Emma SHUSTER (née LEGG / LEGGE) [????-1937]

Submitted by David on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 02:39
Names
Given
Emma
Family
Shuster
Maiden
Legg / Legge
Sex
Female
Status
Deceased
Died
Date

Emma Legge, wife of Fritz Edward Shuster

Connections: This person is ...

Photos that show this Person

Comments

Thanks David, however I am not so sure there is a relation to William Legge.

From the Carl Smith Collection Cards I see that her father must have been Henry Thomes Legge and she probably had siblings, Gilbert Legge but I don't know where else to confirm this information.

Ana I hope you read this despite the last entry being about 4 years old. I am gobsmacked at finding your entry/enquiry virtually by happenstance. Where to start ?

My maternal grandmother was Annie Legg. She never revealed anything of her past, except to say she was born in Hong Kong and educated by nuns. She appeared Eurasian. The one other fact my mother told me more than 20 years ago is that Mops(this is what we called my grandmother) was quite upset mabe around 1937 when her sister Emma died. My mother has since passed away which has left me in possession of this hitherto unused piece of information. I tried to chase up Emma Legg's name a few times but with no success.

In 1987 I visited Hong Kong to try to find out more about my grandmother. I found numerous documents regarding Mops' marriages and various baptisms. In all these her father was listed as Henry Thomas Legg(no Legge on any documents). The big breakthrough was her Anglican baptism on July 17, 1901. The orininal entry in the records of St John's Cathedral list her parents as Henry Thomas and Amory(?) Legg of Hollywood Rd. Sailor.  Annie's birth date as 27 Nov, 1894 and then a little extra note"Adopted daughter, parents unknown". 

That was a wow moment, a bit like when I looked at the picture of Emma and saw the reference to Henry Thomas Legge.

That is enough for now. I have much more I'd like to share and postulate on, such as whether Annie and Emma were biological sisters or adoped "sisters". And if the Legge's adopted her in 1901, how did they know to put her DOB as 27 Nov, 1894?

Anyway, I really hope we can take this story a bit further Anna.

Cheers,

Richard 

Hi Richard,

I've just found the newspaper report for the "Funeral of Mrs. Shuster" which dates her death to 4th March 1937, so that matches your information. Full text below.

Regards, David

Hong Kong Daily Press, 1937-03-06, page 7:

FUNERAL OF MRS. SHUSTER

Large Attendance

The funeral of Mrs. Emma Shuster, who passed away at the French Hospital on Thursday, took Place at the Roman Catholic Cemetery yesterday evening and was largely attended.

The deceased was the widow of Mr. Fritz Edward Shuster, formerly of the Taikoo Sugar Refinery, and was in charge of the Bottling Department of the Hong Kong Brewery.

The chief mourners at the funeral yesterday were Mr. Fritz Edward Shuster (son), Misses Sybil and May (adopted daughters), and Ted (grandson). The Rev. Father H. de Angelis officiated at the graveside.

Among those present were Misses da Cruz, Messrs. M. A. da Cruz, J. da Cruz, J. H. Ruttonjee, S. MacNider, H. dos Remedios, Dinshaw Paowalla, L. Guimaraes, W. Simpson, R. Abraham, E. W. Osborne, J. Kotwall, S. C. Ho, J. Blyth, P. Pestonji, Gomes, H. Waller, W. Shea, H. K. Law and a large number of girls of the bottling staff of the Hong Kong Brewery.

Floral tributes were sent from May, Buddy and Sybil, Ted and Lawrie, Mrs. Ruby Tang. Mrs. E. D. Kotwall, Rosie and Cissie Chan, Abdul, Ho Shai Cheung, L. M. O. Ribeiro, Mrs. Tehami R. Desai, Dhun J. H. Ruttonjee, J. Pestonji, Mr. and Mrs. N. Bejonjee, Jack Young, D. S. Paowalla, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Cheang, Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Remedios, Miss Ruttonjee, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Ruttonjee, F. R. G. da Cruz and family. Mr. and Mrs. Lau, Mrs. So Tai Koo, Mr. and Mrs. Calmel, Mrs. C. E. Waller and family, I M. Ferandes, Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Kinsey, St. Mary's C.C.Y.L.A., Chinese Staff N.Y.K., H. Ruttonjee and son, Staff H. Ruttonjee and son, Hong Kong Brewery Distillery Ltd, Hong Kong Brewery Girls, and many others.

Thank you so much, David. It adds to the wealth of information etc. that Ana and I have just started sharing. I'm not sure how much interest you have in the Legge/Legg side, but please let me know if you'd like to be "in the loop".

Cheers,

Richard

Elswhere Ana has mentioned a connection between these families. The newspaper report of Emma's funeral mentions she was "in charge of the Bottling Department of the Hong Kong Brewery." The Brewery was owned by the Ruttonjee family, which could explain the connection.

Regards, David

From "Hong Kong Daily Press, 1937-03-06, page 7" it reads that there is a large group of Parsee attendance and also floral tributes being sent from many Parsee families. What is the connection between Mrs. Shuster and the Parsee community in Hong Kong, other than the one with Ruttonjee's Hong Kong Brewery?