William Theodore Block 1888- 1962 AKA Shorty de Witt

 

This story follows another of my vaudeville relatives Willam Theodore Bloch or Block also known as Shorty deWitt.

Shorty and his burlesque partner Lillian 1905- The Evening Star 16/1/1905

Years ago, I discovered the Bloch/ Block family. A first cousin, three times removed, named Katherine Murphy, had married a man named Theodore Bloch in Glasgow, Scotland. Theodore was from Germany. They had a couple of daughters, and soon moved to Chicago, where they added seven more children to their family.

A couple of DNA matches caught my eye, and my search started. Chicago was full of German people making new homes. It had the added interest of Theodore coming via Glasgow. see a previous story written in 2018 https://robynandthegenies.blogspot.com/2018/07/from-dungannon-tyrone-to-chicago-via.html

The German families seemed to get along in Chicago quite nicely, and I began to flesh them out. One child stood out. He was in theatre, and I love a vaudevillian. And there is grease paint running in the veins of the Murphys.

The child was named William Theodore Bloch later Block. He was Chicago born to Theodore and C(K)atherine in 1888. Further investigation showed that he was born with dwarfism, a feature which probably made him popularly expoited on the stage and would be totally outrageously discriminatory these days *.

By 1905, he had been working in theatre for about four years. By then he was 17 years of age, William was performing in New York as part of a burlesque team, “Shorty and Lillian DeWitt”.

                    Report of Shortys "abduction " case

His father, Theodore arrived from Chicago in 1905, charging that Lillian and her husband Louis Ulmer had abducted his infant son. At this stage, William was 17 years old and three feet 9 inches tall. Lillian and Lewis counterclaimed that he had been contracted with the consent of his parents. They claimed to have taught him the art of mimicry and dancing, and he was able to now work as a co-partner.

Some may have thought that his age and disability made him simple and or less than capable. Perhaps his parents, Theodore and Catherine, were being a little bit overprotective. At the court case, young William claimed that he was not being held against his will and that he lived with the Ulmers. He was earning $40 per month, and he sent $35 per month to his father who by then was an aging carpenter.

He also claimed that his father wanted him back to put him on the stage himself and possibly make more money. His father Theodore admitted that his son had been sending nearly all his wages to him for four years and that it was his mother Catherine or Katherine who was (probably fretting), wanting him home. The case was sent to a referee and the result is unknown.

After this discovery it was found that William had been living with Lillian's family (Schols) for some time as an adopted son aged 13 and at school. The family were from  musical entertainment background. By the time of the court case in the 1905 census he is living with Lillian, her husband Lew, 7 month old daughter and her now retired parents. He is listed as a boarder and Actor.  (Lillian died in 1911 from what looks like a burst appendix.)

1905 census - click to enlarge

His World War One Registration Card shows William working for Marcus Leow as a performer in New York. Marcus founded Leow's Theatrical Enterprises, New York City. With World War One, the focus of American entertainment shifted from vaudeville to movies at about this time.

In 1910, Loew had acquired another production house…think MGM. His business grew from a New York theatre circuit presenting vaudeville and early moving pictures.

The registration card claims he has no disability and that he is supporting his mother and father. The World War I draft describes himself as medium, grey-eyed, brown hair, and short. Presumably his height would have precluded him from army service.

A Review in "Variety" 4/4/1914

A "Variety" review appeared in April 1914 which tells of his teaming up with Grace Stewart. " The act was a small sized riot , due principally to the knockabout work of Shorty who is bowled over in grotesque fashion by Miss Stewart."

  In 1918 he and partner Maybelle Gunther performed at Reading. He was described as “Shorty is one of the best-known Lilliputians* on stage and ranks head and shoulders not in physique but in talent over most of the other little people on stage.”  Under the name of Dewitt and Gunther they had their own stage setting and did a “melange of comedy, singing and talk.”

At the end of World War I, on the 26th of October 1918, He married his fellow artist Mabel Grace Gunther, who had been performing with him as Shorty DeWitt and Mabel Gunther in “A Pint and a Half of Fun.” Mabel was of normal height. They had a child, June Block, in 1920 in New York. June lived until 1934, dying in San Diego. It is not known if she suffered from Dwarfism.

One of his characters around 1919 was Jeff, as in “Mutt and Jeff” who amused with nimble antics and created much mirth.  Their routine had brilliant dialogue, a score of tuneful musical numbers, and some sumptuous musical production.

In a review of his show which was called “Youthful Follies”at the Columbia Burlesque  in 1924 he and Maybelle are among the acts receiving wonderful plaudits.

