Thomas Chase Parr facts for kids

Thomas Chase Parr (1802–1883) was a British soldier. He served in the East India Company's army in India. He rose through the ranks to become a full general.

Life Story

Thomas was the son of John Owen Parr I, a merchant from London. His older brother, John Owen Parr II, became a vicar.

In 1818, Thomas joined the East India Company as a cadet. This was a special training program for future officers. He was part of the 113th Infantry. In 1821, he took part in the Bani Bu Ali expedition. He was also present during a night attack on Sur, a town in Oman.

From 1833 to 1835, Parr was in charge of the Marine Battalion. Later, he commanded the 7th Bombay Native Infantry. In 1845, his unit helped with operations in the Southern Mahratta country. This was to stop a rebellion there.

After these duties, Parr took a long break called a "furlough." During this time, he got married and started a family. He returned to the United Kingdom in November 1845. He was a major in the 7th Native Infantry then. By 1847, he was a lieutenant-colonel. On February 22, 1849, he was presented to Queen Victoria at a special event called a levée.

In 1851, Parr's wife gave birth to a daughter in Bhuj, India. By 1856, Parr was a colonel and commandant at Kurrachee (now Karachi). He was on furlough again.

When he left India for good, Parr took the special flags, called "colours," of the 7th Bombay Native Infantry with him. In the late 1860s, he lived in Harrow-on-the-Hill. Around 1873 or 1874, he moved to Kent. He left the colours at the church in Harrow. He passed away in Bickley on June 15, 1883.

Family Life

In 1846, Parr married Harriet Pott. She was the second daughter of Charles Pott of Freelands. Freelands was a house near Bromley, Kent.

Thomas and Harriet had several children, including:

• Charles Chase Parr (died 1897, aged 49). He married Katherine Anne Millar in 1872. Their daughter, Olive Katherine Parr, became a writer known as Beatrice Chase.
• Alfred Arthur Chase Parr (1849–1914). He was a naval officer. A place in Antarctica, Cape Parr, was named after him.
• Willoughby Chase Parr. He was their third son and became a cleric. He was the father of Martin Willoughby Parr.
• Percivall Chase Parr. He was their fourth son.
• Harriet Bertha. She married Robert Hebert Quick in 1876.
• Emily Oliver. She was an artist.