William Henry "Bill" Parker

Role: Grandfather of Mark Telfer — Shirley's father
Born: 13 April 1893 — Long Plains, South Australia
Died: 16 December 1968 — near Owen, South Australia (aged 75)
Burial: Calomba Shannon Methodist Cemetery, South Australia

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Family

| Relation | Name |
|----------|------|
| Father | William Humphrey Parker (1850–1926) — born Ragged Hill, Mossblown, Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Mother | Hannah Baker (1855–1948) — born Peachy Belt, South Australia |
| Spouse | Caroline Edna Lawrie (1890–1957) — m. 29 March 1917 at residence of R D Lawrie, Long Plains. He was 23, she was 26. |
| Children | Avis Muriel (Parker) Nicholls (b. 1918 Balaklava), Howard Lindsay Parker (b. 1920 Balaklava), Sydney Hugh Parker (b. 1922 Long Plains), William Humphrey Parker (b. 1926 Balaklava), Shirley Edna Parker (b. 1929) |

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Life Summary

William Henry Parker was born and raised at Long Plains, South Australia — a small farming district north of Adelaide. His father, William Humphrey Parker, was a Scottish immigrant from Ayrshire; his mother, Hannah Baker, was Australian-born to English parents from Devon and Norfolk.

He married Caroline Edna Lawrie on 29 March 1917 at the home of her father, R D Lawrie, in Long Plains. They settled in the Long Plains/Balaklava area and raised five children on the family farm.

A 1933 Trove article mentions a grass fire at Long Plains where "Mr. W. H. Parker's property was also threatened" — confirming he was a farming man on the land there.

He passed away near Owen, South Australia on 16 December 1968, aged 75, and was buried at Calomba Shannon Methodist Cemetery.

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Timeline

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| 13 Apr 1893 | Born at Long Plains, SA |
| ~1917 | Farming at Long Plains |
| 29 Mar 1917 | Married Caroline Edna Lawrie at Long Plains |
| 20 Apr 1918 | Daughter Avis Muriel born (Balaklava) |
| 10 Apr 1920 | Son Howard Lindsay born (Balaklava) |
| 7 Nov 1922 | Son Sydney Hugh born (Long Plains) |
| 16 Apr 1926 | Son William Humphrey born (Balaklava) |
| 28 Mar 1929 | Daughter Shirley Edna born |
| 16 Dec 1968 | Died near Owen, SA (aged 75) |

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Siblings

William Henry was the 7th of 10 children:

| Name | Birth Year | Birthplace |
|------|-----------|------------|
| Elizabeth Parker | 1879 | Balaklava, SA |
| Lucy Agnes Parker | 1881 | Dublin, SA |
| Andrew Kelly Parker | 1883 | Long Plains, SA |
| Sophia (Parker) Lawrie | 1886 | Long Plains, SA |
| Edward Albert Parker | 1888 | Long Plains, SA |
| Mabel Winifred Parker | 1890 | Long Plains, SA (died age 4) |
| William Henry Parker | 1893 | Long Plains, SA |
| Isabella Mabel (Parker) Carne | 1895 | Long Plains, SA |
| Mina Evelyn Parker | 1897 | Long Plains, SA |
| Stella Winifred Parker | 1899 | Long Plains, SA |

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Parker Family Origins

The Parker family are Lowland Scots from Ayrshire — NOT English. The direct male line:

• Hugh Parker (~1800s) — Ayrshire, Scotland


• David Parker (1822–1888) — born Tarbolton, Ayrshire; immigrated to SA on Martin Luther in 1852


• William Humphrey Parker (1850–1926) — born Ragged Hill, Mossblown, Ayrshire; immigrated with father


• William Henry Parker (1893–1968) — born Long Plains, SA (Australian-born)

The English connection comes via Hannah Baker's parents (William John Baker from Devon, Sophia March from Norfolk) — not Yorkshire.

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Sources

• WikiTree profile: William Henry Parker (1893–1968) — confirms birth, death, marriage, family


• WikiTree: William Humphrey Parker — father's profile


• WikiTree: Shirley Edna Parker Telfer — daughter's profile


• FamilySearch: William Humphrey Parker (KV21-T88) — via FamilySearch tree


• Trove: The Advertiser (Adelaide), 2 Nov 1933 — grass fire at Long Plains, mentions W. H. Parker's property


• Trove: Evening Journal (Adelaide), 22 Jun 1871 — David Parker marriage notice


• FindAGrave: Calomba Shannon Methodist Cemetery — burial location

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Links

• Shirley Edna Telfer (1929–2017) — daughter


• Caroline Edna Lawrie (1890–1957) — wife


• William Humphrey Parker (1850–1926) — father


• Hannah Parker (1855–1948) — mother


• William John Baker (1831–1919) — grandfather


• Sophia Baker (1829–1901) — grandmother


• David Parker (1822–1888) — grandfather


• Family Tree