Thomas Parmenter

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Maureen Withey on 21st March 2023

Colonial Secretary Index. PARMETER, Thomas. Per "Fanny", 1816; surgeon. 1816 Feb 12 Re proposed publication of Colonial Magazine (Reel 6004; 4/3494 pp.354-5) 1816 Sep 19 George Howe, printer of the Gazette, to Campbell re Dr Parmenter's lectures (Fiche 3312; 5/3822.6A pp.36-7) 1817 Nov 22-1818 Nov 28 His salary as Acting Assistant Surgeon at Lunatic Asylum paid from the Police Fund (Reel 6038; SZ759 pp.413, 444, 477, 495, 528) 1819 Jan 16 Superintendent of Lunatic Asylum brought charges of wrongful use of sick stores against (Reel 6048; 4/1742 pp.65-82) 1819 Jan 21 Acting Assistant Surgeon, Lunatic Asylum, Castle Hill. Re termination of position at the Lunatic Asylum (Reel 6006; 4/3499 p.276) 1819 Jan 28 Re medical treatment in absence of (Reel 6006; 4/3499 p.290) 1819 Feb 20, Jun 10 Former Acting Assistant Surgeon at Lunatic Asylum, Castle Hill. Salary paid from the Police Fund (Reel 6038; SZ1044 pp.11, 59) 1820 Memorial (Fiche 3028; 4/1825A No.598 pp.323-6) 1821 Mar 9,18 Of Parramatta. Memorial (Fiche 3038; 4/1827 No.99) 1821 May 24 Store receipts of for wheat (Reel 6051; 4/1748 pp.181, 182) 1821 Sep 16 Re memorial praying certain favours (Reel 6051; 4/1750 pp.146-9) 1821 Sep 21 On account of claims against the estate of Annisley Magraw and David Bell (Reel 6053; 4/1756 p.86) 1822 Feb 23 Signature in support of petition of Mary Allen for the recall of her husband Robert from Newcastle (Fiche 3212; 4/1864 p.5) 1822 Apr 22 Medical practitioner. Complaints re coroner Mr Howe (Reel 6055; 4/1760 pp.38-38c) 1822 May 26 Former surgeon of Lunatic Asylum, Castle Hill. Memorial (Fiche 3051; 4/1831 No.293) 1822 Aug Signatory to petition objecting to the Commissariat's new system of paying for supplies in Spanish dollars (Reel 6017; 4/5783 p.124c) 1822 Sep 21 On list of purchasers at auction of effects of Annisley Magraw and David Bell held at Windsor (Reel 6053; 4/1756 p.85) 1825 Of Windsor. Memorial (Fiche 3149; 4/1843B No.627 pp.997-1000) 1825 Aug 19 On list of persons who have received orders for grants of land (Fiche 3266; 9/2652 p.98); on list of lands granted and reserved by Sir Thomas Brisbane (Fiche 3269; 9/2740 p.23)

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Maureen Withey on 21st March 2023

See also: https://www.freesettlerorfelon.com/thomas_parmeter.htm In 1828, Thomas is living alone with his children, their mother, his former housekeeper Jane Meredith, having married farmer, Walter Rotton, and living with her new husband and baby. 1828 Census index. Thomas Parmeter, age 42, F.S. Fanny, 1815, 7 years, protestant, Surgeon, Patricks Plains, has 740 acres of land, 14 acres cleared, 10 acres cultivated and has 18 head of horned cattle. Fran. B. Parmeter, age 9, B.C. Maria A. Parmeter, age 11, B.C. Thos. R. Parmeter, age 7, B.C. Harriet C. Parmeter, age 3, B.C.

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Michelle Kaplan on 6th February 2016

