Thomas Parry

Thomas Parry (1768 – 14 August 1824) was a Welsh merchant based in India. He was instrumental in establishing a trading company in Madras, India. Parry joined John William Dare to establish Parry & Dare in 1819 and this later became EID Parry company whose building gives the name of Parry's Corner, a well-known central business district of Chennai. Early life Parry was the third son and seventh child of Edward Parry and Anne Vaughan of Leighton Hall near Welshpool. The Parrys traced their ancestry to Elystan Glodrudd and Edward of Leighton Hall was a wealthy squire. Thomas's father Edward died when Thomas was five years old and his early life is untraced but for his sailing to India at the age of 19. A cousin and brother-in-law, Gilbert Ross Jr. (1755-1815), married to Thomas's sister Elizabeth (1759-1825) and son of an aunt Aunt Ann Ross (née Parry), had connections in Madras. Colonel Patrick Ross was Chief Engineer at Fort St. George. Gilbert Ross Sr. was a partner in Ross & Burgie on Mark Lane and died on 4 March 1788. His will was probated March 14th, 1788 (Source National Archives) and contains an affidavit signed by Thomas Parry 'of Billiter Lane', suggesting that Thomas was tutored to be a merchant under the guidance of his uncle, alongside his cousin Gilbert Ross Jr who inherited his father's business. Parry appears to have set out to India to expand the business of Ross who had an agent, Thomas Case in Chennai. Sailing from Deal on 4th March, Parry arrived in Madras on 27 June 1788. Career Parry was licensed by the Governor of Madras as a Free Merchant on 12 February 1789, free from the controls of the East India Company. He established a business on 17 July 1788, selling goods and providing banking services. On 1 November 1789 he entered into a partnership with Thomas Chase and formed Chase and Parry. Parry was involved in leather business with a tannery in San Thome. In 1807 he noted that he sold 100 pairs of boots to the 22nd Dragoons in Bangalore with the boots costing Rs 1000 and the transport being Rs 1800. On 1 May 1790 they incorporated a partner Henry Sewell, a former naval officer and brother-in-law of Thomas Chase. This increased overall earnings but Parry's share of profits declined. On 1st January 1792 he began his own business of shipping which saw growth thanks to Lord Cornwallis and his actions against Tipu. Parry was an admirer of the Whig Charles James Fox.