Pirie, 433 Kms. me or more from your Port Lincoln, maybe that’s where Mr. Cruel was afterall, he was thought to be a seaman.
David Morgan: Dunno if these pre eighty residency listings for Morgan St. helps any but for what it’s worth :- Rice W J No. 1, Bascombe T J No. 9 (auto reps) Monsoor F No.11, W Jeden or Jenden No.14, Pearsons GS No.15, Gibson T C No.16 (Tuna Co.), Heath J A No. 17, Bennie TL No. 18 (opp 13) plus no two numbers McGeefer J M and Spencer L M….As an added bonus, although No.13 built 1960 has no name listed it was cerainly being used as a meeting place for the Uniting Church in the eighties.
can you give me the details and post details of your pastor suspect..hard to locate!
David Morgan: OK, got our suspect KGD and interested to hear that at 72 he has set himself up in a new pastoral commune far from PL & Belair, the scenes of his fall from grace in 2002. He’s in the Ngarcat area of which I’m rather familiar and has several small town communal ‘cells’ under his personal guidance. Kym who these days is titled Pastor Tim runs a number of popular FB pages and has been particularly busy over Christmas, to the extent of doing a sermon on Utube which I’ll leave be for now. However I’ve just spotted is a recent photo posted, with his his mits all over a baptismal victim’s upper body; so he’s obviously not slowing down any in his missionary fervor and zeal (lust?).
@JS
GD – not the other one.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/267192089?searchTerm=%22geoff%20diment%22
He seemed to get involved with building projects for vulnerable groups. Perhaps he installed security cameras to keep an eye on things.
But getting him near Lower Plenty from newspapers alone is difficult. He could appear as an itinerant minister and you’d need to see the records for the churches.
My dad was an itinerant minister at one time and he even went to Scandinavia at one time just after WW2. When we lived in Holland I got him a gig there.
But GD could be the $1m man.
If your record of 13 Morgan St being owned/used by the Uniting Church is correct then that puts him in the centre of the frame.
@Js,
There is a parallel sailor with the same name – a radio operator. AI joined them together for me but I suspect two different people – same name. The other GD sailor also worked for the MOD briefly in London.
@David Morgan,
‘security cameras’ in domestic premises back then?
RichardD: Re: Alta Mira property, Allen David Stanley DOB: 08/05/1922 (photo on NAA site). I wonder what ADS did for a living-mechanic/electrician? As Prosper was advertising for a partner for his business in Mar 1947.
David Morgan: ‘CHURCH OF CHRIST HOME MEETINGS 13 Morgan St. Port Lincoln
Worship and Communion Each Sunday 11 a.m.’ @ PL Times Dec. 23, 1981. Trove
@ Clive,
Does he look like this bloke from Adelaide University Engineering Society?
https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/handle/2440/47919
https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/47919/1/1151-0343.jpg
Clive: ADS went to Unley High and gained entry to S.A. universty in ’37 from memory; So doubt that he ended up with trade skills. His dad called himself a farmer and instructor on his WW1 application so Jr. could of have known how to harness a plough horse.
@JS,
13 Morgan St potentially a manse for the Uniting church.
It is where you need Behrooz’s high court judge who lived there all his young life to say ‘the UC Church rev. lived in the manse – 13 Morgan St” which became vacant in 1995 when the church decided to sell it.
Then it would tie him to a knitting machine (a man could use), a telescope with a wooden tripod and a Datsun 240k. He said he sold the Datsun in 1986. an interesting choice of year pre-Lower Plenty incident. But it would be the sort of car with bucket seats. The plates for the car being sold RXX 820 was advertised as a coupe but registered as a sedan. It seems unlikely a vicar would normally sell a car with the wrong plates in the 1990s unless there was a reason.
But is is all circumstantial. It could be the old minister’s car he left when he died, the other minister Davies’ car. He would need to be located near the crime scenes with his telescope so he could look through the windows – with a line of sight.
I also wondered whether he had changed his name so searching for his later name produces no results.
@ Clive
Eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. E.F.Stanley of Malvern, engaged in 1946 to Margaret Nell Slade?
