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Post by Admin on Nov 19, 2007 22:27:07 GMT
Written by kenneth parker on Oct. 1, 2007
If anyone has access to the obit of the well-known local singer, Thomas Parker, in the Keighley News of 14 Apr 1866, I would be very grateful for a copy.
E-mail: maplehurst@clara.net
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Post by Graeme on Oct 1, 2012 16:17:38 GMT
Hi
I am currently researching the ancestry of Thomas Parker and would be keen to know if a copy of this obituary exists. Or alternatively if information on his siblings exits
Regards
Graeme Parker
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Post by keighleyboy on Oct 3, 2012 10:04:48 GMT
Keighley News 14Apr1866.
DEATH OF MR T. PARKER - The district has lost another of its notabilities in the person of Mr.Thomas Parker, the celebrated vocalist. Prior to his appearance in public, and while almost a child, he met with a patron in the late Joseph Greenwood Esq.,of Oxenhope, who introduced him to Mr. Stobbart, the organist at the Parish Church, Halifax. Under this strict disciplinarian, he took his firs lessons in singing. When in his tenth year, he made his debut in public in Thornton Chapel. At thirteen years of age, he sang in York Minster. Shortly after this period, he was engaged by the late Mr. White, the violinist, of Leeds, at which town he sang, and afterwards at Sheffield. Whilst at the latter place, he received an invitation to Birmingham. Being quite a boy, he was handed over to the care of the coachman, who was charged to leave him at a certain inn in the great hardware capital. From this time he became noted for the excellence and sweetness of his soprano voice, and was engaged by the celebrated Mr. Braham and Mrs Salmon, with whom he went through all the great towns of the north of England and the south of Scotland, performing with his accustomed success at each place. After singing for several weeks in succession in Edinburgh, he was siezed with an attack of home sickness, and with a corps of eight chorus singers, natives of the same parish, asked to be released from his engagement. Mr Braham, with a generosity worthy of his great name, not only acceded to their wishes, but paid their fares to Leeds. On reaching the shaggy moorland of his native home,he formed a resolution never to leave them again for more than a single day or night. This vow he most rigidly kept to the day of his death. Although Mr. Parker became a great favourite, and never throughout his long career experienced a failure, he limited his performances, with few exceptions, to the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. He declined all invitations to the metropolis, on the plea that he could not entirely divest himself of provincial pronunciation. Some years ago he was solicited to sing in the Crystal Palace, when he excused himself on the grond of old age and infirmities. Some of the most noted of his early colleagues were Messrs. Thomas Lee and Nevitt; he also joined with Miss Paton in duets at York. The following pieces will be recollected with his name:- 'No Anxious Fears' and 'Deeper and Deeper Still', from Joseph; 'Why Doth the God of Israel Sleep' from Samsom; 'Sound the Alarm' from Judas and 'Thou Shalt Break Them fro Messiah. The last time but one he sang in public was in November 1865 at Keighley, in aid of a fund to be presented to musical colleague who had become disabled by an accident, and the last time was at Christmas at the Wesleyan School soiree at Lower Town , Oxenhope. After a short interruption to his usual good health, Mr. Parker died on Sunday the 8th of the present month in his 80th year, and was interred in the Wesleyan burial ground at Lower Town near Haworth, his remains being followed to the grave by all the professors of the 'devine art' in the neighbourhood, as well as by scores of amateurs and admirers. Whilst his coffin was resting on the trestles in the chapel, a band of old colleagues, consisting of Messrs. Dunderdale, Baldwin and Denbigh, led by Mrs Craven, sang two of favourite hymns, and concluded with Pope's 'Vital Spark'. A regret almost universal is expressed by the inhabitants of Haworth and its neighbourhood tha he was not buried at their Parish Church, where rest, among other notables, the remains of a brother musician, Mr. Hopkinson, who for many years was leader of the band belonging to Wonbwell's menagerie.
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Post by Graeme on Oct 3, 2012 17:03:14 GMT
Brilliant thank you. Certainly saved a trip to Keighley library.
Would you know if the Wesleyan burial ground at Lower Town is the same burial ground referred to as Lower Town old burial ground at the intersection of Jew Lane?
Thanks again
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Post by sean1981 on Oct 4, 2012 8:38:54 GMT
Could be there yes, either side of the road.
Also the one where station road meets Hebden bridge road at Muffin corner. Houses were built at the bottom and flats higher up but there must be a grave yard too I would think.
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Post by Graeme on Oct 6, 2012 21:30:41 GMT
Paid a trip to gravestone today. One seriously neglected cemetery. Such a shame. Someone should do something about it. Local council should be held responsible and history should be preserved
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Post by Andy Wade on Oct 6, 2012 22:28:10 GMT
Unfortunately that's typical of quite a few cemeteries around here, although not all cemeteries come under the responsibility of the council.
Some have been cleaned up in recent years, such as Slack Lane Baptist Chapel in Oakworth and West Lane Methodist in Haworth.
Dockroyd graveyard in Oakworth is appalling, being under private ownership, and the owner has pulled down the Victorian front gates and wall despite it being in a conservation area, but Bradford council, having taken him to court for it (and won) haven't followed through with the order to rebuild the gates and wall. We're being seriously let down.
