Shorthose, Francis Harry

Francis Harry (Frank) Shorthose was born on 17 August 1890 in Winshill, Burton  upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. His father was John Henry Shorthose, brewery labourer and maltster, and his mother was Elizabeth Archer. The couple married in Burton upon Trent in 1880. Known children born to the family were John William (1881-1957), Laura Dinah (1883-1972), Annie Elizabeth (1884-1960), Arthur Edward (1886-1972), and Frank.

The only family member to immigrate, Frank was found on the passenger list of the Dominion that arrived in Portland, Maine in late March of 1910. His destination was given as Rathwell in Manitoba where he was later  found on the 1911 Canada census working as a domestic on  the Arthur Shepherd  farm in the area. By 1915 he had moved to Kenora, Ontario where he signed his attestation papers on the 15th of January. With occupation given as clerk (stenographer elsewhere in his service record), he had blue eyes, fair hair, and stood over 6 feet, 1 inch tall. Along with a number of other local young men, Frank boarded a train in Kenora in mid June of 1915, headed east to Port Arthur, Ontario  to attend the 52nd Battalion training camp.

With the 52nd Battalion Corporal Francis Shorthose embarked from St John, New Brunswick on 23 November 1915 aboard the California. Following further training in England he arrived in France in late February of 1916. Frank suffered two bouts of shell shock accompanied by cardiac difficulties, one in early April of 1916 and then again in mid May. He was admitted to the No 26 General Hospital in Etaples for two weeks and then invalided to England at the end of May. He spent time in a number of hospitals recuperating before being posted to the Granville Canadian Special Hospital at Ramsgate in May of 1917, graded for clerical pay. He was appointed as Acting Sergeant in late May of 1918. It would be early October of 1919 before Frank was on his way back to Canada, embarking from Liverpool aboard the Belgic on the 4th. Address on discharge was given as Rathwell, Manitoba.

On 7 April 1920, in Rathwell, Frank married Edith Mary Shepherd, niece and neighbour of Arthur Shepherd who Frank had worked for back in 1911. Married in England, Edith’s parents George and Harriet (née Woodman) Shepherd had immigrated to south central Manitoba in 1889 to farm in the Rathwell area. Born in Canada, Edith was their youngest child. Frank and Edith gave birth to at least three children, daughters Edith, Kathleen, and Frances.

Although living in Rathwell at the time, while in Victoria, British Columbia with their daughter Edith, Frank’s wife Edith died of a heart attack in November of 1964. Frank moved to Victoria later that year or early the next year  as his daughter Kathleen lived there. He died in the Gorge Road Hospital on 16 December 1974. Frank’s occupation on his death record was given as war veteran pensioner. At the time of his death he was survived by his daughter Mrs Edith Cowan of Rothesay, Scotland, Mrs Kathleen Dyer of Victoria, and Mrs Frances McIntosh of Winnipeg, as well as eight grandchildren. Along with Edith he is interred in the Royal Oak Burial Park in Saanich.

It appears that Frank’s brother Arthur Edward Shorthose served during the war with the Royal Army Service Corps, and was awarded the Victory, British, and 15 Star medals as well as a SW badge.

by Judy Stockham

grave marker photograph courtesy of Betty and Dan on findagrave.com
Frank’s obituary provided by Mike Melen

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