F is for Fanny (6 of them), Florence (28 of them), Frances (9 of them), Francis (30 of them), Frank (19 of them), Frederick (31 of them). What a choice. I've gone over the list and decided on one Francis Marmaduke Windross Shanks. What a splendid name he has, he was known as Frank. He was born on the 12th April 1891 in Hull, Yorkshire, England. Frank arrived in Townsville, Queensland on the 26th November 1910 aboard the Waipara, a ship of the Queensland Line. His occupation was listed as a farm worker. Frank married my 3rd cousin Margaret Annie Daisy Antoney (their parents obviously loved three first names) on the 24th July 1915 in Mackay, Queensland.
Frank attempted to enlist in December 1915 in Rockhampton, Queensland but was discharged medically unfit in February 2016 with the cause of 'hypermetropia astigmatism' - an eye condition causing blurry vision. I am sure that this would be easily corrected today but apparently not in 1915. I guess it would not do to have a soldier with blurry vision.
Francesco ("the Frenchman") was the name given to Saint Francis of Assisi (baptized Giovanni) by his francophile father, celebrating his trade with French merchants. Due to the renown of the saint, this Italian name became widespread in Western Europe during the Middle Ages in different versions (Francisco, François, etc.). However, it was not regularly used in Britain until the 16th century as Francis.
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