Birth
Marion Howard was born on 14 January 1873 at ‘Tenterden’ Station, near Guyra. She was the oldest of 12 children.
Parents
Marion’s parents were John Thomas Howard (known as JT) and Caroline Emeline Teale. They were married at the Windsor Congregational Chuch on 26 February 1872. After they married they lived on ‘Tenterden’ station near Guyra, where JT worked for the Everetts, probably as a boundary rider.
Later the Howard family moved to ‘Stoney Batter’ on the Gwydir River upstream from Bundarra, where JT was overseer for the Hays family.
Childhood
Marion was able to pick up objects with her toes and could set and drive a nail holding a hammer and nail with her toes. She could also put both feet behind her head.
As the oldest child, she cared for the younger children and did not attend school. A family friend gave Marion an old dictionary and she learned her vocabulary from the dictionary.
Working life
In 1889, when Marion was nearly seventeen, she went out to work on a homestead near Walcha, to save money for her ‘glory box’ and eventual marriage. She met her future husband, James Henry Parsons (Jim) there. Jim was working a claim at the Niangala gold fields and then worked as a contractor carting pay dirt and wood at the mines.
Marion was very good with her hands. She could knit, sew, crochet, tat, smock, and do all sorts of needlework. She sewed dresses, made soft toys, and built furniture. She also loved gardening. But she was a hopeless housekeeper, according to one of her daughters.
Marion wrote poetry all her life, and some of it was published in local papers. Here’s an example:
Australia
We made no excuse for the men we sent,
For Australia had given her best,
Stalwart and daring, bravely they went,
Just a unit among the rest.
One of the many that makes our land
The Empire it is today
Shoulder to shoulder now they stand
Helping to end the fray.
Eager to prove to the lying lord,
Who taunted us with disgrace,
That we can handle the British sword
And are one with the British race
And over the leagues of blood and woe
The answer to him rings back;
“Australians go where the bravest go
When they fight for the Union Jack.”
We make no claim that we are best;
That would be boast indeed.
We are only a unit among the rest
Just one with the British breed.
One of the many who yet may make
The foeman curse the day,
When for a vain old ruler’s sake
Their honour they threw away.
They did their part, we knew they would,
For the sake of Australia’s name
For many a time our boys have stood
By Briton and played the game.
For Briton will never sheath the sword
“Till Belgium and France are free,
And the might power of Prussia’s lord
Is crippled on land and sea.
Marriage
In 1890 Marion and Jim became engaged, and they married on 26 May 1891 at St Andrews Church of England in Walcha.
Their first child, Jessie Hester, was born on 17 February 1893 at ‘Swamp Oak’, Kellys Plains. Swamp Oak was about 10 miles west of Niangala, where Jim was carting supplies to the mines.
In 1894 Jim and Marion moved to a share farm at ‘East View’ near Armidale.
Their second child, William Howard Parsons, was born on 8 April 1894 in Armidale Road, Uralla.
In 1895 Jim bought a farm at Kellys Plains and called it ‘Kia Ora’. Grace Florence (19 August 1895), Nellie Amber (19 February 1899), Henry Herbert (13 August 1903) and Ethel Agnes (6 March 1907) were born in Kellys Plains.
Marion’s mother Caroline died on 3 October 1902.
In 1908 Jim and Marion sold ‘Kia Ora’ and bought a block on the Falls Road, Dangarsleigh. They called the property ‘Lincoln’. They rented a house in Armidale while their new house was being built. Allan James was born in Armidale on 26 September 1908.
All the family except Marion and the new baby were hospitalized with typhoid. Jim was very ill and never fully recovered his health.
Bertram Boucher (30 April 1911) and Hector Wallace (8 August 1912) were born at ‘Lincoln’.
Jim and Marion’s oldest son Bill enlisted on 30 December 1916. Jim didn’t want Bill to enlist as he needed help on the farm.
In 1918 Jim sold ‘Lincoln’ and bought a 2000-acre property on the Barraba Road at Bundarra which they named ‘Kia Ora’.
Their youngest child, Keith Brazier, was born on 5 January 1919.
There was no school nearby, so Marion had to teach the youngest children through correspondence lessons.
Marion’s father, John Thomas (JT) Howard died on 1 November 1922.
Jim’s health was failing, and sometime in 1942 Jim and Marion moved to a leased house at Bundarra. Jim died on 5 April 1942. After his death, Marion moved back to ‘Kia Ora’.
Death
Marion died on 10 August 1943. The funeral service was held at St Mary’s Church of England on 12th August 1943 and she was buried in Bundarra cemetery.
Marion died intestate.
Sources
Keith Parsons’ memoir of Marion, Slush Lamps and Flannel Flowers
Electoral roll 1913, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1943
Poetry published in Armidale Chronicle, 1914-1915 (Trove)
Funeral notice in Inverell Times, 11 August 1943 (Trove()
Unlocking Regional Memory – Stony Batter https://www.nswera.net.au/biogs/UNE0439b.htm