Percy Edwin Flint (1881-1934)

Percy Edwin Flint was born in Goulburn, New South Wales, in September 1881. He came to Western Australia and in 1904, found himself on the wrong side of the law when he stole several bicycles from Thomas Sloane in Perth. (Reference)

In 1909 Flint was working as a casual barman at the Mullalyup Hotel in WA’s south-west. At that time, public hotels also operated as Post Offices for district mail and registered post; money orders and cash.  A woman posted registered mail at Mullalyup on July 19, 1909, which contained two £5 bank-notes and an order for Millars' Karri and Jarrah Co. for £10 (approximately $1525 today) (Reference).

It was confirmed that the registered mail was never placed and the payment order never issued, but subsequently cashed by one Percy Edwin Flint in Bunbury. The Post Master Generals Department issued a warrant for his arrest and by May 1910 Percy was a wanted Man. (Reference).

 In June 1910 there was a Shop breaking incident at Bunbury. Smart work by a local policeman resulted in Percy Flint, a labourer, being remanded at the Bunbury Police Court on a charge of having broken and entered the shop of Jacob Robin, and having stolen nine gold dress rings, valued at £10” (Reference).

“In July 1910 at the Wellington Quarter Sessions… in relation to the Mullalyup Post Office robbery, Percy Edwin Flint, was charged with stealing...Mr. Parker appeared on behalf of the Crown Law Department, to prosecute. The accused was undefended, but conducted his own case with no mean ability. The jury retired, and after a short deliberation brought in a verdict of guilty. Accused: I have nothing to say. Accused's previous record was put in, and showed that he had been three times convicted of stealing and once of unlawful possession. The Chairman: You are sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment with hard labour” (Reference).

“Oct 1910 The case of Percy Edwin Flint, who was remanded from the last Quarter Sessions on a charge of breaking and entering the premises of Jacob Robin, pawnbroker, Bunbury, on 26th June last, was held and the jury delivered a verdict of guilty. A sentence of two years' imprisonment with hard labour was passed, to be cumulative upon the sentence which he was already serving” (Reference).

Percy, now 34 in 1915, had been working as a teamster in Moora (WA’s northern Wheatbelt) before he travelled to Blackboy Hill near Perth to enlist in the 10th Light Horse Regiment on 2 August 1915. He gave his sister Bernice Jewell in Goulburn as his next of kin. Private Flint (Service No.1570) embarked on 22 November 1915 for Egypt, where he remained in hospital for several months; first with measles and, after a brief return to his unit, again with dysentery.

On discharge from hospital in April 1916, Flint was transferred as a driver to the 4th Australian Divisional Ammunition Column. He failed to see much action but regularly frequented frontline hospitals with illnesses such as influenza, bronchitis and trench fever. Having spent the best part of a year in hospital in England he rejoined the 4th DAC in France in August 1917, but presented to hospital in October 1917 with fibrositis (muscle pain) and was once again transferred to England, this time for the duration of the war. 

“Wedding Bells Rang for a War Romance. A quiet and pretty wedding was solemnised on January 9th, at St. Ann's Church, Stamford Hill, London, the contracting parties being Percy Edwin Flint, late of Warwick Park, Moora, member of the 4th Division Australian Field Artillery, and (Nurse) Violet Millicent Vicary, only, daughter of John Vicary, Esq., Auriol Mansions, West Kensington, London, and member of the nursing staff of the 54th London General Hospital, France.”

“...Mrs Flint had nursed her husband twelve months previously in the 4th London General Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, and a couple of months later volunteered and was accepted for duty in France. The bridegroom was invalided home [back to England] again in November, 1917, and a month later the bride was also invalided to ‘Blighty’ to undergo an operation for a septic hand, which fortunately proved less serious than was anticipated, with the happy ending of another ‘War Romance’.” -The Midlands Advertiser 29 March 1918 (Reference).

That happy ending may have been somewhat premature as Violet died on 12 October 1918, aged 25. (Reference).

Suffering rheumatism and fibrositis, Percy returned to Australia aboard the Hospital Ship Somali and was discharged as medically unfit on 23 March 1919. For several years after Violet’s death he placed notices in several newspapers, “In memoriam Violet Millicent Percy who died 12 October 1918 at Barford, Wiltshire, England.” (Reference). 

In Perth in 1923 Percy married again, this time to Nellie Walton and they had two daughters, Bernice and Doreen, who were born in 1926 and 1928 respectively.  In 1931 and 1932 Percy and his family lived at 69 Irwin Street, East Fremantle.

In 1932 Cr. James Stevens, one of Fremantle's "civic fathers," was appointed City of Fremantle Treasurer. He had come from Victoria, but was a ‘Portonian’ of 35 years' standing. Twenty-three years of that time he served as an accountant for butchers Messrs J. and L. Baker, and then as a real estate agent. (reference)

It was possibly Stevens who appointed his friend and employee Percy Flint to the position of City Registrar in 1932.

In June 1933, a proposal to abolish the office of district Registrar of births, deaths and marriages in Fremantle, and amalgamate the registrar's duties with a Government department in Perth was met with opposition. The amalgamation proposal followed the recent resignation of Mr. H.W. Fordham, who had been district registrar at Fremantle for 20 years. For 18 months previously Percy had carried out these duties because of Mr. Fordham's ill health and advancing years. (Reference)

On the 14 November 1934 Percy Flint died. His wife Nellie went on to enlist in WWII at East Perth. Her sevice number was WF94266.

“1934 Death at the Perth Hospital, Percy Edwin, dearly beloved husband of Nellie Flint, of 16 Carnac-street, Fremantle, and loving father of Bernice, and Doreen; aged 53 years...Percy Edwin, dearly loved nephew of R.and M. A. Sasse, Mt. Hawthorn; aged 53 years.” (reference)

“Passing of a popular Portonian - The death last Wednesday of Mr. Percy Edwin Flint, District Registrar at Fremantle, is deeply regretted by a wide circle of friends, to whom his demise came as a shock, even though it was known that he had for some time been in poor health… The late Mr. Flint, who was 53 years of age, came to this State from New South Wales at an early age, and was employed as a clerk for a number of years by Holmes Bros., wholesale and retail butchers at the Port. At the outbreak of the war, he was located at Moora, and enlisted with the 10th Light Horse. Transferring later to the 4th Australian Divisional Ammunition Column, he was on active service for practically the whole period of the war, serving with distinction, and returned to Western Australia very badly gassed.For three years after the demobilisation, he was employed as a farm manager, which position he relinquished to enter the service of Mr James Stevens, a Fremantle land and estate agent. About two years ago he was appointed to the position which he held at the time of his death.” (reference)

This article was researched by Neil Smithson for the Museum of Perth