Background
He was born at Parkyn"s Shop which lies at three parish boundaries, Street Columb Major, Street Columb Minor and Street Mawgan.
He was born at Parkyn"s Shop which lies at three parish boundaries, Street Columb Major, Street Columb Minor and Street Mawgan.
There was a saying at the time that Parkyn was "So great that all three parishes claimed him". He was also known as The Great Parkyn. Little is recorded about his life other than newspaper reports of his fights.
According to the Sporting Magazine.
"His head, a little bald on the crown, but otherwise well covered with fine bushy black hair, curling a little on his broad brawny shoulders, and his erect honest bold front and firm step, were worth travelling a hundred miles to behold. He stands six feet high, and weighs two hundred and thirty-two pounds, although as lean as a post-horse."
Thomas King Chambers wrote of comparing him to a bronze statue of Hercules.
His physique was astounding if compared to a modern equivalent such as Arnold Schwarzenegger who was 6 feet 2 inches and weighed two hundred and thirty-five pounds. WRESTLING. Saltash diversions, Cornwall, ended on Saturday, the 27th where the amateurs of wrestling were highly gratified by seeing the two great Devonshire players, Jordan and Wadling, play against two Cornish men, Parkin and Jolly, who came from Saint Columb, purposely to play with them, in consequence of its being erroneously inserted in some of the newspapers that Jordan alone threw at Torpoint fair, fifteen of the best players in Cornwall.
The Cornish gentlemen offered on the ground (in answer to a bet offered at Crediton,) to get ten Cornish men who should play against the same number of Devonshire men for any sum, from one hundred to a thousand pounds.