Dr. Richard Parker
Reedpcgen
server, so I'll try the sgm route, in case anyone misses it. I don't know if
it is an AOL problem or gateway problem.
Subj: re: Richard Parker - Chirurgeon - Royal Ancestry
Date: 3/7/2003 11:48:55 PM Mountain Standard Time
From: Apsgemail
To: GEN-MED...@rootsweb.com
From: Fred Olen Ray (ole...@aol.com)
Subject: Richard Parker - Chirurgeon - Royal Ancestry
Date: 2002-06-13 17:14:50 PST
[snip]
KATHERINE BULLER, b. abt 1600, d. abt 1686, married on 31 December,
1616 at St. Stephens in Saltash, to James Parker, of Blisland,
Cornwall, b. abt 1590, d. 1672 at Warlegann, St. Stephen's Parish.
Dr. RICHARD PARKER Chirurgeon. b. 29 November, 1630, d. abt 1683,
married Mary Bailey, b 1635, d. 1686 Immigrated to Virginia.
RICHARD PARKER, b. 1660, d. 1725 married "Mitha" Unknown.
ELIZABETH PARKER, b. 1696, d. 1737, married 16 January, 1716 in the
Saint James Episcopal Church in Henrico County, Virginia, William V.
Adkins,, b. March 28, 1689, d. 1734
[snip]
There is evidence that a Richard Parker did come to Virginia, as did his
brother George, but it is believed this Richard settled in Nansemond County, on
the James River, rather than being identical with the Richard Parker who lived
in Henrico County, some distance away.
The Richard of Nansemond County married Elizabeth Bailey, of London, and had
three sons, Thomas, Richard and Francis Parker, aside from daughters. After
her death, he married a woman named Judith. They appear in records of Surrey
County, etc. (most records concerning Nansemond County were destroyed by fire).
Judith had administration of his estate in 1677, and later land grants taken
up by the sons verify their parentage. There is a direct descent to a much
later Dr. Richard Henry Parker, aside from descendants in North Carolina, etc.
George Parker is believed to have been the man of that name on the Eastern
Shore, who served as sheriff, etc.
The proof that a Richard and George were in Virginia comes from a family record
preserved by the Yorkshire cousins of Browsholme Hall (pronounced 'Brewsom').
Here are some abstracts.
"Septemb'r ye 1st, 1673, Will Parker, Arch Deacon of Cornwall & Justice of the
Peace of ye same County, was second brother of Tho: Parker of Browsholme,
Esq'r, who went from Browsh: into Cornwell about ye yeare 1580, whoe he married
it is not knowne, bur her Christen name was Joane, and was a mighty thrifty
provident woman, and ye said Will: had two sonnes, James and Will: and his
house is called Tragugoe in ye parish of Wartegin, in Cornwall, about 16 miles
of Launston ...: James, his eldest sonne, was married to Katterren, eldest
daughter of Sir Richard Buller, of Shillingham, in ye said county, her prorc'on
was L2500, ye s'd Buller being a man of L7000 p[er] annum; Will ye younger
brother, Parson of Stoacke in Cornwall, ye parsonage being worth "300 p. an.,
and who was never married." [the Visitation of Cornwall states that William
Parker's wife was "Johanna filia .... Panchard de Com. Wiltes"; only the eldest
two daughters, Katherine and Alice, were born by 1620]
James Parker and Katherine Buller had 21 children [sic]. Of immediate interest
are:
"Rich'd, ye 9th, Dr. of Phyzicke, went into Virginy, married a Londoner & had
issue 6 children. Liveth upon S'nt James River in ye uplands of Virginy & hath
been High Sherife of ye s'd County."
"George, ye 13, prentice to a wollings draper at Hunington 12 myles of Exeter;
went from there into Virginy."
"Rowland, ye 20th, is a Corporall in Prince Ruperd's Regiment of Dragonnes; Sir
Jo. Talbot is Leiuetenant Colonell, James Walker his Captin, now quartered at
Hull, who gave this Information at Brosholme, 1673, Sep. ye 1st."
There was a George Parker who obtained extensive patents at Onancock,
Northampton County, and later in Accomack County, Virginia (over 2,500 acres).
He was High Sheriff.
James Fowler, of Mile End, Stepney, London, late an inhabitant of Nansemond
County on the James River in Virginia, gentleman, left his friend Richard
Parker his slave named Cadger in 1709. That would be the second generation.
What leads you to believe the Henrico County Richard Parker was the immigrant,
rather than the Richard Parker of Nansemond whose descendants claims his
origin?
Paul
Reedpcgen
Richard Parker of Charles City and Henrico Counties was described as chirurgeon
in records, but one must question if that is the same thing as being a Doctor
of Physic, or more akin to a barber surgeon.
One would also wonder how the Nansemond County descendants of that Richard
Parker would even be aware of the existence of the early Dr. Richard Parker to
claim descent from him just after the Revolutionary period.
