John Parselle
1821-1885
Born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died: New York City, New York, USA
<!-- SN:TREESUI02 --> <font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><strong><span style="font-family: 'baskerville old face','serif'"><font size="3">Extract from </font><font size="3"><em>RECOLLECTIONS OF A PLAYER<br> </em>by James Henry Stoddart, New York 1902</font></span></strong></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family: 'baskerville old face','serif'"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family: 'baskerville old face','serif'"><font size="3">Mr. John Parselle was the stage-manager of the theater. I had never met him before, but I knew that he had been for many years in London, at the Haymarket, the Lyceum, and the Adelphi. He came to America with Mr. Charles Wyndham, and he acted for a season with Mrs. John Drew, at the Arch Street Theater, Philadelphia, previous to joining Mr. Palmer's forces. I also knew that he hailed from Glasgow. I had, therefore, no hesitation in speedily making myself known to him. We became fast friends and companions, and remained so until his death. He was a rare scholar, a linguist of great ability, an authority on all matters of disputed pronunciation. He had been a teacher of languages in Glasgow, but, like Alexander and my father, became stage-struck and entered the profession. He had married a Scotch lassie and had a large family, all of his children having been born in London. "Jeannie," as he used to call his wife, was the most simple and lovable woman that could be imagined. She did not join her husband for two years after his coming to America, and Parselle would often tell me that although he had been so many years in London, his wife knew little or nothing about theaters, always remaining at home looking after the "bairns." She had a lovely Scotch accent that I delighted to hear. When her husband was acting, and I happened to be out of the performance, he would sometimes ask me to escort "Jeannie" to the theater, and I frequently did so. She had seen so little of acting that it was most amusing to hear her comments upon the play. "Mr. Stoddart," she would say, "I never like the fellow that plays the villain. I ken him the moment he comes oot on the stage, and I hate him a' through the performance. There is one guid thing, however : the fellow always gets his deerts at the end."</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family: 'baskerville old face','serif'"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family: 'baskerville old face','serif'"><font size="3">All her children were left in London when she and her husband came to America, having grown up and settled there. She used to give me a full description of them, but the youngest, Chairley," she would say, was her favorite. Mr. and Mrs. Parselle spent a short time each summer with us at our country place, which was a pleasure to us, for Parselle was a splendid companion, filled to the brim with Scotch anecdote and reminiscence.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family: 'baskerville old face','serif'"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: 'baskerville old face','serif'">Mr. Palmer, during his career as manager of the Union Square Theater, was accustomed to send his company, almost annually, to Chicago and Boston at the conclusion of the metropolitan season, and many times he extended the tour as far as the Pacific coast. I visited California twelve times under his management, and in all that time Parselle and myself were inseparable companions, living at the same hotel and taking daily strolls together. He and his wife made a complete confidant of me, telling me all their plans how they had, in their frugal Scotch way, saved a modest competence at the price of much privation and discomfort, and how they looked forward to the day when Parselle should retire from the stage, which he intended to do when he reached the age of sixty, and that they would then pass the rest of their lives in peace on the fruits of their labor. Alas ! their hopes were never to be realized, for shortly after they had paid their last visit to us in the country I received a telegram from Parselle saying :"Jeannie is dead." Not long afterward Parselle himself was taken seriously ill on Sixth Avenue, was hurriedly placed in a carriage, and died before reaching his home. Sheridan Shook, James W. Collier, and I followed his remains to Greenwood, where he was buried beside his companion, his "Jeannie."</span><span style="font-family: 'baskerville old face','serif'"></span></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt"><br> </span>
<p>From research by Sarah Batchelor:</p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><strong><span>JOHN PARSELLE</span></strong></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">John Parsell was born in Glasgow the youngest son of William Parsell and Agnes Boyd. It is curious that most reference books give his date of birth as 1820, but in fact his baptismal record makes it clear that he was born on </font><font size="3">February 21</font><font size="2"><sup>st</sup></font><font size="3"> 1821</font><font size="3">. The 1820 date certainly does not come from Parselle himself – in the 1851 census he claimed he was 29, in 1861, 39 and in 1871, 49. More accurately in a New York passenger list for </font><font size="3">30</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="3"> July 1883</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[1]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> he said he was 62. His place of birth is not in doubt, it is mentioned in his obituary in the New York Times</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[2]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> and in <em>The Recollections of a Player </em>by J.H Stoddart</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[3]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">, a friend and fellow actor. Again according to the New York Times, he was educated at the high school</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[4]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> and the university where he took the highest honours in Latin, Greek, French, logic and mathematics.</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[5]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> His obituary in The Era</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[6]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">, and Stoddart’s recollections also mention that he was highly educated and a fine linguist. Stoddart writes that he was a teacher of languages in Glasgow, but I have to say the evidence does not support this because when John married Jane Finnie in 1840, when he was only 20, his occupation is given as <em>clerk.</em> It may be that at some stage in his life he worked as a language teacher to supplement his earnings as an actor. By the time his first child was born John had decided to be become an actor and had made his debut on the Glasgow stage in “<em>Douglas or the Noble Shepherd.