The ASSUMED Parr Brothers
Should the story carried generations forward in time, prove out to be true; “it is said by a descendant of Henry and Elizabeth Parr, that all of the early Ontario Parr families come from 5 brothers who immigrated from Ireland.”
Found to date in the early records of Ontario, are the following 3 Parr brothers?
Henry and Elizabeth Parr (Elizabeth not proven to date)
James Parr and Nancy (Ann/Elizabeth) Montgomery
Joseph Parr and Isabella Nesbitt
…In search of William Parr and Thomas Parr …two assumed and missing brothers!
As for James Parr and Nancy (Ann/Elizabeth) Montgomery their assumed children are listed as follows:
James Parr (married Mary KELLET)
Robert Parr (married Ann Elizabeth LOVE)
John Parr (married Delilah GUNTER)
Ann “Nancy” Parr (married Andrew MONTGOMERY)
Though, at one time, I thought that Joseph Parr (who married Jane Kennedy) was an assumed child of James Parr and Nancy Montgomery.
Since then, I have discovered that Young Parr (who married Charlotte Ziemenia Lawson) and Joseph Parr (who married Jane Kennedy) were brothers. And maybe even Samuel Parr (who married Jane Lucas) as being another brother. Though proof of THAT, I am still in search of.
Originally, I had assumed Samuel was a son of James Parr and Nancy Montgomery due to Sam’s family records stating that Samuel lost his father at a young age. And thankfully, once again, that theory was proven incorrect when, Sarah (Parr) Weldon’s research was shared with me. In Sarah’s notes she states otherwise.
Through researching and discussing with my senior (1980s) Parr family members, I now feel certain, that (my 2x’s great grandfather) Joseph Parr who married Jane Kennedy, will prove to be a nephew to James and Nancy (Montgomery) Parr – and a possible son of a “Thomas Parr of County Cavan, Ireland who was kicked off his land for to much wine and women.”
Plus, I have learned that the Thomas Parr who is listed in Ireland’s records as being “kicked off his land for too much wine and women” apparently, DID immigrate to Canada and that he is buried somewhere in a cemetery in Prince Edward County, Ontario, in a paupers grave.
In August 1827, Nancy (Montgomery) Parr is shown as purchasing the same acreage James was assessed as being on in March 1827. James is nowhere to be found at the purchase date in August of that year . . . and Nancy is listed some years later as “widow Parr.”
There are letters written by Andrew Montgomery; names of first born children; an existing fiddle from the 1800’s said to have belonged to a Parr who was tossed overboard on his way over to Canada from Ireland for playing an Orange tune on a mostly Catholic ship.
These are only some of the facts that have been discovered through research.
Should you be from an early Ontario Parr family or an American Parr family (there are several incidents of these Parrs living… though temporarily …in the USA), and you wish to contact others researching the Parr surname, feel free to either email or snail mail me at: Trish Parr, 525 Ritson Rd. N., Oshawa, Ontario L1G 5R4 Canada.