Descendants of Robert Parker of Barnstable


I am indebted to the work of the late MacLean W. McLean who published over 100 pages of his research on this family in the NEHGR from 1958 to 1974.

Generation One




1. ROBERT1 PARKER married Sarah James on 28 Jan 1657 at Barnstable, Massachusetts. He married Patience Cobb, daughter of Henry Cobb and Patience Hurst, in Aug 1667. He died between 1684 and 1685 at Barnstable.
Children of Robert1 Parker and Sarah James were as follows:
Children of Robert1 Parker and Patience Cobb all born at Barnstable were as follows:

Looking back into the history of the Parker family, there are other interesting connections to Rochester preceding Rochester�s incorporation as a Town. The first ancestor of this line was Robert Parker from Barnstable. He married Sarah James in 1656/7 and on 23 June 1671, he married Patience Cobb, daughter of Henry Cobb, Elder of the Church of Barnstable. Could there be relation between Henry Cobb and the Reverend Cobb who married his fourth great granddaughter in Nantucket 150 years later? Robert had 4 children by his first wife and 7 by his second wife. His first son by Patience Cobb was Thomas Parker.

Robert Parker was a man of some means who was able to buy substantial amounts of land in Barnstable. In 1679 he bought a tract of land in Sepican (Rochester) and in 1681 he bought land in Mattapoisett. An inventory for the disbursement of his goods following his death was performed in 1685 and showed his two farms in Barnstable to be worth �220 and his �Sepican lands� to be worth �25.


Generation Two




2. MARY2 PARKER (Robert1) was born on 1 Apr 1658. She married John Jenkins, son of John Jenkins and Mary Wallen, before 2 Mar 1685. She died in 1715.
Children of Mary2 Parker and John Jenkins were as follows:

3. SAMUEL2 PARKER (Robert1) was born on 30 Jan 1660. He married Hannah Bumpus, daughter of Edward Bumpus, on 12 Dec 1695. He died in 1717 at Barnstable.
Children of Samuel2 Parker and Hannah Bumpus were as follows:

4. THOMAS2 PARKER (Robert1) was born on 24 Aug 1669 at Barnstable. He married Sarah James on 28 Jan 1656/57 at Barnstable. He married Mary Jenkins, daughter of John Jenkins and Mary Wallen, on 5 Dec 1693 at Falmouth. He died before 17 Mar 1731/32 at Falmouth.
He was a Yeoman.
There were no children of Thomas2 Parker and Sarah James.
Children of Thomas2 Parker and Mary Jenkins all born at Falmouth were as follows:

Thomas was one of the first founders of Falmouth, MA.


5. JUDGE DANIEL2 PARKER (Robert1) was born on 18 Apr 1670 at Barnstable. He married Mary Lumbert, daughter of Thomas Lumbert and Elizabeth Derby, on 11 Dec 1689. He died on 23 Dec 1728 at age 58.
Children of Judge Daniel2 Parker and Mary Lumbert were as follows:

Judge Daniel Parker was the "wealthiest and most prominent" in his family. He sold, along with his brother Joseph, land in Sepican alias Rochester to Henry Dexter of Barnstable.

Generation Three




6. THOMAS3 PARKER (Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 14 Sep 1698 at Falmouth. He married Experience Nickerson, daughter of Nathaniel Nickerson and Catherine Stuart, on 12 Feb 1726/27 at Chatham. He died on 22 May 1772 at Falmouth at age 73. He was buried at Old Falmouth Cemetery.
He was a Deacon. He left a will on 1 May 1771 at Falmouth.
Children of Thomas3 Parker and Experience Nickerson all born at Falmouth were as follows:

The Deacon Thomas is the first ancestor I have found that held slaves. That he lived on Cape Cod and was a deacon also seems unusual - but apparently not for that time. Holding slaves was for the wealthier families of the day. One of his slaves joined the church which was also unusual.

Deacon Thomas increased the family�s Rochester holdings in 1755 when he bought 220 acres of land in Mattapoisett for �145. The land was bought from Rev. Thomas Prince, minister of the Old South Church in Boston. Most of this land was sold to his sons William and Jesse Parker both of Rochester for �120 on 2 May 1757.

