Nat Gould

Mary Carrington 1799-1875

Mary Carrington was born on 12 October 1799 at Croxden in Staffordshire, the daughter of William Carrington 1752-1840 and his wife née Elizabeth Shaw 1764-1852.

On 26 June 1821 she was married to Francis Allen Parramore 1795-1862, born in 1795 at Brinsley in Greasley parish in Nottinghamshire, the son of George Parramore 1768-1847 and his wife née Patience Allen 1755-1828. He was baptised at Greasley on 23 November 1795.

Throwley Hall Farm and Old Hall Farm Ruins

They lived at Throwley Hall in remote hill country in Ilam parish, Staffordshire (1).

There were two farms there called Throwley Hall:

the new farm built in 1823 and occupied from at least 1841 by the bachelor brothers John Phillips and George Phillips;

and the old hall occupied from at least 1836 until 1877 by Francis Allen Parramore and after he died by his son William Thomas Parramore.

After the Parramore family left in 1877, the old Throwley Hall became deserted and fell into its present ruinous condition (2) and the acreage of the former two separate farms was combined (3).


Francis Allen Parramore was farming there in 1841 when the Census was taken. By 1851 Francis Allen Parramore was there farming 280 acres and employing five labourers and two boys. In the household was a governess, two indoor female servants, and five unmarried farm labourers, namely a shepherd, waggoner, cowman, house boy and errand boy.

In 1861 the farm was recorded as 283 acres, providing employment for two labourers. The household comprised the three surviving children (all unmarried), one female house servant, a dairy maid, and the two unmarried male labourers, namely a groom and a carter.

They had the following children:

George William Parramore 1833-1837. He died on 21 May 1837 at Throwley Hall aged four years and two months (4).

Francis Thomas Parramore. He was born in 1836 at Croxden. He died on 21 May 1837 at Throwley Hall aged sixteen months (4).

Martha Parramore. She was born in 1837 (5) at Ilam in Staffordshire, presumably at Throwley Hall. On 29 October 1869 she was married at Ilam church to her cousin Arthur Smith of Groby in Leicestershire. He was the youngest son of Thomas Smith 1799-1855 of Blore Hall in Staffordshire and his wife née Elizabeth Carrington 1809-1873 (6).

William Thomas Parramore. He was born in 1840 at Ilam, presumably at Throwley Hall. On 26 January 1871 he married Sarah Hall at Shifnal parish church in Shropshire. She was born on 27 June 1837 at Cannock in Staffordshire, the only daughter of the late Thomas Hall of Haughton Farm in Shifnal (7). They emigrated to Australia in 1877. He died on 19 November 1913 at Wagga Wagga, Victoria. His wife Sarah Parramore nee Hall died on 19 November 1918 at Adelong, Tumut in New South Wales.

John Thomas Parramore. He was born in 1847 at Ilam, presumably at Throwley Hall.

Their father Francis Allen Parramore died in 1862, and his son William Thomas Parramore took over the farm. His widow presumably continued to live there, as when the 1871 Census was taken she was only visiting the family of a Methodist minister living at 21 Rutland Street in Leicester.

Mary Parramore née Carrington died in 1875 at Market Bosworth in Leicestershire aged 75 years. She was buried with her husband Francis Allen Parramore at Blore in Staffordshire where they share a gravestone.

(1) Throwley is pronounced with the first syllable rhyming with "now", not with "low".
(2) The ruins of the early sixteenth century house are today a scheduled ancient monument, while remaining privately owned property. British Listed Buildings (Staffordshire) Grade II* listed 2 May 1953: English Heritage Building ID 275187.
(3) The combined acreage was recorded as being 580 acres in the 1881 Census Return. The separate acreages in 1871 had been 246 acres (the newer Throwley Hall) and 338 acres (the old Throwley Hall).
(4) "DIED ... Of croup, at Throwley Hall, in Staffordshire, on the 21st May, Francis Thomas Parramore, aged 16 months. And on May 30th, George William Parramore, aged 4 years and 2 months; only children of Mr. and Mrs. Parramore, whose grief may be imagined, but cannot be described." Staffordshire Advertiser 10 June 1837.
(5) She must have been born before 10 June 1837, as Francis Thomas Parramore and George William Parramore, who had died by then, were described as being the only children of their parents at that date. Staffordshire Advertiser 10 June 1837.
(6) "Marriages ... On the 29th ult., at Ilam Church, Staffordshire, by the Rev. James Bardsley, M.A., rector of St. Ann's, Manchester, Arthur Smith, Groby, Leicestershire, youngest son of the late Thomas Smith, Blore Hall, Staffordshire, to Martha, only daughter of the late Francis Allen Parramore, of Throwley Hall." Leicester Chronicle 16 October 1869.
The bride and bridegroom were first cousins: the mother of the bride was Mary Parramore née Mary Carrington 1799-1875, sister of the bridegroom's mother Elizabeth Smith née Elizabeth Carrington 1809-1873.
(7) Manchester Weekly Times 4 February 1871.