| 6. |  John Parkin, 1820 Settler was born on 2 Aug 1787 in Topsham, Devonshire, England; was christened on 22 Oct 1787 in Exeter Church (Holy Trinity), Exeter, Devonshire, England (son of William Parkin and Sarah Bryant); died on 13 Oct 1856 in Baakens River farm, Port Elizabeth district, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried in 1856 in Port Elizabeth Cemetery (St George's Park), Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Other Events and Attributes:
- 1820 Lineage: Yes
- Settler ID: 2478
- Name: John Parkin 1820
- Occupation: a Carpenter and Wheelwright
- Residence: Lower North Street, Exeter, Devonshire, England
- Occupation: Aft 1800, Exeter, Devonshire, England; a Carpenter
- Occupation: Aft 1800, Exeter, Devonshire, England; Carpenter
- ADDR: Address: Bef 1820, Lower North Street, Exeter, Devon, England
- Address: Bef 1820, Lower North Street, Exeter, Devon, England
- Emigration: 7 Jan 1820, Exeter, Devonshire, England
- Settler: 7 Jan 1820, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
- ADDR: Address: Aft 1825, Baakens River farm, Port Elizabeth district, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Address: Aft 1825, Baakens River Farm, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Notes:
Date of birth in Margaret Harradine's book is 2nd August 1787. This is calculated from his date of death at the age given. Harradine says it was at Topsham in Devon but unlikely because he was baptised at Holy Trinity in Exeter.
In Exeter he was a carpenter and wheelwright in Lower North Street (number unknown).
He emigrated to South Africa on 1820 Settlers ship, HM Store ship ˜Weymouth' which left Portsmouth on 7th January 1820 and reached Cape Town on 17th March 1820. Their final destination in April 1820 was Algoa Bay. He was head of a party of settlers who settled outside Bathurst in the Eastern Cape. He soon left this area and returned to Port Elizabeth.
His occupation in South Africa was as a farmer on the Baakens River farm of 5,000 acres. He died in 1856. (The Settler Handbook by M D Nash published by Chameleon Press for the 1820 Settlers Association of South Africa, First Edition 1987). Little is known of his background prior to South Africa. Thereafter it is well documented.
In 1849 he was worth £1,200 per annum in land and house. He had a carriage and horse and lived six miles out of town.
"The British Settlers of 1820 in SA by Hockley (p.36) says From Portsmouth, The Weymouth with Parties under . . . J Parkin, numbering 30, from Devon. "
Details of his father and other members of his family come originally from letters from South Africa to the family in England. John Parkin junior writes to his Aunt Harriett (John Parkin Senior's sister) at No 1 St Anne's Terrace, St Sidwells, Exeter 24th April 1832. Also Sally.
His gravestone (Ext A - St George's Park Cemetery), reads
"Sacred to the memory of John Parkin senior who departed this life on13 October 1856 aged 69 years, 2 months and 11 days. Also his granddaughter Jane Parkin, daughter of George Parkin who died 13 June1849 aged 16 months and 24 days. Also his son Frederick Parkin who died 28 August 1877 aged 47 years."
Graveyard notes for the same grave are:
The remains of the late John Frederick and Jane Parkin interred in this plot on 30 October 1973. Exhumed from private cemetery at Glenelg Road, Fern Glen, Port Elizabeth on the same date.
BIOGRAPHY:
Newspaper cuttings from the Eastern Cape. EP Herald, April 1970
FARMHOUSE STANDS FOR 130 YEARS
A few hundred yards from the ultra-modern homes on the outskirts of Sunridge Park, stands a 130-year-old farmhouse built by John PARKIN, an 1820 Settler and leader of one Port Elizabeth's oldest and wealthiest families. The house, built in about 1840, stands on what is now Council owned land and is occupied by Mr. & Mrs. W.H. BOUCHER. The BOUCHERS have lived there since 1938.John PARKIN, who led the Devonshire Party in Weymouth in 1820, bought the land, Baakens River Farm from John BERRY about 25 years later. He had previously lived in Devonshire Farm on the Kariga River. According to Mrs. Cecil Scott PARKIN of Port Elizabeth, John PARKIN died in 1856. He was known throughout Port Elizabeth and the surrounding districts as the owner of extensive properties, in addition to being a noted cattle farmer, meat merchant and huntsman. Mr. C. Scott PARKIN is John PARKIN's great-great-grandson.
ATTACK
John PARKIN and suffered a heart attack in Main Street as he was on his way to buy another property. He already owned all land along Main Street as far as Peel Street, and down Jetty Street around to Strand Street. "The family story goes that when he died, he was holding in his hand R800 with which to buy the land on the corner of Main Street and St. Mary's Terrace," Mr. PARKIN said.
The farm, with its typically English cottage, was left to George PARKIN, one of his 16 known children. According to Mr. C Scott PARKIN, George PARKIN and later his son, George Scott PARKIN, lived on the farm until about 1912. Scott PARKIN's widow continued to live there until approximately 1930 when it was bought by the late Mr. W.E.LONDT. Mrs. PARKIN died soon afterwards.
ACQUIRED
Mr. LONDT also acquired much of the surrounding land, which also belonged to the PARKIN family. The area was later developed into a township, Fernglen, by a company of which Mr. LONDT was a director. The land on which the homestead stands was endowment land handed to the City Council as commonage when the township was developed.