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/35755090?searchTerm=%22margaret%20nell%22%20%22allen%20david%22#
Brother of Margaret Joan, engaged in 1947
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74636232?searchTerm=%22A.%20F.%20Stanley%22#
And a brother, John Robert Stanley in 1928. Father Arthur Frederick Stanley, mother Florence Amelia Thrum (married 1920).
@Clive. Unable to find anything more on ADS. His father was listed as salesman on Electoral Rolls in early 1940’s.
@Clive I take that last comment back. I just thought about the land transactions and they tell us his occupation when purchasing Alta Mira as “Engineer” and then later when purchasing a property at Kensington Gardens in 1962 as “Engineer” of Port Augusta. For this last purchase he obtained a War Service Home Loan. He had sold Alta Mira in 1957. One would assume he moved to Port Augusta for work from 1957-62 before returning to Adelaide.
@David Morgan,
The ‘keeping an eye on things’ comment is of interest because we’ve seen a series of scandals erupt, in several different countries, when perverts and paedophiles – including police – have preyed on single women or sole female parents in rented housing. In one case (I won’t be too specific) more than half the police force in one small city were found to have been involved in using the ‘vulnerable’ idea to install hidden cameras in children’s bedrooms and bathrooms, defaming the parent (widow, divorcee or single mother) to provide their excuse.
Reading reports of one trial – this one from Germany – one contractor reported that installing hidden cameras inside houses and flats to let provided him with about 70% of his business. “Owners want to keep an eye on things” seemed a reasonable thing, he said.
Some months back, NAA gave itself a big slap on the back claim that by end of 2023 all WW2 service records would be digitised. Alas here we be, the year done and the promise not fulfilled. Case in point Flt. Lt. Allen D. Stanley and he’s only one of thousands who served, some who are still not even recognised by name in archival records; A caution worth keeping in mind for unwary NAA & AWM researchers.
Apologies if it’s already been posted but Prosper was living in Melbourne in 1941. His war records have him enrolling 29th December 1941 in Caulfield Victoria. His address was 3 Kitchiner Street Mentone. He was married to Queenie Elizabeth.The next address for him was 9 Oak Street Beaumauris Victoria. Possibly S.M and Prosper knew each other from Melbourne?
There is a James L Doherty living at 46 Christmas Street, Northcote, Victoria in the 1930s. There is also a John Doherty at 20a St John Street, Prahran – just down the road from the Red Point Tool Company. (Both from my 1934 edition of the Melbourne Sands and Mac directory).
James L Doherty was a machinist and John Doherty of St John Street was a “collector”. I don’t think either fit the picture…
Leonard Malachy Doherty aka James Hilarion Doherty, b November 1900, had several Victorian connections, including a half brother, Joseph, who died in Fitzroy in 1917 and a sister, Rose, who died in 1932 (ie. as Richard D has pointed out, Len assumed the name of his older brother who died in January 1900, aged 12). His father, James (1841-1920), married three times and had fourteen children between 1863 and 1905. James snr also lived in Massachusetts for a year or so! It’s a very complicated family tree. Misca would have a ball!
@Sanders, Stanley’s photo has been digitised so they’ll probably get to the file soon, they’re digitising like crazy now, they’re in an absolute frenzy – maybe stopping for the weekend though – keep a lookout in the “newly scanned documents” section – I keep looking for more Charles Webb digitisations.
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203824370
Sharron: right you are, done and dusted. I recall years ago tracking down a Major Mudge of 116 Hospital whose service number VX364 appears hand written next to Prosper’s Oak Road address. Turns out Grace had up and married a Dr. Brown of Concord Repat hosp. then went to ground until her death notice in the 70’s. Of some passing interest perhaps ? be that Prosper spent time in 116, had once lived in Concord (Sydney) and Mentone (Melbourne) where the good lady als had family. I should add that I can’t see any SM connections and VX364 may also have been a phone number. So there you go, another dead end in the making.
Poppins: Yes I saw the ADS pic and I’ve also seen the 6 minute movie film of Allen and his blue orchid pals soaking up the sights in India, as I pointed out. As for the
claimed flurry of activity at NAA, I happen to be waiting on at least 200 names to show up for years, some of which DVA have thankfully posted at my insistance. As for the other mob and offshute Trove, gov’t ought to sell them both off to private entities and good riddance.