After Thomas� death, Experience moved to Sherborn, Nantucket where she lived with her son Silas. Her will was dated 8 May 1772 and proved 1783. In that will she mentions her 2 daughters, Jerusha Landers and Mary Lake, her grand daughters Hepzibah Parker and Abigail Parker. She willed to the lawful heirs of her deceased sons William, Jesse, Thomas and Nathaniel Parker. The remainder of her estate went to her son Silas Parker- apparently living in 1783.


7. MARY3 PARKER (Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 9 Feb 1701/2 at Falmouth. She married Samuel Lumbert, son of Jonathan Lumbert.
Children of Mary3 Parker and Samuel Lumbert were as follows:

Generation Four




8. WILLIAM4 PARKER (Thomas3, Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 8 May 1728 at Falmouth. He married Mercy Davis, daughter of Noah Davis and Mercy Weekes, on 25 Nov 1754 at Falmouth. He died on 25 Jan 1778 at Falmouth at age 49.
He lived in 1757 at Rochester, Massachusetts.
Children of William4 Parker and Mercy Davis all born at Falmouth were as follows:

Only the baptisms were recorded in Falmouth. This could be because the family was living in Rochester for part or all of the above time. Wherever they lived, they went back to the church founded by William�s grandfather and where his father was a Deacon at least for the children�s baptisms. His brother Jesse left more of a trace in Rochester - now Mattapoisett.

William also served in the Revolutionary War as did his son Isaac and other Parkers. He was at Fort Ticonderoga. He became ill during the war and died soon after.


9. JESSE4 PARKER (Thomas3, Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 5 Mar 1730 at Falmouth. He married Mrs. Hannah Chadwick. He died before 1 Jan 1761.
He was a seafaringman. He lived in 1757 at Rochester, Massachusetts. He was a husbandman in 1757.
Children of Jesse4 Parker and Mrs. Hannah Chadwick all born at Second Church, Rochester, were as follows:

10. THOMAS4 PARKER (Thomas3, Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 14 May 1731 at Falmouth. He married Sarah Landers circa 1755. He died before 1 May 1771.
He was a mariner.
Children of Thomas4 Parker and Sarah Landers were as follows:

silashousesml (22K)
Silas Parker House, Siasconset, c. 1790
11. SILAS4 PARKER (Thomas3, Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 9 Nov 1742 at Falmouth. He married Phebe Gardner. He died on 20 Feb 1823 at Nantucket, Massachusetts, at age 80.
Children of Silas4 Parker and Phebe Gardner were as follows:

There is still a Silas Parker house standing today at 7 School St., Siasconset.

Silas at some point moved to New Bedford. He was a Friend and captained the mail packet Maria. He is noted in the biography of Jacob Barker as Jacob goees from Nantucket to New Bedford to attend school:

maria1 (21K) maria2 (8K)

This same biography notes a mail packet captain named Moses Swain. This was Silas' son-in-law.


Generation Five




12. ISAAC5 PARKER (William4, Thomas3, Thomas2, Robert1) was baptized on 13 May 1759 at Falmouth. Marriage banns for he and Prudence Hatch were published on 3 Oct 1801 at Falmouth. He married Prudence Hatch, daughter of Nathaniel Hatch and Olive Bearse. He died on 5 Sep 1842 at Falmouth at age 83.
Children of Isaac5 Parker and Prudence Hatch were as follows:

The Isaac Parker family was in Nantucket in 1802, when son Benjamin was buried. He was buried at the Old North Cemetery. �The Old North Cemetery, on the west side of New Lane, was originally the private burial ground of the Gardner family.�

In 1807, Isaac bought property in Nantucket:

All Men by these Presents that I Obed Mitchell of Nantucket in the County of Nantucket and Commonwealth of Merchant (sic) in Consideration of Two hundred Dollars Receipt whereof I do herby Acknowledge do herby give grant sell and Convey unto the said Isaac Parker an to his heirs and assigns forever all my Right and title in a Certain lot of land in Nantucket aforesaid being in that part of the Town Commonly known by the Name of the Bakerhill upon the west side of Said Hill bounded as followeth on the North by land which was or doth belong to Moses Ellis and on the East by land that did belong to Roland Gardner on the South by land that di d belong to Enoch Gardner on the west by the Road Said piece of land Contane Twenty Rods more of less being all the land which I bought of Paul Coggeshall in the place described as by hi s deed to me bearing date One Thousand Eight hundred and four the 27 of April To Have and to hold the afore grants Premises to the Said Isaac Parker and to his heirs and assigns to their use and Behoof forever and I do Covenant with the said Isaac his heirs and assigns that I am lawfully seized in fee of the afore granted Premises that they are free of all Incumbrances that I have good Right to sell and Convey the same to the said Isaac that I will warrant and defend the same Premises to the said Isaac his heirs and assigns for ever Against the lawful Claims and Demands of all Persons In Witness Whereof I the said Obed Mitchell and Wife Lydia Relinquish her Right of Dower in said piece of land I have hereunto set Our hand and Seal this twentyth day of February in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight hundred and Seven