Mr. & Mrs. BOUCHER, who live in the house with six of their 11 children, have been there for 32 years. They pay R11 a month rental. "The house has a lot of charm and is typical of an English farm cottage," said Mrs. M. RAINIER, a former Port Elizabeth historian now living in East London. Mrs. RAINIER has made a study of the PARKIN family history.
BALLAST
John PARKIN also owned a town house in Main Street, built from bricks carried as ballast in Weymouth. According to Mrs. RAINIER, there are still traces of extensive terraced gardens laid out at the back of the farmhouse. John PARKIN, Frederick PARKIN, another of his sons - and George PARKIN's baby daughter, Jane are buried in adjoining graves on a hilltop near the house.
John PARKIN married twice and had 16 children, eight sons and 8 daughters by his first wife. He married his housekeeper after the death of his first wife, and, it is believed, had several more children. John PARKIN's second wife is buried in the South End Cemetery.
transcribed from scrapbooks at the Port Elizabeth library that contains miscellaneous newspaper cuttings pertaining to the 1820 Settlers, by Becky Horne, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
per Keith Parkin:
John Parkin owned two large farms in PE, Hartebeesfontein and Baakens River farms, the latter he paid £123 for in 1826. He also owned many other smaller properties throughout what is now the CBD, including the land on which the current railway station is situated on. The Union Government expropriated a portion of Erf no. 7 from the unconcluded estate in 1915 and paid £5656 into the estate on behalf of the South African Railways. The rest of ERF No. 7 between Rodney, Govan Mbeki (Main) and Peel Streets was sold out of the estate in 1948 to SA Permanent Building Society for £314 000.
Have a look at this attachment which shows the appox location of the farms on current maps
Baakens River and Hartebeesfontein Farms
https://goo.gl/maps/HHW2CbMzZgs
Rob Smith wrote on FB: John Parkin’s family – wife Elizabeth, Children William, John Jnr, Robert, Jane.
William was one of 5 Europeans to accompany Dr Andrew Smith secretly visiting Dingaan in 1832. Eventually he settled in Natal. He was held prisoner by the Dutch at The Point in 1842. John Parkin made a model for a proposed jetty at PE. In 1835 Robert Newcombe was wounded by assegais on Devonshire and there’s a bell to his memory in the Campanile. At the outset of the 1835 War, Benjamin Leach and son collected cattle on Devonshire to inspan for trekking. They hid in bush when there was a disturbance at the farmhouse. A servant was tapping on the window to warn the occupants, Mrs Leach, daughter Ann, and Ann’s husband, Thomas Estland Jnr, to extinguish their lights and take cover, which they did in a nearby krantz. Help came from Salem and they were saved.
In 1834 Estland Snr, nearby, gave ground for a Baptist Church, but the work was interrupted during war with walls only 3 feet high. It was completed 20 years later. With his wife, Sarah, a day school and Sunday school were started. Thomas Jnr and Ann went to Fort Beaufort where he was killed in 1850-53 War.
Devonshire was sold to Charles Webber, tailor, who arrived in SA in 1826. The Webbers owned the farm until 1913 when it was sold to Fred Keeton. Charles and Mary (nee Mitchell) had children: Mary, John, Daniel, Thomas and Stephen. John inherited Devonshire in 1846 when his parents both died.
From 1913-18 Ivan Keeton, son of Fred, ran the farm, then Noel Keeton until 1921. Then it was sold to the Austin-Timm partnership. In 1942 Dick Timm bought out Mr Austin and lived on the farm with wife Olive from 1921. They had three sons. Son Bertie married Alma Hoare in 1949 when Dick sold Devonshire to him.
Date of birth in Margaret Harradine's book is 2 August 1787. This is calculated from his date of death at the age given. Harradine says it was at Topsham in Devon but unlikely because he was baptised at Holy Trinity in Exeter.
In Exeter he was a carpenter and wheelwright in Lower North Street(number unknown).
Emigrated to South Africa on 1820 Settlers ship, HM Store ship 'Weymouth'. Left Portsmouth on 7 January 1820 and reached Cape Town 17March 1820. Final Destination April 1820 was Algoa Bay. Head of aparty.
His occupation in SA was farmer - Baakens River farm was 5,000 acres.He died in 1856. (The Settler Handbook by M D Nash published by Chameleon Press for the 1820 Settlers Association of South Africa,First Edition 1987). Little known of his background prior to SouthAfrica. Thereafter well documented.
In 1849 he was worth ¹1200 per annum in land and house. He had a carriage and horse and lived six miles out of town.
"The British Settlers of 1820 in SA by Hockley (p.36) says FromPortsmouth, The Weymouth with Parties under . . . J Parkin, numbering 30, from Devon. "
Details of his father and other members of his family come originally from letters from South Africa to the family in England. John Parkin junior writes to his Aunt Harriett (John Parkin Snr's sister) at No 1 St Anne's Terrace, St Sidwells, Exeter 24/4/1832. Also Sally.
Settler:
Parkin's party on the Weymouth
John married Elizabeth Abraham Howard, 1820 Settler on 31 Aug 1809 in Exeter Church (St Edmunds), Exeter, Devonshire, England. Elizabeth was born in 1786 in Devonshire, England; was christened on 18 Jan 1789 in St Thomas, Exeter, Devon, England; died after 1829 in South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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