</em>”</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[7]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> In 1847 he decided to move to London where he first appeared at the Lyceum where he was described as a new actor from the Edinburgh stage. His reviews on this occasion were not particularly encouraging “Mr Parselle seems to be a very harmless sort of personage – we shall probably see more of him.”</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[8]</span></span></span></span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> From this time forth, Parselle seems to have been always in work, though rarely in the very top roles. He specialized in drama, especially contemporary drama, and in New York worked with A.M. Palmer to put on a series of plays that were translated from the French and were highly popular. His greatest success was in old age when he played a series of distinguished elderly gentlemen (and some not so distinguished such as Magwitch in the adaptation of <em>Great Expectations</em>). He called himself a comedian but this does not mean he was a comic actor, but rather that he did not play the classics.</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">It is clear that from the time he reached London he was calling himself Parselle and it may be that he had already adopted this name in Scotland as a stage name. I suspect that he was also responsible for the story that his family were originally Huguenots which, in view of the original surname spelling is highly unlikely. Perhaps at this time he realised that fashionable folk gave their children two Christian names and renamed his son William Boyd Parselle. During his long career in London Parselle worked at the Lyceum, the Haymarket and the Adelphi and was manager of the Strand Theatre. In the States he played first in Philadelphia but for most of his time there he was attached to the Union-Square Theatre in New York, one of the city’s leading theatres where he was both an actor and stage manager. I suspect that during most of his career his earnings had been quite meagre because his family always lived in Kennington, and had no live in servants which is surprising at this date. I fear that reading between the lines of Stoddart’s account, Parselle was off in the West End having a fine old time and his family were stuck in Kennington scraping by on a pittance. When he died he left just over £5000 which was a respectable amount but on the modest side. </font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Certainly the children grew up a turbulent lot – both Jane</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[9]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> and Caroline</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[10]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> produced illegitimate children, and William ran off from his first wife. It also appears their father was the father of an illegitimate daughter called Emilie Sydney Cowell (born 1872</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[11]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> or 1873, accounts differ) later known as the actress and early star of the screen, Sydney Fairbrother. Her mother was an actress called Florence Cowell who came from a well known family of actors who was thirty years younger than Parselle. I have no proof that this story is true, but the reports are very widespread and include Sydney Fairbrother’s obituary in the New York Times.</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[12]</span></span></span></span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> I have come across websites that claim that John Parselle and Florence Cowell were married but this is untrue, and Florence was unmarried when her daughter was born.</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">John Parselle married Jane Finnie in Glasgow in 1840. The register reads</font><em><font size="3"> John Parsell clerk in Glasgow and Jane Finnie residing there married November 17</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="3"> by Dr. John Muir of St James’ Church, Glasgow</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[13]</span></strong></span></span></span><font size="3">.</font></em></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Children of John Parsell and Jane Finnie were:</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">i <strong>WILLIAM PARSELL</strong> born 1841 Glasgow. The baptism took place in July and the register reads </font><em><font size="3">John Parsell comedian and Jane Finnie a son William born 1</font><font size="2"><sup>st</sup></font><font size="3"> April. Wit. John Donaldson, and Jane Finnie.</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[14]</span></strong></span></span></span></em></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Just after the birth of William the 1841 census took place</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[15]</span></span></span></span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">. The Parsells were living at 16 Carn Street Glasgow, which seems to have been some kind of apartment house judging by the number of inhabitants</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">John Parcel age 20 clerk born Lanarkshire</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Jane Parcel age 21 born Lanarkshire</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">William Parcel age 2 months born Lanarkshire</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Agnes Whitfield age 5 born Lanarkshire</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[16]</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Agnes was the niece of John, and it seems likely that her mother was already dead.</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Next door was a Walter Finnie and his wife Elizabeth. He was a labourer at a foundry and his 14 year old son James was a smith. This may be Jean’s family but since I have not found her baptism this is not certain.</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">ii Elizabeth Parsell born </font><font size="3">25</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="3"> June 1843</font><font size="3"> Glasgow</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[17]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"> Married William John Baxter 27</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="3"> July 1861 at St Mary Lambeth</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[18]</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">iii Jane Parsell born </font><font size="3">15</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="3"> September 1845</font><font size="3"> Glasgow</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[19]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Married Henry Walter Garrick fourth quarter 1889 Camberwell</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[20]</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">iv Agnes Parsell born </font><font size="3">2</font><font size="2"><sup>nd</sup></font><font size="3"> December 1847</font><font size="3"> Glasgow.