Joseph Parker (1694 - 1738)

Born 25 Mar 1694 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 29 Apr 1738 at age 44 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts

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Biography

Joseph was born in 1694. He was the son of Moses Parker and Abigail Hildreth. He passed away in 1738.

There are several references to his death ""His father, Col. Joseph Parker, had perished, with his whole command, in a terrible battle with the Oneidas."".^[1]. A few problems with this. The Oneida were an Indian nation from New York - not exactly neighbours, there is no other reference to such a battle, aside from repetition almost word for word of the event (a sample in the link above) and no reference to an Indian war at about that time. Furthermore, why would his body be buried in Chelmsford if he had died along with everyone else in a battle elsewhere?

Joseph's commission and Snowshoe company came about in 1724, during Dummer's war. The reference may be to "Lovewell's Fight" a battle with the Abenaki during Dummer's war, in which about 20 militiamen died. Although comparing the list of men in Joseph's company to the men involved in Lovewell's fight, they would appear to be different groups, there are common surnames, but otherwise no overlap.^[2]

Joseph shows up in the Chelmsford town records as a selectman in 1734 and 1736 and then as Captain Joseph Parker, Selectman in 1737, finally as moderator in 1738, the year of his death. (source needed)

Sources

1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/gleaningsfromcol00park/page/n21
2. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=x0IJAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150

• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-YPKH : 3 November 2017), Joseph Parker, 24 Mar 1693; citing Birth, Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 868,435.
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 9 February 2019), memorial page for Capt Joseph Parker, Sr. (25 Mar 1694–29 Apr 1738), Find A Grave: Memorial #18168964, citing Forefathers Burial Ground, Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Robin Parker (contributor 46847861) .