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| A little earlier than the 1850s |
The previous post followed George William Parks to the family in which he was born. Census data show his father, Henry John Parks, a Customs Officer. He died in 1896 at the young age of 49. The family of his mother, Phoebe Higgins, we will turn to in a future post. Today we continue back along the Parks line.
We had already seen the marriage of Henry John Parks and Phoebe Higgins in 1869, and the subsequent censuses. Prior to that I have the census data for households including Henry John from 1851 and 1861. I also have censuses including his father John from 1841 (before Henry John was born) and 1871 (after he left home). They are all on Strood High Street in Kent, and I wonder if they are at the same address. Generally, I search for them in reverse order; I present them here chronologically for a change.
First 1841:
Henry Parks 46 Builder Y
John Do 20 Bricklayer App Y
George Do 14 Do Y
Then 1851:
John Parks Head M 30 Builder & Butcher Kent Lenham
Mary Parks Wife 28 Kent Gillingham
[new page]
Katurah Parks Daur 7 Kent Strood
Henry Do Son 5 Do
John McNeil Nephew 9 Scotland Whitbourn
Henry Parks Father Widr 56 Builder employing 5 Men Kent Lenham
Susan Fawcett Servant M 30 Kent Strood
Priscilla Fawcett Visitor U 19 Do
Elizabeth Bryant Do 71 Kent Gillingham
And 1861:
John Parks Head Mar 40 Pork Butcher Kent Lenham
Mary Parks Wife Mar 38 Kent Brompton
Keturah Parks Daur Un 17 Kent Strood
Henry Parks Son Un 15 Scholar Do Do
Frances Parks Daur 6 Scholar Do Do
Elizabeth Parks Daur 4 Scholar Do Do
William Parks Son 1 Do Do
Henry Parks Father Widower 66 Pork Butcher's Assistant Kent Lenham
Jane Powers Servant Un 16 House Servant Domestic Kent Chatham
And 1871:
John Parks Head Marr 50 Pork Butcher [Kent] Lenham
Mary Do Wife Do 48 Do Gillingham
Frances S Do Daur Unm 16 Assistant Do Strood
Elizabeth A Do Do Do 13 Scholar Do Do
William Do Son 11 do Do Do
So three generations of Parkses. The plain bold type indicates the future customs officer, Henry John Parks. His father, John, is the head of household in 1851 and 1861 is in italic bold type, and his grandfather Henry is in italic type. Henry Parks is my 3xgreat, John Parks my 4xgreat, and Henry Parks my 5xgreat grandfathers.
John Parks, Pork Butcher of Stroud High Street does not appear in the census of 1881. His must be the death recorded in:
BMD Death Index John Parks Mar1881 North Aylesford 2a 302 Age:60
By that time, he was probably already a widower, if the following, as seems likely, is the death record for his wife:
BMD Death Index Mary Parks Dec1877 North Aylesford 2a 254 Age:54
From the standpoint of occupation, it would seem that Henry, the elder, is in business as a builder. His son, John, starts out in the trade as well, but then changes occupation to butcher. And by 1861, it is Henry the elder assisting his son in the butcher's shop. John's wife is Mary Adams. According to England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973, they were married in Gillingham, Kent on 13 April 1842, corresponding to BMD Marriage Index Jun1842 Medway 5 415.
The following children, baptized in Strood with parents John and Mary Parks, are indexed in England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1911:
Keturah Jane Parks
BMD Birth Index Jun1844 North Aylesford 5 408
(as Ketturah Jane Parks)
Baptism 5 May 1844 Strood near Rochester, Kent
BMD Marriage Index Jun1870 North Aylesford 2a 621
(to John Harris King)
BMD Death Index Mar1893 Camberwell 1d 607 Age:48
(as Keturah Jane King)
Henry John Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar1846 North Aylesford 5 42
Baptism 22 March 1846 Strood near Rochester, Kent
BMD Marriage Index Mar1869 Canterbury 2a 812
(to Phoebe Higgins)
BMD Death Index Mar1896 Stepney 1c 293 Age:46
John Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar1848 North Aylesford 5 441
Baptism 20 Feb 1848 Strood near Rochester, Kent
He does not appear in the 1851 Census, and I suspect he died before 1851
probably this one
BMD Death Index Dec1850 North Aylesford 5 282
Mary Ann Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar1852 North Aylesford 2a 262
Baptism 18 Apr 1852 Strood near Rochester, Kent
She does not appear in the 1861 Census, and I suspect she died before 1861
probably this one
BMD Death Index Sep1857 North Aylesford 2a 171
Frances Sarah Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar1855 North Aylesford 2a 264
Baptism 4 Mar 1855 Strood near Rochester, Kent
BMD Marriage Index Mar1888 Medway 2a 643
(to William Edward Harlow)
BMD Death Index Mar1893 Medway 2a 403 Age:38
(as Frances Sarah Harlow)
Elizabeth Ann Parks
BMD Birth Index Jun1857 North Aylesford 2a 267
Baptism 28 Jun 1857 Strood near Rochester, Kent
I have found no record beyond 1871
William Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar1860 North Aylesford 2a 324
Baptism 4 Mar 1860 Strood near Rochester, Kent
I have found no further record I can attribute to him beyond the 1911 census,
at which time he is living in Gillingham and single.
And before all these:
John Henry Parks
In addition, England, Kent, Parish Registers 1538-1911 has John Henry Parks
born 1843, and buried 20 April 1843 at Strood.
Corresponding to this event are:
BMD Birth Index is Jun1843 North Aylesford 5 375, and
BMD Death Index Jun1843 North Aylesford 5 299.
It seems likely that this also is a son of John and Mary Parks (all other Civil Birth
Registrations from North Aylesford from this time until 1860 correspond to
children of this couple, baptized in Strood), whose baptism is not recorded at
the church parish register.
Of the eight children listed above, I find three who died before they were ten years old (John Henry, and, most probably, John and Mary Ann), three who died as adults under 50 (Keturah Jane, Henry John and Frances Sarah), one unaccounted for after the age of 13 (Elizabeth Ann), and only one who I know for sure lived beyond 50 (William).
Which rather puts into perspective my nostalgia at the loss of the high street, I think.
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