RICHARD PARKE 1609-1665

[Ancestral Link: Marguerite Anderson (Miller), daughter of Hannah Anderson (Anderson), daughter of Mary Margaret Edmiston (Anderson), daughter of Martha Jane Snow (Edmiston), daughter of Gardner Snow, son of James Snow, son of Mary Trowbridge (Snow), daughter of Jerusha Park (Trowbridge), daughter of Richard Parke, son of Richard Parke, son of Thomas Parke, son of Richard Parke.]


Beginning in America. THE PARK FAMILY IN AMERICA "D ICHARD PARKS born in England about 1602, sailed from London in the ship Defence, August lo*^ 1635, and arrived at Boston October 3'*^, 1635, bringing with him his wife Margery and four children. The "Original Lists," edited by John Camden Hotten, under "Register of the names of all y« Pasinger w"^ Passed from y« Port of London for on whole yeare Endinge at X""*^ 1635 ", page 105, has the following: Xjo die Julij 1635 Theis vnder written names are to be transported to New England im- barqued in the Defence of Lndon Edward Bostock Mr p Certificate of his Conformitie in Religion & that he is no Subsedy man. A miller Richard Perk 33 1 Margery Perk 40 I IsABELL Perk 7 [ ^^""^^ Elizabeth Perk 4 J Parke and Parks of Massachusetts, p. 25. There were also two sons, Richard and Thomas, although their names do not appear on the passenger list. "After Sep- tember i^*, 1656," Richard Park^ married, second, Sarah, daughter of William and Jane Collier,* of Duxbury, Mass., widow of Love Brewster, of the same place. He died 1665 (?). His will is dated July la*'*, 1665, and the inventory August 19*^, 1665. There is no record of the death of the first wife, Margery. The second wife died April 26*S 1691. CHILDREN (of THE FIRST WIFE) I Richards born in England, probably before 1628. Married, Mary ( ?). On October 14*'*, 1678, Richard Park, of Cambridge, planter, and his * See Nathaniel WarrenS page 128. [91] wife Mary, conveyed to Joseph Wilson " all that tract of land on which I have erected my now dwelling house," etc. As shown in the Cambridge Proprietors' Records of 1642, this is the property which Richard Park^ owned at that time. They had two children. Parke and Parks of Massa- chusetts, pp. 31-34. II Thomas^, born in England, 1628-9. Married, December i^*, 1653, Abigail Dix, of Watertown, born May 21^*, 1637. He died August n***, 1690. She died February 3'''^, 1691. They had nine children. See forward. III Isabella born about 1625, in England. Married Francis Whit- more, of England, born 1625. She died March 31^*, 1665. He died October 12*^^, 1685. They had seven children. Whitmore Genealogy, IV Elizabeth^ born 1631, in England. Married Edward Winship, of Cambridge. She died September 19*^ 1690. They had children. Richard Park* settled in Cambridge, Mass., in 1635. He was a proprietor at Cambridge Farms (Lexington), in 1642, His house was near the commons in Cambridge. In a division of lands in 1647, he had eleven acres in Cambridge Village, bounded west on Mr. Edward Jackson's land, and the highway to Dedham was laid out through it in 1648. The very ancient dwelling house which was pulled down about 1800 was supposed to have been built by him. It stood within a few feet of the spot now occupied by the Eliot church. Previous to 1652, he owned a large tract of land in the N. W. part of the village bounded west by the Fuller Farm, North by Charles River, East by the Dummer Farm and South and East by the Mahew Farm. It contained 600 acres which he probably bought of Pastor Shepard or his heirs. By his will dated Dec. 5, 1665, witnessed by Elder Wiswall and Hugh Mason, he bequeathed to his only son Thomas all his houses and lands, after the death of his wife Sarah. By his inventory dated 19, 8, 1665, taken by John Sherman and John Spring, the dwelling house, barn, out houses and 600 acres of land adjoining, whereof 20 acres is broken up, is appraised at £660 and 29 acres elsewhere at £100. The whole amount of the inventory was £972. In 1657 he was one of a committee, with Edward Jackson, John Jackson, and Samuel Hyde, to lay out and settle highways in the village. During the contest between the village and Cambridge, to be set off, he sent a petition to the Court in 1661 praying to [92] retain his connection with the Cambridge church. All his prop- erty except 600 acres and buildings was equally divided between his two daughters. "The situation of the large Park Farm in Newton, in relation to Watertown, accounts for the numerous alliances between the descendants of Richard Park and Watertown families. The farm of Richard Park was contiguous