Around the end of Redmond Parker’s time at
Stonyhurst, his father bought the Great Northern Works on Beacon Hill, Newark on Trent, starting
the business that Redmond
would inherit and which would thrive for the next century. After leaving
school, Redmond
started working for the family firm, rising to the position of Cashier by the
time of the 1871 census. Initially Redmond
would probably have lived with his parents, but in his early twenties, he
courted Ellen Barton, daughter of Frederic Barton, manager of Smith & Sons
Bank, Market Place, Newark.
They were married on the 19th January 1871 at the Catholic Church on Parliament Street, then set up home together at 48 Millgate, a short distance from his father’s residence at number 23. Their first child, Francesca, was born in this house a year later on the 6th February 1872. Shortly afterwards the family moved to number 30 Magnus Street, where their next two children, Beatrice and Hubert were born. After staying in Magnus Street for a couple of years, the family moved back to Millgate, to number 60, a large Georgian house. They stayed there for five years with Ellen giving birth to another four children, Louis, Cecilia, Redmond Barton and Wilfred. Having a large family was by no means unusual in Victorian times but it was less common for all the children to survive to maturity and whilst at 60 Millgate the youngest child, Wilfred, died of Tuberculosis aged just five months.
They were married on the 19th January 1871 at the Catholic Church on Parliament Street, then set up home together at 48 Millgate, a short distance from his father’s residence at number 23. Their first child, Francesca, was born in this house a year later on the 6th February 1872. Shortly afterwards the family moved to number 30 Magnus Street, where their next two children, Beatrice and Hubert were born. After staying in Magnus Street for a couple of years, the family moved back to Millgate, to number 60, a large Georgian house. They stayed there for five years with Ellen giving birth to another four children, Louis, Cecilia, Redmond Barton and Wilfred. Having a large family was by no means unusual in Victorian times but it was less common for all the children to survive to maturity and whilst at 60 Millgate the youngest child, Wilfred, died of Tuberculosis aged just five months.
Redmond’s
mother Elizabeth sold him her interest in Cafferata & Company in 1881 and
it may have been this sale that prompted Redmond
to move his family again, this time to the house which had been occupied by his
father, 23 Millgate. When the census was taken on 3rd April 1881 the family
were still living at number 48, but by the time Ellen gave birth to Basil on
the 23rd November 1881, they were established at number 23. Only a week after
Basil’s birth, Redmond
was elected a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures
& Commerce. Then, as today, the Society (now the Royal Society of Arts) was
an influential body and membership reflected Redmond’s status. Whilst at number 23 another
two sons followed, Bernard and Clement.
Redmond's certificate electing him to the Society for the Encouragement of Arts