• Born: Abt 1816, England
• Marriage (1): Cornelia Sehmronia Little Hodsdon

  General notes:

Designer

  Events in his life were:

• He worked circa 1865-1880 as a designer in Taunton MA for the firm of REED & BARTON.

• He was issued design patent number 3,319 on 5 Jan 1869
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REED AND BARTON, OF THE SAME PLACE.
  
  Design No. 3,319, dated January 5, 1869.
  
  DESIGN FOR A TAZZA FOR HOLDING CAKE.
  
  To all persons to whom these presents may come:
  Be it known that I, William Parkin, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol, and State of Massachusetts, have invented or produced a new and ornamental design for a Tazza for Holding Cake or other articles; and do hereby declare the same to be represented in the accompanying drawing, and to be thus described, such drawing being a photographic perspective side elevation of it.
  The bowl a is elliptical or oval in top view, and has four elliptical shields, bbbb, arranged at the termini of its longitudinal and transverse diameters, there being a bas-relief of a helmeted head in each shield.
  Between these shields is a milled border or rim, c, from which, and the two outermost shields, small knobs or balls d d d d may extend.
  The bottom of the bowl is convex on its lower surface, and terminates in a convex centre piece, e, which rests on four curved legs, f, each of which terminates at its lower end in a horse's foot, g.
  From the upper part of each of these legs a head, h, is extended.
  The four legs are connected by a platform, i, arranged between them, as represented.
  The said tazza may have a handle, k, applied to it, although it is intended to make it either with or without such.
  When without it, the ears ll, which project from the middle shields, should be omitted.
  The statuette of a greyhound, shown in the drawing, is not intended to constitute a part of the design.
  I claim as my invention, the design of the bowl; also, that of the stand applied thereto, and arranged as represented.
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN
  
  Witnesses:
  William W. Swan
  J. W. Hayward

• Cake basket, After 5 Jan 1869
  Private Collection
  Manufactured by REED & BARTON.

• He was issued design patent number 3,339 on 12 Jan 1869
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO
  REED AND BARTON, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  Design No. 3,339, dated January 12, 1869.
  
  DESIGN FOR A TEA-SERVICE.
  
  The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.
  
  To all persons to whom these presents may come:
  Be it known that I, William Parkin, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol, and State of Massachusetts, have invented or produced a new ornamental Design for a Tea-Service or Pot; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawing, or photographic representation, which denotes it in perspective elevation.
  The engraved figures exhibited on the body-part of the design are not included in the design, which takes in the body of the vase, and the feet, the cover, and the handle thereof, formed in manner as represented.
  In the drawings—
  A denotes the vase;
  B, the feet;
  C, the cover; and
  D, the handle.
  The knob of the cover consists of a voluted scroll, and a lion-head and fore legs, resting on a base-plate.
  The handle, in its general form, approximates to a trapezoid with rounded corners.
  I claim the said design for a tea-service or pot, the same being substantially as represented and described.
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN
  
  Witnesses:
  William W. Swan
  Joseph H. Rines

• He appeared on the 1870 census taken at Taunton MA, listed as a britannia worker.

• Waste or sugar bowl, c 1870
  Private Collection
  A part of the tea service covered in design patent 3705 issued on 5 October 1869 to Parkin and assigned to REED & BARTON. This example is marked W. J. MILLER & Co, NY.

• He was issued design patent number 3,877 on 1 Mar 1870
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REED & BARTON, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  Design No. 3,877, dated March 1, 1870.
  
  DESIGN FOR A CAKE-BASKET OR FRUIT-TRAY.
  
  To all persons to whom these presents may come:
  Be it known that I, William Parkin, of Taunton, of the county of Bristol, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new, useful, and ornamental Design for a Cake-Basket or Fruit-Tray; and do hereby declare the same to be represented in the accompanying drawings, of which—
  Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
  Figure 2, an end view of it.
  The body A is of a frusto-pyramidal form, having its upper edge headed and shaped in manner as exhibited in figs. 1 and 2.
  At the middle and upper part of each end and side of the body is a trefoil, a, over which is a projection, 6, to which a handle, B, is pivoted.
  From each corner of the body, and at the lower part thereof, is a bracketed leg, C, supporting the figure of a child, having one leg crossed on the other, the form of such bracketed leg being as shown in the drawings.
  The handle is surmounted by a bust, D, such handle and bust being shaped as exhibited in the figure. The handle and its bust are to be viewed as auxiliaries to the design for the tray, such design consisting in the body, the bracketed legs, and the figures supported by the latter.
  I claim the said described and represented design for a cake-basket or fruit-tray.
  
