Parker Story
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Parker Story (bef. 1760 - 1795)

Parker Story
Born before in Ipswich, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Baymap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 31 Mar 1785 (to 13 Mar 1795) in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, United Statesmap
Died after age 34 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 28 Mar 2017
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Contents

Biography

This profile is part of the Chebacco Parish, Massachusetts One Place Study.

Parker Story, the son of Jesse Story, Sr., and Ruhamah Burnam, was baptized on 2 Nov 1760, at the Chebacco Parish Church in Ipswich, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.[1] He was probably born that same year, since he was 34 at the time he died, in March of 1795.

Military Service: The American Revolution

1776 Project
Private Parker Story served with 8th Massachusetts Regiment (1777), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Parker Story served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, first in 1776 (when he was 15 or 16 years old) as a private in Captain Daniel Giddings's company, stationed at Gloucester under Colonel Joseph Foster, which was tasked with defending the Massachusetts coast. He served, together with his father (Jesse Story, Sr., also a private in this company), from 29 Jan 1776, to 18 Nov 1776, when he was discharged after 9 months, 21 days of service.[2] Although his widow, Mary Pierce Story, recalled hearing that he had been involved in a skirmish on Cape Ann,[3] approximately 70 years had passed between the events and her attempt at recall, so it would not be surprising if she had conflated what happened in 1775, when the Gloucester militia had fended off two attempted British incursions at Cape Ann, with Parker's service in Gloucester in 1776,[4] which seems to have been uneventful.

According to a sworn affidavit from 1820,[5] he then enlisted in 1777, at about the age of 17, as one of the men mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master for Suffolk County. Again as a private, his name appears on a muster list dated 29 Mar 1778, filed in Boston, showing he enlisted on 1 Mar 1777, for three years.[6] At West Point on 10 May 1779, Parker signed over an order for payment of $100, drawn on Henry Gardner, Treasurer, to be payable to his father, Jesse Story. This was apparently an enlistment bonus, since it was accompanied by Col. Michael Jackson's certification that Parker was serving in his regiment.[7]

Throughout the course of the war, he served as a private in Captain John Burnam's company under Colonel Michael Jackson. In December of 1777, Parker's 8th Massachusetts Regiment settled for the winter at the Valley Forge camp in Pennsylvania.[8] A Muster Roll of June 1778, has him serving in Capt. John Burnam's company under Col. Michael Jackson in the 9th Massachusetts Regiment of Foot,[9] but further research is needed to determine whether this was a clerical error or an otherwise unknown regiment in the Continental Army in mid-1778.[10] Later in 1778, his name appears on a Company Roll for service in a brigade under Col. Jackson (although still in Capt. Burnam's company).[11] After that, he appears in pay accounts and Muster Rolls for Col. Michael Jackson's 8th Regiment of the Massachusetts Line: He is listed on the Continental Army's pay accounts for the period from 1 Mar 1778, to 31 Dec 1779, and from 1 Jan 1780, to 31 Dec 1780. He was also listed as a member of the Colonel's Company in Col. Michael Jackson's 8th Massachusetts Regiment, appearing on the surviving Muster Rolls for the Colonel's Company for January through September of 1780.[12]

In January of 1781, Parker was described as being a farmer and a resident of Ipswich, 20 years old, 5 ft. 7 in. tall, with a light complexion and hair. The description also stated that he was a private in either the 4th or 5th Company in Col. M. Jackson's 8th Regiment, who had been enlisted for the term of the war by Lt. M. Jackson on 17 Dec 1779, at West Point.[13] It would seem that Parker's enlistment was the subject of some confusion at this point in time.

His service was formally attested on 2 Feb 1820, by Amos Davis and Thomas M. Burnham, as part of his daughter's successful attempt to claim his veteran's land bonus:[14]

We the subscribers do hereby testify and say that Parker Story of Ipswich in the County of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts enlisted as a private soldier in Capt. John Burnhams Company in Col. Michael Jacksons Regiment in the year 1777 to Serve during the the [sic] Revolutionary War and did Serve to the Close of the war and was Honorably Discharged.

(Thomas Burnam appears on the Muster Roll for the Colonel's Company in the 8th Massachusetts Regiment (Aug 1780 - Sep 1780) as a sergeant.[15] Amos Davis appears as a private on the June 1778 Muster Roll and on the 8 Sep 1778 Company Roll for Capt. John Burnam's Company in Col. Michael Jackson's brigade.)[16][17]

Parker's discharge certificate was dated 13 Jun 1783. It attested to his service as a private soldier in the 8th Massachusetts Regiment for five years and 4 months. In addition, Col. Michael Jackson noted the award of a badge of merit for that faithful service.[18]

Marriage and Family

Upon his return from the war, Parker settled into civilian life, marrying Mary ("Polly") Pierce on 31 Mar 1785, at the Chebacco Parish Church in Ipswich.[19]

Parker and Mary had three children, two of whom were registered in Ipswich while the third is known only from other documentation:

