FAMILY HISTORY: SWARBRICK

THE FAMILY OF THOMAS PARKER

 

Richard Parker, the son of John Parker and Mary Gregson, was born in the village of Samlesbury, near Preston, Lancashire on 24 November 1810.

Mary Swift, the daughter of Hugh Swift and Catherine Turner, was born in Samlesbury on 02 August 1814.

Although a Catholic couple, the law of the day required that they be married in the Church of England church, St Leonard the Less, in Samlesbury, on 23 November 1835.

Richard and Mary made their home in Samlesbury and had six children, with four surviving infancy:
Catherine Parker
Mary Ann Parker
John Parker
Jane Parker
Hugh Parker
Richard Parker (1)		 Born 24 February 1838
Born 17 March 1840 - died 02 April 1865, aged 25 years
Born 16 December 1841
Born 20 November 1844 - died in infancy, c. 1845
Born 09 January 1846
Born c. 1848 - died in infancy, c. 1848
Mary (Swift) Parker died 6 April 1850 and was buried in the churchyard of the Catholic chapel in Samlesbury:
'Sacred to the Memory of
Mary
The Wife of Richard Parker of Preston
Who Departed this Life on the
6th Day of April AD 1850
Aged 36 Years'
[Monument Inscription at St Mary & St John Catholic Church, Samlesbury]
At the time of the 1851 Census, Richard's two surviving daughters, Catherine and Mary Ann, were away at boarding school in Loughborough, Leicestershire.

Richard and his two surviving sons were living in Preston with Richard's sister-in-law, Alice Swift:

 

1851 CENSUS OF PRESTON, LANCASHIRE:
NAME: RELATION: CONDITION: SEX: AGE: OCCUPATION: BIRTHPLACE:
Richard Parker Head Widower M 39 Slate Merchant Samlesbury, Lancashire
John Parker Son Unmarried M 8 Scholar Samlesbury, Lancashire
Hugh Parker Son - M 5 Scholar Samlesbury, Lancashire
Alice Parker Sister-in-Law Unmarried F 21 Housekeeper Samlesbury, Lancashire
NOTES:
1: Living at 4 Taylor Street, Preston. (H.O.107-2265, folio 597, page 12)
2: The above information is taken from the census returns on microfilm at the Lancashire Archives.

 

In June of the following year, Richard Parker married his late wife's sister, Alice Swift, in Preston. This would have been highly unusual and illegal under the laws of the day. However, in the eyes of the Catholic church they were married and their six children were legitimate:
Richard Parker (2)
Richard Parker (3)
Thomas Parker
William Parker (1)
William Parker (2)
Edward Richardson Parker		 Born c. 1852 - died in infancy, c. 1852
Born c. 1854 - died 05 April 1868, aged 14 years
Born 30 November 1856 - died 23 January 1934, aged 77 years
Born c. 1858 - died in infancy, c. 1858
Born c. 1860 - died 10 February 1939, aged 79 years
Born c. 1863 - died in infancy, c. 1863
By 1861 Richard and Alice had been married 9 years and were living in Preston with their three surviving children, as well as one of Richard's daughters by his first wife:

 

1861 CENSUS OF PRESTON, LANCASHIRE:
NAME: RELATION: CONDITION: SEX: AGE: OCCUPATION: BIRTHPLACE:
Richard Parker Head Married M 49 Slate Merchant Samlesbury, Lancashire
Alice Parker Wife Married F 43 - Samlesbury, Lancashire
Mary Parker Daughter Unmarried F 21 - Samlesbury, Lancashire
Richard Parker Son - M 6 Scholar Preston, Lancashire
Thomas Parker Son - M 4 - Preston, Lancashire
William Parker Son - M 8 mos - Preston, Lancashire
NOTES:
1: Living at 7 Stanley Place, Preston. (RG9-3129, folio 110, page 50)
2: Richard's other surviving children by his first wife had left home by this date.
3: The above information is taken from the census returns on microfilm at the Lancashire Archives.

