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Edwin (sometimes known as Edward) was the youngest of ten children of Jeremiah Dufkin Parrish and and Jane (nee Bate). He was born about 1826.
Ann was the daughter of Francis Wilbee and Elizabeth (nee Fletcher) born about 1827.
They were both baptised in St Lawrence's Church, Foleshill.
Edwin's father Jeremiah was a publican and Ann's father Francis was a clerk and toll keeper on the Longford Canal that runs past Jeremiah's public house - "The Engine" at Longford.
They were married in St Mary's Church, Paddington, London on 31 March 1849.
They arrived in NSW on the 21st July 1849 as steerage passengers on the 498 ton Aberdeen White Star clipper Phoenician which departed London 20th April 1849.
The barque Phoenician under full sail
Edwin was a tradesman, listed on his wedding certificate as a machinist. He is also shown on other documents as a carpenter and a farmer.
They lived in Wollongong, Kiama and Omega before settling in Foxground (between Gerringong and Berry) where they had a dairy farm and raised a large family.
Ann was the midwife to her many grandchildren, nearly all being born at Foxground.
Of 16 children, 10 survived to adulthood and had their own families.
During a storm in November 1870. Edwin worked in the rain to clear a flooded creek to allow vehicles to cross.
As a result of working in the wet and cold, he contracted a chill which then became pleurisy.
After three weeks, it had become pneumonia and he took a turn for the worse.
Because of the weather, the roads were impassible, so young Edward (aged 11) was told to run to Kiama on foot to fetch a doctor. He probably took the most direct route, over the mountain. By the time he returned with the doctor, Edwin had passed away.
Edwin died on 21 November 1870 aged 44.
Only two weeks earlier Ann had lost the premature twins, George & Elizabeth.
Ann died on 12th April 1907 aged 80.
Edwin and Ann are buried in the Wesleyan portion of Foxground Cemetery - now disused.
Their headstone has been moved and is safe and well on the property of Trudi and Justin Voorwinden in Foxground.
The North Coast Migration
After Edwin's death in 1870 and with eight (surviving) boys in the family, there would never be enough land at Foxground to pass on for farming.
With the passing of the Crown Land Acts 1884, the NSW Government released land for free selection on the North Coast of New South Wales (around the Lismore, Bangalow and Mullumbimby area).
It was a good opportunity for some of them to start their own dairy farms.
The four youngest boys:- Charles, Walter, James and Oliver moved to the North Coast. Thus began the "Northern Branch" of the Parrish Family.
Parrish Family Genealogy
Major credit for the genealogical research must go to Nancy Carter who has been collecting information since 1970. This has since been supplemented by work done by:
Doug Parrish, Frank Parrish, Greg Parrish, Mavis Volk, Trudi Voorwinden, Lyndal Mortyn, Lorraine Neate and Alan Patterson.
Parrish Family Reunion
On 1st/2nd May 1999 a family reunion of Parrish descendants was held at Gerringong and Foxground to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Edwin and Ann in Australia in 1849. Approx. 300 people attended over the two days.
Book of Parrish Family History
On that weekend it was decided to publish a book tracing and outlining as many Parrish descendants as possible.
The book, titled "Foleshill to Foxground" was published in July 2000. It contains biographies and photographs of many of the descendants as well as a large amount of historical information.
For more details, please contact: Evagean Publishing, 18 Waygrove Avenue, Earlwood NSW 2206. Phone/Fax (02) 9789-4550.
Other Australian Parrish Branches
Edwin was the youngest of 7 brothers and 3 sisters.
An older brother Henry came to Australia around 1865 and lived in Brisbane until his death in 1875.
Henry was born in 1811 in Longford. He married Mary Eales on 16 July 1839 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire
He was a cement manufacturer, mechanic, baker and powdermaker.
He died aged 64 on 20 Feb 1875 in Lutwyche, a suburb of Brisbane, Qld as a result of a gunpowder explosion.
After Henry's death, Mary returned to England.
A sister, Emma also emigrated to Australia.
Emma was born on 5 November 1821 in Foleshill. She married Samuel Worcester in Coventry in 1844.
They came to Australia and settled in Victoria around 1855.
Today there are many Worcester descendants, mainly in Victoria.
As they settled in different states, it isn't known if there was any contact between Henry, Edwin and Emma in Australia.