Parrott Parrot Perrett and other spellings, from Gloucestershire

[JohnTDE]

I'm researching the Parrott family from about 4-6 generations ago (mid 18th century to mid 19th century), centred in Gloucestershire. The problem I'm getting is the great variety of spellings. There were also a lot of Parrotts there. A veritable flock! Often-repeated first names are Simon (or Simeon), Thomas, William, Edith, Sarah, Esther, Mary and Catherine.
All help, and any links, will be greatly appreciated

[Neale1961]

For anyone to help, you would need to post more specific detail of your family of interest.
Dates, names, places, census details that you know are correct would be the starting point.

[JohnTDE]

Thanks!
The starting point I'm interested in is the 1841 census entry for the household of Thomas Perrott at Winterwell Cottage, Northleach. There are four people in the entry: Thomas (b. 1779 in Northleach), Catherine Perrott (b. 1781), Edith Perrott (b. 1779), and Edith Brown (my g-g-g-grandmother, b. Edith Parrott in 1803). Catherine and Edith Perrott were unmarried great-aunts of Edith Brown, the daughters of Simon Perrott (b. ca 1816) and Mary Turner, who were married in 1772 in Aldsworth.
So far I've been unable to locate any family link between Thomas and (Catherine and Edith Perrott).
Any ideas?

[Neale1961]

.... I'm interested in is the 1841 census entry for the household of Thomas Perrott at Winterwell Cottage, Northleach. There are four people in the entry: Thomas (b. 1779 in Northleach), Catherine Perrott (b. 1781), Edith Perrott (b. 1779), and Edith Brown (my g-g-g-grandmother, b. Edith Parrott in 1803).

The 1841 has Thomas living in the Tything of Eastington in Northleach. This census doesn’t give place of birth, only birth county. Ages were rounded down.
Possibly the same Thomas Parrott living in Eastington in 1851 census, age 72, widower, born Eastington.
Buried in 1854 in Northleach, age 75

Catherine and Edith Perrott were unmarried great-aunts of Edith Brown, the daughters of Simon Perrott (b. ca 1816) and Mary Turner, who were married in 1772 in Aldsworth.
So far I've been unable to locate any family link between Thomas and (Catherine and Edith Perrott).

Not possible for Simon to have been born in 1816 if he married in 1772! More likey he died then, and he was the Simon born in Aldsworth in 1744.


There is a baptism in 1779 Northleach for a Thomas Parrott, son of George Parrott and Eliza.
(Other children born to George and Eliza in Northleach:- William 1780, William 1781, Mary 1783.)
George Parrot of Northleach married Elizabeth Baylis in 1778 Chedworth.

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Siblings:-

Simon Parrott born 1744 Aldsworth to William and Mary (bapt 15 July)
George Parrot born 1746 Aldsworth to William and Mary (bapt 6 July)

There is also a Catherine Parrot born 1747 Aldsworth to William and Mary

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I don't see baptisms for Catherine or Edith Parrott 1779-1781 as seen in 1841 census, but if you have confirmed they were daughters of Simon, they would be cousins of Thomas in the 1841 census.

[JohnTDE]

Thank you Neale1961. That was brilliant.

Apology first for the wrong abbreviation for Simon Perrott. I meant to write 'bur' not 'b'. I hadn't found his birth in Aldsworth because (for various reasons) I'm working from the Bishop's Transcripts. Aldsworth is missing 1744. Interestingly the Bishop's Transcripts for Northleach show no William Parrott baptised in 1781. There's a William baptised in 1780 (December 17) and a Mary baptised in 1783 (February 23) but I find no Parrott on what is obviously a continuous transcript for the whole of 1781.

So the Parrotts living in 1841 at Winterwell Cottage, Northleach, were first cousins. Thomas, born 1779, says something interesting about the descriptions used in the early censuses. The 1841 census (if I remember correctly) describes him (then unmarried) as a farmer. However, in the 1851 census, by which time he was retired, he is described simply as an agricultural labourer. He is also given then as a widower. He evidently married an Ann Price in 1845, who was a recent widow of a Robert Price, also an agricultural labourer. Like Thomas, Robert was also about 20 years her senior. She died in 1849 and he (Thomas) lived on until 1854 with only a housekeeper. I'd always thought (perhaps not unreasonably) that the men referred to on those early census returns as 'Agricultural Labourers' - this includes many of my forebears - were poor folk. But evidently some of them must have had enough resources to attract new wives, to accommodate relatives, and to keep household servants. Describing Thomas as an agricultural labourer might have been doing him an injustice, particularly when you look at the quality of his headstone.

Now back to the records....

[Neale1961]

... The 1841 census (if I remember correctly) describes him (then unmarried) as a farmer. However, in the 1851 census, by which time he was retired, he is described simply as an agricultural labourer. He is also given then as a widower. He evidently married an Ann Price in 1845, who was a recent widow of a Robert Price, also an agricultural labourer.

The 1841 census does NOT give marital status, so you have no way of knowing if Thomas Parrot was single, married or widowed in 1841.
His 1845 marriage was his second marriage (at least), so in 1841 he would have been a widower.

Marriage 11 Oct 1845 Northleach
Thomas Parrot, full-age, widower, farmer of Eastington. Father – George Parrot, dead.
Ann Price, full-age, widow or Northleach. Father - Robert King, dead.


(Note – George Parrot burial 24 Jan 1839 Northleach, age 92)