Resource List thread - Inaccuracy in official records

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All official records show 'Mick Comber' playing for Port Melbourne and Melbourne in the 30s, but the majority of newspaper reports from the time show him surname as 'Coomber'. I'm going to run with the latter, one or two contradictory spellings in stories are to be expected but this is fairly uniform.
 
All official records show 'Mick Comber' playing for Port Melbourne and Melbourne in the 30s, but the majority of newspaper reports from the time show him surname as 'Coomber'. I'm going to run with the latter, one or two contradictory spellings in stories are to be expected but this is fairly uniform.
It should be this chap. The Encyclopedia calls him L. Mick Comber, and says he was "ex-Port Melbourne and Korumburra.":

Birth Certificate
Record information
Event Birth
Event registration number 11534
Registration year 1903

Personal information
Family name COMBER
Given names Lawrence Michl
Sex Male
Father's name Chas Thos
Mother's name Emily Grace (Studdart)
Place of birth KORUMBURRA

Death Certificate
Record information
Event Death
Event registration number 1484
Registration year 1975

Personal information

Family name COMBER
Given names Laurence Michael
Sex Male
Father's name COMBER Charles
Mother's name Emily (Studdart)
Place of birth Korumburra
Place of death Caulfield South
Age 71

This appears to be the father's death notice in 1954 (son Michael is mentioned): https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23417111
 
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It should be this chap. The Encyclopedia calls him L. Mick Comber, and says he was "ex-Port Melbourne and Korumburra.":

Birth Certificate
Record information
Event Birth
Event registration number 11534
Registration year 1903

Personal information
Family name COMBER
Given names Lawrence Michl
Sex Male
Father's name Chas Thos
Mother's name Emily Grace (Studdart)
Place of birth KORUMBURRA

Death Certificate
Record information
Event Death
Event registration number 1484
Registration year 1975

Personal information

Family name COMBER
Given names Laurence Michael
Sex Male
Father's name COMBER Charles
Mother's name Emily (Studdart)
Place of birth Korumburra
Place of death Caulfield South
Age 71

This appears to be the father's death notice in 1954 (son Michael is mentioned): https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23417111

Thanks, you've convinced me the official records are right and the contemporary newspapers were off their face. Comber it is!
 
Thanks, you've convinced me the official records are right and the contemporary newspapers were off their face. Comber it is!
I'd say there's a very good chance that Charles Comber, who played one game for Essendon in 1915, is the brother (or maybe half-brother) of the Melbourne player. https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/C/Charles_Comber.html

His birth was registered in 1892 (Charles Fillery Comber), with Charles Thomas Comber as the father, Clara Frances (Fillery) the mother. Clara Frances Comber died (aged 24) in 1892, having married Charles Thomas Comber in 1891.

It seems that Charles Thomas Comber got married again (to Emily Grace) in 1899, and they had many children, including Laurence Michael. In the death notice for C. T. Comber, Charles is named first among ten children, so I think it's very likely that he was a brother/son from the earlier marriage.
 
Hi guys once again.

In the latest stats book, Shane Heard is rightly credited as being drafted by Essendon and, therefore returning to the club and, in his return played 11 games in 1991.

However, he's credited incorrectly as playing 11 career games.

His career games tally should be credited as 168 games.


Also, a Collingwood player (I don't remember who) in the same publication is compared to 1990 premiership Pie Alan Toovey.

Fair play to be compared to a 3 year old of 1990.
 
Hi guys once again.

In the latest stats book, Shane Heard is rightly credited as being drafted by Essendon and, therefore returning to the club and, in his return played 11 games in 1991.

However, he's credited incorrectly as playing 11 career games.

His career games tally should be credited as 168 games.


Also, a Collingwood player (I don't remember who) in the same publication is compared to 1990 premiership Pie Alan Toovey.

Fair play to be compared to a 3 year old of 1990.
Flynn Appleby is the Collingwood player.

The Season Guide updates page invites people to email Michael Lovett and point out any errors they find: http://www.afl.com.au/afl-hq/afl-season-guide-updates
 
Was looking at Alby Landt who played four games with with St Kilda in 1908.

As far as I can ascertain, he was Albert George Landt (born in Cannum, between Jeparit and Warracknabeal)
Lived in the Wimmera all his life as far as I can tell from electoral roll records (all under name George Albert Landt). He also went by the name "Mick" Landt - a name also used for him in Ancestry family trees. Match reports from 1908 indicate he was from Jeparit.

All football related records seem to have his death at 1 November 1955, however Vic BDM has it recorded at Warracknabeal in 1954 and his gravestone indicates that 9 November 1954 is the correct date of death.
 
Was looking at Alby Landt who played four games with with St Kilda in 1908.

As far as I can ascertain, he was Albert George Landt (born in Cannum, between Jeparit and Warracknabeal)
Lived in the Wimmera all his life as far as I can tell from electoral roll records (all under name George Albert Landt). He also went by the name "Mick" Landt - a name also used for him in Ancestry family trees. Match reports from 1908 indicate he was from Jeparit.