Advertising for thr "Youthful Follies"

In one scene Maybelle appeared in a bathing suit number with dancing girls for a fitting and cleverly lit finale for Part 1. In Part 2  “Shorty deWitt” was described as the most “likeable appearing midget *we have seen on any stage.” Then with Maybelle they “sang, talked and danced and what they said was “fully encored.”

The end of a marriage

In 1927, Mabel had sought a divorce from William, charging him with infidelity. In newspaper reports of the divorce there was much ado about their comparative heights. William was ordered to pay $20 a week to Mabel for alimony. Mabel went on to marry Rolf Rodefer Pryor only months after the divorce.

After his divorce, he is seen living with his brother George and sister, the widowed Elizabeth Daly, and her family in the 1930 census and despite the early depression years and the downturn of live theatre he lists his profession as being an actor in the Theatre.

Draft information WW2

The WWII draft records him as 3 feet 9 inches, 90 pounds, blonde hair with hazel eyes and light complexion. William Theodore's WW2 registration card shows him working for the WPA Theatrical Project in Boston. The WPA, The Works Project Administration, WPA, was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 as part of the New Deal Capital's attempt to combat the Depression.

This included the Federal Theatre Project, FTP, an attempt to offer work to theatrical professionals. It was established on 27 August 1935. Over 100 theatre productions took place in 22 different states. Many of these were given free in schools and community centres.

Other outstanding theatre people served as regional directors. Although performers were only paid $22.73 a week, the FWP employed some of America's most talented artists. The WPA Theatre Project was to assist the homeless and penniless performers.

Not a lot is known about Shorty, Bill, Dewitt, William in the intervening years. People described him as a giant among show people. His cute personality, button nose, and sparkling blue eyes, and his dancing feet brought him fame and fortune in the 1920s and beyond he performed in various parts of America and reputedly in Europe. People remembered his side splitting stunts and humour. He was still well known and respected by the time of his death.

It appears when he died aged 74 in late 1962, he was with little finances. In the last 10 years of life, he had failing health. However, people had seen him out and about, walking his two cocker spaniels for many years. After they succumbed to old age, Shorty devoted his attention to tropical fish and his cat.

With ill health, he was taken to hospital on the 14th of October 1962, but died after an emergency stomach operation. Destined to be buried in a pauper’s grave, some old-time vaudevillians banded together and sought out an old friend of William's, who had known him for 30 years. This friend was a Mrs. Marcia Van Nordstan who had been a dancer and singer back in the day.

She checked out his finances and found he received a $40 a month social security pension and a $38 per month old age stipend. She contacted the Actors Guild, which donated a grave for Shorty, and the funeral home made the final arrangements without requiring compensation. Thanks to these actions, he received a grand farewell, which he well deserved.

Vaudevillians band together

Authors note *  In this day and age, the terms used in the newspaper reviews would be offensive and derogatory. We have moved on since the 1920s.This story remembers the life and times  of a vaudevillian as many are undocumented due to the decline in this form of entertainment. No offense or ridicule is intended.

You've got to pick a pocket or two! "John" Cashmore Israel, circa 1796 to 1872.

 

This story follows on from the Anzac Day story The Fighting Israels.  Here I look into the grandfather of these fighting heros, his convict origins and his successes.

Cashmore Israel was convicted in the Old Bailey in 1817 in England, sentenced to death, but had his sentence commuted to life upon the mercy of the court. He was transported as a convict to Australia serving  his sentence in the New South Wales colony and then was sent to Van Dieman’s Land or Tasmania. and was reportedly a well loved member of an “old Launceston family” upon his death in 1872.

How does an 18-year-old come to this? His Old Bailey Court case reads like a chapter from one of Charles Dickens' novels.

He was arrested on the 12th of November 1817 and was indicted for stealing jewellery and other items from his father's house. 

He was accused of theft from a specified place (stealing, on the 11th of november, at the Parish of St. Botolph, Aldgate, one necklace, value 2l. 10s.; one pair of bracelets, value 1l.10s.; three broaches, value 3l.; one pair of ear-rings, value 1l.; four yards of cotton, value 5s.; eight yards of poplin, value 16s.; two rings, value 5s.; and two other broaches, value 3s., the goods of Isaiah Israel , in his dwelling-house).

In this excerpt form the trial he admits to his bad behaviour.

His father, a general dealer (pawn broker) from Houndsditch *, Isaiah Israel, said at his case, 'I am the unfortunate father of the prisoner.' When his daughter began missing some property, he suspected his son and reported him to police. Perhaps this is a little harsh but maybe he could not afford such a loss. In his favour, his father had claimed that Cashmore was born in 1799, but was most likely born in 1796; this was to avoid the death penalty.

