Wroe Parkin-thornhill Dewsbury/passenger List

[ginger's girl]

Whilst taking a break from researching my own family history, I picked up and did some for my husband’s side. His great-grandfather Wroe Parkin (Thornhill, Dewsbury) was a regular church-going sole, who worked at the local pit (Thornhill) as an overman (deputy). In fact he helped in rescuing 4 men in the Thornhill pit disaster.

I found out that he had visited America in 1907….. Ellis Island records showed that he had visited his sister who lived in Gleasondale, Massachusetts. He arrived with $150 in his pocket (don’t know how much that would be at the time) and had funded the voyage himself. The records also state that he had been to the USA before to Maynard. However, I haven’t been able to find out when. Don’t know if anyone out there could help on this as we are very curious.

What I loved about looking at the record was that it showed him to be 5’6” tall, fair complexion and hazel eyes….just like my hubby!!! (Although not in nature, as Wroe, apparently was a bit of an ogre, and my hubby is a softie!!)

I wonder if anyone could enlighten us as to how a pit deputy could afford to go to America several times, as he had a large family, and I don’t suppose a large income.

Any information/ideas would be welcome.

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

I have some booklets for Thornhill Parish, one of them is an Index for Burials and it includes a summary of the Pit Disaster in 1893, giving the names of 110 men and boys, of the 139 who died.

Just in case you don't know this already, names of the rescuers and survivors can be found in copies of the Dewsbury Reporter dated 8 July 1893.

Just another snippet of info which you probably know already is that your Wroe PARKIN was baptised on the 20th December 1863 at Thornhill Parish. He was the son of James & Mary (James was a Miner and they were living in Edge at the time ).

[Peter Goodey]

"a regular church-going sole"

Sounds fishy to me!

More seriously, how do you know? There are very few of my ancestors that I've found records for indicating that they were regular church-goers. Obviously I'm talking about times when church attendance wasn't compulsory. A tiny handful (easily countable on one hand) were down as church wardens or other minor functionaries in the church but for the majority - nothing at all!

Back to Wroe Parkin - if you look at the 1901 census you'll see he had two children born in USA which suggests he was there with his wife in USA in 1887-8-9 or thereabouts.

[Peter Goodey]

I noticed that one of their sons, born after their return to England, was named Hiram C Parkin. I thought that was quite funny until I realised that there was a surprising concentration of Hirams in the West Riding.

Ah well. Learn something new and useless every day...

[Darren Parkin]

Hello there. I stumbled upon this thread by complete accident. However, I should be able to help answer a lot of your questions about Wroe Parkin - my great-grandfather - as I've been doing a good deal of research.

I realise this thread is now some years old, so before I waffle on, can I just check you're still on here?

Darren Parkin.

[Darren Parkin]

"a regular church-going sole"

Sounds fishy to me!

More seriously, how do you know? There are very few of my ancestors that I've found records for indicating that they were regular church-goers. Obviously I'm talking about times when church attendance wasn't compulsory. A tiny handful (easily countable on one hand) were down as church wardens or other minor functionaries in the church but for the majority - nothing at all!

Back to Wroe Parkin - if you look at the 1901 census you'll see he had two children born in USA which suggests he was there with his wife in USA in 1887-8-9 or thereabouts.

...he was the choirmaster at Thornhill. My father - Wroe's grandson - was also in the choir.