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Christopher PARK (1822–1889)
His wife Mrs Julia Mary PARK, née Mayhew (1821–1896)
Their daughters Miss Ada Catherine PARK (1854–1939)
and Miss Edith Julia PARK (1856–1933)
St Giles (Ss Philip & James) section, Row 48, Grave J33

Christopher Park was born at Vauxhall Walk in Lambeth, Surrey in 1822 and baptised at St Mary's Church there on 30 October. He was the son of Charles Park, described as a gentleman, and Charlotte Roberson, who were married at St Martin-in-the-Fields Church on 18 February 1819. His nine siblings were also baptised there: Charles Park (1820), Charlotte Mary Park (1821), Caroline Ann Park (1824), Mary Park (1825), John Park (1827), William Park (1829), Ann Park (1831), Sarah Park (1833), and Robert Park (1838). At the time of the 1841 census Christopher (18), described as an apprentice, was living at The Parade in Lambeth with his parents Charles and Charlotte and eight of his siblings. By 1851 Christopher was a wine & spirit merchant at 54 Cornmarket Street, Oxford (on the left of the site now occupied by Barclays Bank), which was in the parish of St Martin's Church at Carfax. The 1851 census shows Christopher (29) living over his shop with his brother William (22), who was also a wine & spirit merchant; his sisters Caroline (27) and Mary (25); and an assistant in his business, a barmaid, and a general servant.

Julia Mary Mayhew was born in Brixton, Surrey on 5 December 1821 and baptised at St Mary's Church, Newington on 16 December. She was the daughter of Thomas Percival Mayhew and Louise Dutton, who were married at St Clement Danes, Westminster on 30 April 1808. Seven of Julia's siblings were also baptised at that church: Frederick Percival Mayhew and Louisa Catherine Mayhew (1813); Alfred Augustus Mayhew (1815); Caroline Elizabeth Mayhew (1816); George Frederick Mayhew (1818); Emily Jane Mayhew (1820); and Frederick Percival Mayhew (1824). The family then moved to Kennington, where Julia's youngest sibling Rosalie Georgina Mayhew was baptised in 1828. At the time of the 1851 census Julia (28) was living at 8 Ampthill Place, Kennington, Surrey with her parents Thomas (60) and Louisa (55) and her older sister Louisa and younger sister Rosalie, plus a cook and a general servant.

On 15 November 1853 at Kennington, Surrey, Christopher Park married Julia Mary Mayhew. He brought her back to Oxford, where they had the following children:

• Ada Caroline Park (born at 54 Cornmarket Street, Oxford in 1854 and baptised at St Martin's Church on 27 October)
• Edith Julia Park (born at 54 Cornmarket Street, Oxford in 1856 and baptised at St Martin's Church on 6 June)
• Charles Percival Park (born at 54 Cornmarket Street, Oxford in 1858 and baptised at St Martin's Church on 21 June).

Christopher Park served as a Councillor for the West Ward from November 1856 to November 1859, when he did not stand for re-election. On 10 April 1856 the Board of Guardians unanimously elected him Vice-Chairman of the Oxford Workhouse.

At the time of the 1861 census Christopher (39) and Julia (38) were living over the wine shop at 54 Cornmarket Street with their three children Ada (6), Edith (5), and Charles (3), plus a house servant. Christopher's younger brother William (37), who ran the wine business jointly with him, was living in a separate part of the premises with his wife Louisa, their daughter Charlotte, and a barmaid and house servant.

Following the death of the wine merchant John Parsons in 1863, Christopher Park moved into his former shop at 134 High Street in All Saints parish (left). On 23 April 1864 a notice appeared in Jackson's Oxford Journal stating that the partnership between Christopher Park and his brother William had been dissolved by mutual consent, and henceforth Christopher ran the business on his own.

In April 1866 Christopher Park was appointed one of the two Churchwardens of All Saints' parish, and in April 1870 he was elected as a Guardian of that parish.

On 1 July 1870 it was reported that: “Mr. Hunt, traveller for Mr. Christopher Park, High-street, applied for a licence on behalf of his employer to sell spirits, beer, &c. in the North Gardens, on the Woodstock Road, during the 'Agricultural week,' which was granted on the usual conditions.”

At the time of the 1871 census Christopher Park (48), who described himself as a wine merchant employing three men, was living over the shop at 134 High Street with his wife Julia (47) and their daughter Ada (16), plus a general servant. Their other daughter Edith (15) was boarding at Upton House School at Upton-with-Chalvey, Buckinghamshire, but their son Charles (12) is hard to find.

