Background
Born at Cirencester, Gloucestershire, on 21 October 1755, he was eldest son of Joshua Parry, by his wife, daughter of Caleb Hillier of Upcott, Devon.
Born at Cirencester, Gloucestershire, on 21 October 1755, he was eldest son of Joshua Parry, by his wife, daughter of Caleb Hillier of Upcott, Devon.
He was educated first at a private school in Cirencester, and in 1770 entered Warrington Academy, where he stayed for three years. Returning to Edinburgh in 1777, he graduated Doctor of Medicine
In 1773 he became a student of medicine at Edinburgh, and continued his studies for two years in London, where he lived mainly in the house of Thomas Denman the obstetric physician. in June 1778. Parry was admitted licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of London in September 1778. In November 1779 he settled as a physician at Bath, Somerset, where he remained for the rest of his life.
He became physician to the Bath General Hospital, and practised successfully.
In 1789 he had John Eveleigh build a house "Summer Hill Place" (now demolished) at what is now Sion Hill Place. In October 1816 Parry suffered a paralytic stroke, which took away the use of the right side and impaired the faculty of speech.
Foreign the remaining six years of his life, he read, dictated reminiscences, and superintended his farm and gardens. Parry was well connected, and was elected in 1800 a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1800 and received marks of distinction from many other public bodies.
He died on 9 March 1822, and was buried in Bath Abbey, where a monument was erected to his memory by the medical profession of Bath.
He left four sons, of whom Charles Henry Parry was the eldest and William Edward Parry the youngest. One son died when a child and another, George Frederic, at age 21 in 1804. There were five daughters.
Of them, Emma married Sir John Eardley-Wilmot, 1st Baronet, and Mary, the youngest Thomas Garnier.
Royal Society.