All football related records seem to have his death at 1 November 1955, however Vic BDM has it recorded at Warracknabeal in 1954 and his gravestone indicates that 9 November 1954 is the correct date of death.

Yes, I think you are probably correct about this one too.

A family tree on Ancestry has the same date of death, citing [and showing copy] of an index card for NSW Deceased Estates record for the name George Albert Landt - it too has DOD marked as 9 Nov 1954.
 
More errors from the 2018 Season Guide.

p969 -1952 GF - the 1/4-by-1/4 score for Collingwood is wrong, shows qtr time score as 1.2, but should be 1.1

p977 - 1960 GF - the 1/4-by-1/4 score for Melbourne is wrong, shows half time as 5.7, three-qtr as 7.11, but should be 5.5 & 7.12

p997 - 1979 GF - the 1/4-by-1/4 score for Carlton is wrong, shows qtr time as 0.5, but should be 0.4
 
Another page from the 2018 Season Guide which has errors:

p 1192 - Longest serving Sec/Club Execs...

Bert Howson (Sth Melbourne) is shown as 17 years, with time span of 1904-15, 1917-21.
Should be 18 as Howson was Secty of Sth Melb in 1916 as well.
 

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Another page from the 2018 Season Guide which has errors:

p 1192 - Longest serving Sec/Club Execs...

Bert Howson (Sth Melbourne) is shown as 17 years, with time span of 1904-15, 1917-21.
Should be 18 as Howson was Secty of Sth Melb in 1916 as well.
They probably don't include 1916 due to only Richmond, Collingwood, Fitzroy & Carlton actually playing that year.
 
They probably don't include 1916 due to only Richmond, Collingwood, Fitzroy & Carlton actually playing that year.

Yes, true...but Essendon, Geelong and Melbourne did not play in 1916 either,
yet their long-serving execs with 1916 included in their time span ARE listed on that page.

Sadly, this is a good example of many such inconsistencies that exist in the Guide under various subject headings.
 
Another death date issue/correction:
Fred Anderson was born in Launceston in 1886
Name: Frederick Arthur Anderson
Birth Date: 16 Mar 1886
Birth Place: Tasmania
Registration Year: 1886
Registration Place: Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Father: Alfred Anderson
Mother: Martha Peacock
Registration Number: 200
He later enlisted in World War I (in Newcastle, NSW) and had married Mary Ellen Arthur in 1907

Existing football records have his death as 7 Jun 1953 but this seems to be for a Frederick Arthur Anderson in Qld (BDM 1953/B043520) with parents Andrew Anderson and Jane Porter.

The Fred Anderson in Newcastle was an engineer and later appears in Wollongong - NSW BDM death record 12076/1963 has parents Alfred and Martha and Find A Grave has a record with date of death 21 April 1963. I reckon this is the correct death date for the footballer
 
Another death date issue/correction:
Fred Anderson was born in Launceston in 1886
Name: Frederick Arthur Anderson
Birth Date: 16 Mar 1886
Birth Place: Tasmania
Registration Year: 1886
Registration Place: Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Father: Alfred Anderson
Mother: Martha Peacock
Registration Number: 200
He later enlisted in World War I (in Newcastle, NSW) and had married Mary Ellen Arthur in 1907

Existing football records have his death as 7 Jun 1953 but this seems to be for a Frederick Arthur Anderson in Qld (BDM 1953/B043520) with parents Andrew Anderson and Jane Porter.

The Fred Anderson in Newcastle was an engineer and later appears in Wollongong - NSW BDM death record 12076/1963 has parents Alfred and Martha and Find A Grave has a record with date of death 21 April 1963. I reckon this is the correct death date for the footballer

Yes, I think you are probably right there. 21/04/1963 looks to be correct.

The QLD chap in 1953 appears to have Norwegian ancestry,
so family name in official records and on a few family trees, is spelt Andersen.
 
Ancestry gurus - Official records say 'Allan La Fontaine' but every newspaper report from the era calls him 'Alan'. Is there an official ruling?
Allan Faulkner La Fontaine registered as such in Vic BDM

Registered 1911 : 5442
 
Ancestry gurus - Official records say 'Allan La Fontaine' but every newspaper report from the era calls him 'Alan'. Is there an official ruling?
Every record on Ancestry uses Allan except a cemetery transcription which refers to him as "Alan La Fontain" - I suspect from someone trying to read the actual gravestone. Find a Grave has a record for his grave using the "correct" name: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/145368165
 
Just on the lookout for any information on Richmond's 1974 Flag unveiling, please.

9 April 1975 page 30 shows that both VFL President Maurice Nathan, and executive Eric McCutchan refused an invitation to attend the unfurling!
"The Tigers today will ask a prominent VFL life member to officiate at the ceremony"

The flag was unveiled before Rich vs Geel Rd 2 1975, but I'm just trying to confirm who exactly unveiled it. I'm leaning towards President Ian Wilson's wife - Julia
 
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