Biography of Daniel Walter PARSONS
[Ref. P.23]
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Biography of Daniel Walter PARSONS
[Ref. P.23]
| Ancestors | |
Profile | |
Directories | |
Dwellings | |
Index for PARSONS |
Daniel Walter Parsons was the eldest son of Charles and Kate Parsons, being born on 27 April 1831 at Tuam in County Galway, Ireland and baptised there. Nothing is known of his childhood years.
In 1854, Daniel commenced studies to become a surgeon. This entailed 27 months of attendance at Mercer's hospital in Dublin and lectures on clinical matters, anatomy and physiology, and attendance at demonstrations and dissections. He passed his examinations on 14 October 1856 and was registered as a Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland on 21 August 1856.
By 1858 Daniel had crossed the water to Liverpool and the entry of his name in the Provincial Medical Directory of that year shows his address as 12 Great Nelson Street. He was first registered with the General Medical Council on 1 January 1859
Daniel married Ellen Taylor at St.Patrick's chapel at Toxteth Park in Liverpool on 31 August 1859. Their first child, Eleanor Mary, was born in 1860 and their second, Elizabeth Isabella, in 1862.
The 1861 census shows the family living at 25 Great Homer Street in Liverpool. The household also comprised a medical student by the name of Marmaduke Bligh shown as Daniel's assistant and two servants.
In 1862, The Medical Times Gazette published an article by Daniel on the removal of an osseous tumour from the thyroid gland. The Medical Register of 1964 shows Daniel's address at 25 Great Homer Street in Liverpool, being the last entry at this location. It also lists him as being surgeon to the 64th Lancashire Volunteer Regiment, surgeon to the Mersey Dock Estate and surgeon at St.Anne's Dispensary and Eye and Ear Institute. 1864 was also the year that son Charles O'Connor was born.
Daniel was a strong Roman Catholic as was demonstrated in a letter he wrote to The Daily Post in April 1864 in response to an earlier anonymous letter published in the same paper. that letter had condemned him for proposing a toast to "The Pope" prior to a toast to "The Queen" at the inaugural meeting of the Liverpool Catholic Club. Daniel's reply was very detailed and was supported by quotations from books in his own library.
Daniel made his Will on 27 August 1864 with his solicitor M.Norden. His wife Ellen and her father were nominated as executors.
The Medical Register for 1865 shows an entry for Daniel as living at 31 Everton Crescent in Liverpool. The annual subscription book of the Northern Medical Society, of which Daniel was treasurer, includes receipts from J M Bligh who was his assistant.
Daughter Mary Josephine was born there in 1865 followed by Mary Agnes in 1866 who only survived until 1870. A codicil was added to Daniel's Will on 21 June 1867 to appoint George Hinde of Bootle as executor in place of Thomas Taylor.
Daniel put pen to paper once again on 15 November 1867 in a letter in The Daily Post, this time to castigate a Dr.Pairman for publishing a pamphlet which purported that the use of sulphur would bring an end to all physical illness. Daniel was able to quote the work of eminent medical persons in great detail.
On St.Patrick's Day in 1868, Daniel, in the absence of Dr.Loughman at a society meeting, proposed "The Anniversary of the Patron Saint of Ireland" followed by a speech relating to the persecution of Catholics by the English government. That same year, son Daniel Walter was born 31 Everton Crescent in Liverpool where the family were living at the time. Agnes Mary was born in 1870 and John Alexander in 1871. The census of 1871 shows neices Jane and Kate Concannon staying with the family plus a compliment of four servants.
Daniel's writing talents went beyond articles for medical journals and letters to the newspapers. On 10 January 1872, a poem entitled Save the Girls was published in a newspaper. That year he also composed a prayer. Daughter Margaret Cecilia was born in 1873.
Daniel added a second codicil to his Will on 10 February 1875 to amend the name of the executor following the death of George Hinde. Daughter Constance Mary was born that year followed by Frederick in 1876 and finally Theresa Mary in 1879. The entry in The Medical Register for 1879 shows Daniel as still living at 31 Everton Crescent in Liverpool.
The census of 1881 shows three servants in the employ of ther family. Daniel had been an instructor at ambulance classes in Liverpool since their inception and in connection with this he was presented with a set of fish knives and forks on 29 August 1883.
As noted earlier, Daniel was attached to the 64th Liverpool Volunteer Brigade in which capacity he reached the rank of Surgeon-Major. It seems that he was a crack shot with a rifle which is borne out by the results he gained when taking part in international rifle competitions at Altcar and Wimbledon. Newspaper cuttings from the period around 1879-1880 report him as either winning or being amongst the highest scoring participants. One event at Altcar in 1879 took place under Daniel's charimanship of the Committee of Arrangements. This event was a competition betweenteams from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland at which the Irish team won and Daniel himself took equal second place amongst the individual scores. The following year his score was the same but that of others was better.
Late in November 1885, Daniel caught a cold whilst "in persuit of his professional duties". This got to his chest and caused congestion then severe inflamation that led to his death at home at 8 Shaw Street in Liverpool on 7 December. He was aged 55.
Obituaries appeared in all local newspapers and they lauded his altruistic personality in which he had both by his skill and purse alleviated the wants of the suffering poor. His popularity was confirmed at his funeral on Friday 11 December at which a great crowd assembled at his house including "many of the poorer classes" and around 600 people were at Ford Cemetery where he was to be buried. The cortege was met at Litherland by a detatchment of the Irish Brigade which then escorted the coffin to the church thence bearing the coffin into the church and finally to the graveside. Obituaries appeared in the lacal newspapers.
The Will of Daniel Walter Parsons was proved at Liverpool on 4 January 1886 by his widow Ellen, his personal estate amounting to £200.
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