William Henry Parker

Role: Grandfather of Mark — 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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