Book 3. the Parfitt Family- from Somerset, England
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Book 3. The Parfitt Family- From Somerset, England 1. The Parfitt name: Although not rare, the surname, Parfitt is not particularly common, only a Parfitt: English: from Middle English parfit moderate number being found in ‘fully trained’, ‘well versed’ (Old French historical records. A search of the parfit(e) ‘complete(d)’, from Latin perfectus , indexes for the UK suggest that it is ‘to finish or accomplish’), hence a nickname, almost entirely a southern name, probably originally denoting an apprentice occurring occasionally in Surrey, Kent, who had completed his period of training. Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon but very (The change from -er- to -ar- was a strongly in the county of Somerset characteristic phonetic development in Old from Bristol, south through Bath to the French and Middle English.) The modern Devon border. There are also a English word perfect is from Latin. reasonable number from Dissent with the superstitious practices of the Gloucestershire and some from Catholic religion became widespread Southern Wales but the latter seem to amongst Christians in Europe from the late be more recent. I have found one entry 11 th Century. It existed under many names in from Norfolk, one from Suffolk in the th different regions and was cruelly persecuted 19 century records but none further (by burning at the stake) by the established north that are readily available. The Church, eventually being suppressed spelling around Wiltshire and London everywhere except in Languedoc, now often appears as Parfett, Parfet etc. but southern France around Toulouse, where its any variation is likely to be due to non- followers were called Cathars . They had two standard spelling or to the local accent. categories, Perfecti (Perfects, Parfaits) and The name appears to have originated in Credentes (Believers), the former Middle English, (that is, English in the representing the heart of the " true Christian period from the 1066 conquest by the Church ". Demands of extreme asceticism fell Normans to the reign of Elizabeth I). It only upon the Perfecti who vowed to lives of therefore has a Norman-French simplicity, frugality and purity, credentes not influence with links to the word being expected to adopt the same lifestyle. “perfect” which, in its original form, They were however expected to refrain from means “finished”, probably referring to eating meat and dairy products, from killing an apprentice (see upper box). A and from swearing oaths. In the late 12 th speculated but unsubstantiated Century, a sizable portion of the Languedoc connection to the “ Perfecti ”, the more population, many from noble families, were extreme branch of the Cathars from the th “believers”. Their morals were much admired 13 century Toulouse region in France, but the Cathars were annihilated by a 20-year has been postulated. This is likely to be (Albigensian) crusade initiated by the incorrect which is not surprising as the Catholic Church (1209–1229), the Pope various forms of Catharism were not as offering their lands to any French nobleman strong in England which had always willing to take up arms. The violence led to expressed more religious independence French acquisition of those lands, an from Rome, than in France, heavily estimated 85,000 people dying during this under the sway of the Papacy and the crusade. German Holy Roman Empire. 67 2. Tracing the Parfitts: The first Parfitt in our line in Australia for whom I can find an undisputable record is Parfitt (location): The name in south William Parfitt who arrived in about 1863 west England is more frequent in or 1864. Now as there were a number of Somerset than in other counties. Even William Parfitts in successive generations, there, it clusters in the mining region that I will designate them using their middle lies centred about 15 kms south of Bristol, initial for clarity. That is, the first William 10 kms south west of Bath. The towns is undesignated; his son (our grandfather) most commonly associated with it appear is William J. (John), his son, usually to be, in order of frequency, Clutton, called Bill, is William D. (Devonald) Radstock, Farmborough, Dunkerton, while finally the next is William L. Camerton and Midsomer Norton. Stoke (Lesley). Lane lies another eight kms south with Frome a further ten kms east, the name William married Margaret Butler in appearing in both these districts, (see Newcastle, Australia in 1870 and after the Appendix 2, Maps). birth of six children in ten years, died at Lambton, (Newcastle) on 20/10/1880 aged Clutton: A village and parish within the 39. Their marriage certificate, the death Chew Valley. The