For the descendents of Richard Dearie and his son John Russell
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Francis (Frank) Russell Parkinson.
Born 1857 (Possibly in Bath)
Died 2 June 1937, Godshill, Isle of Wight.
Retired Lt. Col. and former C.O. in Welsh Regiment.
Compiled by Claire Grey
Frank married for the first time in Cardiff in 1883, at the age of 27 to Mary Frances Thornton.
The album of his military campaigns shows Malta in 1889, 1890, 1892,1893, Floriana in Malta, and winners of Malta Jockey Club cup, The Nile 1889, Luxor, Shellal, Karnak. HMS Victoria and HMS Camperdown in 1893 and Plymouth in 1896. “Our bungalow Bellary 1898”, Satara 1899, polo players undated, Bellary 1897, and 1898, Satara 1899, and 1900. (Bellary and Satara are South West and West India). There are a number of pictures of gentlemen and ladies taking tea; one of which may be his wife. There is also a picture taken in Johannesburg, and one of the regimental goat taken in Lullington in 1905.
25 years after his marriage he celebrated his silver wedding in 1908 with a silver dish. (See picture at bottom of this page.)
He was living with his wife at The Lodge, Radyr, Nr. Cardiff in 1911, and can be found in a street directory living in Minehead in 1927, retired.
He married Freda Mossop in 1934 in Marylebone. The vicar was not sure who the bridegroom was, since Frank was old enough to be the bride's father.
The marriage was not a success, Anne Russell was recorded as saying it was “ mercifully short”.
Research into Frank's ancestry has only been made from secondary sources, so cannot be relied on. He appears to have had a twin brother called Percival George.
His father was George Thomas Parkinson, a dentist, who was born in Kentish Town London. His mother’s name was Elizabeth, she was born in 1819 in Horton-Kirby, Kent. Frank had 5 sisters.
At East Grove John Dennis Russell kept some photographs that are of Russell- Parkinson ancestors.
Frank appears to have had no children from his first marriage, since many of his possessions were found when Freda died including the photograph album of his military campaigns, and a piece of silver commemorating his silver wedding in 1908.
A search on-line has brought up this page from Rootschat.
He died in Godshill on the Isle of Wight on 2 June 1937, at the age of 80.
There is a death notice in the Times of 3rd June.
He was a very small man, about 5 foot 4 inches. As a student Claire Grey used to fit into his dinner jacket and trousers acquired when Freda died in 1969, although they were rather full of moth holes even then.
The two photographs on the left are not named. On the right Frank's father George Thomas Parkinson who was a dentist. The Parkinson family crest was a recumbent stag and several pieces of silver exist with it on. Far left Catherine Russell, (1831-1922), Frank's mother Elizabeth's sister. She was the last child of James and Letitia Russell . She was unmarried until the 1890’s when she married a General.
The photograph on the right is of James and Letitia Russell, by the Art Portrait Co. 111, Grove Lane, Camberwell SE. They are the parents of Catherine Russell (above) and Frank's maternal grandparents. They married in 1812 in Horton Kirby, (near Dartford, Kent) and had 5 sons and 5 daughters. The original was a Daguerreotype, a positive image made on a polished copper plate. This paper copy was probably made by the Camberwell photographers. It was taken before 1854 when James died.
These photographs were kept by John Dennis Russell with Frank's other photographs. There appears to be no connection between these Russells and Jack Russell. Thanks to Margaret Stocker for confirming the identity of the sitters.
Above right, an enlargement from Frank's album captioned "Our Bungalow, Bellary 1898." This may be him and his first wife, Mary Frances Thornton. (Bellary is in Karnataka State in South West India, originally called Mysore.)
Right: Silver cigarette case with the Parkinson deer crest. F.R.P. from ?? 14 Sept 1882. Thanks to Bobby Russell for the photograph.
