EDMUND PARFITT
THE LATE MR.EDMUND PARFITT
PROMINENT PUBLIC MAN
Forty-five years Member of the Berkshire County Council
We regret the death of Mr. Edmund Parfitt in his 89th year, the second oldest member of the Berkshire County Council, of which he was an alderman. Mr. Parfitt died on Saturday at his residence, Montville, Newtown-road. He had been ill for about three week, death following an attack of influenza, bronchial trouble and congestion.
Mr. Parfitt was the son of the late Edmund Parfitt, of The Abbey, Beckington, near Frome, and was born at Longbridge Deverill, Wilts. He was educated at the City of London School, being a contemporary, and in the same form as Lord Oxford and Asquith (Mr. Asquith), the Liberal Prime Minister. It was intended that after leaving school he should proceed to Cambridge to study law, but unforeseen circumstances prevented this.
Instead Mr. Parfitt went in for brewing, and amongst other places, before coming to Newbury, he was brewing at Frome, Wootton Bassett and Bishop's Waltham. He came to Newbury as far back as 1881, when he purchased the Atlas Brewery in Bartholomew-street. Through his energy the business of the brewery was largely increased and it developed into a most prosperous concern.
The in 1897 the business was amalgamated with the West Mills Brewery under the title of “Hawkins and Parfitt South Berks. Brewery Company Ltd.” with Mr. Parfitt as managing director. Some years later the prefix “Hawkins and Parfitt” was dropped. The concern became know as the South Berks. Brewers Company Ltd. And was the forerunner locally of the great brewery amalgamation, as in addition to the West Mills and Atlas Breweries, smaller concerns known as Westcome's Brewery in Bartholomew-street and the Diamond Brewery (Flints) in Cheap-street, were absorbed.
The South Berks Brewery owned by far the largest number of licensed houses in the locality as it continued to grow in importance under Mr. Parfitt's able direction.
When brewery amalgamations became the vogue, after the war, the South Berks., Brewery was purchased in 1920 by H. and G. Simmonds Ltd., of Reading. It was kept going as a subsidiary company for 12 years, subsequently being liquidated and merged into Messrs. Simmonds.
Although he had great business responsibilities, Mr. Parfitt devoted a great deal of his time to the public life of the borough and the county. He exercised a great deal more influence in the affairs of local government than most people were aware. For he was never a man to come out into the limelight. He seldom spoke at a public meeting, but no man was paid more attention to in committee by his fellow members of any body on which he sat- though here again he never spoke unless he had something to say. But somehow he was behind all big moves in matters of policy. He had a breadth of vision which those who differed strongly from him came to recognise when they got to know the man by sitting with him on committees. In the days when party politics were very bitter and were introduced more into local governing bodies than is happily the case today, Mr. Parfitt was quick to recognise the worth of an opponent and to back any good suggestion no matter from which side it came.
He entered public life as a member of the Berks. County Council in 1895 as a representative for the Newbury West Ward. This was after a keenly contested election in which his opponent was the late Mr. Richard Benyon. The figures were; Parfitt 254 Benyon 186. Mr. Parfitt continued to represent the West Ward until 1921, when the Council recognised his good work by appointing him a County Alderman, which position he was holding at the time of his death. There was only one member of the Council with a longer service, and that was Mr. Percy Crutchley, from the eastern end of the county, who is the only original member of the Council which was elected in 1889. He served on several of the most important committees. For many years he was vice-chairman of the County Council Finance Committee.
Mr. Parfitt always took the greatest interest in education. He was a founder member of the Berkshire Education Committee since its formation 37 years ago, and was chairman of the Education Finance sub-committee. It was not until 1938 that he asked to be relieved of his seat on the Education Committee, realising that it was time that he gave way to a younger man. About the same time he resigned his position as Chairman of the Governors of the Newbury County Girls' School. He was also for very many years a Governor of the Newbury Grammar School, resigning only last year. For a time he was Chairman of the Governors. He also sat for 30 years on the Newbury Borough Education Committee.
