Bert Spargo's Full Name

[Chuck1052]

According to a news item in the February 26, 1924 edition of the Argus (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), Bert Spargo's full name was Albert Edward Spargo. At the time, Spargo had filed a suit asking for 1,500 pounds from the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways for injuries sustained in the Flemington Tramcar on September 15, 1923. Spargo reportedly made 8,000 pounds as a professional boxer during the previous two years.

Note- According to information found in the Ancestry.com Tree, one Albert Edward Spargo was born on August 7, 1895 and died in Casey, Victoria, Australia during 1974. According to his record on BoxRec, Bert Spargo, one of the best featherweights in Australia during his day, was born on August 7, 1895.

- Chuck Johnston

[AntonS]

IMO, insert his full birth name, leaving Bert Spargo as ring name & insert year of death.
May as well insert the following in his Bio:-
Spargo had filed a suit asking for 1,500 pounds from the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways for injuries sustained in the Flemington Tramcar on September 15, 1923. Spargo reportedly made 8,000 pounds as a professional boxer during the previous two years.

Cheers

[Beltane]

Just for interest, Bert Spargo was not unfamiliar with appearing in court as The Argus reported on 25th October 1921:

Considerable interest was shown in an action begun in the County Court yesterday before Judge Woinarski, in which Joseph Campbell, of Haines street, North Melbourne, described as a trainer, is claiming from Albert Edward Spargo, of Sydney, professional boxer, £499 in respect of an alleged breach of contract.

His claimed 8,000 pounds earning ($16,000) from boxing, would be worth around $220,000 in today's values.

[Chuck1052]

Beltane- Are there any Australian death records available to the public which list the month and day that Albert Edward "Bert" Spargo and other Australian boxing figures passed away?

- Chuck Johnston

[Beltane]

Hi Chuck,

As "Bert" passed away in Victoria, the Victorian Register of Births Deaths and Marriages:
http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/
would be a good place to start.

Although personally not into geneology, each Australian State has it's own Register of Births Deaths and Marriages with a website.

Cheers

[Chuck1052]

Hi Chuck,

As "Bert" passed away in Victoria, the Victorian Register of Births Deaths and Marriages:
http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/
would be a good place to start.

Although personally not into geneology, each Australian State has it's own Register of Births Deaths and Marriages with a website.

Cheers

Hi Beltane,

Thank you for the information. By the way, I am an American who lives in the coastal city of Ventura, which is in California and located about sixty miles northwest of Los Angeles. I do subscribe to the great American genealogical website, Ancestry.com.

There are two free American genealogical websites that are worthwhile, FamilySearch and Rootsweb. The main driving force in American genealogical studies is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. I myself am not a Mormon, but the church welcomes non-members to subscribe to Ancestry.com, to do research at their genealogical libraries, and share genealogical research and records with them.

Ancestry.com has U.S. Census records up to 1940 (U.S. Census records are made public seventy-two years after they are enumerated), an up-to-date Social Security Death Records Index, various state death records, U.S. Passport Application Records up to about 1925, World War I and II Draft Registration Records, World War II U.S. Army Enlistment Records, U.S. Passenger and Crews Lists, a U.S. newspaper database and a large Family Tree section, which has quite a bit of information contributed by regular people about their relatives, the vast majority of the latter being dead. There are many other record collections on Ancestry.com which are too numerous to mention.

I have used genealogical websites to find to find information about American boxers, usually their real names, ages, birthplaces, occupations outside of boxing, places where they lived and their family members. It was especially helpful if the boxers traveled to foreign countries because they often filled out passport applications or be enter on come back to the U.S. by crossing the border (usually from Canada and Mexico), sailing to an American port or flying to an American city, all of which were often recorded. If certain boxers were immigrants to the United States, there were often records if they came by ship, crossed the border or went through the process of becoming American naturalized citizens.

I became aware of Bert Spargo when I found information about an American fighter named Bud Ridley and his early 1920s trip to Australia and the Philippines in the San Francisco Chronicle, which was on micro-film. At the time, I was trying to find results of professional boxing bouts. One of Ridley's Australian bouts was with Spargo.

- Chuck Johnston

[Chuck1052]

I saw a photo of Bert Spargo which was autographed with absolutely exquisite penmanship. If Spargo
actually autographed the photo, I would say that he is in the running for having the best penmanship
of any fighter that I have seen.

- Chuck Johnston

[hofguy]

Bert Spargo died on the 18th August, 1974, & is buried in the Fawkner Cemetery, Presbyterian Section.

[Chuck1052]

Bert Spargo died on the 18th August, 1974, & is buried in the Fawkner Cemetery, Presbyterian Section.

Thank you for the information. Bert was a capable and popular fighter while he was active. He certainly would be a good candidate for induction in the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame.

- Chuck Johnston

[hofguy]

Thank you for the information. Bert was a capable and popular fighter while he was active. He certainly would be a good candidate for induction in the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame.

- Chuck Johnston[/quote]
Bert Spargo was inducted into the ANBHOF, announced tonight at their 2015 ceremony. Other inductees were: Moderns-- Tony Miller, Veterans-- Darby Brown, Pioneers-- Herb McKell, Non Participant-- Bill McConnell, & Honorary International-- Eugene Criqui.

[Chuck1052]

Thank you for the information. Bert was a capable and popular fighter while he was active. He certainly would be a good candidate for induction in the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame.

- Chuck Johnston

Bert Spargo was inducted into the ANBHOF, announced tonight at their 2015 ceremony. Other inductees were: Moderns-- Tony Miller, Veterans-- Darby Brown, Pioneers-- Herb McKell, Non Participant-- Bill McConnell, & Honorary International-- Eugene Criqui.[/quote]

Thank you for the information about Bert Spargo and others being inducted into the ANBHOF during the 2015 ceremony. Let me state again that I think the ANBHOF is doing a good job for the most part. I am having a tough time finding any members who should not have been inducted, which is something I can't say about a number of other boxing hall of fame organizations.

- Chuck Johnston