 

By 1871 Richard's daughter Mary Ann and his son Richard Jr had died. Thomas had gone off to boarding school, leaving young William the only child still living at home:

 

1871 CENSUS OF PRESTON, LANCASHIRE:
NAME: RELATION: CONDITION: SEX: AGE: OCCUPATION: BIRTHPLACE:
Richard Parker Head Married M 59 Slate Merchant Samlesbury, Lancashire
Alice Parker Wife Married F 51 - Samlesbury, Lancashire
William Parker Son - M 10 Scholar Preston, Lancashire
Mary A Wilkinson Niece Unmarried F 37 General Servant Preston, Lancashire
NOTES:
1: Living at 8 Stanley Place, Preston. (RG10-4205, folio 28, page 48)
2: Although it is possible that the family moved next door, this is probably the same house as listed above but renumbered, which was common.
3: The above information is taken from the census returns on microfiche at the Lancashire Archives.

 

As mentioned above, their son Thomas was away at boarding school, Stonyhurst Catholic College:

 

1871 CENSUS OF AIGHTON, LANCASHIRE:
NAME: RELATION: CONDITION: SEX: AGE: OCCUPATION: BIRTHPLACE:
Thomas Parker Student Unmarried M 16 Scholar Preston, Lancashire
NOTES:
1: Boarding at Stonyhurst College, Aighton. (RG10-4162, folio 106, page 8)
2: One of Thomas' schoolmates was young Arthur Doyle, aged 11 years. He would later become famous as Arthur Conan Doyle - the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Two other schoolmates were Charles Sherlock, aged 16, and Michael Moriarty, aged 13.
3: The above information is taken from the census returns on microfiche at the Lancashire Archives.

 

Richard Parker died in Preston on 19 December 1878 and was buried in nearby Cottam. His widow went to live with their son Thomas, who, by 1881, was a chemist in Preston:

 

1881 CENSUS OF PRESTON, LANCASHIRE:
NAME: RELATION: CONDITION: SEX: AGE: OCCUPATION: BIRTHPLACE:
Thomas Parker Head Unmarried M 24 Chemist and Druggist Preston, Lancashire
Alice Parker Mother Widow F 61 Assistant Samlesbury, Lancashire
Margaret Storey Servant Unmarried F 40 Servant (Domestic) Preston, Lancashire
NOTES:
1: Living at 100 Fishergate, Preston. (RG11-4240, folio 4, page 1)
2: The above information is taken from the census returns on microfiche at the Lancashire Archives.

 

Alice (Swift) Parker died in Preston on 28 February 1899 and was buried with her late husband and some of their children in nearby Cottam:

 

MONUMENT INSCRIPTION:

Of your charity, pray for the soul of Mary Parker,
who died 2 April 1865, aged 24 years.
Also of Richard Parker, brother of the above,
who died April 5th 1868, aged 13 years.
Also of Richard Parker of Preston, father of the above,
who died December 19th 1878, aged 67 years.
Also of Alice, the beloved wife of the above Richard Parker,
who died Feb'y 28th 1899, aged 77 years.
Also of Thomas Parker, son of the above,
who died Jan'y 23rd 1934, aged 77 years.
Also of Leonard, son of the above Thomas Parker,
killed in action in France, Sept. 1st 1918, aged 23 years.
Also of William E. Parker, son of the above Richard Parker,
died Feb'y 10th 1939, aged 78 years.
May they Rest in Peace.
Also of Mary, beloved wife of the above named Thomas Parker,
died May 4th 1942, aged 81 years.

[Buried in a private family grave at St Andrew's Catholic Church, Cottam, Preston]

 

NOTES:
1: I cannot find Alice Parker in the 1891 census under either her married or maiden name.
2: The above information is taken from the original baptism, marriage and burial registers, copies of census returns on microfilm and microfiche, all held at the Lancashire Archives in Preston; and the monument inscription at St Andrew's Church.

 

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