To give NAA due credit, I ordered the John Salomonson immigration files which arrived well before the promised date. What’s more I wasn’t charged the search
fee which ain’t nuthin to bitch about.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130915090?searchTerm=James%20hilarion%20Doherty
James Hilarion Doherty, aka Len, was a “checker” with a taste for pilfered railways whiskey. He was also in cahoots with a certain Mr D Abbott!!
@ Sharon
The Dohertys were involved in horse racing!
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/54429749?searchTerm=James%20hilarion%20Doherty
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6388241
Here is James Hilarion Doherty’s WWII service record, indicating that his name change, from Leonard Malachi, occurred in 1941. He doesn’t seem to have been an electrician – labourer and railway worker.
I can’t see any obvious connection between James “Len” Doherty and any of the SM players. His details on Ancestry are very confusing! He was apparently the surviving baby of a pair of twins – James Malechi and James Malachy! He was also the father of two sets of twins – one baby; James; sadly died at birth. The other set of twins were daughters. Len also changed his name to that of his older brother; James Hilarion Doherty; who died ten months before his birth; as a twelve year old; in a horse racing accident where he was racing as a young and fairly inexperienced jockey on his parents’ horse. The name change appears to have been some time between 1941 and 1943 – he is still on the 1943 electoral rolls as Leonarch Malechi but joined the WWII Field Ambulance Service as James Hillarion in 1941 (his file indicates his name change). He had an earlier period of service; from 1935; as Leonard Malechi. The Leonard Malechi NAA file – as Nick has noted; has not yet been digitised.
According to electoral rolls, in 1943 Leonard Malechi Doherty was living at 4 Shierlaw Street, North Richmond, SA. This is also the address given in his WWII service record. I haven’t found any later entry or any electoral record for him under his changed name, James Hilarion Doherty or James Haliron Doherty – as per his warrant to be buried. It’s probable that someone else using the K267 post box was living at 1 Leicester Ave, Kilburn in 1948. I also think that AI has been messing with James “Len” Doherty’s Ancestry entries, I’m not convinced that he was a twin. It is, however, apparent that he assumed his dead brother’s name at some time in the early 1940s. It’s possible that there is a mystery Victorian registered electrician in the mix, but he’s probably not Len Doherty.
Jo: thanks, that would seem to throw that whole strand under the Glenelg bus. Here’s why I thought it might have been a engineering foreman from Victoria:
* https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70682570
* https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/270865285
@ Nick – it’s a reasonable theory! I actually caught a Glenelg bus on Boxing Day! I had a few hours in Adelaide before an onward journey west. Glenelg is quite lovely. It didn’t strike me as the sort of place you’d just turn up randomly though. It had more of a “gone to see a man about a dog” feel about it – a Pekingese pup perhaps!
Nick Pelling: you’re forgiven your uncommonly rash false perception. It had not the slightest bearing on the Somerton Man case anyhow, and as some might declare, all’s well that bends well!
@Nick
While perusing the comments on Kyal Shepard’s The Digital Labyrinth I came across the following exchanges:
Clive Turner
June 12, 2019 at 7:02 am
No 4 Marlborough Street, Henley Beach? Perhaps the house numbers on Marlborough Street have been re-numbered as No 4 is near the junction with Tapleys Hill Road, Fulham Gardens-nowhere near the railway line. Prosper was living at 7 Main Street, Henley Beach, and at that time, about a 20 second walk to the Henley Beach railway terminus (site now occupied by SAPOL). Clive T.
REPLY
Puzzling (Kyal Shepard)
June 12, 2019 at 12:00 pm
@ Clive T
Thanks for the info about Prosper’s Main Street, Henley Beach address; this is curious. I’ve edited the article to include this in it.
According to this ad: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/44931914 (the bottom of the first column) the 4 Marlborough St address was in Henley Beach in 1950. The street directory I’ve been using as a resource (http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Gregorys1936Adelaidedirectory.pdf) is from 1936 (so a few years early). On page 25, Marlborough is a short street only in Henley Beach. Strangely, on page 26, there is a ‘Marlboro Ave’ listed that is a short street that veers off Tapleys Hill Road. I assume that the 2 roads have now merged and the street numbers are relatively new hence number 4 now being at the Tapleys Hill Road end.
Thanks again for the comment.
REPLY
dusty [JS]
March 28, 2020 at 5:41 am
There was no 7 Main Street according to S & Mc of ’47, with Military road running between 5 and 9, but there was a 7 Marlborough St. with a Miss Ward listed as tennant [sic] if that helps. [Think dusty is mixing up Main and Marlborough Streets]
dusty
March 28, 2020 at 6:02 am
Living a 4 Marlborough St. HB was Paul Bethge [*see below] originally out of Port Germain and Victor Harbour, presumably a tailor like his namesake dad from Germany and born circa. ’06 Aust. We did speak a bit about him quite some time back I seem to recall.
REPLY
Clive Turner
June 14, 2019 at 4:13 am
I think that Prosper was living at Main St, Henley Beach in early 1947. Two questions that are intriguing and remain unanswered, as far as I am aware are:
1.When did Jessie move to Adelaide?
2.What was her address?
Yes, I know, just two questions, out of all the hundreds that still remain unanswered, especially how Jessie managed to describe herself as “Sister Thomson” in the Adelaide telephone book in 1948!
Clive T.
REPLY
Clive
June 19, 2019 at 9:59 am
Interesting that telephone number L8409 was for 4 Marlborough St, I’m presuming that Prosper was responsible for the advert in “The Advertiser” 13 May 1948 Page 8. He also advertised in the same newspaper on 28 Feb 1948 Page 12 giving his telephone number as X3239. So, it looks possibly that Jessie lived at 4 Marlborough St and/or at 90a Moseley St-was this a ploy by Prosper to keep his wife, Queenie, from finding Jessie’s address?”
So today, Jan 16 2024, I (Steve H) can add:
The May 13 1948 ad from the ’tiser:
“ENGLISH cloth dress suit, as new. fit
36 in. chest. Inspect 200 Hindley
St.. 10-5. evening ring L8409.”
But from the ’tiser 5 Jan 1948:
“LADIES’ Hairdresslng Supply House
requires junior shorthand-typlste;
also boy for store; 5-day week. Apply
9-10 Monday. Sth. Oilene Supreema,
200 Hindley st.”
From the ’tiser 17 Jun 1950;
“AUSTIN Panel van, 1940, good order,
£275. or near offer. Inspect week
end, 4 Marlborough street, Henley
Beach. L8409.”
*Paul Bethge:
P Bethge listed at 4 Marlborough St 1948 S & M:
https://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/almanacsanddirectories/1948sandsandmc/243/#zoom=z
Can’t find a “son” Paul Bethge (born c 1906) but:
Paul William (Wilhelm) Bethge. Born in Germany on 25 Jan 1877. Passed away on 29 Sep 1968 in Henley Beach. (Ancestry)
Paul married Ethel May Nelson aka Bethge (born Lillecrapp) 1931 (My Heritage)
From Port Pirie recorder 18 Jan 1947:
“VISITING Port Germein…Mr. and Mrs, P. Bethge, Henley Beach are holidaying with Mr. and Mrs. J. Bethge [Julius August and Louisa Wilhelmina -they had one son Carl Henry Bethge].”
Julius had terrible driving skills. On one occasion he knocked over and killed some poor “very deaf and partially blind” Indian “hawker” and on another he collided with a motor cyclist..
A Joan (?) Nelson – see Ethel Bethge aka Nelson above – of 4 Marlborough Street obtained a yellow certificate in the November Color Contest of the Adelaide Mail 11 Dec 1948.
I was listening to an item on the BBC World Service about the skeletal remains of free divers from antiquity in Panama. Apart from the cold water inducing a characteristic bony growth in the ear canals, the practice also alters the physiology of divers in the present: it enlarges their spleens:
https://www.popsci.com/freedivers-spleens-bajau/
In this light, what physical activity might result in well developed calves and an enlarged spleen?