Understanding Owd Parr- Shropshire's 'Old, Very Old Man'

I love it when folklore and history entwine, creating a composite story which isn’t quite either, a tale which dwells in the margins between what we know to be true and what we wish could be. Such stories are powerful and seem to take on a life of their own. There are a number of tales in Shropshire that could fit this description, the larger-than-life characters whose real behaviour seems too bizarre for reality – such as ‘Mad Jack’ Mytton, or individuals whose lives have been blurred and obscured by folklore like Nanny Morgan. Somewhere in the middle of it all, is the story of ‘Owd Parr’.

The Story of Owd Parr is a strange one, that’s for sure. I want to explore it in more detail, and discuss Owd Parr’s purported longevity, his colourful life and what we can discern about the man from the stories he left behind. It’s worth mentioning that lifespans which exceed 110 years are incredibly rare, with around 1 in 1,000 people living to 100 years old. With this being considered Owd Parr’s claims really take the biscuit. He maintained that he was 152 at the time of his death and in turn became one of the most disputed reports of extreme age in history. Owd Parr’s claims saw him hailed as a medical anomaly and catapulted him from his sleepy Shropshire village to the court of King Charles I- and would eventually bring about his death. Was he really as old as he claimed to be? As much as I would like to believe he was, I fear that he may have been telling a bit of a tall tale. We have very little evidence either way- and though Dr William Harvey wasn’t convinced, there seems to be no real contemporary challenges to Owd Parr’s claims, which is very interesting. Charles I even arranged for Parr to be buried in the south transept at Westminster Abbey in a lavish ceremony after his death- However, we will get to that later.

Most of what we know about Thomas Parr comes from John Taylor’s pamphlet which was published the year of Parr’s death. The pamphlet has the catchy title of ‘The old, old, very old man or the age and long life of Thomas Parr’. It purports that Owd Parr was born near Wollaston in 1483. As a boy he served at Rowton Castle, before around 1500 spending some time in the army. His military exploits have been lost to history, which is rather sad but after his father’s death he returned to the family cottage, to take up the remainder of the tenancy. He married his first wife at the grand age of 80. They had two children, who unfortunately didn’t survive. All was not well in the marital home however, as at the age of 105 Owd Parr was a bit of a naughty boy and was caught having an affair! He was summoned to do penance for adultery in a “sheet of bastardy” and then apparently, having seen the error of his ways he settled down for a quiet life, before marrying his second wife at 122 years old.

No one really knows when, or indeed why Parr started to tell his neighbours he was born in 1483. It’s equally as unclear what proof he had, as there were no concrete written records of such available during his lifetime. Before this live birth records were dependent on church record keeping and certainly Owd Parr wouldn’t have been able to whip out the parish register when anyone challenged him. With this being said, Parr’s story must have been believable, as the story gained a footing amongst his neighbours and local community. For many, Thomas Parr’s advanced age was simply a fact. In the 17^th century, the average lifespan was around 40 years old, so it would be fair to suggest there wouldn’t be anyone left alive from Parr’s generation to dispute his claim. By 1635, the story of Shropshire’s ‘very old man’ had gained enough traction to reach the ears of nobility. Indeed, the Earl of Arundel- Thomas Howard learnt of this remarkable man. Upon hearing the story, Howard was thrilled, and travelled to Shropshire to visit some of his estates and sought to find Owd Parr.

Sure, enough the two met, and Parr recounted his life story to the Earl. Whatever Parr told him must have been convincing, because after this Howard was a staunch believer in Parr’s extreme age. Perhaps the sight of the elderly farm hands withered face and long grey beard validified he was ancient. Or maybe he was a very good storyteller.  Thomas Howard was so convinced that he took Parr back with him to London, to visits the court of King Charles I.  Parr became an overnight sensation in London, with the nobility flocking to meet him. He even had his portrait painted by Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony Van Dyck. This was a far cry from the life he’d left behind in Shropshire!

