Elijah Parker (1730 - aft. 1800)

Born 13 Nov 1730 in Coventry, Windham, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Stiles) Parker — married 1753 in Coventry, Tolland, Connecticut

Descendants

Died after 1800 after age 69 in New York, United States (presumed)

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Biography

Elijah was born 13 Nov 1730.^[1] He was the son of James Parker and Tabitha Strong. He passed away after 1800 and before 1810.

Elijah moved to Belchertown Mass, there he married Martha Stiles and had a number of children, one of these, Stiles, served under Colonel J. Brooks, Captain Luke Day of the 7th Massachusetts Regiment in the revolutionary war. Belchertown was a rather poor place, the first minister was paid in firewood. Elijah served as Constable one year, the surveyor of highways another and was generally involved in the towns affairs. Martha died in 1776 and Elijah allegedly married second a “Ms.” Belknap, who we presume to be Mary (nee Newton) Belknap the widow of Samuel Belknap who died “In service” in Cambridge in 1775.

In 1783, after the war of independence, revolutionary soldiers returned home with little in their pockets. They had been paid in fairly worthless Continental script, much of which they had sold to speculators at a fraction of it's face value. They returned to farms neglected by their absence. What currency there was quickly moved offshore in a trade imbalance where the colonies imported much, but exported little, the British had closed the Caribbean to American trade, and the French made poor trading partners. There was also the matter of war debt, the colonies had borrowed a great deal for the revolution and to pay it off new taxes were imposed on towns throughout Massachusetts, many of these towns had no representation at the state level and no say in the matter. Some towns and counties were years behind in tax payments, and Governor Bowdoin of Massachusetts moved aggressively to collect these. The result was a cascading effect of lawsuits as creditors called in their loans from farmers who had no money to pay them. Farmers were thrown into debtors' prison, their lands and goods were seized to pay off their debts. The courts of Hampshire County were crowded with these doings.

On Aug 22, 1786, fifty towns of old Hampshire county met at a convention in Hatfield. Belchertown was represented by Elijah Parker, Jacob Wilson and John Cowls. "Though they advised against violence, their action tended in that direction"[1]. Four days later an armed mob of about 1,500 men took possession of the court house in Northampton and notified officials that it was "inconvenient" that the court should sit until there was chance for redress of their grievances, namely; to freeze debt collection, end debtors prisons, provide better representation in government, and increase the amount of currency in circulation. No court was held for the next eight months. A leader of this group emerged, Daniel Shay, and the movement came to be known as "Shays' Rebellion". On several occasions, rebellious men of western Massachusetts would appear to shut down courthouses throughout western Massachusetts, local militias were sympathetic to the rebellion and would not stand against these mobs.

Governor Bowdoin called for a levy of 4,400 men (1,200 from Hampshire county) funded by Boston merchants under the command of General Benjamin Lincoln. This force met Shays forces at the federal arsenal in Springfield Mass and, to make a long story short, the rebellion was broken, leaving some ill-will between the rebels and members of Lincoln's militia for some time afterwards. In the aftermath, Elijah and other rebels had to take an oath of allegiance to the commonwealth of Massachusetts and were barred from holding many elected and appointed positions.

To the farmers, the government was seen as unresponsive, to the merchants and creditors, the government was seen as helpless. These were issues that went with the state representatives to the drafting of our Constitution.

If you drive to Amherst Massachusetts today, you may travel along the “Daniel Shay’s” Highway, State Route 202. Elijah, and much of his family, had been communicants of the Belchertown Congregational Church, which still stands and just celebrated their 275th anniversary. Reverend Forward of the Congregational church took a dim view of Elijah’s activities in the rebellion and Elijah never returned to his church. In March/April of 1787, the sheriffs came to confiscate ~25 acres of Elijahs land for repayment of debts amounting to about 9 pounds. The entire Parker clan vanished from Belchertown at this point and re-surfaced in Decatur New York. The only Parkers left behind were two of Elijah’s daughters; Jerusha Parker who had married Moses Hannum, and Tabitha Parker who had married John Brown. There are a number of Parkers buried in the Decatur cemetery in Decatur, Otsego County. Elijah may be one of them. His sons and daughters stayed in New York until about 1815. There are records of them founding a Union (non-denominational) church in Decatur, and again as fence viewers in Pittstown (known also as Richmond and Honeoye). Note that I say “them”, it’s not just his sons, but also his sons-in-law, his cousins and their offspring who show up. In about 1815 they moved either together or in sequence to Campbell County Kentucky and the vicinity. Stiles moved on to Ohio where he is buried. James, son of Elijah and Ms Belknap, died either in Kentucky or Indiana, while his widow Sarah moved with all of their children to Illinois, dying in Mayfield Illinois. Several of that generation can be found there, others moved on to Kansas, Minnesota and other points west.

Census

1790 Montgomery Co., New York, Canajoxharrie; pg 107
Elijah Parker 121
males 16 & over 1
males under 16 2
females 1

He is living next to Abel Belknap and his son Elijah Parker, Junior. Elijah's daughter Esther married Jonas Belknap. Abel is Jonas's uncle.