to the small parcel of land be- longing to Watertown, on the South side of the Charles River and it is probable that his residence was at an early date within the bounds of Watertown. . . . "The early settlers of Newton, properly so called, numbered only twenty, or at most twenty-two. Among them were Jack- son, Fuller, Hyde, Park, Ward, Wiswall, Prentice and Trow- bridge. The men bearing these names exercised a leading in- fluence in all the affairs of the town. By their prudence, piety, enterprise and patriotism and virtue, they impressed upon the town a character which it is still proud to maintain. Richard Park came to Newton from Cambridge in 1647. He died there in 1665. He owned a large tract of land in the village. By his will, he bequeathed to his only son Thomas this tract of land with the houses thereon, after the death of his wife Sarah, who, in 1665, moved to Duxbury, Mass.* His son Thomas married Abigail Dix of Watertown 1653 and they had five sons and four daughters, among whom this tract of land was divided in 1694, (Thomas having deceased) and the contents were then about 800 acres, Thomas having added by purchase 200 acres and built a corn mill upon the Charles River, near where the dam now is in the North village. "Near the spot where the Meeting House of the First Church originally stood, a marble pillar was erected September i, 1852, with appropriate inscriptions on the four faces, in commem.oration of the first inhabitants of the town and recording their names. On the West side, the name of Richard Park 1647-1665, appears." * The following entry will be found in the First Book of the Plymouth First Church Records, Part III, p. 22. The page is dated 1691 and under the heading, "Members dyed," is the record: "Mrs Sarah Parke, widow, April 26*^, in her 76*^ yeare." Mayflower Descendants, Vol. Ill, p. 192. [93]
found on ancestry.com

Richard Parke THE PARK FAMILY RICHARD PARK [#1932], b. England abt. 1602, d. Cambridge Village, MA between 12 Jul and 19 Oct 1665, m(1) Eng. MARGERY CRANE?, b. England abt. 1595, d. Cambridge, MA abt. 1650, m(2) 1 Sep 1656 Sarah (Collier) Brewster, b. 1613, d. Duxbury, MA 26 Apr 1691. Richard Park may have been a son of Thomas Park of the Isle of Ely. His occupation was that of a miller. At the age of 33, with his wife, aged 40, he left London in the ship Defence which sailed on August 19, 1635 and arrived at Boston on Oct. 3. He settled in Cambridge where, on Feb. 8, 1635-6, his home was near Fresh Pond. He was a proprietor of Cambridge in 1636, and by 1639 he owned « acre with house and outhouses adjoining the "Cow Common" in Cambridge. In the division of lands in 1647-8 he was granted 11 acres on the south side of the river in Cambridge Village, now called Newton. He was also granted 13 acres adjoining the west end of the lot he bought from John Betts, to make up his full division.[1] In 1648 a highway to Dedham was laid out through his Cambridge Village land. Around 1800 a very ancient dwelling house was pulled down which was suppossed to have been built by Richard Park. It stood within a few feet of the spot now occupied by Eliot Church. Previous to 1652 Richard owned 600 acres of land in the northwest part of Cambridge Village.[1] Richard received another 100 acres, lot 78 of the Shawshine grant (later Billerica), June 9, 1652,[5/59] however it appears he never took up residence there. A Richard Park (perhaps his son) signed a document Oct. 17, 1664 pledging his loyalty to and satisfaction in the then present government.[5/75] Richard Park was appointed constable on Nov. 10, 1656, and on Jan. 11, 1657 he and Edward Jackson, Samuel Hides, and John Jackson were named a committee to lay out and settle highways at their end of town. In 1661 he signed a petition to retain his connection with the Cambridge Church, and in 1663 he was released from military duties on account of his age.[1] In his will, dated July 12, 1665, Richard mentioned his wife, his son Thomas, and his two daughters. It was witnessed by Hugh Mason and Thomas Wiswall and recorded June 16, 1666.[6/2:260] Richard's son Richard was not mentioned in the will and had either died, already been provided for, or had alienated himself from his father. The inventory of the estate was taken Oct. 19, 1665 by John Sherman and John Spring and totaled 972 pounds.[6/2:261] On Sept. 26, 1678 widow Sarah Park of Duxbury sold her interest in the estate to Thomas Park for 45 pounds 15s.