  William Parkin
  
  Witnesses:
  G. E. Chambers
  B. F. Merrill
  

• He was issued design patent number 4,437 on 25 Oct 1870
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REED & BARTON, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  Design No. 4,437, dated October 25, 1870
  
  DESIGN FOR TABLE-CASTERS.
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that I, William Parkin, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented and produced a new and original Design for Caster and Bottle; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making a part of this specification, in which—
  Figure 1 is a side elevation of the caster, with the bottles in place.
  Figure 2, a top view of the caster without the bottles.
  Figure 3, a perspective view of one of the bottles.
  This invention relates to the form and ornamentation of casters for table use, and consists in the peculiar design hereinafter described.
  In the drawings—
  A represents the square bottom plate of the caster, supported on four curved legs, a a, representing, at a', an animal's claw.
  The legs extend above the corners of the plate, curving outward, and terminating, at their upper extremities, in the figure of a swan, with head resting on its breast, and expanded wings, resting against and supporting the outer corners of the bottle-racks r r.
  These racks are square, and are supported at the outer corner as above described, and at the inner corner, diagonally opposite, by a flat horizontal plate, P, which is in its turn upheld by means of the handle or central stem S.
  The latter is bifurcated at s, and the upper ends of the forks are surmounted by circular knobs, s' s', and connected together by a curved rod, t, having an ornamented shield, e, at its center.
  The bottles are of an oriental pattern, any horizontal section of them, except at the lip-flange, being a square, and through that flange circular. Their shoulders swell out with an even, graceful curve from the neck, and below the shoulders they diminish slightly in diameter to their lower end. Their flat sides are ornamented with flowers, leaves, or other design, and their corners are notched or serrated.
  The cruets have glass stopples, with nearly square heads, terminating at their upper end in a flat pyramid, with smooth beveled corners, their vertical corners being beveled and notched in the same manner as the bottles.
  The pepper-box, mustard-box, &c.,have silver caps, with smooth, conical crown, terminating in a little spire. In other respects they are similar to the cruets, differing only so far as is rendered necessary by the different use to which they are to be put.
  Having thus described my invention,
  What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—
  The design for a table-caster, as herein described and shown.
  
  William Parkin
  
  Witnesses:
  Geo. E. Chambers
  W. W. Swan

• He was issued design patent number 4,697 on 7 Mar 1871
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REED & BARTON, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  Design No. 4,697, dated March 7, 1871
  
  DESIGN FOR A TABLE-CASTER.
  
  To all persons to whom these presents may come:
  Be it known that I, William Parkin, of Taunton, of the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented or produced a new Design for a Table-Caster; and do hereby declare the same to be described as follows and represented in the accompanying drawing, of which—
  Figure 1 denotes a top view;
  Figure 2, a front elevation; and
  Figure 3, a side view of a table-caster containing such design.
  The design has reference to the general form of the table-caster, as well as to its handle and corner column or post.
  The corner posts, by which the base a and the cruet-sustaining rings bbb are supported, as represented at c c c—a four-bottle caster requiring four, and a three-bottle caster three of them; the base-plate a in one case being rectangular, and in the other triangular, in form. The form of each post is as represented.
  The rings b are united by a plate, g, which serves also to support the handle, which is erected on such plate, there being at the centers of the plates a and g, and between such plates, a tapering column, h, having a bell-shaped base, as shown.
  The handle is composed of two arched standards A B, one arranged within the other. The inner of the said standards terminates in curved feet d d, and is crowned by a bird, e, having partially-spread wings. The outer standard is surmounted by a barred knob, f.
  The design for the caster embraces those of the posts, the base-plate, the rings, and the handle, and the center post, the design for the handle including the bird and the barred knob.
  I claim—
  1. The design for a caster, as set forth and shown.
  2. The design for the handle, as shown.
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN
  
  Witnesses:
  George Gill
  William W. Swan

• He was issued design patent number 4,710 on 14 Mar 1871
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REED & BARTON, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  Design No. 4,710, dated March 14, 1871
  
  DESIGN FOR A SPOON OR FORK-HANDLE.
  