</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[21]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Married Frederick Richard Arundell second quarter 1887 Richmond Surrey</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[22]</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">At the time of the 1851 census the family were living at 25 St Mark’s Road Kennington, Lambeth.</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">John Parselle head married age 29 comedian born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Jane Parselle wife married age 31 born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">William Boyd Parselle son age 9 scholar born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Elizabeth Parselle daughter age 7scholar born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Jane Parselle daughter age 5 scholar born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Agnes Parselle daughter age 3 born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">v Caroline Mary Parselle born June 16</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="3"> <span> </span>1852 Lambeth</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[23]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"> Christened 28</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="3"> July at St Mark’s Kennington – Caroline Mary Parselle daughter of John and Jane Parselle, comedian of St Mark’s Road, Kennington.</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[24]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"> Adopted the stage name Marie Parselle. Married </font><font size="3">William Henry Chase 3</font><font size="2"><sup>rd</sup></font><font size="3"> September 1873 St</font><font size="3"> Stephen South Lambeth</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[25]</span></span></span></span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">. </font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">vi<span> </span>Charles John Parselle born third quarter 1855 Lambeth</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[26]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">. Died first quarter 1856 Lambeth</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[27]</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">vii Charles John Parselle born first quarter 1857 Lambeth</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[28]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"> Married Eva Jane Argent </font><font size="3">3</font><font size="2"><sup>rd</sup></font><font size="3"> February 1878</font><font size="3"> St Matthew Brixton. </font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[29]</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">At the time of the 1861 census the family were living at 16 St Mark’s Road, Kennington Lambeth</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">John Parselle head married age 39 comedian born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Jane Parselle wife married age 41 born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Elizabeth Parselle daughter unmarried age 17 born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Jane Parselle daughter scholar age 15 born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Agnes Parselle daughter scholar age 13 born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Caroline M Parselle daughter scholar age 8 born Lambeth Surrey</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Charles J Parselle son age 4 born Lambeth Surrey</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Son William Boyd was already married (for details see below).</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">At the time of the 1871 census the family were living at 52 Richmond Terrace, Kennington, Lambeth</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Jane Parselle head married age 51 comedian’s wife born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Elizabeth Baxter daughter married age 27 born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Agnes Parselle daughter unmarried age 23 born Scotland</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Caroline Parselle daughter unmarried age 18 born Kennington Surrey</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">William J Parselle grandson age 9 born Kennington Surrey</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">John Parselle was on tour in Scotland staying at a boarding house on Sauchiehall Street Glasgow with a fellow actor William Holston – he appears in the Scottish census - John Parselle age 49 comedian born Glasgow. Daughter Elizabeth was apparently at home because she had just been widowed – I think the William John Baxter who died in the first quarter of 1871 aged 33</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[30]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> was her husband. <span> </span>Caroline had just given birth to her son Ernest. There is no doubt that he was her son since she took him to be christened later that year and is described as Caroline Mary Parselle, single women</font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[31]</span></span></span></span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">. She was also living with him in 1881 (under her stage name Marie Parselle) when he was described as her son. There is no sign of the baby in the census and perhaps Jean could not bring herself to mention his existence. William Boyd, Jane and Charles are all apparently missing from the census but this may be due to indexing errors.</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Soon after this John Parselle moved to the United States. <span> </span>Jane stayed in England at first, perhaps trying to sort out her various children, and if the episode with Florence Cowell took place, she might well have hesitated to move. Caroline was launched on the stage in 1872 and married the following year. According to Stoddart, Jane moved to the States when her husband had been there for two years, perhaps when he felt secure in his job at the Union Square Theatre. He makes a great to do about their loving relationship so let us hope that he was correct. He strikes me as a reasonably accurate author though given to lashings of Victorian sentiment.</font></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Jane probably died in 1879/80 because John redid his will on </font><font size="3">August 13</font><font size="2"><sup>th </sup></font><font size="3">1880</font><font size="3"> (in the name of John Parsell or Parselle) leaving his money to be equally divided amongst his children. His son Charles John Parsell was an executor with Frank Hodson, secretary of the Ruabon Coal and Coke Company. The New York Times described Charles John Parsell as the younger son so it seems it was no secret that the elder son was alive.