Confused by wording in newspaper - Jonathan G Short

[Stanwix England]

Hello,

I think this is my third question in as many days, but I'm in the phase of writing up the family history and it's making me look at everything again. I've realised I might have got myself in a bit of a muddle due to people having similar names.

I also have serious brain fog today so if none of this makes sense, I apologise.

I'm looking at the parents of a woman called Eliza Jane Short who was born in 1854. The baptism record I have for her states she was baptised 22nd October 1854 and her father was Jonathan Gibbins Short and her mother Jane Dalton. I'm happy I know everything I need to about about Eliza Jane Short, so don't worry about her.

My concern is the information I have about her Dad as it's got me confused.

So, I believe the following about Jonathan Gibbins (or Gibbons) Short.

Born: 1826 Hull, Yorkshire which is taken from 4 different census records I have for him.

Baptised This is where I've begun to become confused. I have transcribed records which have him baptised on 20/06/1824 which is two years before he was supposedly born. Another one is transcribed as 30/05/1824. Both have the same parents named as Edward Short and Frances.

So is he confused or fibbing about his age on the census or are these two different people?

Anyway, I have traced a Jonathan Gibbins Short of 4 census. Because the details match up on these, I am confident I have the right father of Eliza Jane Short (even if his baptism is a different person)

1851 Whitby, Jet worker, wife Jane and two children Edward and John

1861 Whitby, Jet worker, wife Jane and six children, Edward, John, Thomas, Eliza Jane, William, Jonathan and also a boarder called George Barrick

1871 Ruswarp in Whitby, Journeyman Jet worker, wife Jane and six children (not entirely the same six as above) John, Thomas, Eliza Jane, William, Jonathan G and Ephraim. Also his widowed father in law John Dalton. (So his eldest Edward had apparently left home, he appears to have had seven children in total, six boys and just the one girl)

1881 Halifax, Yorkshire: Jet ornament manufacturer: Visitor in the home of a Jane Short who is 31, so not the one he was married too. I haven't identified her yet, she could be a niece or his daughter in law. His wife, Jane Dalton, is not with him. She is in Nottingham as the head of household with her children Jonathan and Ephraim, and her now married daughter Eliza Jane Short (now Eliza Jane England) is there with her two children as visitors. (Be aware, Ancestry has her name as 'June Short' not 'Jane Short')

I don't have any record of him available to me on Ancestry after that, but his wife Jane Dalton appears as a widow in the home of her daughter Eliza Jane Short on the 1891 census.

There is an article in the newspaper the Whitby Gazette for 19th December 1890 which describes the sudden death of a John Short, jet manufacturer. His widow, Jane Short, gives a witness statement. So given the names matching up and this all fitting in to the timeline - I think this is probably the death of John Gibbons Short. All though, I've no evidence as to when or why the family moved back from Nottingham to Whitby.

What is confusing me however is that in the Whitby Gazette of 1876 there is a marriage announcement for Eliza Jane Short and it describes her as 'the only daughter of Mr Jonathan Short, late of Whitby'. I had assumed the 'late' meant that her father had died at some point before the wedding. Which wouldn't fit in with my findings of Jonathan dying in 1890. However, I'm now wondering if the 'late' means 'was lately living in Whitby' because on the 1881 census he'd apparently moved to Nottingham as that is where his wife and younger children were living, even though on the census he was visiting someone else in Halifax?

If hope you can follow that!

So I suppose what I'm actually asking is

1. Could the term 'late of Whitby' refer to something other then 'deceased' and actually mean 'used to live here'.
2. What's going on with his baptism? Does Ancestry just have the wrong date, or is this a totally different Jonathan G Short and who are his actual parents?

Thank you very much for reading if you've made it this far!

[Jebber]

Late of Whitby means he had moved from Whitby, if he was dead they would have said the late Mr Jonathan Short.

As for the baptism dates, have you lucked to see if there was a death of the earlier one?

[Stanwix England]

Ah, thank you regarding the 'late'.

I hadn't looked to see if the earlier baptised JG Short had died, will go do that now, thank you.

[Stanwix England]

OK, I had another look on Find My Past, which I don't usually use.

They actually have the image which Ancestry didn't.

There are two Jonathan Gibbons Short's on the same image.

The first is baptised May 30 to an Edward and Francis of Milk Street and the fathers profession is given as 'sugar boiler'.  The person doing the baptism is recorded as George Mac something.

Then on the next page along there is a Jonathan Gibbons Short, parents Edward and Francis of Milk Street. This time father's profession is recorded as 'confectioner' and then in the column for who did the baptism George Mac something is written in, but then that is crossed out and what looks like William Wilson or Mr Wilson is written in.

I wonder what all that is about?

Was Jonathan maybe a poorly baby who was baptised at birth and then again in church when he was well?

Or is this a huge coincidence?

Still not been able to confirm it's my Jonathan G Short, but it's interesting.

[Stanwix England]

Well he seems to have had a brother called William who was born in 1826 so that is confusing.

Maybe he was confused about his age?

[Mabel Bagshawe]

There isn't a death of  a John Short registered in Whitby in 1890, but there is this which matches the newspaper report

Jonathan Short
Q4 1890
Age at Death:    65
Whitby  Vol 9d p319

[Mabel Bagshawe]

a feint possible in 1841 in Ripon? The Shorts are not born in county. I can't decipher John's occupation

Edward Short    74 - confectioner
John Short    15
William Jones    25
Daniel Jones    20
Charles Woodward    30
Joseph Percival    15
John Mawson    25

HO107; 1352;  4; 1;

[Stanwix England]

Thank you, I will follow that one up and see if I can make sense of it.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

This I presume is mother - I can see a baptism for Phoebe with father Edward. Address Little Albion St, Hull

Frances Short    55
Mary Short    30
Phoebe Short    20
William Short    14

HO107; 1232; 30; 6;