Denis Fillingham Parr

Denis Fillingham was the eighth and youngest son of George Parr and his second wife Alice Mary (née Hemsley). His father George was born in Gotham, Nottinghamshire, the son of William Fillingham Parr, a farmer. George married first Mary Innocent Long in 1872 (A/M/J Radford) and they had a daughter, Hilda Mary, on 12 March 1873; she was baptised at Lenton St Anthony on 12 May the same year. Mary Parr died the following year on 11 February 1874 aged 19.George married Alice Mary Hemsley in 1877. Alice, who was born in Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, was the daughter of Henry Hemsley of Harlaxton Lodge.George and Alice had twelve children. eight boys and four girls, one of whom, Florence Muriel, died in childhood. All the children were born in Nottingham: George Henry b. 13 July 1878 bap. Nottingham St Mary 9 August 1878; Dora Alice b. 14 November 1879 bap. St Mary 10 December 1879; William Noel b. 10 December 1880 bap. St Mary 5 January 1881; Florence Muriel b. 28 January 1882 bap. St Mary 22 February 1882 d. 1890 (reg. J/F/M Nottingham); Charles Evelyn b. 25 April 1883 bap. St Mary 30 May 1883; Cecil Gordon b. 24 March 1884 bap. Nottingham St James 14 July 1885; Zoe Violet b. 6 April 1887 bap. St James 5 May 1887; Claude Ivan b 25 November 1888 (reg. 1889) bap. St James 16 January 1889; Christine Nona b. 25 December 1890 bap. St James 18 February 1891; Edgar Brian b. 29 July 1892 bap. St James 12 October 1892; Wilfrid Vere b. 13 April 1894 bap. 17 April 1897 and Denis Fillingham b. 1897 bap. St James 17 April 1897.In 1881 George (35) and Alice (27) were living at Cliff House, 33 Lenton Road, The Park, with his daughter Hilda (8) and their three children George (2), Dora (1) and William (under 1 year). George employed a cook, housemaid a domestic nurse and under-nurse and a groom. Their second daughter Florence Muriel was born the following year but died in 1890.Cliff House continued to be the family home until George's death in 1937. By 1911, though, only five of George and Alice's eleven surviving children were in the home on the night of the cenus: George Henry a stockbroker; William, who had been an articled clerk living with his uncle William Parr in Croydon in 1901, was now a solicitor in his father's firm; Zoe who had been a pupil at a ladies' school in Scarborough ten years previously, was a teacher at a school in Bristol; Christine (no occupation) and Edgar who was a student ('practical engineering'). Of the other six children: Dora, who in 1901 was recorded living with her widowed maternal aunt, Florence Singleton, in Harlaxton, was an assistant mistress at a school in Scarborough. Charles Evelyn who had been living with his married half-sister Hilda Marriott in 1901, has not been traced on the 1911 Census but may have already emigrated to South Africa. Neither Cecil nor Claude, who had both been at school in Scarborough in 1901, have yet been traced in 1911. Wilfrid was a boarder at the Bedford Modern School in Bedfordshire. Denis, who would have been about 14 years old, has not yet been traced on the census but may also have been at boarding school. George's daughter Hilda Mary had married John Marriott, a farmer, at Nottingham St John on 25 September 1895. In 1901 they were living in Cropwell Butler but Mary successfully petitioned for a divorce in 1909 and in 1911 was living in Nottingham with their four children. Charles Evelyn, a farmer, served in the 27th Bn (123rd Company) Imperial Yeomanry (37793 Private) in the Anglo-Boer War. He attested on 1 January 1902 and served in South Africa from 1 May 1902 until 18 November 1902 and was discharged on 25 November the same year. At least three of Denis's brothers served in the First World War.George Henry attested on 9 December 1915 and transferred to the Army Reserve the following day. He was mobilised on 29 March 1916 in the 3rd Bn South Staffordshires. On 14 April he was transferred to the King's Own Scottish Borderers but immediately removed to the Army Reserve (Class B) and medically discharged from the army on 30 May 1916 (hernia, not attributable to military service). Brian Edgar was a second lieutenant in the South Lancashire Regimeny and was killed in France on 21 October 1916.Wilfrid served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, first in the 90th Bn (187134 Private) from 6 November 1915 to 27 August 1916 and then with the 27th Bn from 28 August 1916 to 26 May 1919.Their mother Alice Mary died on 15 August 1921 aged 67 and their father George died from influenza on 19 January 1937 aged 91. A report of his death in the Nottingham Evening Post (20 January) noted that he was a well known local sportsman who played cricket for Notts Amateurs from 1862, a club that his sons Edgar and Denis also played for. George was a partner in the law firm Parr and Butlin (later Perry, Parr & Butlin), having been articled to Mr Charles Butlin and taken into partnership in 1870. Of Denis's surviving siblings:His half-sister Hilda Mary Marriott died on 24 March 1952.George Henry was living at Stonecroft, Elton, Nottinghamshire when he died on 2 December 1949.Dora Alice was a club secretary and living in London in 1939. She was living in Northamptonshire when she died on 10 February 1969.William Noel was a solicitor and a partner in his father's firm. He married Hilda Mary Grace Lloyd at Addiscombe St Mary Magdalene, Surrey, on 7 January 1922. In 1939 William and his wife were living in Bingham but had moved to Bournemouth by the time of his death on 9 June 967.Charles Evelyn was, according to a report in the local paper, a farmer in Natal at the time of his father's death in 1937.Cecil Gordon, Zoe Violet and Christine Nona were all recorded at a hotel in Skegness when the 1939 England & Wales Register was compiled. Cecil and Zoe were both living at Stonecroft, Elton, Nottinghamshire, when they died on 26 April 1958 and 27 July 1955 respectively. Christine Nona died on 31 January 1976; she was then living in Radcliffe on Trent, Nottinghamshire.Claude Ivan became a planter in India and married in India. However, in 1939 he and his wife Beryl were recorded at a hotel in Knightsbridge, London, before taking passage to Bombay on 26 October. Claude died in London on 26 November 1971.Wilfrid Vere died on 22 May 1934 after a short illness; the funeral service was held at Nottingham St James.