Researching William Parry

In 1827, Parry attempted one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole. He reached 82° 45' N, setting a record for human exploration Farthest North that stood for nearly five decades before being surpassed at 83° 20' N by Albert Hastings Markham in 1875.

Born in Bethesda to John and Elizabeth, Parry was a religious man who took a keen interest in the plight of the slate and stone quarry workers local to his home town. Parry took a prominent part in the creation of the North Wales Quarrymen's Union in 1874, and as well as taking the role as general secretary, later became the union's president. In 1879 he visited slate mines in the United States on the request of his union.

In 1889 Parry became a member of the first Caernarfonshire County Council, and its chairman in 1892–1893. In 1896, he led the purchase of the Pantdreiniog quarry in Bethesda and was became the manager.

Parry wrote for several local newspapers, in both the Welsh and English language, and published several books. Of note are his works y Ymdrafodaeth (1875) and The Penrhyn Lock-out (1900). Many of his papers and writings are held at Bangor University.

He was the son of John Parry, a blind harpist who held a key position in the household of Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet of Wynnstay, Denbighshire, the wealthiest and most powerful Welshman of the time. At the age of sixteen he enrolled at William Shipley's drawing academy, later becoming a pupil to Joshua Reynolds. In late 1769 or early 1770 he returned to Wales, where the Wynnstay estate had lately been inherited by the third baronet's son, an art lover who had just returned from his Grand Tour. He also received commissions for chalk and painted portraits from others in the Welsh gentry. Sir Watkin funded Parry's own Grand Tour in 1770–5, during which he produced full-scale copies of paintings by Raphael and Correggio. In 1776 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy, having exhibited five portraits in that year's Summer Exhibition. In around 1775–6, he painted the Portrait of Omai with Sir Joseph Banks and Dr Daniel Solander, one of his most celebrated works. In 1779 Parry's wife Elizabeth (née Keene) died in childbirth. In 1789 Parry returned to Italy, according to James Northcote, "to seek employment in art, in addition to the wish of stifling the regret for the loss of an amiable wife". After a sudden decline in his health, he returned to London, where he died in 1791, aged 47.

Parry is based in London and has lived and worked in the Middle East for many years. He has written for the Washington Review of Middle East Affairs, The Guardian, The Independent, The Middle East, Times Higher Education Supplement, and electronic news organisations Electronic Intifada and New Matilda.

In February 2008, Parry went to Bethlehem to write an article about the after effects of Banksy's project "Pictures on Walls" about the Israeli West Bank barrier.