  1. Parker Story, Jr. (b. 14 Sep 1785)[20]
  2. Jesse Story (b. ca. 1788)[21]
  3. Mary Story (b. 21 Dec 1791)[22]

Parker worked as a fisherman ("mariner," in his probate papers), employed from about 1792, by Josiah Haskell, Jr., of Gloucester.[23] He also owned a quarter of Josiah Haskell's boat, the Nancy.[24]

Parker Story drowned at the age of 34, together with Thomas Holmes (aged 29, the husband of his sister, Elizabeth), Aaron Story (aged 27) and Moses Pearse (aged 16), when their boat capsized in the Chebacco River during a violent snow storm on 13 Mar 1795.[25][26][27]

Stories from the Probate Files

There seem to be no surviving probate papers from immediately after Parker's death in 1795. The earliest probate papers are from 1810, 15 years later, when there was a dispute over the fate of some of Parker's documents, including a note for a debt still partially due him (from his brother-in-law, his sister Lois's husband, Henry Witham, Jr.) at the time of his death, and some personal property (a musket and bayonet).

Since he had died intestate, Asa Andrews, Esq., was appointed to administer his estate on 5 Feb 1810, with Nathan Heard, Jr., a distiller, and Joseph Farley, a merchant, as his sureties for the bond.[28] Asa Andrews brought a complaint before the probate court on 9 May 1810,[29][30] that Parker's employer, Josiah Haskell, Jr., and Josiah's wife, Rachel,[31] had hidden or destroyed valuable documents, including a note for an outstanding debt, and that Francis Peirce (or Pierce or Pearce) had taken his musket and bayonet.[32] There is a record of the Probate Court's questioning of Josiah Haskell and Francis Peirce, and of their protestations of innocence, but the court's decision has not survived.

In the meanwhile, Parker's widow, Mary ("Polly") Pierce Story, had married Abraham Hobbs, III, of Topsfield, at the Chebacco Parish Church in Ipswich on 23 Apr 1797.[33] On 11 Jun 1812, Abraham Hobbs petitioned the estate for the shares due to Mary, his wife, and for those due to Hannah Hobbs, George Hobbs, Daniel Hobbs, Eliza Hobbs, and Jonathan Hobbs, of whom he had become guardian.[34]

The estate was reopened a second time on 2 Feb 1819. This time at issue was the eligibility of Parker's sole surviving child (his daughter, Mary, who had married John Story on 15 Oct 1812) to receive his land grant from the United States government as a veteran of the Revolutionary War.[35]

This probate file included an attestation by a minister of Ipswich, Joseph Dana, dated 2 Feb 1819, that he had solemnized the marriage of Mary and John Story on 15 Oct 1812.[36] In addition, there was a second attestation, also dated 2 Feb 1819, by Obed Burnham that he had known Parker Story and his wife, Polly (Mary), that he knew them as a married couple and that he knew John Story's wife, Mary, as the daughter of Parker and Polly (Mary).[37] In addition, there was the attestation to Parker Story's service in the Continental Army from 1777 through the close of the war, already mentioned above.

