PARRAVANI Domenico

Domenico Parravani (ca 1869 - 1947) was born in Broccostella, Frosinone, Italy in about 1870. His parents were Agostino Parravani, a carrier, and Maria Concetta Ferri. Domenico migrated to England in the early 1890s together with several other families from the area, including the Marcantonios, and they settled in Ber Street, Norwich. He started off in the ice-cream trade in 1896 in a little pony and cart round Norwich, and became the founder of Parravani's, which still sells traditional ice cream in Norfolk. In his nephew Peter's words: 'In a few years he had bought his house and the shop next door. He turned the shop into a little grocery store and a place where you could have a cup of tea. It would be 11/2d for a large cup and 1d for a small cup.'

Domenico Parravani married Luigia Marcantonio (ca 1871-1935), who was born in Picinisco, Frosinone, Italy, on 30 November 1891 at St John Maddermarket Catholic chapel in Norwich. Their address was 3 Boarded Entry Yard, Ber Street, Norwich and they were both musicians. The witnesses were Giovanni Margiotta and Maria Marcantonio, Luigia's mother. Domenico and Luigia had six children: Francis (1892 - 1892), Loreto - 'Laurie' - (1893 - 1927), Congetta - 'Queenie' - (1897 - 1965), Andonetta (1899 - 1900), Antonio - 'Toni' - (1901 - 1938) and Marianna (1904 - 1966).

Their first son, Francis, died when he was one day old, on 23 August 1892. The family lived at St Michael's Square, St Michael at Thorn, Norwich. Domenico was a plaster image manufacturer. Was he working for Pietro Chiesa?

On the 1901 census Domenico was a street organ player and lived at 4 Boarded Entry Yard in Ber Street, Norwich. However, on the 1911 census, he had changed his profession and was a general hawker, living at 89 Ber Street. His son Loreto, who was 18, worked as an ice cream vendor.

Laurie Parravani.

Reproduced with kind permission of Mick Parravani.

Later Domenico was a fruiterer, an ice cream vendor and a confectioner. His shop was located at 91 Ber Street, Norwich.

89 and 91 Ber Street, Norwich

Domenico's name appears in trade directories from 1912 to 1932.

• 1912 Kelly Norfolk, p. 309, 391 and 760, fruiterer, 89 Ber Street
• 1914 Jarrold Norwich, p. 542, ice cream vendor, 89 Ber Street
• 1916 Kelly Norfolk, p. 383, fruiterer, 91 Ber Street
• 1922 Kelly Norfolk, p. 298, 379 and 733 , fruiterer, 91 Ber Street
• 1924 Kelly Norwich, p. 20 and 530, fruiterer, 91 Ber Street
• 1925 Kelly Norwich, p. 22 and 785, confectioner and fruiterer, 91 Ber Street
• 1926 Kelly Norwich, p. 23 and 518, confectioner, 91 Ber Street
• 1927 Kelly Norwich, p. 532, confectioner, 91 Ber Street
• 1929 Kelly Norfolk, p. 308 and 394, fruiterer, 91 Ber Street
• 1931 Kelly Norwich, p. 25 and 570, confectioner, 91 Ber Street
• 1932 Norwich, Town and County Directories Ltd., p. 16, confectioner, 91 Ber Street
• 1935 Kelly Norwich, p. 27 and 638, confectioner, 91 Ber Street
• 1937 Kelly Norwich, p. 26, confectioner, 91 Ber Street

Domenico Parravani died in Norwich on 29 November 1947 at the age of 78. His wife had died on 22 November 1935 aged 64. They had no grandchildren.

Tombstone of Domenico Parravani and his son Anthony.

Elena was Giuseppe's daughter. Earlham Road Cemetery, Norwich.

Notes:

• I am indebted to Mick Parravani for the family documents, photos and stories and to Gary Parravani for putting me in touch with Mick.
• Peter Parravani, The Story of the Parravani Family, 1993. A copy is in store at the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library.
• For Domenico's family tree (Parravani Domenico of Norwich), his marriage and death records and the 1901 census, go to http://www.ancestry.co.uk
• The 1911 census can be found on http://www.findmypast.co.uk
• The trade directories can be consulted on http://www.noah.norfolk.gov.uk or at the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library.