- Parr Family Genealogy 2005 -

Frederick

Frederick, son of Robert Parr and Hannah Charity was born 15 October 1833 at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, England. Frederick's parents brought Frederick and his siblings to Wardsville, Ontario, Canada by1836, via the New York port.

Jane, daughter of John Whiting was born 11 March 1834 at England.

They married 29 November 1854 at by Rev. H. Wilkinson. The Christian Guardian mentioned that Fred was from Mosa (Township), and that Jane was from London Township (both Ontario Townships).

A recollection from grandson Dr. Raymond Parr, was his grandmother sharpening her butcher knife on one of the bricks by the back door of her house. Unfortunately when I went to check out the back door brick story, I only found a hole in the ground, the house was demolished and removed. Frederick Parr and Jane Whiting had 13 children; Robert, Mariah Jane, Henry, Rachel, Elizabeth Ann, William George, David Frederick, Joe (Josiah in the 1871 census), Emma May, Ida Mary, Bertha, Charles, and Lavinie.

Frederick was a religious man with entrepreneurial spirit. The idea of him being an entrepreneur comes from his buying and selling land packages. He had submitted a plan for "Centreville". It was to be located between Wardsville and Newbury, and it was a town plot consisting of two streets and 4 sections of 4 half acre lots. There was a planned street with 8 lots on either side named "Parr Street". It was registered in March of 1855 and it was the North Half of Lot 17 in the Second Range.

However. Checking the history of what was going on in the area may explain why it never happened. The early 1850's started a land boom because of the railroad showing up in Mosa Township. "Centreville" never came to reality because the land bust began in 1855, after the railroad went away from this location.

In the 1861 census for Mosa Township, Fred was neighbours to his mother and step-father. Three children were born by this time, Robert, Mariah Jane, and Henry. They were living in a brick one storey house.

The Middlesex Gazetteer and Directory 1864-1866 found Fred and family living in Mosa Township, Concession 2, Lot 17; the same area as his brother-in-law, Robert Beveridge. The 1861 census confirms that location for Fred Parr.

In the 1871 census, children Rachel, Eliza, David, William, Joe, (though the census says Josiah), and Emma were part of the family.

Published in the Middlesex County Atlas of 1878, Fred Parr was listed on page 50 as a farmer, on the 2 Range, NLR 17 with the date of settlement of 1842, nativity of England and post office of Wardsville.

In the 1891 census, daughter Emma was a next door neighbour and son Henry's family were living with Fred and Jane.

Recognition was made of Fred being "among the old settlers of Mosa", as he was listed with others in the History of the County of Middlesex, Canada.

Granddaughter Alta (Colborne) McEwen recollected that Frederick was a religious man. . In his Christian caring, he went out of his way to care for a woman with tuberculosis, and he caught the disease and died from it. Indeed, 5 great grandchildren were ministers and four family bibles were found tracing various parts of Fred’s family. One was found that listed his parents and siblings’ birth dates, with the added bonus of Fred’s marriage date and his children's’ birth dates. A genealogical treasure. For the family bible links: parents and siblings birth dates and Frederick's marriage date and his children's birth dates

Fred died 29 January 1900 and was buried at Bear Creek Cemetery near Brigden, Ontario.

For the 1901 census, Jane was living with son David and daughter Vina in a 4 room house at Moore Township.

Jane died on 8 April 1909 and was buried next to Fred.

If you have information on Frederick Parr, or his descendants, please contact me at parrresearch@sympatico.ca
or my mailing address is:
Jack Parr, Box 609 Mount Albert, ON, LOG 1MO, Canada

I thank you for your interest in the family of Robert and Hannah Parr.

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