Family Notes - March 2019

In 1745 Jacobite rebels sought to regain the British throne for the ‘Old Pretender’ James Stuart under the leadership of his son, the ‘Young Pretender’ Charles Stuart. Find My Past recently released a variety of papers associated with this event, accompanied by basic transcriptions of names, dates and places, however anyone interested in this period of British history would be advised to read the original images of the documents as there is a good amount of further information contained therein.

Joseph Parrot was among those committed to Whitehaven prison on suspicion of high treason following his arrest on 24th December 1745. Records from the year of his imprisonment state that he was born in Warwick, but a later entry – in 1746 – notes that he was arrested at Warwick Bridge which is a village in Cumbria. He had been apprehended by Everard Fawkener who was secretary to the Duke of Cumberland. Testimony from Elizabeth Parker of Brampton – which is four miles from Warwick Bridge – records that “during the time the rebels were at Brampton she saw Joseph Parrot frequently in conversation with the rebels and discoursing in a friendly manner”. Another resident of Brampton said that he saw Joseph acting as a guide for the rebels. A later record from May 1746 records that Joseph was out on bail.

A document recording examination of prisoners on The Norwich states that “Robert Parret was in the Welch Fusiliers in Captain Taylors Company taken Prisoner at Ghent”. The 23rd Royal Welch Fuzileers had been garrisoned at Ghent until July 1745 when the city fell to the French during the War of the Austrian Succession. It appears that the examination of Robert Parret took place on 26th August 1746 and was conducted by an Irish officer, Captain Stratford Eyre.

I have not as yet been able to establish where Joseph or Robert came from or what became of them – were they imprisoned, executed, sent overseas or freed? The testimony relating to Joseph suggests he may have been from Cumberland (Cumbria). The Royal Welch Fusiliers principally drew their recruits from North Wales, which may provide a clue to Robert’s origins. There are a number of possible entries in the Society database which may point to the identity of these two men – any suggestions or further information would be very welcome..

We’ve scoured the pages of newspapers recently added to the British Newspaper Archive website to bring you some P*rr*tt-related articles.

NEWCASTLE EVENING CHRONICLE (Northumberland, England) – 16th January 1896

ONE CHILD KILLED AND SEVERAL INJURED. Among the incidents of a heavy north-westerly gale which swept over the country yesterday there is none more pathetic than that which relates to the fall of a chimney-stack at Low Moor, Bradford. The pathos lies in the fact that the victims were tiny children – little more than babies … While the storm was at its height one of the chimneys of the Raw Nook Infants’ School was blown down …

The school, which is within a short distance of the Low Moor Station, is one of several which the Low Moor Iron and Coal Co. have generously provided for the district … [Miss Inglis said] “I saw little James William Parrott struck. One large stone fell on him and crushed his head as he gave a startled cry” … It was seen that Charles John Parrott, less than four years old, the son of a ticket collector at the Low Moor Station, could not survive his injuries. The poor little fellow’s skull was fractured and within an hour of the accident he was dead.

WESTERN MAIL (Glamorgan, Wales) – 31st January 1934

CAPT. GEORGE PERRETT, BRITON FERRY. The death occurred on Tuesday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Albert Young, 32, Wallace-street, Neath, of Capt. George Perrett, an old Neath Trinity House pilot and an old resident of Briton Ferry, aged 84. Capt. Perrett was a pilot at Briton Ferry for many years and afterwards captain of the harbour tugboat.

He was the last of the old regime of pilots and the last of four brothers who had been pilots in the port. He was the father of the late Lieutenant Fred Perrett, the Welsh international forward, and he leaves two sons, Mr. Arthur Perrett, Swansea, and Mr. Albert Perrett, Briton Ferry, and four daughters.

NEWCASTLE EVENING CHRONICLE (Northumberland, England) – 1st June 1886

A VIOLENT CHARACTER AT WASHINGTON. – At the Gateshead County Police Court, this morning, James Connel was charged with being drunk and disorderly at Washington on the 29th ult. He was further charged with entering the house of Hugh Parrett and breaking five panes of glass and the framework, and also with assaulting Hugh Parrett by blacking his eye. He was sent to gaol for a month with hard labour.