The Parsons family of Crawley
Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:59 pmGeorge Parsons was born in Ifield, near Crawley in 1854, the son of Sophia Tullett and Robert Parsons, a farm labourer. George was baptised in Crawley on 27th August 1854. George Parsons was the eldest of ten children. His father and mother and his nine siblings lived on Black Dog Farm in Worth, Sussex. George's father and brothers mainly worked on the farm, but they were also regularly employed as carters by Cheals Nursery in Crawley ( In 2005, Cheals Nursery became Squire's Garden Centre ). George's three sisters later worked as shopkeepers in the Crawley area.
As a young man, George Parsons was in domestic service, working as a coachman. Around 1882, George Parsons married a young servant girl, Mary Eliza Ennos (born 1861, Springfield, near Chelmsford, Essex ). The couple settled in Crawley, Sussex, where their two children were born - Beatrice Pauline (born December Quarter 1883, Crawley ) and Clarence George ( born December Quarter 1883, Crawley ).
George Parsons and his family lived at 6 Albert Cottages, Crawley. Although employed as a house painter, George Parsons took photographic portraits in a wooden studio at the end of his back garden. He gave this wooden building the rather grand title of the "Albert Studio".
A carte-de-visite portrait carrying a trade stamp with the wording "G. PARSONS, PHOTOGRAPHER, ALBERT STUDIO, CRAWLEY, SUSSEX" appears to date from about 1890.
At the time of the 1901 census, forty-six year old George Parsons was still living at 6, Albert Cottages, Crawley, and he gave his full-time occupation as "House Painter (worker)". George's 17 year old daughter was working as an apprentice dressmaker and his fifteen year old son Clarence was in domestic service, employed as a "House Boy".
Although he was clearly active as a photographer in Crawley in the 1890s, George Parsons is not listed as a professional photographer in Sussex trade directories until four years after the census was taken. George Parsons is listed under the heading of "Photographers" in the Trades Section of Kelly's Sussex Directory of 1905. His business address is given as High Street, Crawley. Later listings, published between 1907 and 1918, give George Parsons' studio address as 133 High Street, Crawley.
George Parsons died in 1935 and is buried in Crawley churchyard.
Tell me the names of your grandparents/parents. Then we'll see what we come up with. No catch. All free. I just love to find people.xxx
As a young man, George Parsons was in domestic service, working as a coachman. Around 1882, George Parsons married a young servant girl, Mary Eliza Ennos (born 1861, Springfield, near Chelmsford, Essex ). The couple settled in Crawley, Sussex, where their two children were born - Beatrice Pauline (born December Quarter 1883, Crawley ) and Clarence George ( born December Quarter 1883, Crawley ).
George Parsons and his family lived at 6 Albert Cottages, Crawley. Although employed as a house painter, George Parsons took photographic portraits in a wooden studio at the end of his back garden. He gave this wooden building the rather grand title of the "Albert Studio".
A carte-de-visite portrait carrying a trade stamp with the wording "G. PARSONS, PHOTOGRAPHER, ALBERT STUDIO, CRAWLEY, SUSSEX" appears to date from about 1890.
At the time of the 1901 census, forty-six year old George Parsons was still living at 6, Albert Cottages, Crawley, and he gave his full-time occupation as "House Painter (worker)". George's 17 year old daughter was working as an apprentice dressmaker and his fifteen year old son Clarence was in domestic service, employed as a "House Boy".
Although he was clearly active as a photographer in Crawley in the 1890s, George Parsons is not listed as a professional photographer in Sussex trade directories until four years after the census was taken. George Parsons is listed under the heading of "Photographers" in the Trades Section of Kelly's Sussex Directory of 1905. His business address is given as High Street, Crawley. Later listings, published between 1907 and 1918, give George Parsons' studio address as 133 High Street, Crawley.
George Parsons died in 1935 and is buried in Crawley churchyard.
Tell me the names of your grandparents/parents. Then we'll see what we come up with. No catch. All free. I just love to find people.xxx