My interest in the Parkin Family genealogy began early.

As a young boy, my father had told the story of John Parkin having been an 1820 settler and that we were distant relatives. He was proud of the fact that we were of English heritage. When we had lived in Port Elizabeth in the early 60s, he had done a little research in the Port Elizabeth Library and always had this information vividly available in his memory. I didn't pay too much attention to my fathers stories a a boy other than having the knowledge of our English roots, perhaps too young.

Then, as a teenager, a letter from the 'Human Science Research Council' arrived in an official looking envelope addressed to me. Immediate thoughts were this had something to do with conscription, but in the letter, they described how a book had been written called "John Parkin, of Baakens River Farm and his Family" by N.P Sellick. The book was selling for R4.75 inclusive of GST. After reading the letter a few times, the letter was placed back in the envelope and into the bottom drawer of my desk and forgotten about.

Two years later, the dreaded conscription letter arrived, leading to military basic training in Heidelberg Transvaal. Lo and behold, bumping into another conscript with the surname Parkin seemed fateful. Attempts at conversation proved futile - his English was as bad as my Afrikaans, and communication was impossible.

So shocked at the thought that such an English surnamed person had his home language as Afrikaans, that during the next leave it was a point of discussion with my father. With laughter he reminded me that our side of the family was also Afrikaans and the only reason we spoke English at home is because his father, Christiaan Jacobus Parkin (who died before I was born) had sent all his children to English medium schools. My Heidelberg Parkin fellow 'roofie' (South African military slang for recruit) was a fairly close relative! But I never did come across him again.

The HSRC letter was still in the bottom drawer and I wrote back requesting a copy of NP Sellick's book. They wrote back – one copy left, same price, please send postal order. And so, my journey down the rabbit hole of Parkin Family genealogy began.

Which brings me to the Afrikaner Parkin family. The following is a series of posts exploring Robert Parkin and his family in the Free State. Some of the information still needs to be fleshed out with a visit to the deeds office and other institutions. 

But let's start.