William Henry Parsons (1826 - 1907)

Born 23 Apr 1826 in New Jersey, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Louisa (Dennard) Parsons — married 18 Feb 1851 in Cass, Texas, United States

Husband of Myra (Ward) Parsons — married 15 Dec 1873 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

Died 3 Oct 1907 at age 81 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Biography

William was born in New Jersey, as a young child the family moved to Montgomery, Alabama. In 1844 he enlisted in the war with Mexico. After the war he settled in Texas and married his first wife, they had five children together. He was a newspaper owner and editor, writing on the issue of states rights. In the Civil War, he was commissioned as a Colonel, and raised a regiment that became known as the Twelfth Texas Cavalry. He later commanded a brigade. After the war he investigated the possibility of creating a Confederate colony in the British Honduras. He returned to Houston and was elected to the state senate in 1870-1871. He then was appointed by Ulysses Grant to a federal position and spent time in New York and Washington D.C. He visited his brother Albert in Chicago, who was arrested in the Haymarket Riots and executed. William died in Chicago at his son's residence, and is buried next to his 2nd wife in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. ^[1]

William married Louisa Dennard on 18 February 1851 in Linden, Cass, Texas, United States.^[2]

In the 1870 census William (age 45) was the head of household in Houston, Harris, Texas, United States.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online, Anne J. Bailey, "PARSONS, WILLIAM HENRY," accessed July 10, 2019.
2. ↑ Marriage: "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977", database with images, citing Page: 87; Digital film/folder number: 004539397; FHL microfilm: 001301830; Image number: 279; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: V01280-7, FamilySearch Record: XLHQ-C49 (accessed 20 March 2024) FamilySearch Image: 939Z-YXWX-D.
3. ↑ 1870 Census: "United States Census, 1870", database with images, citing Page: 20; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 11; Digital film/folder number: 004267880; FHL microfilm: 000553088; Image number: 490; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01549-9, FamilySearch Record: MXLY-8WW (accessed 20 March 2024) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6QRQ-Q7Y.

• Marriage: "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", database with images, citing Digital film/folder number: 007458804; FHL microfilm: 001671678; Image number: 275, FamilySearch Record: Q2CN-2L5F (accessed 20 March 2024) FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-99ZH-6DN8, Wm H Parsons (43) marriage to Myra Ward (23) on 15 Dec 1873 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.

• https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpa43
• "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MC-DRX : accessed 25 December 2015), William Parsons and Louisa Dennard, 18 Feb 1851; citing , Cass, Texas, , reference ; FHL microfilm 1,301,830.
• "The history of the descendants of Elder John Strong, of Northampton, Mass", p.728 (incorrectly given the last name of Broadwell)
• Find A Grave: Memorial #9726140
• FamilySearch Person: LH54-JXS