Seventy years ago this month a new weapon fell from the skies on London. By the end of World War Two, about 9,500 V1 launches had caused nearly 23,000 casualties, of which 6,184 died, among them George William Parks, Waterman of London, my 2xgreat grandfather. Previous posts have mentioned his daughter, Edith Violet Parks, known to me as Nan Mum, who married Henry Stroud, veteran officer of the Royal Flying Corps from the Great War (seen here).
The V1 was an unmanned flying bomb. Its crude guidance system shut off the engine after a preset interval, sending the bomb into a dive on its target, primarily in London. At the time it was noted that some areas were hit more than others. I remember from a math class in university that a statistician demonstrated the distribution of hits was consistent with their falling with randomly over London. Although reassuring, maybe, that V1s were not being aimed at particular places, I cannot imagine this was much consolation to those who suffered from their effects.
A 1911 England Census transcript for the Parks family may be found here. Of interest is the name of his wife, Edith Simmonds Parks from Gravesend, Kent. From this information, their marriage is easy to locate.
BMD Marriage Index Mar1893 Gravesend 2a 600
(George William Parks and Edith Simmonds Hardman)
The earliest census record for George William Parks comes from 1871, when he, his mother, brother and an aunt are at 39 Augustine Road, Milton, Gravesend, Kent
Phebe Parks Wife Married 22 Customs Officer's Wife Kent Strood
John Parks Son 2 do do
George Parks Son 9 mos London
Charlotte Hidgins Sister Unmarried 23 Kent Strood
The brother is John Henry Parks, which England Select Births and Christenings 1538-1975 records as baptized at Strood near Rochester on 16 May 1869, the son of Henry John and Pheobe Parks. England and Wales Christenings 1530-1906 has George William Parks baptized at Milton near Gravesend on 28 August 1870.
According to the BMD Marriage Index, Hidgins should read Higgins, since the marriage record Mar1869 Canterbury 2a 812 is for Henry John Parks and Phoebe Higgins.
In the 1871 England Census, I found Henry John Parks on board the Onega, 673 ton steam ship on the Hamburg trade, but in Bermondsey on census night.
Henry John Parks Married 25 Outdoor Officer H.M.C.s Strood Kent
For the census in 1881, the family are together at 18 Range Road, Milton in Gravesend, Kent
Henry Parks Head Mar 35 Outdoor Officer HM Customs [Kent] Strood
Phoebe " Wife " 29 " "
John H " Son Un 11 Scholar " "
George W " " " 10 " Middlesex Stepney
Thomas A " " " 2 Kent Gravesend
Ernest K " " " 1 " "
Lily E " Daughter " 2 mths " "
Thomas K Curling Boarder " 39 Outdoor Customs Officer HM Customs " near Romney
By the census of 1891 George William is away from home found on the steam tug Agincourt (20 tons):
G W Parks Mate S M[ale] 21 Mate London Stepney
Meanwhile in 1891, the family of his parents Henry John and Phoebe Parks are in London at 46 Clemence Street, Limehouse:
Henry J Parks Head M 45 Asst Eo H M Customs Kent Strood
Phoebe Do Wife M 39 " "
Thomas A Do Son S 12 " Gravesend
Ernest K Do " S 11 " "
Lily E Do Daur S 10 " "
Daisy B Do " S 9 " "
Henry A Do Son S 4 " "
Ethel J Do Daur S 2 London Limehouse
Violet A Do " S 9 mos " "
Fanny Porter S 16 Servant Domestic " Stepney
I do not find Henry John Parks in the next census, although I do find Violet Parks born in Limehouse with mother Phoebe Jarvis from Strood and her husband William. The reason is Henry John Parks dies in 1893 (BMD Death Index Mar1896 Stepney 1c 293 Age:49). Phoebe remarries (BMD Marriage Index Sep1898 Mile End Old Town 1c 690 to Joseph William Jarvis). The parish register has the marriage on 26 September 1898 at Bow Common:
Groom: William Joseph Jarvis 54 Widower Clerk 50 St Pauls Road
father: Joseph Jarvis (dec'd) Shipwright
Bride: Phoebe Parks 47 Widow 50 St Pauls Road
father: Edward Higgins (dec'd) Mariner
Signed: William Joseph Jarvis and Phoebe Parks
Witnesses: John William Coley and Selina Coley X her mark
The 1901 census is at 15 Garford Street Poplar
William Jarvis Head M 59 Carpenter Kent Chatham
Phoebe do Wife M 50 " Strood
Violet Parks Daur U 11 Middlesex Limehouse
and several visitors
And in 1911 at 17 Auberon Street Woolwich
William Joseph Jarvis Head 69 Married Carpenter Elec Cable Works Chatham Kent
Phoebe Jarvis Wife 59 Married 12 (None) Strood Kent
and lodgers
The BMD summary for this family follows:
Henry John Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar1846 North Aylesford 5 42
BMD Marriage Index Mar1869 Canterbury 2a 812
(to Phoebe Higgins)
BMD Death Index Mar1896 Stepney 1c 293 Age:49
Phoebe Higgins
BMD Birth Index Sep1851 North Aylesford 5 469
BMD Marriage Index Mar1869 Canterbury 2a 812
(to Henry John Parks)
BMD Marriage Index Sep1898 Mile End Old Town 1c 690
(to Joseph William Jarvis)
BMD Death Index Mar1916 Woolwich 1d 1393 Age:64
(as Phoebe Jarvis)
And children:
John Henry Parks
BMD Birth Index Jun1869 N Aylesford 2a 398
Baptism 16 May 1869 Strood near Rochester, Kent
BMD Marriage Index Jun1892 Gravesend 2a 860
(to Amelia May Hardman)
BMD Death Mar1942 Ilford 4a 605
Natl Prob Cal England and Wales
Death 19 February 1942; Probate 20 August 1946 to Percy John Parks
George William Parks
BMD Birth Index Sep1870 Mile End Old Town 1c 493
Baptism 28 August 1870 Milton next Gravesend
BMD Marriage Index Mar1893 Gravesend 2a 600
(to Edith Simmonds Hardman)
BMD Death Index Sep1944 Stepney 1c 295
Natl Prob Cal England and Wales
Death 12 July 1944; Probate 30 August to Edith Simmonds Parks
Note: Amelia May and Edith Simmonds Hardman are sisters, who as seen above marry the two brothers John Henry and George William Parks.