</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[32]</span></span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"> John Parselle died suddenly on </font><font size="3">the 17</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="3"> of February 1885</font><font size="3"> in New York City. He was buried with his wife at Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn</font></font><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt">[33]</span></span></span></span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">, the most splendid of the Victorian cemeteries in New York. </font></font></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><hr> </font><div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[1]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> New York Passenger Lists 1822-1957 available on Ancestry.com</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[2]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> New York Times published February 18<sup>th</sup> 1885.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[3]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> J.H Stoddart – <em>Recollections of a Player </em><span> </span>New York: Century 1902</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[4]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Said to be Scotland’s oldest grammar school, known since 1834 as the High School of Glasgow.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[5]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> There is no record that he graduated from the University of Glasgow. But many people at this date attended university without taking the graduation exams. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[6]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> The Era was a British newspaper which had the widest theatrical coverage of any Victorian newspaper. Parselle’s obituary appeared on March 21<sup>st</sup> 1885 and was written by their New York correspondent.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[7]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> New York Times February 18, 1885</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[8]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Lloyds Weekly London Newspaper October 24, 1847.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[9]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> William Charles Parselle born first quarter 1878 Camberwell<span> </span>1d 784, and Lucy M Parselle born third quarter 1881 Camberwell<span> </span>1d 906</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[10]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Ernest Charles Parselle born first quarter 1871 Lambeth 1d 456</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[11]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> The Biography and Genealogy Master Index gives 1872, but it appears that the birth of Emilie Syndy Cowell was registered in the first quarter of 1873 St Saviour 1d 140</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[12]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Sydney Fairbrother wrote an autobiography <em>Through an Old Stage Door</em> Frederick Muller 1939 which may spread more light on her origins. Her obituary appears in the New York Times for 5<sup>th</sup><span> </span>January 1941.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[13]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> General Register Office for Scotland available on ScotlandsPeople Banns and Marriage Glasgow 644/01 0420 0397</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[14]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> General Register Office for Scotland available on ScotlandsPeople Births and Baptisms Glasgow 644/01 0360 0253</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[15]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> This census entry is difficult to find on Ancestry since John & Jane are indexed as John and Jane Daniel. I have looked at a digital photo of the original where it is clearly Parcel.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[16]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Although in 1841 the ages of all adults were meant to be reduced to the nearest 0 or 5, the census taker in this area did not do so.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[17]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> General Register Office<span> </span>for Scotland available on ScotlandsPeople Index of Births and Baptisms Glasgow 644/01 0370 0020</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[18]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Ancestry.com London Marriages and Banns 1754-1921</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[19]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> General Register Office for Scotland available on ScotlandsPeople Index of Births and Baptisms Glasgow 644/01 0370 0392</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[20]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Free BMD fourth quarter Camberwell 1d 1437</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[21]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> General Register Office for Scotland available on ScotlandsPeople Index of Births and Baptisms</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Times New Roman"><span>Glasgow</span><span> 644/01 0380 0159</span></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[22]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Free BMD second quarter 1887 Richmond Surrey 2a 615</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[23]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> FreeBMD second quarter 1852 Lambeth 1d 328. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[24]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Ancestry.com London Births and Baptisms 1813-1906 (church is misindexed as St Mark’s Kensington). </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[25]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Ancestry.com London Marriages and Banns 1754-1921</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[26]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> FreeBMD third quarter 1855 Lambeth 1d 317</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[27]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> FreeBMD first quarter 1856 Lambeth 1d 212</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[28]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Free BMD first quarter 1857 Lambeth 1d 373</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[29]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Ancestry.com London Marriages and Banns 1754 - 1921</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[30]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> FreeBMD first quarter 1871 St Saviour 1d 92</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[31]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> Records of St John the Divine Kennington on Ancestry.com. Baptism is misindexed Parsalle</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[32]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> New York Times July 10, 1885</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt">[33]</span></span></span></span></span><span><font face="Times New Roman"> New York Times February 20. 1885. Both Stoddart’s memoirs and the Era of March 25, 1885 mention he was buried beside his wife</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>