William Parker (early settler)
Encyclopedia
William Parker was an early Puritan
settler in the Connecticut Colony
and one of the founders of Hartford
. He arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
in the summer of 1635 after sailing from London
on May 21, 1635 aboard the ship Mathew. He settled in Newtowne, the community that is now Cambridge
, and became one of the members of Thomas Hooker
's congregation. He was one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut
.
He married Margaret Prichard in 1636, one of five women on board the Mathew.
His home lot in Hartford in 1639 was on the west side of the “road from Seth Grant’s to Centinel Hill” which is now Trumbull Street.
The location of his lot is evidence that he was with Thomas Hooker
’s party in 1636. He is also listed as an inhabitant who had a right to undivided lands. He was one of the Hartford settlers who served in the Pequot War
and attained the rank of sergeant.
He received 36 acres of land in the division of upland in East Hartford in 1666 that he sold to William Pitkin and William Goodwin. He sold his share of land received in 1674 on the west side of Hartford to Thomas and Samuel Olcott. William Parker’s six acres were sold in 1684 to Joseph Collier.
William Parker fathered ten children by his first wife. Prior to 1682 he married a second wife, Elizabeth Pratt, the widow of Lieutenant William Pratt. His daughter, Margaret, born about 1650, married Joseph Pratt in 1671, who was the son of Lieutenant William Pratt and Elizabeth (Clark) Pratt.
William Parker moved from Hartford to Saybrook in 1649. He was a large landholder and also had land in Hebron
that he had acquired from Joshua, the third son of Uncas
.
Edward Johnson in his work published in 1654 wrote of him: “Mr. William Parker, a man of pregnant understanding, and very usefull in his place.”
William Parker was Deputy to the General Court at the special session of 1652, at the May sessions in 1679 and 1681, and at the October sessions of 1678, 1679, 1680, and 1681.
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
settler in the Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
and one of the founders of Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. He arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
in the summer of 1635 after sailing from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on May 21, 1635 aboard the ship Mathew. He settled in Newtowne, the community that is now Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, and became one of the members of Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker was a prominent Puritan colonial leader, who founded the Colony of Connecticut after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts...
's congregation. He was one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut
Founders of Hartford, Connecticut
Here are the 163 men and women listed in the Book of Distribution of Land as being those who settled in Hartford, Connecticut before February 1640. Their names are on a monument in Hartford's Ancient Burying Ground....
.
He married Margaret Prichard in 1636, one of five women on board the Mathew.
His home lot in Hartford in 1639 was on the west side of the “road from Seth Grant’s to Centinel Hill” which is now Trumbull Street.
The location of his lot is evidence that he was with Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker was a prominent Puritan colonial leader, who founded the Colony of Connecticut after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts...
’s party in 1636. He is also listed as an inhabitant who had a right to undivided lands. He was one of the Hartford settlers who served in the Pequot War
Pequot War
The Pequot War was an armed conflict between 1634–1638 between the Pequot tribe against an alliance of the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies who were aided by their Native American allies . Hundreds were killed; hundreds more were captured and sold into slavery to the West Indies. ...
and attained the rank of sergeant.
He received 36 acres of land in the division of upland in East Hartford in 1666 that he sold to William Pitkin and William Goodwin. He sold his share of land received in 1674 on the west side of Hartford to Thomas and Samuel Olcott. William Parker’s six acres were sold in 1684 to Joseph Collier.
William Parker fathered ten children by his first wife. Prior to 1682 he married a second wife, Elizabeth Pratt, the widow of Lieutenant William Pratt. His daughter, Margaret, born about 1650, married Joseph Pratt in 1671, who was the son of Lieutenant William Pratt and Elizabeth (Clark) Pratt.
William Parker moved from Hartford to Saybrook in 1649. He was a large landholder and also had land in Hebron
Hebron, Connecticut
Hebron is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,610 at the 2000 census. Hebron was incorporated May 26, 1708....
that he had acquired from Joshua, the third son of Uncas
Uncas
Uncas was a sachem of the Mohegan who through his alliance with the English colonists in New England against other Indian tribes made the Mohegan the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut.-Early life and family:...
.
Edward Johnson in his work published in 1654 wrote of him: “Mr. William Parker, a man of pregnant understanding, and very usefull in his place.”
William Parker was Deputy to the General Court at the special session of 1652, at the May sessions in 1679 and 1681, and at the October sessions of 1678, 1679, 1680, and 1681.
External links
- Biographical sketch, Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford website