Frederick William Poore

[zumaro]

That will really does narrow things down. So we know he was not alive in 1937.  I am trawling through lots of papers on the PapersPast website now as well (thanks for this resource!), but I think the musical references to Frank Poore are all of George Edward's son (originally listed as Master Frank Poore in the earlier references). 

I did find the death notice for Mary Poore's brother Thomas Smeaton, so now have his proper death date of 19 June 1921. I have been tracking down the Smeatons assiduously as well - they are not well documented online, and because they move around a lot in England, they are more than a little difficult to document.  I am not too sure anyone else has done this for them in this modern internet connected age, but I am getting somewhere.

Thanks for all the help - you have probably quintupled the known knowledge so far!

[Lucy2]

Hi Zumaro

Just wanted to ask if you had a copy of the 1920 marriage record for Mary Elizabeth MOODY to William LITTLE

I can't see a divorce file (anywhere) for Mary Elizabeth and Frederick William POORE.   
As she reverted to use of her maiden name (MOODY) for the second marriage,  ... and because this marriage was possibly a good seven years after the last recorded sighting of FW POORE, she may well have "qualified" for re-marriage by the fact that her former husband had been "absent for seven years". ?

Wanting to know if she claimed to be a widow in 1920.

   ~  Lu

[zumaro]

I have no knowledge of whether or not there was a divorce or if she claimed to be widowed, and no copy of her second marriage license sorry. These things are not part of any oral family history - all I know is that Frank Poore left her, and she later married William Little in 1920.  The children were not adopted, even though they used Little as their surname.

Basically the language used to describe his leaving is never flattering to Frank Poore - he left her with two children, but no explanation is given as to why he left or where he went in any description I have ever heard. But of course thats only hearing one point of view!

[zumaro]

Is annulling a marriage after 7 years absence part of NZ law?

I am always somewhat mystified as to why Mary Elizabeth was left with the Poores grandchildren and no contact with them, but maybe there was contact that I don't know about.  So many questions! Her own family was close and supportive anyway - Mary Ann Tomlyn her mother is always described in glowing terms (although her father Thomas Moody was detested by the family it seems)

[zumaro]

Have you found any information in New Zealand about his two children, Elsie May born 1907 and Henry Francis born 1904?


Minniehaha.

Only these two little snippets from school records:

Elsie May Poore was admitted to Brooklyn Wellington School on the 24 Jul 1912, at that time they were living in Hayes Street.  Her last day at School was 23 August 1912. 

Henry Francis Poore attened Christchurch East School on the 5 Oct 1910, at that time the family was living in Armagh/Stanmore.  His last day was 2 Feb 1911.  He again attended the school on the 29 July 1912.  Address given was 451 Hereford Street.

Cheers
KHP

This information tends to suggest a family in disarray? We have one child at least briefly in Wellington, while the other is in Christchurch with his grandparents.

Spoke to another family member and this does in actual fact fit in with what is known. After the breakup, Mary Elizabeth moved up to Wellington, but looking after two children was too tough on a single mother, and she left Henry Francis down in Christchurch with his grandparents, while taking Elsie May with her.  This arrangement might have lasted for some time, as it is said that she and her son basically had to get to know each other again, after being reunited. I would imagine she moved to Wellington to be closer to her own Moody family.

[rosie17]

Wow you have all been busy overnight making lots of progress still no sign of Frederick he is hiding well 
Rosie

[zumaro]

Wow you have all been busy overnight making lots of progress still no sign of Frederick he is hiding well 
Rosie

He really is hiding well! But we have narrowed down a lot, and drawn out of the woodwork other family details. So Frederick is probably gone by 1912 and dead before 1937. He might have been involved in some kind of censorship trial in Otago in 1911 as well - showing movies a little too racy for the "wowsers" in Dunedin, even if the rest of NZ thought they were fine. Maybe thats him...

[zumaro]

Found a divorce notice in the Dominion, dated Nov 28 1919.  The text reads:

POORE V. POORE.
Mary Elizabeth Poore, represented by Mr. H. F. O'Leary, sought a dissolution of her marriage with Frederick William Poore on the ground of desertion. The parties were marred in June 1908, and there were two children. The parties lived together in various places in New Zealand, and while in Christchurch their home was sold up and petitioner came to Wellington and lived with her mother. Her husband followed her, and two days later went away to Sydney, and she had not seen him since. She afterwards discovered that there was a warrant out for his arrest on a criminal charge. In 1916 she was assisted into a business, and she had since managed to maintain herself and her two children. She had not received any maintenance from her husband since he left her in 1911. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months.

Are there ways of finding out more information from this notice? First time I had seen any of this, and it certainly looks intriguing.

[Janette]

There are a couple of other notices

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS19190715.2.6.2&srpos=3&e=-------10--1----2Mary+Elizabeth+Poore--

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19191108.2.118&srpos=2&e=-------10--1----2Mary+Elizabeth+Poore--

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19191128.2.76&srpos=1&e=-------10--1----2Mary+Elizabeth+Poore--

I can't see a divorce file at archives for them and they have 100 restrictions

Cheers Janette