  To all persons to whom these presents may come:
  Be it known that I, William Parkin, of Taunton, of the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented or produced a new and useful Design for a Handle for a Spoon, Fork, or other article of manufacture to which such may be applicable; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawing, of which—
  Figure 1 denotes a front, and
  Figure 2 a rear view of a spoon with a handle formed in accordance with the design.
  The handle, at its apex, has the form of a pointed arch, with offsets at its base, and gradually tapers
  from the offsets, and is paneled on its opposite sides by a thread extended around the edge.
  Within the upper part of the panel, on one side, is a fleur de lis, and at or near the middle part of the handle is an ornament in relief, composed of two volutes springing from a single stem and surmounted by a trefoiled rosette, all being as represented.
  I claim as my invention—
  The design, substantially as shown and described.
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN
  
  Witnesses:
  George Gill
  William W. Swan

• He was issued design patent number 5,445 on 19 Dec 1871
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REED & BARTON, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  DESIGN FOR A CAKE-TAZZA OR FLOWER-STAND.
  
  Specification forming part of Design No. 5,445, dated December 19, 1871.
  
  To all persons to whom these presents may come:
  Be it known that I, William Parkin, of Taunton, of the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented or produced a new ornamental Design for a Cake-Tazza or Flower-Stand; and do hereby declare the same to be described as follows and represented in the accompanying drawing, which is an elevation of the tazza:
  The tazza is composed of the bowl A and the stand B. The bowl, in the general form of its bottom, is a paraboloid, a, terminating at top in a short cylinder, b, and at bottom in a semi-elliptical dish, c, which is imposed on three heads, d d, having busts provided with wings e e. Each of the heads crowns a curved leg, f, terminating in a leaved voluted foot, g, imposed on a rectangular base, h. These bases rest on a curved conical bottom, i, springing from a short milled cylinder, h. The several legs of the stand encompass a central column, l, provided with connection-disks m n. The forms of the several parts above mentioned are as shown by the drawing.
  I claim—
  The design of the stand and that of the bowl, also that of each leg of the stand.
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN
  
  Witnesses:
  Geo. Gill
  Theo. P. Hall
  

• Coffeepot, 1872
  Yale University
  Manufactured by REED & BARTON.

• He was issued design patent number 7,414 on 5 May 1874
  
  WILLIAM PARKIN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REED & BARTON, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  DESIGN FOR COFFIN-PLATES.
  
  Specification funning part of Design No. 7,414, dated May 5, 1874 ; application filed March 31, 1874
  [Term of Patent 7 years.]
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that I, William Parkin, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a Design for Coffin-Plates, of which the following is a specification:
  The invention relates to coffin-plates; and consists in a design therefor, as hereinafter fully described, and subsequently pointed out in the claim.
  The figure represents a plan view of my invention.
  A represents a raised middle surface for the superscription, having a rectangular outline, a, and made plain on its face. Around the line of demarcation a is formed a broad and elevated perimeter, C, or border, enlarged and extended at the corners c' c', and on the upper surface ornamented with figures or floral decorations. About the middle of the upper side is formed the hollow vase or bouquet-holder G, and from the lower side hang the pointed pendants H. These unite to present to the beholder a very attractive and ornamental entirety.
  What I claim as my invention is—
  1. A new design in coffin-plates, consisting of rectangular plain surface A, ornamental border C, and vase G, arranged as shown and described.
  2. The pendants H on the lower edge of a coflin-plate, as shown and described.
  
  William Parkin
  
  Witnesses:
  Theo. P. Hall
  J. A. Abbott

• He appeared on the 1880 census taken at Taunton MA, listed as a designer.

William married Cornelia Sehmronia Little Hodsdon. (Cornelia Sehmronia Little Hodsdon was born on 20 Jun 1823 in Levant ME.)