On This Day, 14 November 1917

Evening Despatch

Wednesday 14 November 1917

BIRMINGHAM ORGANIST’S DEATH IN THE ARMY

Sergeant William Henry Parton, late of Greenhill-road, Moseley, deputy organist of St. Agnes, Moseley, and a chorister of that church, is reported to have died from syncope in Egypt, where he has been serving in the Essex Regiment. Mr. Parton, who was 43 years of age, had led a very active public life as a resident of King’s Heath. The only son of Mr. W. H. Parton, of Kingswood Grange, Hollywood, a brick manufacturer of King’s Heath, who represented the district 25 years ago on the various public bodies of King’s Norton, he was elected some 11 or 12 years ago to represent one of the local wards on the now defunct King’s Norton and Northfield Urban District Council.

He took a keen interest in local sport, and captained the King’s Heath C.C. for one or two seasons. He was well known as a carnation grower, and in 1914 won the Martin-Smith and Leopold Rothschild Cups at the National Carnation Society’s competitions, and swept the boards of many other prizes. Soon after the war broke out he joined the Sportsmen’s Battalion, and was afterwards attached to the Essex Regiment. His eldest son is in the Army.