Samuel Leslie May [15144] ¹³¹

  General Notes:

References:
Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate, Rookwood Cemetery Records and family recollections.

Birthplace:
Samuel's birthplace is recorded as
Beryl Street, Broken Hill' and was probably a home birth.

Given Names:
1st. Probably after Maternal Grandfather, Samuel John HALL.
2nd. Probably after a maternal uncle by marriage Pelis (Leslie) Victor DELATOORE.

Education:
Attained NSW Intermediate Standard of Education, probably in attendance at Parramatta Boy's High School.

Occupation:
Employed by the Australian Postmaster General's Department as Mailman (horseback and foot), Postal Clerk and Assistant Postmaster (Inverel).

Sport:
Unknown.

Other Activities:
Billiards/Snooker, social singing, piano playing and gambling.

Death:
Samuel died of Acute Lymphatic Leukaemia, at the Western Suburbs Hospital, Sydney, NSW, and was buried on 27 April 1937 in the Anglican Section of the Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney (Section 12 Grave Site 3509). His grave is next to his mother and father, who both died later.

Comment:
According to the recollections of his wife Nellie and other relatives, he was a very personable and attractive man with an enormous amount of talent - he sang in a strong voice and played the piano extremely well by ear. He was also a School of Arts billiard champion. His main weakness was his absolute trust (sometimes misplaced) of his very many friends. According to his mother he was very intelligent and was
ducks' of his school on several occasions (probably as a student at Parramatta Boy's High).

His occupational life was dedicated to the Postmaster General's Department where he was a career officer. He was the youngest Assistant Postmaster appointed, until then, to a large Provincial Post Office - Inverell. According to his wife Nellie (Helen), when at Inverell he won a bet of 5 Pounds taken to march in front of the Salvation Army Band down the main street of the town. He was well respected and had many friends in the town. A street there bears his name - May Street.

Some years after his death, when working as a Telegraph Messenger at the G.P.O. Sydney, his son Leslie was directed by his superior to report to the GPO Post Master's Office. The occupant of that office said that he was a very old friend of his father's and that if Samuel had not died, he was certain he would have occupied the chair he sat in.

Samuel married Nellie May Smallman Mrs [15143] [MRIN: 3996] on 19 Oct 1925 in St Stephens Cofe, Newtown , Nsw. (Nellie May Smallman Mrs [15143] was born on 12 Aug 1904 in Coowpers Wharf, Wooloomooloo, Sydney, Nsw, died on 22 Dec 1989 in Sutherland District Hospital, Nsw and was buried on 27 Dec 1989 in Crematorium Section, Wonora Cemetery, Sutherland, N.S.W..)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Death of One Spouse, 26 Apr 1937, Western Suburbs Hospital, Sydney, Nsw.

• Marriage Fact, 19 Oct 1925, St Stephen's Cofe, Newtown, Nsw.