1800 Otsego Co., New York, Worcester
Elijah Parker 00001 -- 00001
male female
<10
10-15
16-25
26-44
1 >45 1

He is in the sequence Elijah Parker, James Parker, 6x, Thos. Caple, x, Stiles Parker, x, John Capel, 13x, Martha How, x, Bela Caple, Abijah Wright, Phenias Parker, Timothy Parker. James and Stiles are sons; Abijah Wright is a son-in-law; Phenias and Timothy are brothers and first cousins of Elijah. Martha How is Elijah's daughter. Thomas Caple is the father of John, who is the father of Bela. Stiles Parker is married to Bela's sister Dimmis.

Migration Westward

Elijah Parker was born in Coventry, Connecticut in 1730, and in about 1753 he married Martha Stiles, who was born in 1731 in Windsor, Connecticut. Their first three children were born in Coventry between October 1753 and April 1757, three more were born in Bolton, a few miles west of Coventry in the same county, between January 1761 and January 1765, and in 1771 a child was born in Belchertown, Massachusetts. That child died in infancy and their last child was born in Belchertown in August 1772.

After the death of Martha in 1776, Elijah remarried, and he and his second wife had another child in 1779 in Belchertown.

By 1790 Elijah had moved westward to Montgomery Co., New York. The census indicates that he is living very close to his son Elijah, Jr. and Abel Belknap in Canajoharie and that all the children by his first wife have left home. Stiles Parker is not in the census.

By 1800 Elijah, Sr. has moved about 30 miles southward to Worcester in Otsego Co. where he is living next to his son James Parker. His son Stiles is 10 entries away in the census. Also in Worcester 18 entries away from Stiles is his brother-in-law Abijah Wright (husband of Roxana), who is living next to Phenias Parker and Timothy Parker, brothers and first cousins of Elijah, Sr. Elijah Howe (husband of Elijah Parker's daughter Martha) died in 1800 and is buried in Otsego Co.

Elijah's son Elijah has moved further westward, and in the 1800 census he is living in Bristol in Ontario Co. Jonas Belknap is also in Ontario Co., in Charlston.

So in 1800 Elijah and 4 of his children (Stiles, James, Roxana Wright, Martha Howe) are in Otsego Co., and 3 other children (Elijah, Esther Belknap, Abigail Newton) have moved onward to Ontario Co. A history of the town of Richmond in Ontario Co. states that Elijah Parker (presumably Elijah, Jr.) and Jonas Belknap were in Ontario Co. by 1796, and contrary to the census states that Stiles was also there in 1796. Only 2 of Elijah's children (Jerusha Hannum, Tabitha Brown) remain in Massachusetts.

Elijah, Sr. does not appear in the 1810 census, presumably because he has died, presumably in Ontario Co. or in Otsego Co.

The following local histories written in the 19th century provide more detailed information.

Belchertown, Massachusetts:

In Historical Sketch of the Congregational Church in Belchertown, Mass. (Mark Doolittle, 1852) the following names are in a list entitled 'From other Churches'. This list follows a list of 68 communicants as of February 25, 1756. There are no church records prior to that date although the church was founded in 1737. Text viewable at

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044086358645;seq=7;view=1up;num=i

1761
pg 98, #94: Samuel Belknap, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He died in service at Cambridge, 1775.
pg 98, #95: Mary his wife, removed after his death.
1770
pg 104, #133: Elijah Parker, on a certificate without mentioning the place, signed by Mr. Hinsdale, pastor, and again removed.
1771
pg 105, #136: Elijah Howe, brother of Col. Samuel Howe, and uncle to Dr. Estes Howe, who died in this town, March 1826, age 79. Elijah married for his first wife, Philothela Warner, sister of (41). She died 1771, age 28. He again married Martha Parker in 1773. See (170).
1777
pg 109, #170: Martha (Parker), 2d wife of Elijah Howe. (See 135).
1779
pg 111, #184: Mary (Belknap), widow Kentfield. Died 1781, age 88.
pg 111, #185: Roxana Parker
pg 111, #190: Tabitha Parker
1785
pg 117, #227: Jonas N. Belknap, son of (94).
pg 117, #228: Esther (Parker), wife of (227).

Otsego County, New York:

A sketch of the Decatur church on page 142 in The History of Otsego County, New York 1740-1878 by D. Hamilton Hurd says

DECATUR CHURCH
The first church organized in this town was a UNION church, with the following members: Timothy PARKER, Biger WRIGHT, Stiles PARKER, Jesse DAVIS, Martha HOWE, James PARKER, Martha DAVIS, Sarah MAPLE, --- PARKER, J. LEWIS, N. LEWIS, Samuel HOWE, P. PARKER, and Elijah PARKER.
The first church edifice was erected in 1807, at a cost of $500. The pioneer preacher in Decatur was Father WILLIS. Among other early ministers are mentioned the names of C. CATLIN, Timothy PARKER, Jesse DAVIS, Samuel HOWE. Biger WRIGHT was the first class-leader.
The present and only church edifice in the town is located in the village of Decatur, and was erected in 1839, at a cost of $2000.

