{"id":2035,"date":"2025-11-14T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?p=2035"},"modified":"2025-11-14T18:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:00:10","slug":"november-14th-death-of-old-parr-1635-lay-in-stocks-of-firewood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/november-14th-death-of-old-parr-1635-lay-in-stocks-of-firewood\/","title":{"rendered":"Death of Old Parr (and Yarrow) November 13th 1635"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Thomas Parr, aged 152. Line engraving by J. Cond\u00e9, after Sir P.P. Rubens, 1793<\/strong>

(V0007249EL, aft Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http:\/\/wellcomeimages.org<\/a> Thomas Parr,
Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I first came across the story of Old Parr, when I lived in Camden Town. It was the name of a local pub, in Plender Street, near to my flat. I found out it was named after a very long-lived man called Thomas Parr. He was said to be 152 years old when he died in 1635. He was on his way to visit King Charles 1st in London. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we are to believe his story, he was born in 1483 and was married when he was 80. He fathered two children. Then married for a second time at 120 years old. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are, or I should say were,, 3 London Pubs named Old Parr’s Head or Parr’s Head. They were in Camden, Islington, and West Kensington. But have all closed either converted to flats or into a branch of Jigsaw (Islington).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His tomb in Westminster Abbey has this inscription:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THO: PARR OF YE COUNTY OF SALLOP, BORNE.
IN AD: 1483. HE LIVED IN YE REIGNES OF TEN
PRINCES VIZ: K.ED.4<\/a>. K.ED.5<\/a>. K.RICH.3<\/a>.
K.HEN.7<\/a>. K.HEN.8<\/a>. K.EDW.6<\/a>. Q.MA<\/a>. Q.ELIZ<\/a>.
K.JA<\/a>. & K. CHARLES.<\/a> AGED 152 YEARS.
& WAS BURYED HERE NOVEMB. 15. 1635.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical Opinions of Old Parr<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The famous William Harvey (discoverer of the circulation of blood) undertook an autopsy. He found Parr’s internal organs to be in a good state. He suggested this might be due to Parr’s diet of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘subrancid cheese and milk in every form, coarse and hard bread and small drink, generally sour whey’ and lived free of care.<\/em>‘<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, medically his age is nigh on impossible to believe. Wikipedia has the following 10 oldest verified humans. All I think, female:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/td>Jeanne Calment<\/a><\/td>21 February 1875<\/td>4 August 1997<\/td>122 years, 164 days[b]<\/a><\/sup><\/td>France<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Kane Tanaka<\/a><\/td>2 January 1903<\/td>19 April 2022[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/td>119 years, 107 days<\/td>Japan<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Sarah Knauss<\/a><\/td>24 September 1880<\/td>30 December 1999<\/td>119 years, 97 days<\/td>United States<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Lucile Randon<\/a><\/td>11 February 1904<\/td>17 January 2023[13]<\/a><\/sup><\/td>118 years, 340 days<\/td>France<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Nabi Tajima<\/a><\/td>4 August 1900<\/td>21 April 2018<\/td>117 years, 260 days<\/td>Japan<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Marie-Louise Meilleur<\/a><\/td>29 August 1880<\/td>16 April 1998<\/td>117 years, 230 days<\/td>Canada<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Violet Brown<\/a><\/td>10 March 1900<\/td>15 September 2017<\/td>117 years, 189 days<\/td>Jamaica<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>Maria Branyas<\/a><\/td>4 March 1907<\/td>19 August 2024[16]<\/a><\/sup><\/td>117 years, 168 days<\/td>Spain<\/a>[c]<\/a><\/sup><\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>Emma Morano<\/a><\/td>29 November 1899<\/td>15 April 2017<\/td>117 years, 137 days<\/td>Italy<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>Chiyo Miyako<\/a><\/td>2 May 1901<\/td>22 July 2018[19]<\/a><\/sup><\/td>117 years, 81 days<\/td>Japan<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wikipedia lists the top 100<\/a>. The oldest man is a mere 116 years old. A Guardian article <\/a>reports on a study on Maria Branyas, number 8 above. It concludes she had a number of genetic factor that made her less vulnerable to killer diseases like heart attack and diabetes, But she was also not overweight, ate a lot of yoghurt, did not drink or smoke, and had a lively social life in her local area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BP Doughty thinks Parr might have been over 100 when he died, although others suggest perhaps only as old as 70 – 80. Doughty BP. Old Parr: or how old is old?<\/a> South Med J. 1988 Jul;81(7):906-8. doi: 10.1097\/00007611-198807000-00023. PMID: 3293237.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old Parr’s death is reputed on different days in the sources I found. But it seems he was buried on 15th November 1635, but died on 13th, not 14th, of November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more on Camden see my post on Thomas Hardy and St Pancras<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 13th is also the Time to Gather Yarrow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Yarrow
(achillea millefolium) \u2013 image by CongerDesign<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is the time to gather yarrow which is often still flowering. It grows everywhere creeping through its roots and spreading with its seeds, until it becomes a garden weed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, it is one of the most useful of medicinal plants. It had a myriad of uses and a plethora of names (see thefreedictionary<\/a> for a comprehensive list). It was used for wounds (aka ‘Soldier’s Woundwort’); staunches nose bleeds (aka ‘Nosebleed’); inflammations (aka ‘Stauchweed’). It also slows hair lose, reduces pain of tooth-ache and good for those who cannot hold their water. Generally, it was considered excellent for stomach problems, diabetes, periods pains, anything to do with blood flow (aka ‘Bloodwort’)..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also has a devilish tradition so used for divination by spells, and thus aka Devil’s Nettle, Devil’s Plaything, Bad Man’s Plaything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a gentler note, hopeful lovers will put it under their pillow and dream, thereby, of their future spouse. (Mrs Grieve<\/a>). In Sussex<\/a> and Devonshire<\/a>, so Wikipedia tells me, one should pick Yarrow from a young man’s grave and recite this poem: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yarrow, sweet yarrow, the first that I have found,
in the name of Jesus Christ, I pluck it from the ground;
As Joseph loved sweet Mary<\/a>, and took her for his dear,
so in a dream this night, I hope, my true love will appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The yarrow is then put under the pillow. preparatory to falling asleep and dreaming of someone dark and handsome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See my post below on the medical and other effects of Dandelions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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May & June: Dandelions, Hinder Fallings and Bed Wetting<\/a><\/blockquote>