Parr families of potters, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent

The Parr family of potters operated from c.1814 to c.1894 when the Wellington Street works were fully in the hands of William Kent.

There were three main factory locations where the Parr family worked, those in Church Street, Podmore Street and Wellington Street.
The link to the map shows the locations and below is a list of the dates and names associated with each factory. These dates are taken from trade directories and so people may have been associated with the factories a few years either side of the dates given below.

At the bottom of this page are the 1861 to 1891 census details for some of the Parr families.

also see 1898 map showing location of factories

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Works in Church Street:-

See notes on the development of Church Street, Burslem

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Works in Podmore Street:-

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Works in Wellington Street:-

The Wellington Street Works were known by the name "Novelty Works" as early as 1887.
In the 1950's many streets in Stoke-on-Trent were renamed. At this time "Wellington Street" was renamed as "Auckland Street"

on street renaming  

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John Parr:- John Parr is listed in the trade directories as operating from more pottery works than the others, the full list is....

1860-61    6 Podmore Street, Burslem
1863-64    Kiln Croft Works, Burslem
1863        78 Waterloo Road, Burslem
1870-79    Wellington Street, Burslem
1882        Adelaide Street Works, Burslem

1861 - 1891 census details for the Parr families

1861 census:

Dwelling: 34 Church Street
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District of St. John's

1861 census:

Dwelling: 2 North Street
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District of Holy Trinity,

1861 census:

Dwelling: 30 Church Street
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District of St. John's

1871 census:

Dwelling: 2 North Street
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District of Holy Trinity, Sneyd

1871 census:

Dwelling: North Street
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England.

1881 census:

Dwelling: 35 Hot Lane
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District  Sneyd

1881 census:

Dwelling: North Street
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England.

1891 census:

Dwelling: 7 Hot Lane
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District  Sneyd

1891 census:

Dwelling: Leek Road
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England.

questions/comments/contributions: email: Steve Birks

updated: 11 May 2005

### John Parr and his family

The census returns from 1861 to 1891 provide a glimpse of John Parr's family life in Burslem and the occupations of several generations of the family.

In 1861, John Parr, aged 46, was living at 2 North Street, Burslem, with his wife Elizabeth, aged 44, and their four children: Ann, 17, Thomas, 12, Lydia, 10, Samuel, 8, and Randle, 5. John was recorded as a potter, while Ann was also employed in the pottery industry. The younger children were scholars.

The family remained at North Street in 1871. John, now recorded as 56, was still working as a potter, as was his wife Elizabeth and their daughter Ann. Their son Randle, aged 18, had also entered the pottery trade. The household included their one-year-old grandson, George J. Leese, and a 15-year-old pottery worker, George W. W. Boulton, who was recorded as a boarder.

By 1881, the family had moved to 35 Hot Lane, Burslem. John, aged 66, was no longer described as a potter but was employed as a clerk at a brick and pipe works. Elizabeth, aged 64, was still recorded as a potter, while Ann was described as a former potter and Randle was working as a coal miner. The household also included their grandson George Leese, now 11, and a five-month-old granddaughter, Lydia Parr. Three members of the wider Heath family were living with them: Randle Heath, an iron turner; Fred Heath, a potter; and Elizabeth Heath, a child.

In 1891, the census recorded a household at 7 Hot Lane headed by Frederick G. Heath, aged 26, who worked as a potters' polisher. Among those living with him were Ann Parr, now 47 and employed as a potters' warehousewoman; Randle Parr, 35, a coal miner; and George J. Leese, 21, a potters' cup maker. They were all described as cousins of the head of the household. Elizabeth A. Heath, Frederick's 20-year-old sister, worked in a pottery dipping house. Lydia Parr, aged 10, was also present as a scholar.

These records illustrate the close connection between the Parr and Heath families and the pottery industry in Burslem. While John Parr's own occupation had changed by 1881, members of the younger generations continued to work in pottery manufacture and related trades. Others, such as Randle Parr, found employment in the coal industry.

The census entries document the household and occupations of John Parr's family, although further research would be needed to establish all the relationships between the different Parr families involved in pottery manufacture in Burslem.




Points I would check before publishing
There are three details worth investigating, because they may help you connect the family history to the pottery businesses.
- John's age and birthplace: in 1861 he was recorded as 46 and born in Burslem, but in 1871 he was recorded as 56 and born in Tunstall. The ages are consistent with a birth around 1815, but the birthplace discrepancy should be noted.
- The two Lydias: Lydia Parr was 10 in 1861, but the Lydia Parr recorded as a five-month-old granddaughter in 1881 and aged 10 in 1891 appears to be a different person. The relationship between them needs establishing.
- John's identity: your trade-directory research places John Parr at several different works, including Podmore Street before Wellington Street. Establishing whether the census subject is the same John Parr recorded in those directories would strengthen the historical account.

1861 census:

Dwelling: 2 North Street
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District of Holy Trinity,

1871 census:

Dwelling: 2 North Street
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District of Holy Trinity, Sneyd

1881 census:

Dwelling: 35 Hot Lane
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District  Sneyd

1891 census:

Dwelling: 7 Hot Lane
Census Place: Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Ecclesiastical District  Sneyd