The NZ papers document that the HAUROTO was doing regular runs to Papeete
Arriving in San Francisco by Mariposa ex Tahiti looks like it is probably the truth
Owen’s ranting and raving in that bundle of letters does give the impression of being a bit of a fruitcake (nutty variety). Even his letter to the editor in New Zealand in 1909 gave a similar impression. Maybe some mental instability was the reason that he found it difficult to get work in both NZ and USA.
The son John Lionel Gordon was born 18 March 1928. Within 3 days, by 21st March, Owen had been in to the consulate to have his son registered as a British Subject, and then fought to make sure it was so. I wonder why this was so
vitally important for him?
If the mysterious Charles (1930 census) was Owen’s son, then why was he not registered as British too? I think we might assume Charles was not a biological son.
Owen also writes that he has been in the service of the Australian Commonwealth until 1919 and served in the great war. We know that is impossible and a total fabrication. The consulate would have had no difficulty checking that fact, had they wanted.
ADDED: Having gone to all that trouble to prove he was born in Perth Australia, by the 1940 census Owen is back to being born in Texas.
ADDED MORE: As for participating in the Zulu War - wasn’t this event before he was born?
