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Frank Emperor Mattox (1878–1946)

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Frank Emperor Mattox (1879-1946) stove-maker, trade union official and alderman

Birth: 1878 at Wednesfield, Staffordshire, England, son of Thomas Mattox (1841-1901), stove-maker, and Elizabeth Catherine, née Owen (1853-1887). Marriage: 28 August 1907 at St Paul’s Anglican church, Cleveland Street, Sydney, New South Wales, to Sydney-born Elsie Mabel Ellen Emperor (1883-1939). They had one son and one daughter. Death: 6 April 1946 in his residence at Lakemba, Sydney, NSW. Religion: Anglican. 

  • Arrived in Sydney with his parents about 1881. His mother died in September 1887 when he was aged 7 and on Christmas Day that year his distraught father attempted suicide by cutting his throat with a razor, for which he was charged and put on a good behaviour bond.
  • Frank was educated at Sydney Technical College. He worked as a stovemaker.
  • Joined Agricultural Implement and Stovemakers’ Union about 1919. Elected shop steward and later secretary of the Agricultural Implement and Stovemakers’ Union, NSW branch. After his marriage, he adopted his wife’s maiden surname as his second name for some purposes.
  • Subsequently became secretary of the Stovemakers’ and Enamellers sub-branch of the amalgamated union. Also held positions of assistant secretary, organiser, president, trustee and executive committee member of the union. Was branch delegate to the federal Council.
  • Delegate to Trades and Labor Council and to the Metal Trades Federation.
  • A long-standing member and officer of the Lakemba branch of the Australian Labor Party. His wife was also sometime branch secretary.
  • Frank was a Labor alderman on Canterbury Municipal Council from 1932 to 1937. Was campaign director of Lang electorate for the ALP. Stood for Labor preselection for a parliamentary seat on several occasions. The last in October 1945 when he contested pre-selection for the Legislative Council of NSW. Secretary of Lang electoral council of the ALP at time of death.
  • Was found dead in his bed. Cause of death: cerebral haemorrhage, hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
  • Son Lieutenant Frank Emperor Mattox junior (1912-2004), a clerk, served as a gunner in the 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, in the middle east and New Guinea.

Sources
Sheet Metal Worker, May 1946, p.1.

Citation details

'Mattox, Frank Emperor (1878–1946)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/mattox-frank-emperor-34445/text43240, accessed 13 October 2024.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Birth

1878
Wednesfield, Staffordshire, England

Death

6 April, 1946 (aged ~ 68)
Lakemba, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cause of Death

brain hemorrhage

Cultural Heritage

Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.

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