The Shortt Family History - (compiled by Lisa Shortt - my cousin Barry Shortt's daughter at Mildura, Victoria)
Retyped from a photocopied booklet, by Revel Kemp, son of Sylvie Kemp - (who was a Shortt) and father, Mick Kemp (Loxton SA), on 18th May, 2010
William Henry Shortt (my great great grandfather) - born 8th March 1807 (Ireland)....died 19th Jan. 1861
Married - Jane MacAndrew on Oct. 14th 1840. Jane was born in 1821 and died on 4th Nov 1841. They had one daughter, Catharine, who was born 17th Sept 1841 and died in Nov 1873. Like her mother, she died young,
at the age of 32.
William married again 9 years later, to Emily Farquharson on 8th March 1850. (my great great grandma).
Emily was born in Fife, UK in 1828 and died on 14th Jan 1915 - so she lived to 87 - a good age.
William and Emily had 7 children - 2 of them dying very young. I have listed them all here......

1. Thomas Mounsteven - born 1st Jan 1851 (Inverness) - died 19th July 1938 (Adelaide, South Australia) - my great grandfather.
2. Charles - born 1852 - died ?
3. John F. - born 1855 - died ?
4. Emily - born 7th Feb 1856 - died 13th Nov 1910
5. William Henry - born 1858 - died Port Said, Egypt 1896
6. Jonathan - born 1st Dec 1859 - died 21st Nov 1861
7. Margaret Jane - born 8th Aug 1861 - died 14th Sept 1864

Thomas Mounsteven Shortt - ( my great grandfather)
Tommie - as he was known by - was born in Inverness, Scotland, and was baptised on the 23rd Jan 1851 by the Reverend
James McKay in the parish of Inverness. His father, William was then a bank agent for a famous bank called "The British
Linen Company's Bank" situated at 3 Ness Bank right by the River Ness, in Inverness.
Tommie started work under his father, as an accountant at the bank. The family were rather "well-to-do" people, and a king
once stayed at their house, on a visit to Scotland. Tommie, however, did not like indoor work, and wanted to go to Australia
to ride horses. So, going against his parent's wishes, he emigrated to Australia at the young age of 16, on the ship "Chariot
of Fame" in 1867 - probably early in May - arriving at Williamstown (Melbourne) on July 31st 1867, after a 3 month voyage.
It is said he took very good references with him, from the bank - but he deliberately "lost" them on the way over, because he
just wanted to be a Jackeroo - riding horses. So, Tommie headed for the bush, and in the next few years, he worked at various
stations, became a butcher, then while in Albury (New South Wales) he met, and married Harriet Amelia Morgan, who was
born in Yass NSW in 1853. They married on July 23rd 1873, when Tommie was 22 and Harriet was 20.
They faced many hardships in the bush, and at one stage, with 3 children, they pushed a pram, with all their belongings,
while looking for work. They had 13 children - 8 of whom are known, being....William, Thomas, Walter, Ethel, Harriet, Grace
Clara and John. It is claimed that - Thomas Morgan and John Farquharson Shortt, were the first white children born in the
Mildura district of Victoria - an interesting observation. The Shortts were there before the famous Chaffey brothers, from Canada,
who established irrigation schemes at Mildura (Victoria) and Renmark (Sth. Australia).