Another question is the description of six children. Though records of
Nansemond County are lost for the Colonial period, some survive for Charles
City County, and many for Henrico County. Is there evidence that the surgeon
who resided there was sheriff of the county and had six children by his wife?
Parker was a very common surname. Just because a Richard Parker is claimed in
a headright does not make it the same person that appeared in records ten years
later.
It is interesting to compare the baptisms at Warleggon, Cornwall, with the
order given by the youngest son Rowland, who provided the account of the
family:
1 - Katherine, died young [aged 2 in 1620]
2 - Alice [by by 1620]
3 - William
4 - Catherine [7 Jan/ 1627]
5 - Robert [3 Apr. 1628] died 1/2 year into his apprenticeship
6 - James, died about age 35
7 - Cordelia [18 Dec. 1631]
8 - Anthony [Apr 1639], died young
9 - Richard [29 Nov. 1630]
10 - Mary [6 July 1635]
11 - Francis [4 Aug. 1636]
12 - Jane [17 Sep. 1637]
13 - George [1 May 1640]
14 - Elizabeth [25 May 1629]
15 - John [14 May 1633]
16 - Johane [1641]
17 - still born
18 & 19 - died unchristened
20 - Rowland [17 Apr. 1643]
21 - Katherine [10 July 1644]
It should also be noted that George, born 1640 (above) would be rather young to
be the George Parker who patented 450 acres in 1650 and 1300 acres in 1655.
Others claim a different origin for that George.
Paul
Reedpcgen
In a message dated 3/9/2003 4:32:03 PM Mountain Standard Time,
vanl...@earthlink.net writes:
> Those interested in the identity of Dr. Richard Parker, Chirurgeon, of
> Virginia should take a look at messages 11763, 16132, 16294 and 16307,
> posted by Waunita Powell at the Parker Genforum Message Board. See
> http://genforum.genealogy.com/parker/
>
> However, Eleanor Davis McSwain, in her book _Some Ancestors and Some
> Descendants of Richard Parker, Chirurgeon 1629-1680_, makes a strong
> argument that Dr. Richard Parker,Chirurgeon, was the identical Richard
> Parker who lived in Nansemond Co., VA.
>
> Kyle VanLandingham
>
Thanks, Kyle.
I'd already seen Waunita's messages. There are numerous references for men
named Richard Parkers in headrights, but she has chosen one for the Nansemond
man which cannot be certainly shown to be his, but does present a
chronological problem. She also consistently calls him "Dr." rather than
surgeon, or however he was actually referred to in the record she was
discussing at that point. We know he married Mary, widow of Nicholas
Perkins, in 1656, and that Nicholas had at least four children, born by 1640
through 1647. A son Thomas has possibly been attributed to this Richard
Parker, but I'd like to see the evidence of that.
Further, Richard Parker of Charles City County appears more than fifty times
[Beverley Fleet], was in jail more than once, frequently in court due to
debts, and not once called "gentleman," "Mr." or "Dr." with the sole
exception of one time where he served on a jury and all jurors were called
"Mr." except those given military rank. I did not see that he ever served as
justice. What was the evidence he was sheriff of Charles City County (or
even of such status to be sheriff) before 1673?
This would seem quite strange for the grandson of the Archdeacon of Cornwall
and son of a couple with such large marriage portions and status. He might
have been called "Mr." in a 350 acre grant in Henrico County on the head of
Four Mile creek 28 Oct. 1669, but that was fairly late in his career (I don't
have that volume of Cavalier and Pioneers here). That is not an extensive
estate for a gentleman. One would expect someone with such close ties to
ENglish gentry, and well educated, to have served as a justice on the county
court.
Richard Parker of Charles City County swore in a deposition on 3 April 1660
that he was 31 years old. That would equate with a birth year of about
1628-9, but not really 29 November 1630 (practically 1631). As the previous
daughter Elizabeth was bp. 25 May 1629, and the following Cordelia on 18 Dec.
1631, there is little movement for that date.
There were at least three other surgeons in Charles City records at that time
(I did not search for them, but just happened to notice). One might theorize
that Rowland exaggerated his status, but why should he, when he described
apprenticeships of other brothers?
Richard Parker of Nansemond County was called "Mr." in a grant.
Richard Parker of Nansemond named a son Francis (not that common of a name);
Dr. Richard Parker had a brother named Francis.
Dr. Richard Henry Parker's family (Nansemond) had a strong tradition by the
early nineteenth century, if not eighteenth, that he was descended from a
direct line of Richard Parkers, all named after the immigrant, who was a Dr.
and came from a very large family, having had three sons and three daughters.
Given that this tradition existed before genealogy came into fashion in the
later nineteenth century, and that there is good reason to understand why
such a tradition would be preserved, it seems to me to add credence to its
possible accuracy. Also, one would need to explain why this Nansemond County
family would even be aware that a Dr. Richard Parker existed and had
emigrated before 1660 to be claimed as an ancestor, if he had immigrated to
another county.
