Parry family - setting the scene

Having completed the Ward side of my family to a first draft stage, I am turning my attention to the Parry side of the family. My maternal grandmother was Lena Parry. As with the Wards, I have started with Lena's great-great-grandparents, my 4th great grandparents and finished with her siblings. In theory this means 52 people in 26 chapters (one chapter per couple and a chapter each for Lena and her siblings):

• 16 great-great-grandparents (eight couples)
• Eight great-grandparents (two couples)
• Four grandparents (two couples).
• 12 siblings

In practice there will probably be 25 chapters, because one set of great-great grandparents could not be traced. This is a bit better than the Ward family where one set of great-grandparents and four sets of great-grandparents could not be traced.

I completed a lot of the basic research on the Parrys before I started writing up the Ward story, so I expect this part of the project progress more quickly than the Ward story. I think I have made a few new discoveries which I will reveal as each chapter is published on my website - see www.wardkemp.com/family-profiles/parrys.

I have just finished setting up the Parry section of the website, and most of the initial drafts prepared two years ago are there to peruse. These will be progressively updated as the project proceeds and the resources used will be added to the site where possible.

The roots of the Parry name are probably in Wales, and I think that is where our Parrys came from. But that is only one of Lena Parry's 16 2nd great-grandparents. Their origins are as follows:

• one from Merionethshire in Wales (Henry Parry)
• one possibly from Devon (Susan Shadwick)
• two from Bristol in England (John Watkins and Mary Barret)
• two from Ireland (the unknown parents of Mary Mustare)
• eight from a small area near the border of Hertfordshire and Essex (Miller, Burgess, Corby, Deane, Bayford and Wisby families)

I find it interesting to compare the origins of the Ward and Parry families. Looking first at where the 16 ancestral families came from. Eric Ward and his wife Lena Parry were both fourth generation Australians, having at least one great-grandparent born in the early years of the colony.

•  eight of Eric Ward's 2nd great-grandparents were probably born in England, four in Ireland and two in Scotland.
• 16 of Erics ancestors lived out their lives in their ancestral country, four came to Australia as convicts, five came free and five were born in the colony.
• 13 of Lena Parry's 2nd great-grandparents were born in England, two in Ireland and one in Wales.
• 18 of Lena's  ancestors lived out their lives in their home country, four came to Australia as convicts, three came free and five were born in the colony.

Enough of the meaningless statistics - on with the story. Next week I will start with the Welsh story.