In 1811, Isaac Parker was writing a �Proposal to repair Ship Mary Ann

parker (88K)

The owners of the Ship Mary Ann came back with an agreement for Isaac Parker & Co:

maryann (89K)

Let the reader figure out the writing. I think that Isaac had better handwriting than the ship owners.

The ship Mary Ann�s master was George Russell, Jr. The ship sailed from 1811 to 1813 but was seized by the British in the war of 1812.

In 1823, Isaac bought a house and property:

Know all men by these presents that I Timothy M. Gardner of Nantucket in the County of Nantucket Blockmaker in Consideration of Twelve hundred dollars paid by Isaac Parker of said Nantucket ship Wright the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, do hereby give grant sell and convey unto the said Isaac Parker and to his heirs and assigns forever, my Dwelling House in said Nantucket where I now Live together with all the Land under, round and belonging to the same � bounded by the house and Land formerly belonging to Eliza Bunker Deceased and now occupied by Charles Hussey & on the South, and by the Street on the East West and North, with all the Fences out building Rights and Priviledges therein belonging. The one half of the above granted house and Land derived to me from [my?] late mother Pamela Gardner and the other half I bought of my brother Nathan [B Gardner?] including all the Land to the Northwest of said house that I bought of the Agent the proprietors of the Common and undivided Land To have and to hold the afore granted forever to the said Isaac Parker and to his heirs and assigns to his others use and Behoof forever and I the said Timothy M. Gardner for myself and heirs Executor Administration do covenant with the said Isaac Parker his heirs and assigns that I Lawfully Seized in fee of the afore granted premises that they are free of all Encumbrances; that I have good right to sell and convey the same to the said Isaac Parker and that I will warrant and defend the same hereunder to the said Isaac Parker his heirs and assigns forever against the lawful claims and Demands of all persons in witness whereof I the said Timoth M Gardner and my wife Lydia, etc�..
Recorded June 13th 1823

This may be the same property shown on a portion of map of Nantucket that shows streets widened after the fire of Nantucket in 1846. This fire burnt down many of the downtown buildings. Lower Pearl Street is now India Street. North is up and Main Street is the lower east-west street shown on the map below. The dotted lines show property that was taken for the widening of Nantucket streets following the 1846 fire. This fire was undoubtedly devastating to the Parker family.

nanstrts (110K)

Generation Six




13. ELIJAH6 PARKER (Isaac5, William4, Thomas3, Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 14 Jul 1803 at Nantucket, Massachusetts. He married Sarah W. Turner.
He was a ship master in 1850.
Children of Elijah6 Parker and Sarah W. Turner were as follows:

At least one of the Parkers was involved in the Gold Rush.


14. ISAAC6 PARKER JUNIOR (Isaac5, William4, Thomas3, Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 8 Jan 1808 at Nantucket, Massachusetts. He married Louisa Coffin on 6 Jun 1830 at Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Children of Isaac6 Parker Junior and Louisa Coffin both born at Nantucket, Massachusetts, were as follows:

15. MARY ANN6 PARKER (Isaac5, William4, Thomas3, Thomas2, Robert1) was born on 27 Apr 1811 at Nantucket. She married Otis H. Snell, son of Anthony Snell and Betsey Luther, on 15 May 1828 at Nantucket, Massachusetts. She died on 22 Aug 1895 at Rochester at age 84.
Children of Mary Ann6 Parker and Otis H. Snell were as follows:



Please send e-mail to: joel@jmhartley.com
Created with the help of The Master Genealogist for Windows on 2 Dec 2010 at 00:37 pm.