Footnotes

  1. "Story, Parker, s. Jesse and Ruhamah, bp. Nov. 2, 1760", citing records of the Chebacco Parish Church: Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Volume I: Births, Page 359; also available online at ma-vitalrecords.org (accessed 26 Mar 2021).
  2. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Volume 15, p. 140, "STORY, Parker, Ipswich."
  3. Declaration of Mary Story, widow, 19 Jul 1847, Pages 1-2, Fold3.com (accessed 5 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  4. For an account of British efforts at Cape Ann in 1775, see Battle of Gloucester (1775), Wikipedia.org (accessed 10 Jul 2017).
  5. Affidavit, dated 1820: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26795, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  6. Recruitment Muster List, 29 Mar 1778: United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 2017).
  7. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Volume 15, p. 134, "STOREY, Parker, Ipswich."
  8. The Valley Forge Legacy: The Muster Roll Project, Parker Story, ID# MA19318 (accessed 13 Sep 2017).
  9. Muster Roll, June 1778: United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 2017)
  10. One account of Col. Michael Jackson's career indicates that he was promoted to colonel and given the 8th Massachusetts Regiment on 1 Jan 1777, and then served in that capacity for that regiment through the end of the war. That account, however, lacks specific references, so it is impossible to determine how reliable the information may be. See: Michael Jackson (American Revolution), Wikipedia.org (accessed 10 Jul 2017)
  11. Company Roll, 8 Sep 1778: United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 2017).
  12. Jan 1780-Jun 1780: United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 1780). Jul 1780: United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 1780). Aug 1780-Sep 1780: United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 2017). Certification by William Tufts, Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, of the military service of Parker Story, dated 8 Jun 1748:Pages 1-2, Fold3.com (accessed 5 Jul 2017 - subscription required). Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Volume 15, p. 140, "STORY, Parker, Ipswich."
  13. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Volume 15, p. 134, "STOREY, Parker, Ipswich."
  14. Affidavit, dated 2 Feb 1820: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26795, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  15. Muster Roll, Colonel's Company, 8th Massachusetts Regiment, (Aug 1780 - Sep 1780), FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 2017).
  16. Muster Roll, june 1778, "Davies:" United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 2017).
  17. Company Roll, 8 Sep 1778, "Davis:" United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, FamilySearch.org (accessed 5 Jul 2017).
  18. Certificate of discharge, dated 13 Jun 1783, for Parker Story, Fold3.com (accessed 5 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  19. The transcript indicates the marriage was recorded under the name "John Story," but that the intent and the record at the Chebacco Parish Church both show the groom as "Parker Story." "Story, John [Parker Story C.R.4. and int.], and Mary Pierce, Mar. 31, 1785," noting that the intention was also recorded: Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Volume II: Marriages and Deaths, p. 415; also available online at ma-vitalrecords.org.
  20. "Story, Parker, s. Parker and Mary, Sept. 14, 1785:" Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Volume I: Births, p. 359; also available online at ma-vitalrecords.org (accessed 26 Mar 2021).
  21. Guardianship Bond for Jesse Story, son of Parker Story, dated 3 Mar 1807: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26782, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 11 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  22. "Story, ------, ch. Parker, Dec. 21, 1791," citing the records of the Chebacco Parish Church: Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Volume I: Births, p. 360; also available online at ma-vitalrecords.org (accessed 26 Mar 2021).
  23. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26794, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  24. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26794, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  25. "Story, Parker, 'Drowned at Chebacco by a Boat oversetting in a Violent Storm,' Mar. 13, 1795:" Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Volume II: Marriages and Deaths, p. 688; also available online at ma-vitalrecords.org.
  26. Declaration of Mary Story, widow, 19 Jul 1847, p. 1, Fold3.com (accessed 5 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  27. Written statement, dated 20 Jul 1847, of Joseph B. Felt of Boston, Librarian of the Massachusetts Historical Society and historian of Ipswich, regarding his research and findings concerning Parker Story's death, Fold3.com (accessed 5 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  28. Administration Bond, dated 5 Feb 1810: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26794, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  29. Complaint by Asa Andrews, dated 9 May 1810: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26794, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  30. The formal summons to answer the complaint: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881: #26794, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  31. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26794, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  32. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26794, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  33. "Story, Polly [Mrs." citing records of the Chebacco Parish Church. "], and Abraham Hobbs, 3d of Topsfield, Apr. 23, 1797," intention also recorded: Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Volume II: Marriages and Deaths, p. 416; also available online at ma-vitalrecords.org. Duplicate record at Topsfield: "Story, Polly, of Ipswich, and Abraham Hobbs, 3d, at Ipswich Hamlet, Apr. 23, 1797;" intention also recorded: Vital Records of Topsfield, Massachusetts, p. 189; also available online at ma-vitalrecords.org (accessed 21 Jun 2022).
  34. Petition of Abraham Hobbs, dated 11 Jun 1812: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26794, AmericanAncestors.org (accessed 4 Jul 2017 - subscription required).
  35. Formal, approved petition by John Story, a caulker ("calker"), of Ipswich on behalf of his wife, Mary Story: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26795 (accessed 4 Jul 2017).
  36. Affidavit of Joseph Dana, 15 Oct 1812: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26795 (accessed 4 Jul 2017).
  37. Affidavit of Obed Burnham, dated 2 Feb 1819: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #26795 (accessed 4 Jul 2017).

Sources

  • Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) (subscription required)
  • Massachusetts, Office of the Secretary of State, Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War. A Compilation from the Archives, Boston, Wright and Potter Printing Co., State Printers, 1907, vol. 15, p. 140, two entries: Story, Parker.
  • Pratt, Robert L., compiler. ’The Descendants of William Story Who Came to Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1637: The First Eight Generations, Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., 2000.
  • Storey, Betty Andrews, compiler. The Descendants of William Story and Sarah Foster of Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, Hales Corner, WI: self-published, 2004.
  • United States Census, 1790, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKL-ZFC : accessed 6 July 2017), Parker Story, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States; citing p. 295, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 4; FHL microfilm 568,144.
  • United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DG-LZFH : 21 December 2016), Parker Story, 1778.
  • United States Revolutio,nary War Rolls, 1775-1783, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DG-L8M4 : 21 December 2016), Parker Story, 1778.
  • United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DG-LZBT : 21 December 2016), Parker Story, 1780.
  • Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, vol. 1, ‘’Births’’, Published by The Essex Institute, Salem, MA: Newcomb & Gauss, Printers, 1910.
  • Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, vol. 2, ‘’Marriages and Deaths’’, Published by The Essex Institute, Salem, MA: Newcomb & Gauss, Printers, 1910.
  • Vital Records of Topsfield, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, Published by the Topsfield Historical Society, Salem Massachusetts: Newcomb & Gauss Printers, 1903.




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