King Charles I was however, less than impressed with Thomas Parr. He was said to have been brisque and flippant of the old man and asked him what he’d done to place himself anyone else who was old or had lived a long time.  Owd Parr wasn’t fazed by the question and seemed to be quite comfortable in the presence of the King. He quickly retorted that he was the oldest man to have performed penance, after his affair. He said he was proud to have repented for his carnal sins, but you can detect a hint of boastful pride regarding his virility, especially considering his age. Now, I love this so much- it’s such an evocative scene, the grizzled old man boasting about his redemption arc to the king of England! It wouldn’t feel out of place in a medieval morality play, however- whether real or folklore- it’s part of the wider story of Thomas Parr.

Thomas Parr’s stay in London was to be short lived. Over the years he’d become accustomed to a rigid routine of rest, and some suggest a strict vegetarian diet. London was a bit different to the fresh open countryside of Shropshire, and all of the fine dining (including copious amounts of cheese) took its toll on the old fella. The change of routine and environment also took their toll. Within a few weeks of his arrival, Owd Parr grew gravely ill. King Charles had his personal physician, the remarkable Dr. William Harvey (the first known physician to describe the circulation of blood throughout the human body, and worthy of study in himself) examine and treat him.  Parr was complaining of difficulty breathing and had a bluish red face. Unfortunately, Thomas Parr- the man who purported to have had a life that spanned ten monarchs- died on the 13^th of November 1635.

After his death, the king directed Harvey to conduct a post-mortem on Parr’s body. Harvey was one of the leading scientific minds of the period, so was certainly the man for the job. Performed in the presence of other physicians, Harvey completed the autopsy, and his records were published in 1669 in John Betts’ book De Ortu et Natura Sanguinis, in a sectioned titled “Anatomical Examination of the Body of Thomas Parr, aged 152 years.”

The autopsy proved that Parr died of natural causes. William Harvey’s observations lead him to conclude that Parr died from suffocation caused by Pneumonia. He attributed this to a change

 “in the non-naturals, the chief mischief being connected with the change of air, which through the whole course of life had been inhaled of perfect purity-light, cool, and mobile whereby the praecordia and lungs were more freely ventilated and cooled.”

This basically means that the acrid air of London contributed to his decline and death. One cannot help but wonder how many years Thomas Parr would have had left in him if he’d stayed away from London.  It’s believed that William Harvey wasn’t convinced that Owd Parr was 152- but he also didn’t challenge the conclusion either, and the self-reported age of the man was used in the title of the document and within the report itself. Certainly, there were no real documented contemporary challenges to Owd Parr’s age that I have found. It would be fair to suggest that his age was misinterpreted or confused with his grandfather’s records and some historians have speculated that a fairer estimate would be between 70 and 100 years old at time of death- which still by the standards of the time was an impressive age to live to.

Owd Parr never returned to Shropshire. It’s strange to think that this Shropshire farm hand’s funeral was arranged by the king of England- and he is buried in the southern transept of Westminster abbey.  His crypt is marked with the following inscription-

 

THO: PARR OF YE COUNTY OF SALLOP. BORNE
IN AD: 1483. HE LIVED IN YE REIGNES OF TEN
PRINCES VIZ: K.ED.4. K.ED.5. K.RICH.3.
K.HEN.7. K.HEN.8. K.EDW.6. Q.MA. Q.ELIZ
K.JA. & K. CHARLES. AGED 152 YEARES.

& WAS BURYED HERE NOVEMB. 15. 1635.

It’s wonderful, isn’t it? Thomas Parr is commemorated alongside the initials of the monarchs he survived, sharing a resting place with royalty, poets, and other great people. We may not know much about the man he was- and certainly his story has gained a kind of quasi folkloric element to it, but I believe his charisma and personality shine through. I’m not sure I believe that Thomas Parr lived to be 152, though I don’t think it really matters if I do. Thomas Parr’s story is exciting because it feels too good to be true, too wonderous and yet, you want to believe that such things are possible. I think that the same feelings I felt whilst researching him would have been felt by those listening to him talk of his life all those years ago. I would very much liked to have met Owd Parr- he reminds me of my grandad, telling stories of Shropshire giants and meeting the Devil, which were so exciting, I never thought to question them. Perhaps Thomas Parr was just a very good storyteller- we have a fair few in Shropshire, and if this is so- it’s great to be able to continue his tale.

 I doubt we will ever fully understand Owd Parr, or the phenomenon he provoked after his death, (after all he inspired the likes of Bram Stoker and Dickens)- however I believe we can, and should remember him, and ultimately enjoy his story.