Frank West (1872 - 1947)

Born 1872 in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Norah (McGrath) West — married 2 Feb 1898 in Wellington, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 25 Feb 1947 at about age 75 in Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand

Biography

Frank was born in 1872 either in Christchurch or Invercargill. He was the son of James West and Sarah Tayler.

Frank worked as a Labourer. He married Norah McGrath on 2 Feb 1898 at St Mary of the Angels, Wellington. They had two children:

1. James "Jim" William West (1898-1976)
2. Francis "Frank" Henry West (1900-1966)

Sadly, Norah died of hydatids shorthly after the birth of her second child. Both children were farmed out to relatives.

Frank died aged 75 at Wairau Hospital. By that time he had retired. He was buried at Omaka Cemetery on 27 Feb.

Research Note

• Frank's lack of birth certificate leaves us with two possible places of birth:
  • Christchurch, according to his marriage certificate
  • Dunedin, according to his death certificate

I have gone with Christchurch as his older sister was born on Banks Peninsula, and his two younger sisters (neither of whom survived infancy) were born in Christchurch and Lyttelton respectively.

• On Frank's marriage certificate his mother's maiden name is given as Wentworth, not Tayler. (Wentworth was the maiden name of Sarah's mother.) Sarah's maiden name is not given on Frank's death certificate.

Sources

• "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG6K-LYF2 : 4 January 2018), Frank West, 1947; citing Death, New Zealand, registration number 1947/17864, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.
• NZBDM records:
  • Birth: missing
  • Marriage: NZBDM 1898/492 Norah McGrath Frank West
  • Death: 1947/17864 West Frank 75Y
• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/210398743/frank-west : accessed 07 May 2021), memorial page for Frank West (1872–24 Feb 1947), Find a Grave Memorial ID 210398743, citing Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim, Marlborough District, Marlborough, New Zealand ; Maintained by Sharon Bliss (contributor 48309751) .