William Parker (abt. 1614 - 1686)

Born about 1614 in England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Pritchard) Parker — married 1636 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut Colony

Husband of Elizabeth (Clark) Parker — married 31 May 1682 in Saybrook, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 21 Dec 1686 at about age 72 in Old Saybrook, Middlesex, Connecticut Colony

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William Parker migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 255) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

An interesting quote

"William Parker married Margery Allen daughter of William Allen of London England, afterward married Elizabeth Pratt widow of Lieut. Wm. Pratt & Daughter of John Clarke 1st. He was a doctor. He died Dec. 21, 1686. He was the son of John Parker of Dantry of Northamptonshire Eng. His mother was dau. od [sic] Wm. Cross."^[1][2]

How much credence can we place in this? It's a footnote in the typescript manuscript of the Saybrook Town Records. The typescript is undated except that it was indexed in 1950. The Matlby-Maltbie Family History quoted it in 1919 so the footnote predates the current typescript. This would be a very unusual item to have been placed in the original records. (Originals should be checked to see if it's there.) It may have been placed there by the original copyist, but there is no reason to believe it's truth or untruth, and it didn't cite it's sources.

There are not a lot of records for William, but so far none have been found that call him Doctor. His other genealogical sketches mentioned in Torrey's sources do not refer to any parents and refer to his wife as Margery _____.

Birth

William Parker was born in England.^[3]

Migration & Hartford

He migrated to New England and was an original proprietor of Hartford, Connecticut in 1636. Dated "Febr: Anno: Don: 1639" the original book of land districutions says, "Severall parcells of land in hertford vpon the river of Cannecticott belonginge to William Parker & to his heires forever:" He owned two acres with a house (#68 on the map) and ten additional parcels of land were listed.^[4] He is listed with 12 acres in the Jan 1639/40 land division.^[5]

He was appointed, 9 Nov 1640, to judge the damage done by some hogs and was paid 5s for his labor.^[5]

Marriages

He married first Margery _____^[3] who was born in England. The marriage must have occurred shortly after William arrived in Hartford, for their 1st child was born in 1637.

Margery was called Margery [Pritchard] Allen? by Torrey. Certainly not a very positive designation. Pritchard is located in The Fulton-Hayden-Warner Ancestry.^[6] The book gives no evidence or source for this name.

The Allen surname comes from the Maltby-Maltbie Family History^[2] citing the abstracted Saybrook town records^[1] mentioned above.

He married second Elizabeth Pratt, widow of William Pratt, prior to 1682.^[7] Per Torrey, the marriage to widow Elizabeth (Clarke) (sic) Pratt took place before May 31, 1682.^[8]

Saybrook

In 1660, William Parker was one of three appraisers of the estate of the historical figure, George Fenwick, in 1660.^[9]

He received a colonial grant of 100 acres in May of 1673 for his service in the Pequot War.^[3]

In Saybrook, he held the office of Sargeant in the Train Band. Another service he rendered at Saybrook was Deputy to the Conn. General Court in September 1652, May 1672, May and October 1673, October 1674, May 1676, October 1678, May and October 1679, October 1680, May and October 1681, May and October 1682, and May 1683.^[3]

William's house and homelot in Saybrook encompassed 3 1/2 acres of land; and much land given to him by Joshua the late Indian Sachem which will be further discussed in the will (below.)^[3]

Death and Probate

William Parker died on December 21, 1686 at Saybrook, Connecticut.^[10] His wife Margery had preceeded him in death on December 6, 1680, also at Saybrook.^[10] In his will (referred to in the Book of Deeds) dated July 27, 1683 he left legacies to several of his grandchildren. Included were his grandson John Parker, son of his son John Parker who received twenty acres of woodland as well as five hundred acres of that land given William Parker by Sachem Joshua and his two grandsons by his oldest daughter Sarah who received five hundred acres of the land given by Sachem Joshua. His son William was named executor of the will in 1686, 87. Note New London Probate District wills before 1700 were destroyed.^[3]

Children:^[10] William's children were recorded in Saybrook but the earlier ones were no doubt born in Hartford.^[3]

1. Saraw, b. about a month after Michaelmas 1637
2. Joseph b. about March 1641 lived about twenty weeks and died
3. John b. 1 Feb 1641/2
4. Ruth b. 15 Jun 1643
5. William b. about midsummer, 1645
6. Joseph b. in the middle of Feb. 1647
7. Margaret
8. Jonathan b. later end of Feb. 1652
9. David b. about the later end of Feb 1656
10. Debora b. the later end of March 1658

William Parker, who married Elizabeth Clark between 1680 and 1682 per this source, died at Saybrook, Connecticut, December 28, 1686.^[11]

William was born about 1614 in England. Parents are unproven.