Ontario County, New York:

The text of Orsamus Turner's 1851 History of Pioneer Settlement of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase can be seen at http://olivercowdery.com/texts/1851Trn3.htm. On page 205 of Part Third we find the following comment about Pittstown (known also as Richmond and Honeoye) in Ontario Co.:

"As early as 1796 or '7, Elijah and Stiles Parker, Elisha Belknap, Col. John Green, John Garlinghouse, became residents of the town. The four first named, emigrated many years since to Kentucky, and in late years some of them have pioneered still further on, over the Rocky Mountains to Oregon."

In a history of the town of Richmond which can be seen at http://history.rays-place.com/ny/richmond-ny.htm there is a report of a meeting which took place on April 5, 1796. Various officers of the town were chosen including Elijah Parker, one of 3 commissioners of highways; Stiles Parker, fence viewer; and Jonas Belknap, constable and collector. James Parker and Abijah Wright are in a list of early settlers of the town.

War of Independence

The following description of military service probably corresponds to this Elijah Parker. See the analogous report for his sons Elijah and Stiles.

http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA904&id=c_UQAQAAMAAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1903), Volume 11, page 851:

PARKER, ELIJAH, Belchertown. Private, Capt. Joshua Parker's co., Col. Nathaniel Wade's regt.; enlisted June 22 ,1778; service at Rhode Island; also, Capt. Samuel Lamb's co., Col. Nathaniel Wade's regt.; enlisted June 22, 1778; service to Jan. 1, 1779, 6 mos. 13 days, at Rhode Island, including travel from camp home; enlistment to expire Jan. 1 ,1779; also, same co. and regt.; muster roll dated Warwick, Nov. 7, 1778; also, same co. and regt.; muster rolls dated East Greenwich, Sept. 17, Sept. 22, Nov. 14, and Dec. 30, 1778.

Children

The following is on page 88 of Births, Marriages, Baptisms and Deaths from the Records of the Town and Churches in Coventry, Connecticut (Susan Whitney Dimock, 1897) in a section entitled "Births from Town Records":

Children of Elijah and Martha Parker.
Martha, b. October 19, 1753
Roxana, b. May 9, 1755
Jerusha, b. April 23, 1757

On page 460 in Parker in America Stiles O. Parker lists the children of Elijah as follows:

ELIJAH of the 4th, m. Miss Stiles. Their chn.: Patsy, Roxana, Jerusha, Tabitha, Esther, Stiles (b. 1765, d. 1847), Abigail, Belknap and James, constituting the 5th generation.

Charles O. Parker provides a similar list on page 459: Patsy, Roxanna, Jerusha, Tabitha, Esther, Elijah, Stiles, and Nabby.

Both lists are incomplete. Stiles O. Parker omits Elijah, the unnamed infant, and one James. Charles O. Parker omits the unnamed infant, Belknap, and both James.

Second Wife

On page 458 in Parker in America Charles O. Parker says, "Elijah next m. a Miss Belknap. Their s. James settled in Covington, Ky., 1817. His chn. afterward went to Indiana."

There is no record of this marriage in Belchertown, Massachusetts, where Elijah lived at the time of the baptism of his last child by Martha Stiles (1772) and at the time of the baptism of his only child by his second wife (1779). Martha and her child both died in Belchertown in November 1776. Samuel Belknap died in 1775; he and his wife Mary Newton were living in Belchertown in April 1774 when their youngest child was born. It seems very likely that Elijah Parker married the widow Mary Belknap, née Mary Newton. She would have been 41 when her last child, James Parker, was born, which accounts for why Elijah only had one child by his second wife. Thus Charles O. Parker's statement is essentially correct, except that "Miss Belknap" should be "Mrs. Belknap".

Adopted Children

The following is on page 34 of Births, Marriages, Baptisms and Deaths from the Records of the Town and Churches in Coventry, Connecticut (Susan Whitney Dimock, 1897) in a section entitled "Births from Town Records":

"Denis Parker, son of Rachael Davenport, b. April 17, 1772"

There were two children of Rachael Davenports who were adopted by Elijah Parker and Elijah Howe in Belchertown:

Oct 1783, Benjamin Parker a Bastard son of Rachel Davenport of Coventry - Baptized on account of Elijah Parker of this town who took him to bring up.
May 21, 1786 Joseph son of Rachel Davenport baptized on Elijah Howe's account.

Sources

1. ↑ Susan Whitney Dimock, Births, Marriages, Baptisms and Deaths from the Records of the Town and Churches in Coventry, Connecticut 1711-1844, 1897, pg 87

• Parker in America by Augustus G. Parker, 1911

• [1] Mount Morris Enterprise NY Saturday July 1, 1882. This article was widely re-printed in other papers.