I am being driven mad by my 4x gt g'pa, William Thomas Parke. He appears on the 1842 marriage certificate of his daughter Frances Parke (b abt 1814 and my 3 x gt g'ma), where he gives his full name and says his occupation is 'musician'. I was delighted to discover that he was a well known musician and principal oboeist at Covent Garden for 40 years; he has entries in the Dictionary of National Biography and the Groves reference book on music; he was born in London in 1761 and died in 1847. I've even been able to download a copy of the book he wrote.
There are plenty of records about his other children: he had 2 or 3 children by his mistress, who died in 1807; in 1822 he married Maria Darvell, with whom he had children both before and after the marriage. His status on the marriage register is "widower". So at some point there was an earlier marriage, which produced daughter Frances.
I've been through IGI with a fine toothcombe, I've searched the National Archive and all the sources Ancestry has, but I can find no information about William's birth, baptism or parentage, nor his marriage to Frances's mother nor any kind of will (his various kids must have wanted to throttle him). (I have found his mistresse's will.) I can't find Frances' baptism either. I've had a look at Find My Past, but it would expensive to look at every Parke it finds.
Does anyone have any suggestions that might stop me banging my head on the wall?
There are plenty of records about his other children: he had 2 or 3 children by his mistress, who died in 1807; in 1822 he married Maria Darvell, with whom he had children both before and after the marriage. His status on the marriage register is "widower". So at some point there was an earlier marriage, which produced daughter Frances.
I've been through IGI with a fine toothcombe, I've searched the National Archive and all the sources Ancestry has, but I can find no information about William's birth, baptism or parentage, nor his marriage to Frances's mother nor any kind of will (his various kids must have wanted to throttle him). (I have found his mistresse's will.) I can't find Frances' baptism either. I've had a look at Find My Past, but it would expensive to look at every Parke it finds.
Does anyone have any suggestions that might stop me banging my head on the wall?
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