Thomas Abbott Parker - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

[Lee Ross]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to track down any information about the time that Thomas Abbott Parker spent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

Thomas Abbott Parker was a farmer born 3rd May 1806 in Bristol, England (the son of John Parker and Sophia Gordon) and died 26th Aug 1883 in Coghills Creek, Colony of Victoria. He married Mary Lucretia McBarnett around 1835 in Bristol (haven't found a marriage record yet but info from his death cert) and they had 4 children: Sophia, Amelia, George and Eliza Jane.

Amelia and Eliza Jane emigrated from Plymouth to Melbourne (via Adelaide) on the 'Daylesford' in 1854 with their Thomas Abbott Parker.

Eliza Jane Parker married William Ross in 1874 in Coghills Creek. On the marriage certificate, her birth place is listed as 'St Vincent, West Indies' which would be in about 1847. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like her death in 1912 is registered.

I'm currently waiting on the marriage and death certificates of Amelia Parker, who married William Green Coombs in 1875 and died in 1913 in Adelaide, South Australia. Maybe they will shed some more light but I have a feeling she was born around 1839 in Bristol.

Sophia and George and his wife don't appear to have come with them to Australia and are not mentioned in his Will so I'm guessing they had passed away before 1854.

Any hints on where to look for records for Saint Vincent would be very much appreciated!

[Lee Ross]

Just an update on Amelia Parker:

According to her death certificate in 1913 she was born in 'St Vincent, West Indies' around 1939.
This might explain why I can't find the family in the 1841 Census.
Does anyone know if their is census records for St Vincent?

Cheers
Lee

[MaxD]

Not sure it helps but St Vincent was one of the British Army's West Indies stations in that time frame so if he spent any time in the army he may have been there (the 70th Regiment of Foot were there in Nov 1838 -  example).  There would also have been small numbers of British landowners, civil service administrators, churchmen and merchants one presumes.
Can't find either birth in the overseas index though.  Census - don't know.

MaxD

[Lee Ross]

Hi MaxD,

Interesting about the British Army station, there might be some connection there but not sure.