John Parr (merchant)
John Parr | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1722-06-01 England |
| Died | 1798-10-07 |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, shipowner, gunsmith, mayor |
| Years active | 18th century |
| Known for | Merchant and shipowner in the Atlantic slave trade; mayor of Liverpool in 1773; involvement in gun trade and African Company of Merchants |
John Parr (born 1 June 1722, died 7 October 1798) was a prominent English merchant and shipowner who held the offices of bailiff and mayor in Liverpool in the year 1773.
The Parr family of Liverpool
The 1766 edition of the Liverpool Directory records three individuals named John Parr: one merchant situated in Old Church Yard; a gunsmith residing on Frederick Street; and a draper based on Water Street.
Edward Parr of Castle Street, who worked as both a merchant and apothecary, was John Parr’s first cousin. Edward participated actively in the transatlantic slave trade, operating routes involving West Africa, the West Indies, and Chesapeake Bay. He was affiliated with the African Company of Merchants from 1752 onward and owned vessels including the True Blue launched in 1758. He was reputed to be among Liverpool’s most affluent merchants.
John Parr of Frederick Street—later relocating to Argyle Street—and proprietor of Elm House in West Derby (constructed around 1777), was a Presbyterian gunmaker descending from the "Parr of Lythwood" lineage. Born circa 1734 and passing away in 1798, his will dated 1794 described extensive workshop facilities and warehouses dedicated to the gun manufacturing trade near Argyle and Pitt Streets in Liverpool. His eldest son, John Parr (born 1767), faced insolvency by 1840, while his third son Thomas Parr (slave trader), born in 1769, continued the family’s mercantile activities in Liverpool.
Life
John Parr of Old Church Yard descended from John Parr of Haysom in Rainford, whose family had been minor landowners since the 15th century before relocating to Liverpool around 1700 to pursue careers as merchants and shipowners. He married Jane Horton, daughter of Joshua Horton, who was an ancestor of the Horton baronets of Chadderton.
Parr is commonly recognized as a merchant and shipowner engaged in the Atlantic slave trade. It is probable that he expanded his enterprise into gun trading and exporting, working closely with his younger cousin John Parr of Frederick Street, a gunsmith by profession. In 1751, he was likely appointed as an agent for Farmer & Galton, a Birmingham firm, through James Farmer—a partner alongside Samuel Galton Jr.—to sell firearms on commission under John Hardman. This collaboration also encompassed the "battery trade," which involved small copper and brass goods. In 1752, Parr appeared alongside Hardman and Edward Parr as one of the founding members of the African Company of Merchants. The nature of the gun trade necessitated extended credit arrangements, leading Galton to seek payments from Parr. Before the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756, discounts on cash payments for guns were notably significant.
By the time he served as mayor in 1773, Parr resided on Water Street. In August 1775, during a downturn affecting wages within Atlantic trade sectors, Liverpool experienced sailor riots. Following these disturbances, Parr provided firearms, ammunition, and swords to support the Liverpool corporation’s response.
A notable product known as the "tower gun," important for trade with West Africa at Old Calabar, derived its name from its presumed testing at the firing range located at the Tower of London. Letters from 1788 indicate that Parr procured old firearms from Ireland for refurbishment before selling them again in African markets.
Either Parr or his cousin supplied French agents with firearms prior to the onset of the French Revolutionary Wars. Galton credited Parr with importing Irish Ordnance fusils destined for French use.
Parr also invested capital into a steam-powered cotton mill and held real estate assets both in Liverpool and St Helen's. He passed away on 7 October 1798 at age seventy-six; his commemorative monument stands within St Nicholas's Church. His will was authenticated in Chester in 1799 under the name John Parr, merchant of Liverpool.
Family
In 1756, Parr wed Anne Wolstenholme (who passed away in 1765 at the age of 25), the daughter of Reverend Henry Wolstenholme, then rector of Liverpool. Following the marriage, Parr took up residence in the Wolstenholme family home located in Ropewalks, which later became known as Wolstenholme Square. His father-in-law bequeathed to Parr a parcel of land situated between Wolstenholme Square and Colquitt Street. By 1764, Parr had secured a lease on land north of RopeWorks near Copperas Hill, though he refrained from engaging in speculative construction on this property.
The children born to the Parr family included:
- John Owen Parr I (1757–1819), their firstborn son, worked as an insurance broker and merchant based at 11 Royal Exchange, London, from 1791 to 1794. By 1799, he was affiliated with Lloyd's of London. However, he declared bankruptcy in 1800. He married Elizabeth Mary Patrick, niece to Sir Richard Chase of Much Hadham. In business, Parr collaborated with Thomas Chase Patrick, Elizabeth’s brother; both were involved in bankruptcy proceedings. Their son, John Owen Parr II, graduated from Brasenose College, Oxford and was appointed vicar of Preston, Lancashire in 1840. Another son was Thomas Chase Parr (died 1883), who attained the rank of general in the Bombay Army under the Honorable East India Company.
- Edward Parr (1760–1848), a practicing attorney, married Anne Jane Hamilton, daughter of Arthur Hamilton from Wavertree.
- Wolstenholme Parr (1762–1845) pursued a literary career and spent much of his life residing in Venice. During the Austro-French conflicts, he was imprisoned and suffered the loss of his possessions but subsequently received asylum from Napoleon. He authored The Story of the Moor of Venice (1795) and edited Pierre-François Hugues d'Hancarville’s works on Raphael, publishing them in French in 1842.
- Joshua Wolstenholme Parr, MD (1763–1810), specialized as a chemical manufacturer producing alum, copperas, and vitriol. He held a partnership in the Mona Vitriol Company based in Amlwch, Anglesey, with operations at Parys Mountain. He married Althea Barton, daughter of George Barton, a Manchester calico manufacturer. Joshua retired to an estate named Pentre Parr near Llandeilo and was the grandfather of William Barton Wright as well as the great-grandfather of Edward William Barton-Wright.
- Thomas Parr (1765–1834) worked as a merchant. After marrying Mary Wood, daughter of Richard Wood, he initiated legal action against Ralph Benson for criminal conversation involving his wife—a case that attracted significant public attention when tried in 1808. Following these events, Thomas Parr was institutionalized for mental health reasons.