Thomas Davis Parks (1799 - 1883)

Born 8 Dec 1799 in Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 5 Dec 1883 at age 83 in Elmwood, Saline, Missouri, United States

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Biography

Thomas Davis Parks studied medicine under Dr Gall, attended lectures at the Transylvanian University, Lexington Kentucky. In 1828, he came to Missouri and on April 22 1830, he married Sarah Louisa Hartt, daughter of Dr C.C. Hartt of Boonville, Missouri.

Thomas Parks died on Dec. 5, 1883 in Elmwood, Saline Co., Missouri and was buried at Pisgah Cemetery in Saline County, Missouri. ^[1]

Dr Parks wrote in his FAMILY RECORD in February 1878: "Being the oldest, perhaps the only surviving grandson of Walter Davis, formerly of Rock Spring, Augusta county, Virginia, and being urgently solicited by several of his descendants to write a sketch of the history of our family extending, or rather beginning as far back as I have any information I feel constrained to comply, although I have no data to refer to; no recourse but the very imperfect one of an old man's memory to rely upon. All the information I possess in relation to our early ancestor is derived from conversation with my mother and with two of my aunts, Aunt Reeves and Aunt Donly, and the last of these, my mother, Elizabeth Davis Parks, passed away more than thirty-three years ago."

According to Dr Park's family record: Robert Cunningham emigrated from Ireland in the early eighteenth century. He and his family were Presbyterians. He settled in Rock Spring, Augusta county, Virginia, about 1735. Robert married the widow Hamilton, who had several children from her previous marriage. Robert was the father of Martha Cunningham who at the time the family settled on the farm Rock Spring in Augusta county was 9 years old, and two other daughters. In 1750, Martha married Walter Davis and they were the grandparents of Dr Parks. Walter Davis came from north Ireland to America between 1740 and 1750 and spent some time trading in northwest Ohio. His family traced their ancestry to Wales. He was described by Dr Parks as "a small man with sparkling black eyes and a genial spirit". After his marriage to Martha, they resided in Rock Spring.

Children

• Elizabeth Davis m. Kennedy
• Joseph Parks
• Maria H m. Crandall m. Jencks
• George H
• Martha C "Mollie" m. Sampson
• James Parks
• Thomas Davis Parks
• Walter D Parks
• Sarah L m. Starr

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #160759046

See also:

• 1870 United States Federal Census for Elmwood, Saline, Missouri. With wife and 4 children.
• 1880 United States Federal Census for Elmwood, Saline, Missouri. With wife and 2 children.
• Abney Metzger, C. A. 1978 "In search of Kate, Abney, Geisinger, Davis, Parks, McClanahan, Shelton, Van Lear families"
• FAMILY RECORD by Dr. Thomas Davis Parks (1878) Available online at https://archive.org/details/parks_201805