[1] It is not clear what the evidence is for giving Margery's surname as Crane. REF: [1] The Warner-Harrington Ancestry - Frederick Warner, 1949(pg.485)[2] Parke Families of Massachusetts - Frank S. Parke, 1909 (pgs.25-30)[3] One Branch of the Booth Family - Charles M. Booth, 1910(pg.112)[4] The History of Newton - Francis Jackson, 1854 (pg.382)[5] The History of Cambridge - Lucius R. Paige, 1877[6] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 16442) Children: 1. Richard, b. Eng. before 1628, d. between 30 Aug 1715 and1728-9, m. Mary ____, d. before 1728-92. Thomas, b. Eng. abt. 1628, d. Newton, MA 11 Aug 1690,m. Cambridge, MA 1 Dec 1653 Abigail Dix, b. Watertown,MA 2 May 1637, d. Newton 3 Feb 1690-13. Isabel, b. Eng. abt. 1629, d. 31 Mar 1665, m. abt. 1648Francis Whitmore, d. 12 Oct 16854. Elizabeth, b. Eng. abt. 1631, d. 19 Sep 1690, m. EdwardWinship, d. 2 Dec 1688
found on ancestry.com

Notes for Richard Parke: --------- RICHARD PARKE. We wonder why Richard came to the colonies. It was about this time that King Charles I was curtailing the liberties of the English people. Speaking of this period, Macaulay's History of England says: This was the conjuncture at which the liberties of the nation were in the greatest peril. The opponents of the government began to despair of the destiny of their country; and many looked to the American wilderness as the only asylum in which they could enjoy civil and spiritual freedom. There a few resolute Puritans, who, in the cause of their religion, feared neither the rage of the ocean nor the hardships of uncivilised life, neither the fangs of savage beasts nor the tomahawks of more savage men, had built, amidst the primeval forests, villages which are now great and opulent cities, but which have, through every change, retained some trace of the character derived from their founders. The government regarded these infant colonies with aversion, and attempted violently to stop the stream of emigration, but could not prevent the population of New England from being largely recruited by stouthearted and Godfearing men from evers part of the old England. . . Richard Parke was undoubtedly influenced by the unsettled condition of affairs in England, to emigrate to America. Born in England, Richard Parke sailed from London in the ship "Defence," which left England August 10, 1635 and arrived at Boston October 3, 1635, and settled in Cambridge, afterwards called Cambridge Farms and now known as Newton, Mass. His descendants resided in that neighborhood for about a century and then some of them emigrated to Maine, Mew Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York. Though some still reside in and near Cambridge, others can be found in nearly every State in the Union. (from the Genealogy of the Parke Family) In the "Proprietors' Records of Cambridge," a number of references to Richard Parke are found, as follows: [1639.] "RICHARD PARKE. One house upon the Cowe Common with halfe an Acre of ground. Persival Greene west, John Wilcock East, Swampe northeast, Cow Common southwest... Jt Jn the North side of Jones his Hill two Acres and ten pole of planting ground, William Patten west, Persival Greene East, Richard Champnies & Edward Wenchep south, Cowe Common North... A Transcript of the houses and lands of the Inhabitants of the Town of Cambridge given in at a General Court holden at Boston the sixth day of the seventh month, A. D. 1642: [Page 102.] "RICHARD PARKE. Impr on the Comon one dwellinge house with outhouses and about halfe an Acr of land more or lesse, Nathaneel Sparrowhank East, Hellen Green west, the pyneswampe north, the Comon south... Itm In the new west field Two Acr more or lesse Hellen Green East, William Pattin West, Richard Champnyes and Edward Winship south... [Page 133.] (1647-S.) Lands layd out to several of the Inhabitants of the Town on ye south side of Charles river. On the south side of the highway: More layd out to Richard Parke eleven acres, abutting vppon mr Jacson land east & west, & the high way to dedham passing through it... more to Richard Parke to make up his full deuisio [division] for his owne house 13:ackr adjoineing the west end of the lott he bought of John Betts." The Town Records of Cambridge, formerly "Newtowne," mention Richard Parke several times. On Feb. 8. 