Sir Henry PARKES

[liverpool annie]

Lets know what you find in the book Shaun !! 

Wonder if this would be any good ??

http://www.rootschat.com/links/04cc/

Heres a young picture of him ...

http://www.rootschat.com/links/04cd/

[trish251]

I'm not sure if anyone has linked to the dictionary of biography
http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A050455b.htm

It mentions 6 siblings and a little of his early life

Trish

[ShaunJ]

Many thanks to all who have responded.

The book " An Emigrant's Home Letters" is well worth downloading and reading for its accounts of life in poverty in London in the late 1830's and Sydney in the 1840's, and shipboard life during the 4 month voyage. It's one of those books that is hard to put down.

This is what I've discovered so far:

Henry's Parents

Father: Thomas Parkes, born Stoneleigh, Warwickshire c. 1780 (probably to Edward and Sarah Parkes in 1778). Tenant farmer, migrated to Wales and then back to Birmingham, spent some time in debtors' prison. Died c. 1860

Mother: Martha Faulconbridge born Allesley, Warwickshire 1774 to Thomas Faulconbridge and Mary. Died 1842 after a long illness.

Thomas and Martha were married 12 October 1800 in Stoneleigh.

Martha may have had children from previous relationships: Allesley parish records in the Coventry Archives contain papers concerning a Martha Faulconbridge “who is with child by Samuel Hadley” (PA 295/55/6;  25 Sept 1790) and a Simon Hyott “respecting Martha Faulkenbridge” ( PA 295/17/6; 31 March 1797). The IGI has the baptism in 1799 of a child Martha born to Martha Faulconbridge.


 Census: In 1851, Thomas is with daughters Maria and Sarah, and grandson Thomas Anthony Parkes at 233 Bristol Street, Birmingham. I have not been able to find Thomas or Martha in the 1841 census.


Henry’s Siblings

The ones named in the book are:

Sarah: bap 1801 Stoneleigh. A staymaker, in the census with sister Maria at 233 Bristol Street Birmingham in 1841, 1851 and 1861. Father Thomas is with them in 1851. Nephew Thomas Anthony is with them in 1841 and 1851. Sarah died in 1861 when Henry was in England on a lecture tour.

James: bap 1805 St John Coventry. Had a son William EDIT James was a police constable. Sister Eliza is with him on the 1851 census - back of 88 Heneage Street, Aston

George: bap 1807 St John Coventry

Eliza: bap 1809 St John Coventry; staymaker.

Maria: bap 1811 St John Coventry, died Springwood NSW 1891. Presumably migrated to Australia after death of sister Sarah in 1861

John:  nothing known

There would appear to have been one more sibling:  the father of Henry’s nephew Thomas Anthony Parkes who was born in Pontypool, Monmouth circa 1829. We know from the book that Tom was an orphan and was the son of Henry’s eldest brother. He was being brought up by Sarah and Maria. Tom’s father was probably Thomas Parkes (bap 1803 St John Coventry).

The nephew Thomas Anthony Parkes married Annie Moore in Sydney in 1855.

[deeiluka]

I'm sure I saw somewhere else today that Martha already had two children when she married Thomas.

There are photographs of Sir Henry Parkes with his two wives, and also one of him with an Annie Parkes on the Picture Australia website,
www.pictureaustralia.org/

There are also photographs of his grave on there.

.....dee

[ShaunJ]

Thanks for that link Dee. Lots of great pictures there. Miss Annie Parkes would be his daughter I think.

[ShaunJ]

I've now found his parents in the 1841 census:

HO107/1142 /7 Folio 10 page 15

Bromsgrove (?) Street, Birmingham

Thomas Parks 60 Gardener
Martha do 67
Eliza Ann do 30

All born in-county

[trish251]

Bromsgrove Street is probably correct Shaun, cause there is a town/village called Bromsgrove not too far from Birmingham - I had some inlaws living there 1970s/80s

It is an interesting task you have set yourself, and rather a nice way to learn some history. I have had some family stories related to famous folks - the most recent being we were related to the Ross family of explorers (Arctic/antarctic). It was mentioned in the obit of a gg Uncle in 1911.  After researching both families (the famous lot much easier than mine) I cannot find a link - I wonder if the gg Uncle said it in jest, because he was descended from a Ross - and someone remembered and wrote in in his obituary 

I hope your search has a better ending

Trish

[little meg]

There is a town Parkes in NSW, I presume it was named after him.
One of my ancestors lived/lives in Parkes, farmers.
Not much help but thought might be of interest 

Margaret

[liverpool annie]

I found this book ............

Letters from Menie: Sir Henry Parkes and His Daughter (Hardcover)

by Menie Parkes (Author)

 "These are the surviving letters of Clarinda Sara - or 'Menie' - Parkes (1839-1915), chiefly to her father, Henry Parkes (1815-96), the leading politician of nineteenth-century New South Wales. Their outstanding sensitivity and articulateness, and the intimacy with which Menie wrote to her father, will make the letters of absorbing interest to the general reader and of unique value to social historians, especially those interested in women's history". Includes b&w photographs, preface, introduction, epilogue, notes, and index. Neat ink name to title page, otherwise a very nice clean tight solid hardcover copy, in publisher's unclipped pictorial dustjacket. 192pp.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=0522842224