*Houndsditch is a street in London known for its historical association with pawnbrokers and the trade of goods, including those of questionable origin. While not specifically a single pawnbroker, the area has been a location where pawnbrokers operated and where stolen goods were likely to be fenced. 

Isaiah’s child had been in trouble since he was about 11. Cashmore was one of 10 children of Isaiah and Yilete Israel. The convict records site https://convictrecords.com.au/  hints that he had been expelled from the family and lived on the streets from his early teens. He was quite possibly a forerunner to the likes of streetwise Artful Dodger, Oliver Twist and Fagan's gang of children who worked as thieves and pickpockets.

Charles Dickens, writing in books such as Oliver Twist, used to vividly describe the social problems he was observing in London; he was merely a child when Israel was transported, but he was deeply influenced by his own circumstances, i.e, his father was in debtor's prison, and what he saw around him.

“Oliver Twist” was not written until 1837, well after John Cashmore Israel was transported but it is believed that Ikey Solomon who Dicken’s Fagan character was modelled on lived about 10 houses down from Cashmore’s home and the surrounding pawn shops.

On the 20th of December 1817 at the Old Bailey, he was given a sentence of death for stealing in his father's house goods. 

Cashmore Israel was placed in Newgate Prison near the Old Bailey Jail and later awaited his transportation to Australia in the Hulk Bellerophen, a decommissioned Navy ship which was moored on the Thames River at Woolwich. It was technically a floating prison due to the overcrowded prisons in London.

"Bellerophon Hulk "

He sailed on the Glory to New South Wales on the 30th of April 1818 among 169 other convicts. When he arrived in Sydney on the 14th of September 1818 after a journey of 119 days he and the convicts who arrived on that voyage were dispersed to Parramatta, Windsor, Liverpool, and Bringelly.

Cashmore was only to remain in the New South Wales colony for six months when he with about 60 others continued their sentence in Van Dieman’s Land.

He was placed on the Prince Leopold to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) where he remained a prisoner for more than 18 years doing public service. Van Diemen's Land was known to hold the more dangerous or troublesome of the criminals.

He had a clean sheet for three years. His misdemeanours started in 1822, where he was charged before the magistrate for “neglect of duty” and ended up in a chain gang, in irons, for 30 days. His misdemeanours continued when on 17th of September 1827, he was charged with being absent from his post as a watchman in the new store and punished to work for one fortnight in the chain gang.

 

Click to expand John's record. 

He received a conditional a conditional pardon in 1830. On February 6, 1832, he was charged with assaulting Margaret Rogers and bound over to keep the peace for three months.

On 4 June 1932, he was charged with absconding, being concealed on board the bargue, Princess Augusta. As a condition of his ticket of leave, he was not to be aboard any ship. So this deprived him of his ticket of leave.

On the 3rd of January 1834, his surgeon ruled him unfit for labour. Later on the 2nd of October 1936, for making use of obscene language, he was fined five shillings.

He received his full ticket of leave and eventually his free pardon in November 1842 after 23 years in the Colony and 4 years holding a conditional pardon with good conduct. He was “well recommended”.

At some stage, Cashmore added John to his name to be known as John Cashmore Israel.

Later in June 1844, John Cashmere Israel married Adelaide Cooke who arrived in Tasmania via the New South Wales colony. She had come to Australia with her mother, who was being transported for larceny. Unfortunately, her mother, Sophia Cooke nee Sanders, passed away during the journey, and upon arrival in Sydney Town spent her early years in the Sydney Orphan School with her young brother Alfred Cooke, before being sent to Tasmania, probably as a child servant.

He acquired a property around northern Tasmania,  and gained his pawnbroker license in Brisbane Street on the 17th of April 1947.

Site of John's Pawnbroking business

By the 1850s, he was a man of property. He had taken on the trades he had known from his father: baker, confectioner, jeweller, and pawnbroker.

Together, John and Adelaide had nine children.

The Israel family tree  Click on the photo to expand

 

Though Jewish, his wife was Anglican, and the children were brought up Anglican. His sons went to Barrett's Private Academy and the Church of England Grammar School. Some sons went into banking and the army moving to NZ and New South Wales . John William Israel became the Chief Auditor General of the government upon Federation! Only in Australia could sons of convicts rise to be the men in charge of the government purse or a financial institution. Charles Dickens, the champion of social justice, redemption, and social reform, would be very proud.

It is not known whether John Cashmere Israel ever connected with his family again. Being Jewish, records are limited for them. His father died in 1820 and is buried in the Great Synagogue in London. His mother died in 1842.

However, his sisters and brothers began  slipping into the English records when 10 yearly census records and births, deaths, and marriages began to be recorded around the 1840s. Judging by death records and probates, they mostly married well, had small families and left plenty of cash. It seems Hannah remained single and was housed by her siblings.

