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Name: PARR, William Robert

Birth Date: 1870 Darlington

Death Date: 12 June 1928 Burnaby, Brit. Columbia, Canada

Nationality: British

First Date: 1905

Profession: Shortly after arrival became senior partner with Childs & Company and was very influential figure. Import and export merchant.

Area: Mombasa

Married: 1899 Mabel Grace Sloan b. 1873 Briton Ferry, Glamorgan, d. 12 Oct 1940 Bath

Children: Alexander Francis Robert (1906 Fianarantsoa, Mafagascar); Philip John 1907 Bath-i June 1908 Mombasa); John William (1911 Bath-1980); another

Book Reference: Gillett, HBEA, Gethin, Playne, Drumkey, Foster, Medals, North, Barnes, Red Book 1912

General Information:

Gethin - 1912 - on boat returning to Kenya after leave - 'One evening there was a knock on my cabin door. I found a man called Parr of Childs, Parr & Joseph, standing in the passage. They were a big Nairobi firm in those days and all the partners were American. Parr was a most sarcastic person who hated the French, a number of whom had negro wives with them on the ship. They were taking them home to introduce to their parents in France. I wonder if the officials in Kenya will be doing the same during the next few years. Parr now informed me he had only just discovered what the Order of the Bath meant. He was quite excited and said "Come quickly, if you don't know what it is I will show you". He led the way to the Bathrooms and pushed open a door. There in the bath was sitting a very small Frenchman and what looked like the ugliest Luo woman it would be possible to imagine, sitting stark naked in the bath together. It seems the woman was a native Princess with plenty of money. The Frenchman had married her and was taking her to Paris. He was a DC or something similar in her Father's district. When we arrived at Marseilles, there was a snow storm raging. The Princess was wearing a thick velvet dress with an enormous hat covered with ostrich feathers. Her face had gone yellow from cold and she was refusing to get off the ship, wanting to return immediately to her native land. I often wonder how it all ended. …'
Playne - Harris R. Childs, who came to BEA about 1907, was for many years Acting American Consul in Zanzibar, and is American-born. He has been in the ivory business all his life. Mr William R. Parr, another partner in Childs & Co. is an Englishman. He has been in EA for about 20 years, 17 of which have been spent in Madagascar. He has always been in trade, and is on the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr Hugo S. Joseph came from the United States in 1907 and joined the firm as partner, having faith in the future of the country. They buy ivory and ship it to New York - also importers of American soft goods and agricultural machinery
Foster - Lay Member 1918 Synod based Mombasa
Medals - Mombasa Defence Force - William R. Parr, No. 9364, Private
North - W.A. Parr - Firearm registered Nairobi Oct-Dec 1905 Mombasa Cemetery - 1 Jun 1908, Philip John Parr, Parr's child, aged 8 1/2 months, 10a Ndia Kuu, Gastric Enteritis
Red Book 1912 - Committee Member - Mombasa Chamber of Commerce
Gazette 16/5/1917 - Retired from Childs, Parr & Joseph

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