Francis George Parks (March 1875 – 22 May 1945) was a British amateur

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

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.Sources tend to confuse and conflate the two brothers. There is a "Frederick Mostyn Parks" listed in

Sports Reference Sports Reference, LLC is an American sports statistics company that operates databases of several sports. They include Pro Football Reference for American football, Baseball Reference for baseball, Basketball Reference for basketball, Hockey ...

as the Olympic medalist. There is "F. Parks" and "Frank Parks" listed in ''

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'' for the exhibition matches in the US. The obituary by the

Polytechnic Boxing Club The Polytechnic Boxing Club for amateur boxing was formed in 1888 and is located at 309 Regent Street in London. The name "Polytechnic" comes from the Royal Polytechnic Institute having been formerly at that address which would later become the h ...

is about "Frank Parks". Other sources use a pastiche of information on each in their records. On January 2, 2011, Elaine Penn, the University Archivist for the University of Westminster, wrote: "I have just discovered that Fred and Frank Parks are brothers. I quote from the Poly Boxing Club report in the Polytechnic Magazine for December 1908 (page 173) regarding an Open Competition promoted by the City Police AC: 'Fred. Parks (Frank’s brother) was our other member who showed up most conspicuously, as he beat three men in the earlier bouts and succumbed in the final only through not having enough physical strength to meet a comparatively fresh man who had just had the benefit of a bye. We must say that we were delighted with the manner in which Fred boxed during the whole of the evening, and we feel certain that before long he will become a boxer with reputation very little short of that held by his brother Frank.' " He joined the

in 1892 and won the Studd Trophy in 1902. He also won a bronze medal at the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...

Biography

He was born in March 1875 in

London, England London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, to George Parks and Eliza Ann Barrington. Around 1896, he married Ada Sarah Waller in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and they had the following children: Maud Lilian Parks (1897–1983), Francis George Parks (1898–?); Rose Gladys Parks (1900–?), Ivy Mary Parks (1904–?), and Olive Eva Parks (1907–1991). He was the ABA Heavyweight Champion in 1899, 1901, 1902, 1905 and 1906. In 1911, he and Reuben Charles Warnes went to the

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with the

Amateur Boxing Association of England England Boxing, known until 2013 as the Amateur Boxing Association of England, is the leading Sports governing body, governing body of amateur boxing clubs in England. There are separate organisations for Scotland and Wales with boxing in North ...

to fight in

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in a series of exhibition bouts. In one of the 1911 matches in the

he lost to

William Spengler William Frederick Spengler (March 31, 1889 – May 3, 1979) was an American boxer who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics. He was born on March 31, 1889, in New York City. In 1920 he finished fourth in the heavyweight class after losing the ...

in three rounds on a referee's decision. He died on 22 May 1945 in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, in a

car crash A traffic collision, also known as a motor vehicle collision, or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other moving or stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. T ...

Championships

heavyweight championships in 1899, 1901, 1902, 1905 and 1906. *French Boxing Championship in 1905.

Legacy

A plaque in the shape of a laurel wreath was dedicated to Frank Parks by the

"as a token of admiration by his many friends for his high example and untiring effort for the welfare of club for 52 years". The plaque is dated 7 November 1946.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parks, Frank Heavyweight boxers 1875 births Polytechnic Boxing Club 1945 deaths England Boxing champions Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain Boxers at the 1908 Summer Olympics English male boxers Road incident deaths in London

Biography

Championships

Legacy

See also

References

External links