Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/83

  

PARR, . LOUISA (d. 1903), novelist, born in London, was the only child of Matthew Taylor, R.N. Her early years were spent at Plymouth. In 1868 she published in 'Good Words,' under the pseudonym of 'Mrs. Olinthus Lobb,' a short story entitled 'How it all happened.' It attracted attention, and appeared in a French version as a feuilleton in the 'Journal des Débats,' the editor apologising for departing from his rule of never printing translations. At the request of the Queen of Württemberg it was translated into German, and it was issued in America in pamphlet form. The next year Miss Taylor married George Parr, a doctor living in Kensington and a collector of early editions of works on London. He predeceased her. In 1871 Mrs. Parr published 'Dorothy Fox,' a novel of Quaker life, which was so much appreciated in America that a publisher there paid Mrs. Parr 300l. for the advance sheets of her next novel. Nothing of importance followed until 1880, when her best novel, 'Adam and Eve,' was published. It is an interesting story, told with artistic restraint, of Cornish smuggling life founded on incidents related in Jonathan Couch's 'History of Polperro' (1871). Six novels followed, none coming near to 'Adam and Eve' in merit, the last, 'Can This be Love?' appearing in 1893. The life of Miss Mulock (Mrs. Craik) in 'Women Novelists of Queen Victoria's Reign' (1897) is from her pen. She also contributed short stories to magazines. A sense of humour and a pleasing style are the main characteristics of her work. She was always at her best in dealing with the sea. Mrs. Parr died on 2 Nov. 1903 at 18 Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington, London.



PARRY, JOSEPH (1841–1903), musical composer, born on 21 May 1841 at Merthyr Tydel, was son of Daniel Parry (d. 1867), an ironworker of that town, by his wife Mary. A brother (Henry) and two sisters (Jane and Elizabeth) gained some prominence as vocalists in the United States (Y Cerddor Cymreig, 1869, p. 15). Joseph started work at the puddling furnaces before he was ten. In 1853 his father emigrated to the United States, and the family followed in 1854, settling at Danville, Pennsylvania. Parry first studied music at about seventeen years of age, attending a class conducted by two of his Welsh fellow-workers at the iron-works. At an eisteddfod held at Danville at Christmas 1860 he won his first prize for composition, namely for a temperance march. Next year a subscription raised by the Welsh colony at Danville enabled Parry to study at a normal college at Genesee, New York. He returned after a short course to become organist at Danville. After winning many prizes at American eisteddfods, he sent several pieces for competition to the national eisteddfod held at Swansea in September 1863 and at Llandudno in August 1864, and at each gained prizes. In the summer of 1865 he attended the Aberystwyth eisteddfod, where the title 'Pencerdd America' was conferred on him. A glee, 'Ar don o flaen gwyntoedd,' published shortly afterwards at Wrexham, was widely popular in Wales, and appeared in New York in 'Y Gronf a Gerddorol' of Hugh J. Hughes (Y Drych, 19 March 1903). On his return to America, a fund was started to enable him to pursue his musical education. In aid of the fund Parry gave a series of concerts in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York, generally singing songs of his own composition (Y Cerddor Cymreig, 1870, p. 30). Meanwhile he was awarded prizes for his cantata 'The Prodigal Son' at Chester eisteddfod, September 1866 (still in MS., though the overture to it was played at the Royal Academy of Music in 1871), and for his glee 'Rhosyn yr Haf' (published in 1867) at Utica (January 1867). In 1868 Parry and his family (he was already married) removed to London, and in September he entered the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied for three years, and won the bronze and silver medals. In 1871 he took the degree of Mus. Bac. at Cambridge. His exercise, a choral fugue in B minor, was performed at the Academy concert on 21 July. After going back to America to keep a music school at Danville (1871–3) he became professor of music at the newly founded University College of Wales at Aberystwyth. The appointment gave a great 