Phoebe Maria Parks
BMD Birth Index Sep1872 Gravesend 2a 414
Baptism 6 October 1872 Milton next Gravesend
BMD Marriage Index Dec1892 Hoo 2a 1009
(to George Edward Ayers)
Ontario Death Certificate
Date of Death: 7 July 1932; Date of Birth 22 August 1872
Annie Kirby Parks
BMD Birth Index Dec1874 Gravesend 2a 414
Baptism 24 January 1875 Milton next Gravesend
BMD Death Index Sep1875 Gravesend 2a 226 Age:0
Thomas Kirby Parks
BMD Birth Index Jun1876 Gravesend 2a 441
Baptism 12 May 1876 Milton next Gravesend
BMD Death Index Jun1876 Gravesend 2a 242 Age:0
Thomas Alexander Parks
BMD Birth Index Sep1878 Gravesend 2a 454
Baptism 19 July 1878 Milton next Gravesend
BMD Marriage Index Jun1898 Stepney 1c 631
(to Rose Alice Clark)
Probably died in New Zealand after 1946
Ernest Kirby Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar 1880 Gravesend 2a 463
Baptism 22 February 1880 Milton next Gravesend
BMD Marriage Index Jun1917 Greenwich 1d 1626
(to Alice M Wills)
BMD Death Index Mar1952 Stepney 5d 652 Age:72
Lily Esther Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar1881 Gravesend 2a 489
Baptism 13 March 1881 Milton next Gravesend
BMD Marriage Index Dec1897 Poplar 1c 1061
(to Robert French)
BMD Death Index Dec1969 Lambeth 5d 23 Age:88
(Date of Birth 29 January 1881)
Daisy Beatrice Parks
BMD Birth Index Jun1882 Gravesend 2a 496
Baptism 2 June 1882 Milton next Gravesend
BMD Marriage Index Dec1904 Mile End Old Town1c 613
(to Alfred George Moulton)
No record beyond 1911 discovered so far
Henry Albert Parks
BMD Birth Index Dec 1883 Gravesend 2a 503
Ontario Marriages 29 February 1912 Newmarket, York
(to Annie Elizabeth Bacon)
No further record discovered so far
Ethel Jane Parks
BMD Birth Index Mar1888 Stepney 1c 468
Baptism 26 Feb 1888 Limehouse St Ann
Born 1 February 1888
No record beyond 1891 discovered so far
Violet Annie Parks
BMD Birth Index Sep1890 Stepney 1c 406
Baptism 13 July 1890 Limehouse St Ann
Born 18 June 1890
BMD Marriage Index Mar1911 Poplar 1c 623
(to Ernest A Hobdell)
BMD Marriage Index Sep1954 Poplar 5d 708
(to George A Petrie)
BMD Death Index Sep1956 Woolwich 5d 691 Age:66
I return now to George William Parks. We left him in 1891 as the mate on the steam tug Agincourt. He married Edith Simmonds Hardman in 1893. The 1901 England Census finds him and Edith at 69 St Albans Road, Ilford:
George W Parks Head Mar 30 Waterman Lighterman Middlesex Stepney
Edith S Do Wife Mar 25 Kent Gravesend
Edith V Do Daur 7 Do Do
George W Do Son 6 Middlesex Limehouse
Sidney J Do Son 4 Do Do
Harold B Do Son 2 Do Do
and a boarder
And in 1911 at 52 Eastwood Road, Goodmayes, Ilford:
George William Parks Head 40 Married Waterman & Lighterman Stepney Middlesex
Edith Simmonds Parks Wife 35 Married Gravesend Kent
George William Parks Son 16 Single Lighterman's Apprentice Limehouse Middlesex
Edith Violet Parks Daughter17 Single Clerk Gravesend Kent
Sidney John Parks Son 14 Single Clerk Limehouse Middlesex
Harold Bertram Parks Son 12 School Limehouse Middlesex
Gladys Irene Parks Daughter 9 School Ilford Essex
and a boarder
George William Parks worked as a Thames waterman and lighterman from at least 1891 until 1944. He was probably apprenticed a few years before 1891. He would have been 16 in 1886, the age of his son, an apprentice lighterman in 1911. By July 1944, George William senior was nearly 74 years old and had worked over 50 years on the river. He was captain of the steam tug Naja. According to the website London Lighterage tugs, Naja was owned by Gaselee and Son Ltd. On 12 July during a shift change as Tower Hill tug, Naja was struck directly by a V-1 and all six crew were killed. The body of George William Parks was found the next day.
George William and Edith Simmonds Parks are buried at Barkingside Cemetery in the London Borough of Redbridge.
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| from London Lighterage Tugs website |
My Great Grandfather was George William Parks who was killed in 1944 on the tug Naja at Tower Bridge.My Grandfather was his son Harold Bertram Parks who had a son (out of wedlock originally - until he married my Grandmother several years later) Harold John Parks, my father. Harold was brought up by foster parents in Belvedere, Kent
ReplyDeleteNigel Parks nigeljparks@aol.com
Thanks for commenting, Nigel. I am contacting you by email.
DeleteAlan