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Post by Graeme on Oct 7, 2012 6:14:46 GMT
Hi Andy. I couldn't agree more. By the way thank you for whoever did West Lane as I also have many Parker ancestors buried there to. Hard to believe how someone famous such as Thomas Parker could be so forgotten I could not believe how overgrown and vandalised the Lower town New burial ground was. Such a shame
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Post by Andy Wade on Oct 7, 2012 12:54:21 GMT
It was the parishioners of West Lane Methodist Church who organised their own cemetery clean up. One of the Church wardens told me this last year as I was doing some work in the building and asked whom I had to thank for making it a lot easier for me to photograph the remaining war graves and war memorial inscriptions that I couldn't get to, for all the brambles and weeds.
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Post by Andy Wade on Oct 7, 2012 12:57:17 GMT
Forgot to ask fchgt, are any of the Parkers on the Men of Worth website related to you? I would be very interested in you having a look. I actually have more information than appears on the website: Men of Worth - James W. Parker |
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Post by Graeme on Oct 7, 2012 18:55:13 GMT
Hi Andy. Its not a name I recognise. Most of my early Parkers eminate from Haworth and Oxenhope and then they gravitated towards Bingley, Shipley and Pudsey. All involved in the Mill business. My grand uncle Thomas Gladstone Parker served in the Bradford pals and survived the Somme amd rest of war. His other brothers were too young to enlist before the war ended. There is some classic archive film footage of the Parker Mills on West Yorkshire archive website. Thats TGP and his brothers.
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Post by Andy Wade on Oct 7, 2012 19:15:53 GMT
Ah well, then you might need to look further into this. Most of the 'Men of Worth' Parkers are from Haworth and Oxenhope.
I have:
Bingley - a picture of S. Parker from the Keighley news - wounded.
Oxenhope - Harry Parker killed 15th April 1918.
Haworth - John Edward Parker - Killed WW1 - picture from Keighley News, when he was wounded earlier.
Haworth - James William - killed in WW1
Haworth - John William Parker - Killed WW1 - picture from Keighley News.
Haworth West Lane Methodist - N (Nathaniel?) Parker died in WW1 - on their memorial plaque in the chapel.
Stanbury War memorial - John William Parker and Nathaniel Parker, both died in WW1.
Grand United Order of Oddfellows at Haworth - Abraham Parker of the Army Service Corps died in WW1.
West Lane Methodist Chapel again - Lance Corporal Norman Parker killed in Italy in WW2 aged 24.
I have yet to fully research all of these men but with there being such a large number of them from the same area, I would be surprised in they're not related to your family, or at least to each other.
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Post by Graeme on Oct 7, 2012 19:51:56 GMT
Harry Parker of Oxenhope I believe is a relative of Thomas Parker ("Yorkshire Tenor") possibly gg grandson. I will need to check out your website and let you know. I'm still trying to prove the connection to my family, possibly TP is either brother of my gggg grandfather or cousin. Suspect the latter. However Non conformist records are proving a wee challenge
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Post by barcroftlad on Oct 8, 2012 3:11:50 GMT
The Parkers were a well known family in Oxenhope when I was a teen in the early 50s. They lived in a big house up t'Merrus, I think it was, set in its own grounds. Moorehouse Lane to offcumdens! I think the name of the house was Gledhow. I haven't thought about it for years. I think at that time dad was Joe and there was a lad my age called Neville, a good bloke who we all got on well with. If anyone can confirm the name of the house that would be good, but if necessary I can check with my Oxenhope connections. Cheers.
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Post by fsharpminor on Oct 9, 2012 14:31:24 GMT
Is he anything to do with Thomas Parkers spinners in Golbourne Street
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Post by Graeme on Oct 9, 2012 18:47:20 GMT
fsharpminor - not entirely sure to be truthful as my research has only just begun. Seems that Parkers are a well established family in the area.
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Post by Graeme on Oct 9, 2012 18:56:57 GMT
barcroftlad = Interesting comment as I am reliably informed my 4th great grandfather (Abraham Parker) came from MoorHouse Haworth which I believe was MoorHouse farm along with his brother William Parker c 1800 and were affiliated to West Lane Baptist church. Not managed to get further back than that. These Parker's are either involved in the Mills or offshoot into the musicians aka Handel Parker of Deep Harmony fame. I know Thomas Parker (Yorkshire Tenor) is in the mix somewhere but can't fathom out the connection. Tad frustrating but not giving up just yet
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Post by telscombe59 on Oct 10, 2012 8:49:13 GMT
The house was definitely called Gledhow, I was born in the early 50's and lived first at Bents Cottages next to Bents Farm which was very close to Gledhow then moved to Marsh Lane and then Moorhouse Lane, we played around Gledhow when I was a kid and I think it was derelict when it was demolished to make way for new housing part of which is Gledhow Drive
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Post by barcroftlad on Oct 10, 2012 10:04:48 GMT
Pleased to help Graeme, even in a small way. hi telscombe59, thanks for confirming the name Gledhow for me. It is almost 60 years since I left the area for downunder, so I am thankful the old memory is working ok! Cheers.
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Post by hartleyresearcher on Feb 12, 2014 8:56:20 GMT
The Wesleyan's have 2 graveyards in Oxenhope, the old and the new. Both are located at the bottom of Leeming, with the old being on the left of the road facing uphill and the new to the right. The old burial ground is owned and maintained by theoxenhopeoldburialgroundstrust.org.uk/ and the new is still owned by the Wesleyan's.
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