Thomas PARMETER married Elizabeth MASSEY 12/03/1812 at Marylebone, Middlesex, England. He then married Rachel Martha WOODS 23/07/1814 at Shoreditch, Middlesex, England (his reason – he believed Elizabeth to be dead). 5 months & 11 days after marrying Rachel, he married Bridget MITCHELL on 03/01/1815 at Liverpool, Lancashire, England. (Bridget MITCHELL was a witness to his marriage to Rachel). On 12/06/1815 Rachel brought the charge or bigamy against Thomas for being married to Elizabeth. No mention was made of Bridget. On the 22/06/1815 Thomas plead guilty at the Old Bailey (some say to keep his name out of the newspapers which could be true as I have been unsuccessful in locating a news article re the charge nor sentence) and was sentenced to transportation for 7 years. Thomas was one of the more fortunate of our convicts in that he did not have to languish in an English prison cell nor hulk for a lengthy period of time. Just under two months after receiving his sentence, on 07/08/1815 Thomas was transferred from Newgate prison to the vessel ‘Fanny’ which departed England 25/08/1815 and arrived 5 months and 6 days later on 18/01/1816. A short time after arrival, Thomas was employed as Assistant Surgeon at the Castle Hill Lunatic Asylum. 18 months after his arrival, July 1817 sees a child (Maria Ann) born to Dr. Thomas PARMETER & Jane MEREDITH (Jane was a fellow convict arriving in January 1816 aboard the Mary Ann). Jane was shown on census records as Thomas’ housekeeper. Thomas and Jane produced five known children with one named Harriet dying as an infant. Thomas received his pardon on 04/06/1818 serving only 2 years 11 months and 13 days of his 7 year sentence. Although I am sure that Thomas could have returned to England if he had chosen to do so, he remained in the colony, probably as he had a child here with another due about two months after receiving his pardon and also because he could see the possibilities this land had to offer not only him but also his children. He was a prolific writer both here and in England to the newspapers as well as writing poetry and essays about Australia often using the pen name of “DE QUIROSVILLE”. After a dispute with Dr. Sutton, the Superintendant of the Castle Hill Lunatic Asylum, both Thomas and Dr. Sutton were both dismissed from their employment. Thomas then took up private practice in Windsor. In August of 1820, Thomas broke his right thigh bone in a riding accident & suffered with complications thereafter. Five years later in 1825 he received a 600 acre land grant which I believe to be in the Patricks Plains area of New South Wales as this is where he was living at the time of the 1828 census. His ‘housekeeper’ Jane MEREDITH married a neighbour; Walter ROTTON (a free settler) on 30/07/1827 at Warkworth, New South Wales. It is assumed that as Thomas was not free to marry, Jane would have wanted a more stable and respectable future for herself and her children and Walter was just that – stable and respectable. The 1828 census reveals that Thomas had 4 convict servants working for him but by 1832 Thomas was prohibited from receiving convict servants for reasons unknown. He received a further 600 acre land grant in the Hunter region of New South Wales in 1835. At the age of only 48 years Thomas passed away in July 1836 after suffering for a number of years from the riding accident, the loss of an eye and also palsy of the limbs. Part of his death notice reads: “he was esteemed as a kind-hearted being, who was never more happy than when he was doing a kind and good act. He had (of course) his frailties, but as to malignity or resentment, he seemed to be insensible to its influence. He was in this respect kind to a fault, for he knew not that paramount duty to visit the guilty with punishment. He was forgiving to the utmost bounds of Christianity.” There can be no doubt that Thomas was a romantic but he was also fluent in a number of languages, socialised in high circles in both England and France and he must have been a bit of a con-man to think he could get away with being married to three women at the one time, but he was also a very kind man who was happiest when able to be of assistance to the less fortunate in our society.

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Michelle Kaplan on 6th February 2016

Thomas PARMETER married Elizabeth MASSEY at Middlesex, England 12/03/1812 & whilst married to Elizabeth, he married Rachel Martha WOODS at Shoreditch, Middlesex, England 23/07/1814 (his excuse - he believed Elizabeth to be dead). 5 months and 11 days later he married Bridget MITCHELL at Liverpool, Lancashire, England. (Bridgdet MITCHELL had been a witness at Thomas' marriage to Martha). Rachel WOODS brought charges against Thomas for bigamy but it appears that she was only aware of his marriage to Elizabeth MASSEY and not to Bridget MITCHELL as Bridget's name does not appear in the court documents. Thomas plead guilty (some say so that his name would not appear in the newspapers)

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Michelle Kaplan on 6th February 2016

Thomas PARMETER married Elizabeth MASSEY at Middlesex, England 12/03/1812 & whilst married to Elizabeth, he married Rachel Martha WOODS at Shoreditch, Middlesex, England 23/07/1814 (his excuse - he believed Elizabeth to be dead). 5 months and 11 days later he married Bridget MITCHELL at Liverpool, Lancashire, England. (Bridgdet MITCHELL had been a witness at Thomas' marriage to Martha). Rachel WOODS brought charges against Thomas for bigamy but it appears that she was only aware of his marriage to Elizabeth MASSEY and not to Bridget MITCHELL as Bridget's name does not appear in the court documents. Thomas plead guilty (some say so that his name would not appear in the newspapers)