John Parker (abt. 1525 - abt. 1581)

Born about 1525 in Great Burstead, Essex, England

Descendants

Died about May 1581 at about age 56 in Great Burstead, Essex, England

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Caution: Confused Identity

Two John Parkers are sometimes confused, but are different people:

• John Parker of Essex, born about 1525, parents unknown, who married Margaret, last name Unknown.
• John Parker of Devon, the son of Thomas Parker and Elizabeth Frye of Devon, who married Elizabeth Ellicott.

Biography

John Parker was born about 1525, had sisters Joan and Agnes; He was of Great Burstead, Essex, England. his will was probated 29 May 1581 daughters Sarah and Mary were living in 1581

Birth and Parentage

John Parker was born, say 1525. ^[1]

His parents are unknown but his will names sisters named Joan and Agnes (or Annes). ^[1]

Marriage

His wife was Margaret,^[1], maiden surname unknown.

He was married to her before 1553 in England. (Rogo shows the marriage as 1533, but this must be a typo because she also shows him born in 1525. ^[2]

Residence: Great Burstead, Essex

They lived in Great Burstead, described by Samuel Lewis in his "Topographical Dictionary of England" as "pleasantly situated on elevated ground commanding a view of the river Thames. ... The church is an ancient structure ... very spacious, and is a prominent feature in the landscape. ..."^[1]

Great Burstead is east of London and adjacent to Billericay.

Occupation: Husbandman

John Parker of Great Burstead, husbandman, at the time of his death owned two houses in Great Burstead and one house in the market-town of Billericay in Great Burstead. ^[1]

A husbandman in England in the medieval and early modern period was a free tenant farmer or small landowner. The social status of a husbandman was below that of a yeoman ^[3]

1581 Will

In his will dated 15 March 1580/1 and proved 29 May 1581, he asked to be buried in the churchyard of Great Burstead, and bequeathed,^[1]

• "to Mergreat my wyfe m[y] [two] housses that is to saye the howse that Thomas Boothe now dwelleth in [and the] howse that widdowe Charnell dwelleth in with thaportenance during [her] naturall life and after her decese, I will and my will is that the saied [howses] aforesaid with all and singuler thaportinance shall remayne unto my sonne John and his heires for ever. ... unto my said wife 3 kynne & [ ] ewes and halfe my moveable goods. ...
• unto [my] sonne in lawe Thomas Doore halfe an acre of my wheate now gro[wing] one the grounde and halfe an acre of land to sowe otts one also [I] will that he shall have 4 bushells of wheat and my will is that his two chyldren Thomas and Amee shall have ether of them one sheep to be delivered within halfe a yeare nixt after my decese. ...
• unto my two Systers Joan and Annes ether of them 10s within one yeare nixt after my decease also ...
• to Marian ffuller 3s 4d within one yeare after my decease. ...
• unto the vicker of great bursteed 5s for a sermon at my buriall. ...
• unto the poore of great bursteed 10s within one yeare nixt after my decease. ...
• unto my two daughters Sara and Marye my howse at Billercay within 3 yeares after my decease to them & to their heires of their bodies lawfully begotten. ... ...
• my executors shall have and in Joye the rent of the said howse at Billericay for the [said] 3 yeares afore specified, to paye and descharge the said legacies [given] in my said will.
• The rest of all my other goods unbequeated [sic] to my three chyldren John Sara & Marey equallie to be devided,
• And of this my present will and testament I make and ordayne Margreat my wife and John my sonne mine executors ... Witnesses ... James Harris, Walter Harris, John Trower, Thomas Jooce [Joce] with others." ^[1]

In his will he left two houses, one to his son, and one to his two daughters Sarah and Mary. He also bequeathed a sheep to each of his two living grandchildren by his daughter Anne.^[2]

Death

John Parker died by 29 May 1581, when his will was proved. ^[1] He was buried in Great Burstead, Essex, England. ^[2]

Subsequent History of Margaret, Widow

In 1999 the subsequent history of John Parker's widow was not known. Richardson says, "The subsequent history of Margaret, wife of John Parker, is not known. The Essex Quarter Sessions Court records mention an otherwise unidentified Widow Parker of Great Burstead, who was indicted for victualling without a license in 1607. Although this seems a bit too late for Margaret, widow of John Parker, it is worth noting that her grandson, James Parker, was indicted for the same offense in 1621." ^[1] We now know that Margaret Parker of South Benfleet, widow, signed her will 19 Jan 1592/93 and that it was proved 9 Sep 1594.

Issue

1. Anne Parker, born say 1553; ^[1] m. at Great Burstead, Essex, England, 28 Jun 1573, Thomas Dore (or Doore). He was a legatee in the 1581 will of his father-in-law, John Parker. ^[1] Anne possibly deceased in 1581, since 1581 will bequeaths a sheep to each of John's two living grandchildren by his daughter Anne. ^[2]Children, first two bp. at Great Burstead, parents' names not stated:
   1. Amy Dore, bp. 6 Dec 1574. Her grandfather, John Parker, in his 1581 will bequeathed her one sheep. ^[1]
   2. John Dore, bp. 24 Nov 1577; d. presumably young. ^[1]
   3. Thomas Dore, b. say 1579 (baptism not found). His grandfather, John Parker, in his 1581 will bequeathed to him one sheep.^[1]
2. John Parker Born, say, 1555. Richardson estimates 1560.^[1] Named in 1581 will of father John Parker to receive a house.^[2] John Parker, b. say 1560; m. (1) ________, (2) Mary Ashels (or Wheeler). ^[1] Died 5 Aug 1613. ^[1][4]
3. Sarah Parker Born, say, 1557. Birth year actually not known. Probably born in Great Burstead, Essex, England, like the rest of the family. Living in 1581 when her father bequeathed to her a joint share with her sister Mary in a house in Billericay in Great Burstead.^[1]
4. Mary Parker Born, say, 1559. Birth year actually not known. Probably born in Great Burstead, Essex, England, like the rest of the family. Not named by Dickenson. ^[4] Mary Parker, living in 1581 when her father bequeathed to her a joint share with her sister Sarah in a house, as noted above.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18} Douglas Richardson. The English Origin and Ancestry of the Parker Brothers of Massachusetts, and of their Probable Aunt, Sarah Parker, Wife of Edward Converse. New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol 153, January 1999, pp. 81-96. with sources provided in footnotes.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Heather Wilkinson Rojo, Nutfield Genealogy: Parker. http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-parker.html. Accessed August 17, 2015
3. ↑ Wikipedia, Husbandman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husbandman. Accessed September 22, 2015.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Dickenson Family Tree. http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/24279608/person/1747273302

See also:

• Dowling Family Genealogy. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dowfam3&id=IG308537&style=TABLE

Acknowledgements

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