Figure 1. An undated slide of selected diatoms from Jérémie, Haiti. Brian Bacegirdle’s “Microscopical Mounts and Mounters” shows two Parrott slides, of a section of sago palm leaf, dated 1897, and Aecidium ultrica rust fungus, dated 1909.
Frederick William Parrott, 1860 - 1931
by Brian Stevenson
last updated February, 2024
F.W. Parrott was an amateur microscopist, active from the mid-1890s onward. He was an involved member of the Manchester Microscopical Society. He prepared good quality mounts of arranged diatoms and other items.
Figure 1.
An undated slide of selected diatoms from Jérémie, Haiti. Brian Bacegirdle’s “Microscopical Mounts and Mounters” shows two Parrott slides, of a section of sago palm leaf, dated 1897, and Aecidium ultrica rust fungus, dated 1909.
Figure 2.
Selected and arranged diatoms from Jérémie, Haiti.
Frederick William Parrott was born during the summer of 1860 in Manchester, the only child of William and Eliza Parrott. The father worked as a “railway porter” and “dray man”, implying that he carted goods and luggage at railway stations. The family was moderately well-off for at least a brief period, as evidenced by their employing a domestic servant at the time of the 1861 census, although later censuses did not include servants. Soon after Frederick William’s birth, the family moved to Shipley, Yorkshire. The child was baptized there on June 7, 1863.
By 1881, the family was back in the Manchester area, living in Salford. That year’s census showed that Frederick William was employed as a “watchmaker & jobber shopman”.
He married Margaret Elizabeth Bucklish in the summer of 1882. A daughter, May, was born the following year. The couple had another child, who died young.
Our microscopist changed careers and became a science teacher. He and his young family settled in Altrincham, Cheshire ca. 1890.
Parrott joined the Manchester Microscopical Society in 1896. Society records indicate that he regularly exhibited specimens at meetings. He was a member of the Extension Service, meaning that he made himself available to present to interested outside groups.
In 1915, to the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, “Mr. F.W. Parrott gave a demonstration on the mounting of diatoms to show the simplicity with which they could be mounted in quinidine and glycerine. When using the latter Mr. Parrott dissolves in the glycerine as much chloral hydrate as it will take, thus greatly increasing the transparency of the mount. These liquid mounts may be made with ringed or cavity cells, using gum damar as the sealing cement. Mr. Parrott then showed how he mounted diatoms in quinidine which had been heated sufficiently to drive off the water of crystallisation. Placing a drop of the water containing the diatoms upon a cover-glass, he laid this upon a knife blade and held it over the flame of a spirit lamp until the water had boiled away. This heating caused the diatoms to adhere to the coverglass. The demonstrator then took a small piece of quinidine and placed it on an ordinary slip and held it over the flame. When the quinidine melted and boiled the cover-glass was pressed down on the slip and the mount was finished. The whole process was delightfully simple, and resulted in very effective mounts.”
He was also a keen photographer. He was a member and officer of the Altrincham Photographic Society and the Manchester Amateur Photographic Society.
Wife Margaret died in 1920. Frederick remarried in 1923, to Annie Lily Ward. He died on December 31, 1931.
Resources
Annual Report and Transactions of the Manchester Microscopical Society (1909) pages 14, 15, and 88
Bracegirdle, Brian (1998) Microscopical Mounts and Mounters, Quekett Microscopical Club, pages 74 and 162, and Plates 29-C and 29-D
The British Journal Photographic Almanac and Photographer's Daily Companion (1898), pages 574 and 593
England census and other records, accessed through ancestry.com
The International Annual of Anthony's Photographic Bulletin (1894) Manchester Amateur Photographic Society, Vol. 6, page 300
Lancashire and Cheshire Naturalist (1915) Notes from Societies: Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, Vol. 7, pages 250-251
Probate of the Will of Frederick William Parrott (1932) “Parrott Frederick William of 33 Heathwood-road Winton Bournemouth died 31 December 1931 Probate Blandford 19 February to Annie Lily Parrott widow. Effects £1432 2s 7d”, accessed through ancestry.com
Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society (1904) Descriptions of two photographic exhibits by F.W. Parrott, Vol. 21, page 26