James Parton (1822 - 1891)

Born 9 Feb 1822 in Canterbury, Kent, England

Husband of Sara Payson (Willis) Parton — married 5 Jan 1856 (to 10 Oct 1872) in United States

Husband of Ellen Willis (Eldredge) Parton — married 3 Feb 1876 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died 17 Oct 1891 at age 69 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Melanie Paul [send private message]

Biography

James Parton is Notable.

• The most popular biographer of his day in America.
• His nonfiction combined elements of novel writing with the facts, which made his books quite popular.
• Best known as the biographer for Horace Greeley, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, and others.
• Wrote the book "Eminent Women of the Age".

Life Events

James Parton was born in Canterbury, Kent, England.

James Parton was born on the 9th February 1822, in Canterbury, Kent, England, the son of James Parton and his wife Ann Leach, and was baptised on the 10th March the same year, in Canterbury.^[1]

James Parton migrated from Kent, England to New York, United States.

When he was five years old, James and his family emigrated to the United States. As he grew older, he studied in New York City and White Plains, New York, later becoming a schoolmaster in Philadelphia and also in New York.
Later, still, James was to gain recognition as a biographer of noted figures. His first such work published was the Life of Horace Greeley, published in 1855.

Thoroughly impressed by the works of one "Fanny Fern", he not only published her columns, but he also invited the author to New York City. This threw him into conflict with his employer, who happened to be the brother of "Fanny Fern": Nathaniel Willis, aka N. P. Willis, especially as Fern's Ruth Hall unflatteringly portrayed Nathaniel, his father, and several other noted figures. Willis ordered James to cease publishing Fern's work, something James felt unable to do, eventually resigning as a result.

James was a noted historian and biographer.

It was on the 5th January 1856 that James married firstly Sara Payson Willis, who had already gained fame as the author "Fanny Fern". ^[2] They were to have no biological children, but James shared the rearing of Sara's youngest daughter, and also Sara's granddaughter.

In 1859, Fern bought a brownstone in Manhattan (at what is now 303 East Eighteenth Street near Second Avenue), where she and James lived during the intervening 13 years until her death from cancer in 1872. Living with them was Sara's younger daughter by Charles Eldredge: Ellen Willis Eldredge, and – from 1862 – Sara's granddaughter by her middle child Grace Harrington Eldredge Thomson: Grace Ethel "Ethel" Thomson.

On the 12th June 1860, James Parton (38), author; was living in New York Ward 18 District 6, New York. Those home at the time were his wife, Sara 42 (for some reason listed as "Lydia"), author & SS; Sara's children: 19-year-old Grace; and 15-year-old Ellen; and the family's three Irish-born household helps: 36-year-old Charissa Farrell;18-year-old Anna Osly; and 30-year-old Wena M Donnelly.^[3]

James Parton by Oliver Ingraham Lay (1868).

After Sara's death,^[4] the two girls moved out, going to Newburyport, Massachusetts, as it was "not seemly" for young, unmarried girls to live with a man not a blood relative. James would travel regularly to visit "his girls", eventually moving to Newburyport to be closer to them both, and subsequently developing a non-parental relationship with the older girl, Ellen.

On the 3rd February 1876, James married secondly Ellen Willis Eldredge, his first wife's daughter by her first husband, Charles Eldredge. The officiant was Joseph May, late Pastor of First Religious Society of Newburyport.^[5]
James and Ellen were to have two biological children, a daughter: Mabel,^[6] and a son: Hugo. ^[7] Grace Ethel, who was brought up in the same home, was to legally adopt the last name Parton once she came of age, becoming known as "Ethel Parton", a writer of children's books.

On the 4th June 1880, James (58) was living with his blended family at 254 High Street, Newburyport. Home at the time were his wife, Ellen (35), his 17-year-old granddaughter-cum-niece Grace Ethel; children: 3-year-old Mabel, and 1-year-old Hugo; and their two Irish-born domestic servants: 42-year-old Jane Grummer, and 22-year-old Mary O'Connor.^[8]

James Parton passed away on the 17th October 1891, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States, aged 69 years, and was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Newburyport.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Baptismal Record — "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NNRN-H13 : 19 September 2020), James Parton, 1822.
2. ↑ Newspaper Notice of Marriage — "British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLSW-1SRT : 19 April 2019), James Parton, Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, United Kingdom; records extracted FamilySearch and images digitized by FindMyPast; citing Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, 26 Feb 1856, The British Newspaper Archive, Ireland; FHL microfilm .
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCH6-6F9 : 18 February 2021), James Parton, 1860.
4. ↑ Obituary for Wife — "British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q26M-RZTZ : 26 October 2019), Mr James Parton in entry for Mrs Sarah Payson or Fanny Fern Willis Parton, 24 Oct 1872; citing Obituary, Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, page , Records extracted by FindMyPast and images digitized by FamilySearch. The British Library, London; FHL microfilm 102,001,196.
5. ↑ Second Marriage Record — "Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4SY-HPJ : 10 March 2021), James Parten and Ellen Willis Eldridge, 3 Feb 1876; citing Newburyport, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,433,036.
6. ↑ Birth Record for Daughter — "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FX88-5XQ : 20 February 2021), James Parton in entry for Mabel Parton, 13 Feb 1877, Newburyport, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #item 2 p 273, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,428,169.
7. ↑ Birth Record for Son — "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FX8D-PK1 : 20 February 2021), James Parton in entry for Hugo Parton, 12 Dec 1878, Newburyport, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #214, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,428,170.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH6F-WCM : 19 February 2021), James Parten, Newburyport, Essex, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district ED 228, sheet 522A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,532.
9. ↑ Burial — Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 16 April 2021), memorial page for James Parton (9 Feb 1822–17 Oct 1891), Find A Grave: Memorial #80799903, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Newburyport, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by H.C.~Maine (contributor 47312104).

• Obituary — "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5SJ-J8ZV : 29 July 2020), James Parton, 1891.
• Obituary — "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5SP-2PBW : 30 July 2020), James Parton, 1891.

See also:

• Wikipedia : James Parton
• Wikidata: Item Q1680949, en:Wikipedia