For a few years Mr. Parfitt was a member of the Newbury Town Council. He was elected to the Council in 1908. As when he entered the County Council for the first time, he had to fight for his seat. It was in the West Ward and his opponent was Mr. Harry Dolton. Mr. Parfitt was elected by 351 votes to his opponent's 254. He remained a member of the Town Council until the summer of 1912, when he did not seek re-election. He said that being also a member of the Berks County Council, he found he had not sufficient liberty to discharge the duties of both bodies to his own satisfaction.
During the time he sat on the Council, he rendered valuable service to the town, and his resignation was much regretted, particularly because he had not been through the chair. It was felt that with his ability and the position he held in the town, he would have been an exceptional Mayor. Mr. Parfitt has also been a Justice of the Peace for the Borough since 1926.
Amongst other positions held by Mr. Parfitt was vicar's warden of St John the Evangelist, during the incumbency of the Rev. R. Wickham Legg, now Archdeacon for Berks. He took an active part in the enlargement of the church.
He was a strong Conservative and was vice-chairman of the South Berks Unionist Association. His influence in the party was very great. He was largely responsible for the re-organisation of the party in South Berks. after its defeat at the poll in 1906. He had the knack of picking out the right man for the right job, and it was mainly due to him that the late Mr. E. J. Forster was chosen as the organiser of the Conservative party, in which post he made such a great success.
A man who made a success of things. Mr. Parfitt was much sought after as a chairman of various undertakings in this and adjoining localities. He was a director and trustee of the Newbury Building Society, chairman of the Hungerford Laundry Co., chairman of the Hungerford Waterworks Co. He retained a grip of things until the end and on the Tuesday before he was taken ill, he was presiding over the annual meeting of the Hungerford Waterworks Co.
His one hobby was shooting. He had his own shoot at Ecchinswell, and he used to shoot regularly with friends, particularly with the late Mr. Thomas Skurrey, the chairman of the Berks County Council, at Savernake. He only gave this up when he broke a blood vessel at the back of one of his eyes. He enjoyed a day's racing and was an original member of the Newbury Race Club.
Mr. Parfitt married in 1879 Katherine Maud, the daughter of the late Peter Reddy Allanson of Holly Hill, Well, Yorks. And two daughters survive him, Mrs. R. Brown and Mrs. St John Hodge.
AN APPRECIATION
Miss Luker, headmistress of Newbury County Girls' School, 1904-1934, writes:-
May I send this brief but very sincere expression of appreciation of Mr. Parfitt's valuable public work to which he devoted himself unsparingly for so many year.
His chief interest was the sphere of education, and it is hard to express adequately how his unfailing efforts helped to build up Newbury County Girls' School. I could always rely on his sympathy and understanding of the many and varied plans I introduced to make the school most useful to the community. I always knew that through Mr Parfitt's influence all our requirements would be granted by the County Authority. His quiet determination, his unobtrusive, yet vigorous work, and above all, his large minded tolerance and wisdom were greatly appreciated, and in working with such a chairman I was indeed most fortunate.
THE FUNERAL
All the bodies with which Mr. Parfitt had been associated were represented in the large attendance at the funeral which took place at St John's Church, Newbury, on Tuesday afternoon.
The service was conducted by the vicar, the Rev. E.H. Stenning, the lesson being read by the Rev. St. John Hodge, son-in-law of the deceased. The committal in Newtown-road Cemetery was taken by the Rev. W. Kingsley Kefford, rector of Shaw-cum-Donnington.
[Description of the hymns etc.]
The family mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Brown (son-in-law and daughter), Rev. and Mrs. St John Hodge (son-in-law and daughter), Mr. Peter Hodge (grandson), Mrs. Eva Giles, Miss Kathleen Giles, Mr. Mervyn Hame and Mr. Ron Hame (nephews) Captain Will Brown, Nurse Elsie Read and Mr. H. Cullimore (chauffeur).
[A list of others at the funeral, numbering in the hundreds, follows]
Newbury Weekly News 11 April 11 April 1940
Mrs. P p.193 Ma 1
Also Katherine Maud Parfitt, wife, died 4 September 1924 |