I'm not saying it is impossible that the surgeon of Charles City County was
actually a Doctor of Physic, but that the details must me discussed and
examined further, lest a mistaken identification become entrenched.
The surname Parker is quite common in Colonial Virginia.
Paul
Kyle S. VanLandingham
Okay, so what is your opinion of Eleanor Davis McSwain's book, _Some
Ancestors and Some Descendants of Richard Parker, Chirurgeon 1629-1680_?
You didn't say if you were familiar with her book and her assertions.
Kyle VanLandingham
Reedpcgen
Kyle VanLandingham>>
Kyle,
I've been aware of this material for many years, and am aware of her book.
What I've tried to do is independently look at the original source material
(being a Colonial Virginia specialist, myself). We're lucky enough to have all
the original Colonial records on microfilm here at the FHL, and I've read
through almost every page of the original Charles City and Henrico County
records for a number of problems over the years (for instance, concerning, John
Beauchamp, Walter Aston, and other gentry families there). I've seen every
secondary source confuse and misunderstand some things. My response and
questions were prompted by someone who asked me about the Henrico/Charles City
County man.
Paul
Reedpcgen
present commentary, but had just glanced at Fleet and the VM to remind me of
some of the details. That's why I was asking others for clarification and
their opinion, which would be appreciated.
Paul
Reedpcgen
I should also state that I haven't gone through all the Isle of Wight/Surrey
County records, however, to see if there was one or two Richard Parkers, a
pewterer/metal worker/brass worker, and the Doctor/planter. Is it certain the
Nansemond County man was the same individual as the Richard in Surrey and Isle
of Wight? It's been years since I've looked at these things, and files are
buried in storage, hence the questions.
Paul
Paul Moynagh
(Reedpcgen) wrote:
> I should preface any continuing discussion by saying that it is true that
> Richard Parker of Charles City and Henrico Counties was described as
> chirurgeon
> in records, but one must question if that is the same thing as being a
> Doctor
> of Physic, or more akin to a barber surgeon.
I too would also question this. At that time the distinction between a 'Dr.
of Phyzicke' and a 'chirurgeon' was very clear and distinct and it is
unlikely that anyone then would have muddled the two. Unless? --> perhaps he
was just a surgeon, or even had no training at all, but on crossing the
Atlantic judged that it would be hard to check up on, and so falsely passed
himself off there as a 'physician'?
A 17C 'Dr. of Phyzicke' should have had a university degree, and as
Physicians in England were few and far between then, University or College
of Physicians records should be traceable; though not so easy if it was a
Continental degree - eg from say Flanders, Italy or France where many then
went to train. Most physicians were high earners, so would have had little
incentive to emigrate. English surgeons however were common as muck, were
status-wise the same; many found it hard to make a living, so transatlantic
green pastures might have been tempting [#]. Some surgeons might be listed
with the Barber-Surgeons Company of London, otherwise they would have been
just apprenticed to a surgeon near where he lived with a low chance of any
extant record.
[#] of course at that time there were many reasons for emigrating other than
the vagaries of the medical market place.
As I occasionally visit a London library with some records of members of
these institutions, would it help if I were to check if any early 16C
Richard Parker is mentioned?
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Moynagh
pmoy...@argonet.co.uk
Reedpcgen
these institutions, would it help if I were to check if any early 16C Richard
Parker is mentioned?>>
Paul,
I agree with your summation concerning the difference. A Physician would be
prescribing medicines, etc., a surgeon would be digging out bullets and
possibly even giving customers a good shave.
An educated man, of high family status, would be expected to be a justice in
the Colonial county court (typically) or associated with others of their same
social origins.
As it does not appear anyone is interested in discussing the details of these
various Richard Parkers, I'll leave it at this.
It would seem we are dealing with at least three men, of approximately the same
age, (1) one Richard Parker who lived in Charles City County and later Henrico
County who was the surgeon who left a son Richard; (2) another who first
settled in Isle of WIght, but then relocated to Surrey County and died in 1677,
having married Judith, widow of William Hunt, they also having a son named
Richard; amd (3) the Nansemond County Richard Parker, who left a will that was
lost in the destruction of Nansemond and state records, but which was mentioned
in a 23 April 1681 entry in Virginia patents concerning the three sons of
Richard Parker, deceased (Thomas, Richard and Francis), who were to receive
1420 acres on the south branch of Nansemond River on Parker's Creek left them
by their father's will. If the early tradition of this branch is to be given
credence, their Richard was a Doctor of Physic, from a very large family, and
had three sons and three daughters. Perhaps when I eventually dig into the
mound of storage I have (ten feet high), I will locate the old files and put
together an article discussing the evidence.
Paul
