Reuben Parsons

  General Notes:

Reuben and Hannah Parsons emigrated to NSW in 1837-38 along with his brother Matthew. After completing his engagement at 'Camden Park', he lived in Parramatta (where he was recorded at the time of the 1841 Census) before joining Matthew in
Wollongong in 1944, where he establishd a business as an ironmonger and tinsmith on the corner of Corrimal and Market Streets.

Excerpt from "Old Pioneer's Reminiscences of Illawarra 1820s-1930s" (Illawarra Historical Publications 1989):

Reuben Parsons arrived at Wollongong in 1844, and opened business as a tinsmith at the corner of Market and Corrimal Streets ... Only the very old living men and women of Illawarra will remember Reuben Parsons.

He came to the district eighty years ago, built up a business, which exists today, and passed to rest before our younger generation was born. At the corner of Corrimal and Market Streets, at what was later known as Collins' Corner, Reuben
Parsons opened his place of business as an ironmonger and tinsmith. He was a careful, honest and hard-working man, and very soon he was able to extend his business. This meant the building of new premises in Crown Street, the position being
where E. Burrows and C. Massey, of recent years, had their shops. These buildings have since been pulled down and vacant land now exists where the pioneer of this branch of the Parsons family built a business which today stands first amongst
the business ventures of Illawarra.

Reuben Parsons had three sons and three daughters. The Sons are Adin (now the Reverend Adin Parsons), Aquilla (now dead), but who in life was responsible for the present firm of A. Parsons and Co., and Enos. The daughters were Penninah (the
late Mrs. Poulter), Eunice (Mrs. Tate) and Johanna (Mrs. Graham).,

The historian is safe in saying that amongst the families of Illawarra none were more successful than the Reuben branch of the Parsons family. The Rev. Adin Parsons stood high amongst the dignitaries of the Church. Aquilla was a sound
business man, and left a successful business behind him. The family has reached unto the third and fourth generation, and today the name stands honoured amongst the people.

Saul Eslake later added:
Eunice Parsons was the second daughter (fifth child) of Reuben and Hannah (nee Pacey) Parsons, who arrived in Australia on 19^th January 1838 aboard the barque Layton, together with Reuben's brother Matthew Parsons and his wife Puah (nee Gardiner), and Hannah's brother William Pacey and his wife Esther (nee Beard) and nine other families. They had been sponsored out to New South Wales by their fellow parishioners in Chalford, in the parish of Besley, Gloucestershire, as part of a program which encouraged people displaced by the industrialization of the textile industry to emigrate.

As you know, Matthew and Puah Parsons were my great-great-grandparents, on my mother's side.

Reuben was born at Chalford Lynch, Gloucestershire, in 1806, the eldest son of John Parsons (1777-1841) and his wife Grace (nee Gardiner) (1783-1838). Hannah Pacey was born in 1814. Reuben and Hannah were married on 1^st October 1833 - almost three years after his brother Matthew, who was four years younger than him.

After arriving in Sydney, the families on the Layton (including both Parsons families) were employed by Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur, nephew of sheep pioneer (and Rum Rebel) John Macarthur, at 'Camden Park'. The Parsons brothers and their families stayed there until at least 1839. In 1844 they both arrived in Wollongong. Matthew worked as a carpenter and shingler, and Reuben as a tinsmith.

Reuben and Hannah had six children - Peninah (1839-1923), Adin (1843-1928), Aquila (1846-1893), Enos (1848 - 1908), Eunice (1849-1937) and Johanna (1851 - ?). Aquila Parsons married Sarah Murphy in 1867, inherited his father's business, and passed it on to his son Joseph Henry ('Harry') Parsons; Aquila was on the Wollongong Council for 12 years from 1877, including two years (1882-83) as Mayor.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Tinsmith.

• connection.

Reuben married Hannah Pacey on 1 Oct 1833 in Bisley, Gloucestershire England. (Hannah Pacey was born in 1814 and died on 6 Mar 1903 in Wollongong, NSW Australia.)