He was among the founders of Hartford, Connecticut.

He married Margaret Pritchard in Connecticut. Their children were Sarah Joannah, John, Joseph (lived only a few weeks),Ruth, William, Joseph (#2), Margaret, Jonathan, David and Debora.

He died in 1686 in Saybrook, Connecticut.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Town and miscellaneous records of Saybrook, Connecticut. Abstracted town records. p.109 image 142 of 258
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Verrill, Dorothy Maltby; Maltbie, Birdsey L. (Birdsey Lucius). Maltby-Maltbie family history Newark, N.J. : Published by Birdsey L. Maltbie by the authority of the Maltby Association, 1916. p. 272
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Waterman, Edgar Francis, compiled by Jacobus, Donald Lines. The Granberry Family and Alied Families. Hartford, Conn. (1945) p. 288.p. 288
4. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society Vol. 14 Original Distribution of The Lands in Hartford Among the Settlers 1639 (The Connecticut Historical Society and the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, Hartford 1860-1928) p. 113
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. Vol. 6 Hartford Town Votes Vol. 1 1635-1716 (The Connecticut Historical Society and the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, Hartford 1860-1928) inhabitant p. 18; 1st division p. 22.; hog damage p. 38; also p. 52
6. ↑ Leonard, Clarence Ettienne. The Fulton-Hayden-Warner Ancestry In America. New York: T. A. Wright, 1923. [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89066144684&view=1up&seq=547 p. 537
7. ↑ Parker, Edwin Pond, Family records : Parker-Pond-Peck, published 1892. Reference pages 7-8
8. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. Reference Volume 2, page 1142. $Subscription
9. ↑ Manwaring, Charles William. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records.Volume 1. Hartford District 1635-1700. Hartford, Conn., R.S. Peck & Co., Printers, 1904.) p. 51
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} "Records of Saybrook" New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4: 139 (1850)
11. ↑ Ferris, Mary Walton, Dawes-Gates ancestral lines. A memorial volume ..., published 1931-1943. Reference Volume 2, page 204 and Reference Volume 2, Part 2, page 680
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images,: accessed 22 January 2021), memorial page for Sgt William Parker (1614–28 Dec 1686), Find A Grave: Memorial #28336100, citing Cypress Cemetery, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by V. Nareen Lake (contributor 46613568) . This is a monument to the founders of Hartford, Connecticut and not a gravesite as such. Vital Records of Saybrook gives his dod as 21 Dec. 1686

• Barbour, Lucius Barnes. Families Of Early Hartford, Conn. (The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1977) Glastonbury, Connecticut pp. 443
• Nash, Sylvester. Records of Saybrook, Ct., The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1850) Vol. 4, Page 139
• Connecticut Colony Records:
  • Hoadly, Charles J, MA. (editor) Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven, From 1638 to 1649. (Hartford: Case, Tiffany and Company, 1857.) p. 354
  • Hoadly, Charles J, MA. (editor) Records of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven, From May 1653 to the Union. (Hartford: Case, Tiffany and Company, 1858.) p. 169, 196, 522.
• Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.) Key to Torrey Sources.
  • "PARKER, William (-1686) & 1/wf Margery [PRITCHARD]/ ALLEN? (1608-1680; by 1636; Hartford/Saybrook, CT {Granberry 288, 297 Margery ____; Brown (1951) 2 just Margery; Hale (1952) 721 Margery ___; Fulton Anc. 537 Margery Pritchard - no source or evidence.; Parker (#5) 41-2 , 303-4, 396 - Margery ___; Parker (#8) 7 Margery ____; Reg. 4:139 mentions no wife.; Maltby 272 Margery Allen d/o William of London. Cites Saybrook Records Vol 1 p. 124.} "
  • "PARKER, William (-1686) & 2/wf Elizabeth (CLARKE) [PRATT], w William; ca 1681, by 31 May 1682; Saybrook, CT {Brainerd Anc. 90; Backus Anc. 136; Parker (,8) 8, 303; Ludington-Saltus 178; Maltby; Dawes-Gates 2:204, 680; Moore Anc. 436}"

• Whittemore, Henry. History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men New York : J. B. Beers & co. , 1884 p. 456, surveying; p. 542 representative

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Parker-6079 created through the import of Putnam2-1_2010-01-02_2011-02-16_2011-10-11.ged on Oct 12, 2011 by John Putnam.

• Vital Records of Saybrook, 1647-1834 (Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, 1952) Page 4

See also:

• Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Parker_(early_settler)
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/M685-33V, founder of Hartford, Connecticut