Rebecca (Richardson) Parr (1827 - 1904)

Born 1827 in Essex, England, United Kingdom

Wife of James Parr — married 1847 in St Ives, Huntingdonshire, England, United Kingdom

Died 11 Jul 1904 at about age 77 in Lilydale, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Rebecca was born in England in 1827.^[1] She married James Parr in 1847.^[2] They emigrated to Australia in 1849 on the General Palmer.^[3]

Marital Separation

AFTER MANY YEARS.

DOMESTIC INFELICITY AT CROYDON.

JEALOUSY SEPARATES THE OLD FOLKS.

PARR V. PARR.

At the Lilydale Police Court, on Friday, before Mr. Hare, P.M., and Messrs Laidlaw, Hunter, and Baker, J's.P., Rebecca Parr sued her husband, James Parr, of Croydon, for maintenance.

Mr Brayshay, solicitor, appeared for the complainant, and briefly stated the case.

Complainant said she was married to defendant in Somersetshire, England, in 1847, and they came out to Australia as Government immigrants in 1849. The defendant had ill used her on three occasions, and once he had been bound over to keep the peace for six months. He assaulted her and turned her out on the 10th ult., and she now lived with her husband's brother's wife at Parr's Coffee Palace. Lilydale. Her husband had £2000 clear in the bank. Some of it was in New South Wales, and some in the Land Credit Bank and the Imperial Bank in Melbourne.

He had 197 acres of land up against Mr Dick's, on the mountain, near Lilydale. It was freehold, and was not mortgaged. He had 80 acres of freehold land where they lived at Croydon, and that also was not mortgaged. He has 18 head of stock and two horses. He was a farmer, and farmed his land up near Mr Dick's.

She had no means of support whatever, but she thought that out of what he had got, and after she had been working hard all her life, she ought to have 30s a week.

To Mr Hare : No one was present when defendant struck her, or he would not have done it, but Mrs Parr, of Lilydale, saw the bruise on her arm.

Defendant : Did I run you out of the door — Yes.

Defendant : I did not. Have you accused me of cohabiting with other women ? — Yes, and I didn't accuse you wrongly, either.

Defendant: Well, you will have to prove that.

The Chairman : Defendant does not seem to dispute the charge.

Mr Brayshay cited a number of decisions in support of Mrs Parr's claim. He contended that the law on the case was that violence was sufficient to separate the parties, and to compel the defendant to maintain his wife separately.

The Chairman concurred with Mr Brayshay, and said the Bench would like to hear what the defendant had to say about the matter.

Defendant, having gone into the box and been sworn, said; This is just what it has come to. She has always been at me about cohabiting with other women.

The Chairman ; She is jealous of you?

Defendant : That is what it is. sir.

The Chairman; Have you any other excuse ?

Defendant: That is all, sir. I wish her to go home. I don't wish her to be separated, but to be stopped of accusing me.

The Chairman : We will make an order for you to pay 20s a week, week by week, the first payment to be made at the Petty Sessions at Lilydale on the 8th of May.

Brayshay asked for five guineas costs, saying defendant was well able to pay.

The Chairman : My brother magistrates think two guineas sufficient.

Mr Brayshay: I wish your brother had to work as hard as I have.

The Chairman : Defendant will also have to find two sureties in £25 each, but as he is a landed proprietor the order as to sureties will not be enforced unless he fails to pay.

Mr Brayshay: But suppose he sells out and disappears ?

Mr Laidlaw : He could not do that.

Mr Brayshay : But he could.

Mr Laidlaw: His wife would soon know about it.

The Chairman: If he fails in any one point the order as to sureties can be enforced, or a warrant issued against him.

Defendant: I thank your worships.

The Chairman (to Mrs Parr): Now, don't you go near him.

Mrs Parr : No, sir.

The Chairman: Because if you do you may get into trouble. ^[4]

Death

Rebecca died in 1904 aged 77 at Lilydale in Victoria. Fathers surname (Richardson) listed on the death index.^[5]

• Rebecca was buried in 1904 in Lilydale, Victoria^[6]

Research Notes

It appears that Rebecca and her husband separated after she had cast allegations about his conduct with other 'women' in 1890/1891. She died in 1904 and he married in 1906 at the age of about 79.

Sources

1. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

   Name: Rebecca Richardson

   Gender: Female

   Birth Date: 5 Nov 1827

   Birth Place: Essex, England

   Father: Thomas Richardson

   Mother: Sarah Richardson

   FHL Film Number: 1702073

2. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915

   Name: Rebecca Richardson

   Registration Year: 1847

   Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun

   Registration District: St Ives

   Inferred County: Huntingdonshire

   Volume: 14

   Page: 279

   Records on Page:

   Name

   James Parr

   Rebecca Richardson

3. ↑ Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923

   Name: Rebecca Parr

   Arrival Age: 24

   Birth Date: abt 1825

   Departure Place: Plymouth

   Arrival Date: 10 Apr 1849

   Arrival Place: Port Phillip Bay, Australia

   Ship: General Palmer

4. ↑ AFTER MANY YEARS. (1891, May 6). The Lilydale Express (Vic. : 1886 - 1897 ; 1914 - 1920), p. 2. Retrieved March 14, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article252179842
5. ↑ Victoria BDM Deaths

   Family name: PARR

   Given name(s): Rebecca

   Event: Death

   Mother's name / Spouse's name:

   Mother's family name at birth:

   Father's name: Richardson

   Place of birth:

   Place of death: Ldale

   Spouse at Death:

   Age at Death: 77

   Reg. year: 1904

   Reg. number: 9345/1904

6. ↑ Australia and New Zealand, Find a Grave

   Name: Rebecca Parr

   Death Date: 11 Jul 1904

   Cemetery: Lilydale Lawn Cemetery

   Burial or Cremation Place: Lilydale, Yarra Ranges Shire, Victoria, Australia

• Victorian Edwardian Index 1902-1913
• Department of Justice, Victoria. Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages [BDM] online database: https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/5fdb465410c0341bf105f989?q=efamily