1635, among "The names of those men whoe have houses in the Towne at this present as only are to be acounted as houses of the Towne," the name of Richard Parke is recorded as being "by the ffresh Pond." On page 39, in a list made out "9th 4 mo 1652;" Richard Parke had lot No. 78, which contained 100 acres. Page 47, "at a meeting of the Inhabitants of this Towne 10th 9th mo 1656 ffor the Eleccon of Towne officrs. Richard Parkes, Edward Shepard, and Robert Parker are chosen Constables for the yeare ensuing, and to Joyne with the aforesaid Selectmen." Page 52, 11th 11th Mo 1657, "Mr. Edward Jackson, Jno. Jackson, Richard Parkes & Samuel Hide are appoynted a Comittee to lay out and settle the high wayes in refference to the propritors at that end of the Towne, prvided they prjudice not ye Towne, otherwise then by crossing vppon any part of the comon, as need shall require." Page 74, "ffebr 11th 1666." "Nicholas Withe complayneing that he is injured by not hauing his full due granted him on the South Side the river neere Boston line, by reason yt at part of the Townes grant was layd into the prpriety of Richard Parkes." Jackson's "History of Newton," says in part: "Richard Park was a proprictor in Cambridge 1636, and of Cambridge Farms, Lexington 1642. His house was near the Cow Common in Cambridge. The very ancient dwelling house which was pulled down about 1800, was supposed to have been built by him. It stood within a few feet of the spot now occupied by the Eliot church. Previous to 1652 he owned a large tract of land in the n. w. part of the Village, bounded w. by the Fuller farm, n. by Charles river; e by Duminer farm, and s. and e. by the Mayhew farm (Mr. Edward Jackson's,) containing six hundred acres, which he probably bought of Pastor Shepard or his heirs. By his will 12-5-1665, witnessed by Elder Wiswall and Hugh Mason, he bequeathed to his son Thomas all his houses and lands, after the decease of his wife Sarah. By his inventory dated 19-8-1665, taken by John Sherman and John Spring, the dwelling house, barn, out-houses, and six hundred acres of land adjoining, whereof twenty acres is broken up, is appraised at œ660 and twenty-nine acres elsewhere at œ100. The whole amount of inventory was œ972. During the contest between the Village and Cambridge to be set off, he sent a petition to the Court, in 1661, praying to retain his connection with the Cambridge Ch. In 1663 he was released from training, on account of his age. He d. 1665, leaving wid. Sarah, son Thomas and two daughters. One of the daughters m. Francis Whittemore of Camb. All his property (except the 600 acres and buildings) was equally divided between the two daughters. Thirteen years after his decease, Thomas bought the life estate of the wid. for œ45;15s. Her release is dated Sept. 26, 1678, in which she calls herself of Duxbury, in the Colony of New Plymouth, relict of Richard Parke, late of Camb. Village. This transaction would seem to indicate that she was his mother-in-law." --------- More About Richard Parke:Burial: 1664, Cambridge, Middlesex, MassachusettsChristening: August 1609, Warfield, Suffolk, England or Cambridge, Massachusetts866Emigration: Bet. August 10 - October 03, 1635, On ship "Defence" from London to Massachusetts867Lived In: Bet. 1635 - 1664, Cambridge, Massachusetts868Occupation: Miller, Large Landowner868
found on ancestry.com

History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts Source: History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts Chapter 3, pp. 4/5 - "The first settlers in Newton did not come in a body, but family after family. Of those who came into the town between 1639 and 1664, the date of the organization of the first church - twenty in number - the ages of the majority were between twenty-one and thirty-five. Only five had reached the age of forty; two only were more than fifty. Notwithstanding the hardships of frontier life to which they were subjected, fourteen out of thirty, whose date of death is recorded, died more than eighty years of age, only eight under seventy, and only two under fifty.............The following are the names of the first twenty male settlers of Newton, .... (listing) Richard Park, date of settlement - 1647, where from - Cambridge, date of death - 1665, inventory - 972 pounds" p. 9 - "Richard Park owned land in New Cambridge in 1636, and in Lexington, three Cambridge farms in 1642. His house probably stood within a few feet of the site of the present Eliot church, and was pulled down in 1800. His farm was bounded west by the Fuller farm, north by Charles River, east and south by Edward Jackson, and contained about 600 acres." p. 14 - "The first settlers of Newton were in the northeast corner of the town.....Crossing Centre Street, westwardly, came Gregory Cook; next him the large estate of 600 acres of Richard Park;............"
found on ancestry.com