Alfred Horace Parsons was born on 6 September 1894 in Hackney, London, one of the four children of William Temlett Parsons (1860-1927) and Clara Elizabeth Parsons née Goodwin (1870-1935). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1894 in Hackney Registration District, London.
In the 1901 census he is shown as aged 6 years and living in four rooms in 21 Stevens Avenue, Homerton, Hackney, with his mother and two brothers: William Parsons, aged 9 years and Frederick Parsons, aged 3 years.
When his father completed his census return form on 2 April 1911, he was shown as Alfred H. Parsons, aged 16 years, who was employed as a cycle maker and living in four rooms at 37 Loddiges Road, Hackney with his parents and his two surviving siblings: William A. Parsons, aged 20 years - a War Office messenger and Frederick W. Parsons, aged 14 years who was at school. His father described himself as a theatre musician and stated that his wife had given birth to 4 children but only 3 were still alive.
On the census return form completed by his mother on 19 June 1921 he is shown as aged 26 years, 9 months and a fireman employed by the London County Council and was based at Homerton Fire Station. He was living in five rooms at 37 Loddiges Road, London, E9, with his mother.
His death was registered as aged 29 years in the 3rd quarter of 1924 in the Hackney Registration District. As a Fireman both he and Salvageman Henry George Sharp died on 23 August 1924 as a result of injuries they sustained after being crushed by debris, following the collapse of a wall caused by exploding turpentine containers at the Japanol Enamel Company, Kingsbury Road, Islington.
He is shown as 'A. H. PARSONS' on the London Fire Brigade Memorial in Highgate Cemetery, Swain's Lane, London, N6. He is also commemorated on the National Firefighters Memorial at Sermon Lane, London, EC4, on The Firefighters Memorial Trust's website and on the Fire Brigades Union's In the Line of Duty website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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