nearest town is certificate of William and the birth Midsomer Norton. It was called Clutone certificate of William J. are available. I in the 1086 Domesday Book meaning 'A will deal with these more closely after first rocky hill enclosure' from the Old English examining William’s possible origins in cludig and tun , but there is also an obscure England. However, some details are first Celtic word cluttya meaning a 'hen's required to be able to do this. The roost'. It has a long history of coal mining marriage certificate of June 1870 gives no both in the village and in the surrounding information other than that he was a Somerset coalfield, but the mines no miner. The other two certificates were longer work. reported by his wife, Margaret Parfitt (nee Radstock was well known as a mining Butler) and so are likely to be fairly village with houses built for the workers. th accurate. On his death in October, 1880, It was a coal mining area in the 19 she notes William’s origin as England, his century as noted in Simon Winchester’s years in the colony as 16, his age as 39 his book The Map that Changed the World . occupation as a miner (coal) and his Carboniferous coal measures are full of parent’s names as James Parfitt and well preserved fossil plants. Although all Martha. These names are consistent with quarries are now closed and overgrown, the naming of their children which will be there are still a few locations where fossils mentioned later and so are believable. On can be found. William John’s birth certificate in Stoke-Lane , (now Stoke St. Michael), December 1876, she gives the father (her The land is mostly pasture, with some husband), William Parfitt as being born in woods and plantations. It is in the diocese Somerset, his age being 36 and again his of Bath and Wells. The church, St. occupation being a miner. That is, these Michael, has a tower containing a clock certificates are consistent. If she was and three bells, rebuilt in 1838. The entirely accurate with his age, he must register dates from 1644. have been born between 20 th October and 26 th December 1840. 68 Modern Parfitts have proved to be enthusiastic family historians. Of all the name branches of our family, Parfitt provides the greatest number of web sites with extensive historical listings of births, deaths and marriages so given a birth date, William’s birth record should appear somewhere as it is within the period of compulsory registration. While the above indicates that his birth was towards the end of 1840, the accuracy cannot be guaranteed and an error of a year either way is feasible but the starting point for such a search is the last quarter of 1840. As the formal registration in England began in 1836-1837 and noting that his parents’ given names are known, such information should be sufficient to trace his town of origin in the UK and his own birth certificate but that has not proven to be the case. William’s exact origins remain obscure. No birth of a William Parfitt, born between say 1839 and 1842 in Somerset to a James and Martha Parfitt has been uncovered. Examples of the nearest births that can be found in Somerset are as follows. 1. William Parfitt, 1838, son of Aaron and Rhoda; village Dunkerton. 2. William Parfitt, 1838, son of Henry (coalminer) and Hester; village Camerton. 3. William Parfitt, age 6 months at 1841 census (on 6 th June, 1841), 4. William Parfitt, 3/1/1841, son of James (coalminer) and Ann; village Radstock. 5. William Parfitt, 1842, son of Abel (coalminer) and Elizabeth; village Dunkerton. 6. William Parfitt, 31/7/1842 son of William and Martha; village Stoke Lane, These cover a wider range of years than is likely and, as well as the The mysterious William Parfitt: The birth date, all have inconsistencies. appropriate information may one day be found The first on the above list married a but at present there is only speculation. Why, woman, Mercy, and was still in the given that the Parfitts seemed at that stage to UK in 1881. The second still stick close together regionally and that records appears in the UK in the 1881 were in existence at his birth is he so hard to census after marrying Harriet. The find? It is a very well researched surname and third needs to be followed up as the there are extensive lists of Parfitts on the web. birth date is a close match but it Even his parents, a James and Martha Parfitt do seems likely that he was the same not seem to have ever co-habited. One child as the fourth. This latter possibility is that either he, his father or mother originally looked promising but he commonly used a first name other than their appears in the UK census returns registered one (for example, they may have used until 1881, married before 1871 to a their middle name).