Newcastle Daily Chronicle

Shorter headstone

Dress Sword hilt

Dress Sword

Medal Index Card

Dorothy Hall has submitted the following:-

Alfred was born in 1888 at Clifton, Bristol and was the youngest son of Alfred and Eliza Shorter. Alfred snr. was a member and secretary of the Bristol Working Men's Conservative Association and at one time was Chief Ranger in the Ancient Order of Foresters. At Consett he was a sidesman at Consett Parish Church. He died in 1912 aged 56 years after a long illness and is buried in Benfieldside/Blackhill cemetery.

In 1911 Alfred jnr. was a Commercial Clerk and living with his parents at 34 Thomas Street Blackhill. Alfred was commissioned in March 1915.

Alfred died on the 2nd of July 1916 of wounds received on the 1st July 1916.

Newcastle Journal 13/07/1916 reports:- Mrs Shorter of Bank House Blackhill has received a telegram from the War Office stating that her son was killed in action on July 2nd. He was the son of the late Mr A.J. Shorter, late Unionist agent for North West Durham. Lieut. Shorter was employed at the offices of Consett Iron Company, at Consett previous to the war and enlisted in the R.F.A. on September 3 1914, receiving a commission in the D.L.I. a few months later. He was well known in local bell- ringing circles.

Newcastle Journal 18/07/1916 reports:- In memory of Second Lieutenant A.G. Shorter son of Mr Alfred J. Shorter for many years Unionist agent for North West Durham and carried through the late Sir Robert Filmer's contest against Mr L.A. Atherley-Jones in 1906, muffled peals were rung on the bells at Consett Parish Church on Sunday. Lieutenant Shorter being the popular representative to the Newcastle and Durham Diocesan Association. The vicar, Rev. J. Hudson Barker made sympathetic allusion to the sad event in his sermon at Matins and at evensong Mr J. Surtees played Chopin's Funeral March as the concluding voluntary.

Alfred left effects of £69 8s to his mother Eliza Short.

The Newcastle Journal 13/08/1917 reports:-

Out of eleven playing members of Shotley Bridge Cricket Club who joined the colours ten have made the supreme sacrifice. The number includes 2nd Lieut. George Shorter, 2nd Lieut. A. Hickford, Sgt Sydney Moore and his brother (Pte. Tom Moore) L.Cpl L. Tweddell and Pte. Geo Fox.

Alfred's only brother Frederic Charles a commercial clerk was initiated 1906 into Constance Lodge of Freemason 2135 which met at Consett. He resigned in 1912 and in 1928 re-joined.. He presented his late brother's dress sword to be used in the masonic ceremonies in 1934. It is still in use today.

Alfred George Shorter is remembered in Consett on C101.01 and C101.02 and at Newcastle on NUT098

He is included in "Notes on names of Bell-ringers from the North East of England. Extracted from a Roll of Honour of Bell-ringers in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London", by Alan Regin.

Durham & Newcastle Diocesan Association of Church Bellringers
The CWGC entry for 2nd Lieutenant Shorter