The rest of John's story is that he lived out his days in Launceston. Despite becoming more feeble he was working to the end collecting rents and other commission business the day before his death.  The local papers recorded the death of John Cashmore Israel, an old colonist of 53 years standing, on the 29th of May 1872, at the age of 73 years. At that stage, he was reported as a confectioner and a commission agent.

Israel, says the “Cornwall Chronicle” was a man known and respected not only by the residents of Launceston, but a large proportion of the colonists of northern Tasmania. He died of apoplexy. Towards the end of his life he expressed the desire to see his oldest son who was absent from the colony living in NZ. He also stated his desire as a Hebrew to be interred by those of his own creed with the customary Jewish rites.

He was buried according to Jewish rites in the Jewish burial ground in Georgetown Road. Each of the deceased’s sons, who were raised Anglican, placed a shovel full of clay on the coffin in the Jewish tradition. Australian Israelite, 7-6-1872.

His obituary described him as an active and intelligent man with a respectable family. It rued the fact that he was long term resident passing with a vast knowledge of the development of Port Dalrymple and the “rise and progress of Launceston”. He had been respected by locals for his authoritative knowledge in Courts of Law regarding town allotments in cases of disputed land claims.

 

He predeceased Adelaide who lived for a further 16 years until 1898. 

Now, if you dig a little further into Adelaide's story and that of her mother and father, the plot thickens- it’s a story which starts in Jamaica, of money lost, bigamy, domestic violence, inheritance scandals - a story for another day. Watch this space!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gene-Allergy: It’s a contagious disease, but we love it.

 

I'll just make room for my medals. The second one this week, and the third one this month. The medals are for “Nan of the Week” for helping with the history homework and other stuff.

Just so happens our granddaughter, Ariah  in Year 6 had to do a story about “10-pound poms”. I was unavailable. But when in doubt, search Nan's blog.

My daughter and granddaughter found a story about James Edward Cassidy leaving England, Lancashire, for Sydney in 1927. He was the widower of Amelia Duckworth, my mother in laws mother. James worked for the local Hat Manufacturer in Bury Lancashire, before and after the war. So, the local paper in Bury did a story celebrating/ lamenting his departure to Australia in post-war times. He was leaving his two young daughters behind until he was set up.

He arrived in Sydney, gained a job at Henderson's Hat Company, met the boss's daughter and married her.

Another story on the blog told of his two daughters, Winifred and Patricia, traveling to Australia to rejoin their father. The girls, aged nine and six, were supervised on board ship by a stewardess and travelled unaccompanied. They arrived on the SS Orsova after six weeks at sea in 1929.

Secondly, my grandson Oliver in Year Four was writing letters to Governor Arthur Phillip during his history lesson. He was asking for leniency on behalf of an unknown first fleeter who stole a couple of cookies. I surprised him with the fact that he had two first fleeters in his background. One was noted convict John Small from the “Charlotte”, and secondly Mary Parker who arrived on the “Penrhyn”, who eventually became his wife. As I'd recently been looking at convict resources, I was able to immediately call up details of John's crime and Mary's misdemeanor.

“Did you know, Oliver, John's crime was much worse than stealing a few cookies?” Normally I'd say that convicts only stole because they were hungry, but John Small was the equivalent of Ned Kelly. He was a highway robber, and incidentally Oliver had just studied Ned Kelly in a recent school project too. (He’s not a relative)

Extract from ConvictRecords.com.au for John Small

Mary Parker was convicted of burglary or housebreaking and there was a long list of items stolen from her employer.

Extract from ConvictRecords.com.au for Mary Small nee Parker

Both were transported for seven years. In this case crime does pay.

After marrying in Sydney, they had seven children between 1789 and 1804. They got their Tickets of Leave and the family flourished after they were given land at Ryde, New South Wales. They were quite affluent. The Fellowship of the Small Family Record book is testimony to their ability to breed and establish themselves all over NSW in farming and even as a policeman.  Oliver quickly requested the information as he was going to email his teacher.

 

I resisted telling him about another convict relative he has- let’s say Charles Dickens might have used him for the characters of Oliver Twist- “you got to pick a pocket or two.” Or should that be locks?

One day his response might be “My ancestors did WHAT?”

Finally, my second eldest granddaughter resorted to the blog to research her great-grandmother, who she wanted to cite as an inspirational woman in her family while applying for a university scholarship. Marlene Jewel Kelf my mother was a woman before her time when she gained her degree in the 1950s with a scholarship in between working, studying at night, marriage, and motherhood times 2.

Mum on her graduation day

Genealogists get a lot of flak but we have our purpose. I’m off to find my polish and celebrate my award-winning victory!