John Sowter Parkes 1836- 18

1836. John Sowter Parkes was baptised 22/9/1836 to John Parkes & Sarah Sowter - FS Nonconformist registers.Paternoster Row Wesleyan Methodist Registry, London, England. Born 16/8/1836 at Sandy Point, St Kitts- this from Partridge-Lefridge Ancestry family tree

Most of the following from http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/answers/answers-2012/ans12-015-parkes.htm

1839. Henry Parkes was born in Antigua to John & Sarah on 9/11/1839 in Antigua.

By 1844 they had obviously been moved to Tortola, and by 1848 to Montserrat

1851C. His parents, a sister Sarah & brother James C were living at Mount Pleasant, Castle Donnington, Derbyshire

PARKES, John Head Married M 43 1808 Wesleyan Minister Derby Derbyshire
PARKES, Sarah Wife Married F 42 1809   Brailsford, Derbyshire
PARKES, Sarah Daughter Unmarried F 7 1844 Scholar Tortola, West Indies
PARKES, James C Son Unmarried M 3 1848   Montserrat, West Indies
CUNMING, Elizabet Servant Unmarried F 17 1834 General Servant Lambeth, Surrey

Sons Henry Parkes 1839 and John Sowter Parkes 1836 missing from this -away at school? Cannot find them on FMP

John Sowter Parkes arrived Hong Kong March 27th 1860 and left for England February 15th 1865

CCXLIV. ^ Pih. Rev. JOHN SOWTER PARKES   was appointed a missionary to China, by the Wesleyan Mis-   sionary Society, and 
arrived at Hongkong on March 27th, 1860,   whence he proceeded at once to Canton his destination. On   February 15th, 1865,
 he left for England with his family.

John apparently married Priscilla in China in 1862, where the first two of his children were born. Wesleyan ministers moved about every 2 years in those days. As now, a house (manse) was provided which had to be vacated if a working minister no longer lived in it. They were at Madely Hill, Madely, Wenlock, Shropshire at the time of the1871C By 1881John had been retired early on health grounds, his health having suffered badly in China. and he had been superannuated by the Methodist church. The family were homeless and temporarily staying with Priscilla’s parents at Picots/Pigotts farm, Bishops Stortford (now The Harvest Moon).

1881C

PARKES, John S Revd Head Married M 44 1837 Wesleyan Minister Superannuated St Kits, West India [sic]
PARKES, Precilla A Wife Married F 43 1838   Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire
PARKES, Mary C Daughter Single F 17 1864   Canton (Bs), China
PARKES, Margrett A Daughter Single F 16 1865   Canton (Bs), China
PARKES, Henry A Son Single M 13 1868 Watchmakers (Asst) Hale, Cornwall
PARKES, Willm F Son Single M 12 1869 Scholar Newport, Monmouthshire
PARKES, George A Son Single M 10 1871 Scholar Ironbridge, Shropshire
PARKES, Maude E Daughter Single F 8 1873 Scholar Cirencester, Gloucestershire
PARKES, Marian G Daughter Single F 6 1875 Scholar Eastington, Gloucestershire

In 1886 the Rev. John S Parkes [Wesleyan] is listed at Apton Road, Bishops Stortford, but he was not the minister in the local Wesleyan Methodist church - who was Frederick John Murrell, who was living in Portland Road (Kelly's directory)

1889. He died on 9th May 1889 at Canton Cottage, the probate registry describing him as of Northampton, formerly of Towester, Northamptonshire and late of Apton Road, Bishops Stortford, probate being given to his widow, Priscilla Ann Parkes, of Canton Cottage, Bishops Stortford. He left £750.

No grave found in Bishops Stortford's 6 cemeteries or in Towcester's - Find A Grave

In 1891C his widow was living at Canton Cottage Prep School, Apton Road, Bishops Stortford

She continued to live in the cottage at Apton Road with some of her daughters, where daughter Maude Eleanor ran a very small school.  There was no mention of school related activities in 1901. 1911C shows three boarders, Violet Smith (11 born Eastington), Muriel Vincent (11), and Marguerte Palser (10).  Mrs Parkes is listed in Kelly's Directory as living at 20 Apton Road until the 1926 edition and the probate records shows she died on 21 March 1930.

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