Parmenas Adcock, b. 1774

Pauper Boy Does Good

Parmenas Adcock was christened on 5 April 1774 at St Katherine by the Tower. His father, a cooper also called Parmenas, had married his mother, Jane Marr on 13 August 1765 at Christ Church, Spitalfields.¹

Parmenas senior was admitted as a freeman of the Coopers Company on 6 December 1757, having completed his apprenticeship with James Butcher. From 1761 to 1770 he took on eleven apprentices, but then ceased to take any more.² This could be a sign that his business had fallen on hard times.

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Enters the Workhouse

This was certainly true by 1778, when young Parmenas was admitted to the workhouse of St Botolph Aldgate on 5 August, aged 4 years, 5 months. On 17 August he was put under the care of Nurse Varwell (or Warvell) who lived at Barkingside, Essex. His care cost the parish 2s 6d a week. He appears to have stayed with Nurse Varwell until 28 March 1781, just after his 7th birthday, when he was delivered to his aunt.

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Marriage

With the help of St Botolph's parish, Parmenas was able to survive a difficult time and live into adulthood. He married Jane Happey on 7 June 1802 at St Matthew, Bethnal Green, a few days before he became a freeman of the Cooper's Company, through patrimony, having already paid £5 3s 6d into the Company.³ Their son, Parmenas Thomas, was born on 22 December 1803.⁴

Thereafter, Parmenas disappears from the records. He certainly appears to have no longer been in need of any support from the parish.

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External Sources

• Family Search (www.familysearch.org), consulted 26 March 2010.
• Guildhall Library (GL), MS 5634/3, 636/1 f.8, 5636/2, 5602/9, 5613/4 f.4.

Footnotes

¹ Family Search (www.familysearch.org), consulted 26 March 2010. ⇑

² Guildhall Library (GL), MS 5634/3, 5636/1 f.8, 5602/9. ⇑

³ GL, MS 5636/2,5613/4 f.4. ⇑

⁴ Family Search, consulted 26 March 2010. ⇑

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