Shirley Ann HEWETT [c.1934- ]

Submitted by jill on Sun, 01/28/2018 - 03:38
Names
Given
Shirley Ann
Family
Hewett
Sex
Female
Status
Unknown
Born
Date
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)

The Hewett family lived at 18 Broadwood Road, next door to my uncle, Leslie Warren and his family at 19 Broadwood Road. I posted a photo of Shirley Ann Hewett at https://gwulo.com/atom/18036 taken in 1939 and labelled "Before Evacuation". I've also posted two photos of her father, whom we only know as Mr Hewett at the Lido in Repulse Bay. Tony Banham tells me he may be Edmund Francis Hewitt, an accountant with BAT, who was in Stanley. He wasn't the police sergeant, Bill Hewitt who was in Stanley. I have no information or photos of Mrs Hewett. As with my grandmother, Hannah Warren, Tony Banham has no record of her or Shirley Ann on his evacuation lists. They would, however, have been logical companions for her to travel with. It's possible that Shirley Ann is still alive, and, if so, somewhere in Australia.

Jill

 

Tags

Connections: This person is ...
Child of
Harold Walter HEWETT (aka Harry) [c.1892-????]
Evelyn Lennox HEWETT (née PATERSON) [1897-1981]

Photos that show this Person

Shirley Anne Hewitt
c.1939

Comments

The passenger manifest for the whole family on the ship "S.S. Hector" of the Blue Funnel Line which departed Liverpool, England on 20th March 1937 for Hong Kong had spelt the family surname as "Hewett".

They travelled first class and Harry W. Hewett was aged 45 years, Mrs Evelyn L. Hewett was aged 39 years, and Shirley Ann Hewett was aged 3 years. Their last address in the UK was "c/o John Swire & Commercial Sons. Ltd.", with intention to live permanently in Hong Kong. 

s.s. Hector arrived at 6am Friday 24th April 1937 at Holt’s Wharf, Kowloon

Source: The Hong Kong Telegraph, page 4, 24th April 1937

“The following passengers arrived by the s.s. Hector from the United Kingdom, via ports, on Friday:-

…Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Hewett, Miss S.A. Hewett,..”

Source: Hong Kong Daily Press, page 13, 26th April 1937

She was born in Hong Kong 29th December 1933. She studied in the UK but appeared to have settled in Australia. The following record was from an incoming aircraft passenger card in 1963:

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.asp…

She travelled on board the ship “Southern Cross” departing Southampton, England, UK on 9th December 1958 to Sydney, NSW, Australia. She was single then and her occupation was a nurse.

Shirley Ann Hewett was living with her parents Harry Walter Hewett and Evelyn Lennox Hewett at 84 Ramsgate Avenue, Bondi Beach, Phillip County, New South Wales, Australia as recorded in the 1980 Australian Electoral Rolls.

Shirley was working in advertising, her father was listed as a clerk and her mother as home duties.  Shirley still had her maiden name so it appears she have remained unmarried, or reverted to maiden name post-divorce. Same details in the 1977 Australia Electoral Rolls. 

 

Back in 1968 the family was living at 84 Darling Point Road, Edgecliff, Double Bay, Wentworth, New South Wales, Australia. She was a copywriter, her father was a clerk and mother listed as home duties. 

I'm blown away by your detailed, super-fast research on the Hewett family, David. Thank you so much! I'm not sure if my cousin, Diana Warren, who became a nurse at UCH in London, stayed in touch with Shirley-Ann. Although there was quite an age gap between them, they were close neighbours. I imagine that Cicely Warren would have corresponded with Mrs Hewett initially, if only to satisfy her children's queries about the well-being of their dog. Perhaps the photos that we have of Shirley Ann were sent by Evelyn Hewett to Cicely Warren after Cicely had left Hong Kong with her children in 1938.

Hi Jill, 

You’re welcome! Although for the moment until I get more concrete confirmation I am going to discount the 29th December birthday and occupation as a nurse. Yes, she was born in Hong Kong but the passenger manifest for the 1958 trip - which lists her birthday and job  - was based on a “Shirley Hewett” rather than her full name. A huge anomaly being trained as a nurse and then working in advertising - it doesn’t gel, though possible. I think they are two separate individuals. Believe it or not, there was a Shirley A. Hewett born on 29th Dec 1933 but in Australia and died in 2010 - that is not our HK Shirley. Everything else I am confident is correct. Work in progress still I’m afraid.