John Vesey Parnell, 2nd Baron Congleton was the son of Sir Henry Brooke Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton and Lady Caroline Elizabeth Dawson-Damer.
Background
His first marriage was to Nancy Cronin, daughter of the homeopathist Edward Cronin, in 1831. An Armenian widow, living in Persia, madame Khatoon Moscow, daughter of Ovauness Moscow, became his second wife in 1833. His third marriage was to Margaret Catherine Ormerod, daughter of Charles Ormerod, on 21 February 1867 - with her Parnell had his only daughter, Sarah Cecilia (5 August 1868 - 26 April 1912).
Education
Sir John Vesey Parnell was educated in France, then at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Career
He succeeded to the title of 2nd Baron Congleton, of Congleton, Chester on 8 June 1842. He succeeded to the title of 5th Baronet Parnell, of Rathleague, Queen"s Company on 8 June 1842. He was related to the Irish patriot Charles Stewart Parnell.
Parnell"s life was marked by simplicity: when he lived in Teignmouth, Devon he took a modest house for the annual rent of £12.00.
His uncarpeted home was furnished with simple wooden chairs, a plain, unvarnished deal table, steel cutlery and pewter teaspoons. and generosity: he was accustomed to devote half his income to Christian works. Congleton died early in the morning of 23 October 1883 on a simple portable iron bedstead.
Among his last utterances was reputed to be the words of the Christian martyr, Stephen, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
He paid for the rent of a large auction room in Aungier Street for the use in communion and prayer on the Lord"s day (Sunday). The party went with books, medicine and a printing press and arrived in June 1831.
When Lord Congleton became the 2nd Baron, being a Plymouth Brother, he would not side with any party and entered the House of Lords as a cross-bencher.
He published his translation of The Psalms at William Yapp"s publishing house of 70 Welbeck Street, London in 1860, with a revision in 1875 containing interpretative notes published by James East. Hawkins of the same address.