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Facts and Events
1899:
William Parsons, and his wife Mary (nee Western), are witnesses to the marriage of Walter Western, Mary's brother. William Parsons was a Seargant in the R.E. also stationed at Brompton Barracks in 1899.
1899:
On the birth certificate of son Frank Cecil Parsons, he is said to be a Sargeant Major in the Royal Engineers. His address is Warrant Officers Quarters, Brompton Barracks, Gillingham, Kent
1901:
On a land conveyance William's occupation is given as Warrant Officer, Royal Engineers, Chatham.
From a letter written in 21 Sept, 1978, by John Henry Western (d 1981) about William and his Aunt Polly :
"Aunt Polly [Mary Western] married William Parsons who was another fine soldier, known to my father [Henry Toogood Western], who I think (so Sid says) took him home to our grandparents [Walter and Ann], in Exeter where he met Polly and at once decided (so I am led to understand) that she was the girl for him. (I liked Polly above all my aunts when I was young). William became R.S.M. at the Brompton Barracks (main depot of the Corps of Royal Engineers) and this was a very important job in those days. He was comminssioned literally on his deathbed. William was a really crack marksman (in the Queens Eight) and your father [William Davie Western], and our Chatham cousins were also very good at it. William Parsons as a very young R.E. helped build the fortifications (such as they were) at Rorke's Drift (Zulu War), but he moved on before the massacre occurred."
References
- ↑ Son's Birth Certificate.
- ↑ Sons Birth Certificate.
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