Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1897, Wellington

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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Mr. William Frederick Parsons was a member of the Wellington City Council from September, 1890, to September, 1893. He was born on the 3rd of May, 1834, at Greenwich in Kent, England, where he was educated. He learnt the building trade at Couchman's, a large building firm at Blackheath. At the age of twenty-one he determined to see the New World, and arrived in Wellington in the ship “Royal Stuart” a week after the great earthquake of 1855. After staying for a time in Wellington he removed to Napier, shortly after Hawkes Bay was constituted a separate province, and remained there for over two years fully occupied in building. Returning to Wellington, he joined Messrs. Wallis and Gaseoine, under the style of Wallis, Parsons and Gascoine, which firm carried on a large building trade for many years in Manners Street. Mr. Wallis leaving the firm, Messrs. Parsons and Gascoine established a business at Pipitea Street, Thorndon, which they carried on with great success for seventeen years, principally building to private order and their own design, also for many years doing all the work required by the Government Departments in Wellington. Among the many buildings erected by the firm may be mentioned the Provincial Buildings—part of which (the Council Chamber) is now incorporated with the Government Insurance Buildings. Messrs. J. E. Nathan and Co.'s store, the old Panama Company's store, Mr. C. J. Pharazyn's residence, &c. The partnership being dissolved in 1884, the subject of this notice carried on the business till 1888, when he retired. Mr. Parsons has always been an enthusiastic musician. While in Napier he organised and was choirmaster of the first choir to the Anglican Church there, and also established the first musical society (the Napier Choral Society) in that city. In Wellington he has been a member of St. Paul's Choir throughout his residence here, was one of the members of the Wellington Choral Society throughout its long term of existence, and was one of the first members of the Wellington Orchestral Society. He was married in 1864 to Miss Widdop, well known, as the possessor of a fine soprano voice, who has sung in numberless concerts during the last thirty years, and was the first exponent of the works of the great page 304 masters in Wellington. The family consists of eleven children, all of whom are well known in athletic, musical and dramatic circles. Mr. Parsons was one of the first committee of the Thorndon School, and was for some years a member of the Thorndon Licensing Committee, holding the position of Chairman in 1887. He has been a Freemason for twenty-two years.