 

In 1881 Christopher (58) and Julia (57) were living at 134 High Street with Ada (26) and Edith (25), plus a barmaid and domestic servant, while their son Charles (22) was living at 28 Russell Square, London with his uncle Charles Park and his wife Adelaide and their children (who included his future wife Katherine Mary). He was working as a clerk for his uncle, who owned the Charles Roberson & Co Ltd, one of the major artists' suppliers in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. (Charlotte Roberson, the mother of Charles Park senior and Christopher Park, was the sister of Charles Roberson, and the firm had passed to his eldest nephew Charles Park.)

Back in Oxford, Christopher Park was a member of the Alfred Mark Masons' Lodge, and also served as its Master at some point prior to 1882. By that year he was President of the Oxford Licensed Victuallers and Beerhouse Keepers' Association. He continued to be listed in directories as a wine merchant at 134 High Street until 1887.

His son Charles was married in London to his cousin in 1882:

• On 20 September 1882 at St George's Church, Bloomsbury, Charles Percival Park (24) of 38 Russell Square married his cousin Katharine Mary Park (21) of Minster Thanet, the daughter of Charles Park, who was described as a gentleman.

In 1887 Christopher Park decided to retire, and on 3 December the auctioneers J. R. Mallam & Son advertised in Jackson's Oxford Journal a forthcoming auction of “the whole of his valuable cellar of fine old wines, consisting of about 220 dozen of ports, 90 dozen of sherries, 12 dozen Madeiras, a Quantity of Champagnes, Moselles, Hocks, Burgundies, &c.”, some of which had been purchased at the auction of noted private cellars.

Christopher retired with his family to 10 Kingston Road, which was then in Ss Philip & James's parish. Christopher Park died there just over a year later:

† Christopher Park died at 10 Kingston Road at the age of 66 on 18 February 1889 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 21 February (burial recorded in the parish register of Ss Philip & James's and St Giles's Churches).

His death notice in Jackson's Oxford Journal read: “Feb. 18, at 10, Kingston-road, Oxford, after a short illness, Christopher Park, late of High-street, aged 66.” His personal estate came to £1,961 10s. 2d., and his executor was his wife Julia.

At the time of the 1891 census Mrs Park was still at 10 Kingston Road with her two unmarried daughters Ada and Edith: they were all stated to be living on their own means, and there were no servants in the house.

Mrs Park died in 1896:

† Mrs Julia Mary Park née Mayhew died at 10 Kingston Road at the age of 73 on 13 January 1896 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 16 January (burial recorded in the parish register of Ss Philip & James's and St Giles's Churches).

Her effects came to £286 12s. 4d., and her executor was her daughter Edith.

Later in 1896 Kingston Road was taken out of the parish of Ss Philip & James and became part of the parish of the new church of St Margaret.

In 1901 the sisters Ada (45) and Edith (44) were living at 10 Kingston Road with a 17-year-old servant girl, and they were there with the same servant in 1911.

The younger sister Edith died there in 1933:

† Miss Edith Julia Park died at 10 Kingston Road at the age of 78 on 12 March 1933 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 15 March (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles's Church, and probably also in that of St Margaret's Church).

Her effects came to £1,682 18s. 6d., and her executors were her sister Ada and her nephew Bertram Charles Percival Park, who was an artist.

Her sister Ada died six years later in 1939, and the burial register emphasizes that the burial took place in St Sepulchre's Cemetery:

† Miss Ada Caroline Park died at 10 Kingston Road at the age of 84 on 1 July 1939 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 5 July (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles's Church, and probably also in that of St Margaret's Church).

Her effects came to £3,492 9s. 10d., and her executor was her nephew Bertram Charles Percival Park, who was now described as a photographic artist.

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The son of Christopher and Julia Park

• Charles Percival Park (born 1858) was living at 19 Primrose Hill Road in 1891 with his wife Katherine and their children Bertram Charles Percival Park (7), Marjorie Maude Park (4), and Kathleen May Park (1) and their two servants. They were all still there in 1901. In 1911 Charles (50) described himself as a Director of an Artists Colours Company (now C. Roberson & Co Ltd), and was living at 92 Fellows Road, Hampstead with Katherine (48) and Bertram (26) and another son born since the last census, Geoffrey Frank Robinson Park (9), plus two servants. Charles died at that address at the age of 62 on 1 November 1920. His effects came to £6,952, and his executors were his wife and his son Bertram.