Eleazer Parker (abt.1741-abt.1834) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Eleazer Parker

Born about 1741 [location unknown]

Ancestors

Son of Phinehas Parker and Mary (Kemp) Parker

Brother of Jonathan Parker, Thomas Parker, Phinehas Parker, Zachariah Broadstreet Parker and Mary Parker

Husband of Dinah Farnsworth — married 3 Feb 1763 in Hollis, Hillsborough, New Hampshire

Descendants

Father of Eleazer Parker, Rebecca (Parker) Huse, Sarah (Parker) McLane, Phinehas Parker and Zacheus Parker

Died about 1834 at about age 93 in Bloomfield, Somerset, Maine, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jack Parker

[send private message]

Profile last modified 29 Apr 2024 | Created 10 Oct 2018

This page has been accessed 144 times.

1 Biography
2 Testimonial
3 Burial
4 Sources

Biography

The date entered in Pepperell^[1] is his baptismal date (17 May 1747), he must have been born before then.

Ezra Stearns in "Parker in America"^[2] puts his birth in 1741.

Gar Watson has done quite a bit of research on Eleazer:

On 19 Jan 1772 in Groton, MA, five of Eleazer and Dinah Parker's children were baptized: Rebecca, Dinah, Eleazer, Molley, and Sarah. No ages were given in the record.^[3]

Dinah, d. Eleazer and Dinah, bp. Jan. 19, 1772. CR1

Eleazer, s. Eleazer and Dinah, bp. Jan. 19, 1772. CR1

Molley, d. Eleazer and Dinah, bp. Jan. 19, 1772. CR2.

Rebecca, d. Eleazer and Dinah, bp. Jan. 19, 1772. CR1

Sarah, d. Eleazer and Dinah, bp. Jan. 19, 1772. CR1

Nabby, d. Eleazer, bp. Sept. 26, 1779. (Harvard)^[4]

In 1790, Eleazer was listed as a head of household in Harvard, MA with 2 males 16 or over, 3 males under 16, and 2 females. (The daughters must have married off by this time? Why isn't Phineas included in the ones baptized? He is apparently alive in 1775, that would put him close to or in the "over 16" category. Family Search^[5] lists a Zacheus Parker, b 1776, which would put him in the under 16 category - we're misssing two children.)

By 1810, Eleazer (male 45 or over) was listed in Canaan, Somerset, ME with a female 45 or over in the household (Dinah). In 1814, part of Canaan became the town of Bloomfield, where Eleazer and Dinah were found for the 1820 census. Bloomfield was eventually annexed by Skowhegan in 1861.

Eleazer's pension file names his wife Dinah and gives their ages, but doesn't name any children. Of the five children baptized in Groton in 1772, Molley was not listed on the 1775 warrant, and was possibly deceased. Phineas was not included in those baptized on the same day in Groton, but his name was on said warrant. One granddaughter, three great granddaughters and two great great granddaughters of Zacheus Parker (c1776 - 25 May 1867) and Sally Jackson, who were married on 25 Sep 1798 at Vassalboro, Kennebec, ME claimed Zacheus was a son of Eleazer and Dinah to gain membership in the DAR. All descended from Zacheus and Sally's son Charles Jackson Parker (1805-1876).

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register ^[6] Eleazer Parker married at Hollis, N. H., 3 Feb. 1763, Dinah Farnsworth. It is a firm tradition among their descendants that after marriage they lived a few years at Groton, and it is on record that in 1774 and early in 1775 they were residing at Plymouth, N. H. He was one of fifty-three residents of Plymouth who petitioned In 1774 for the privilege of sending a representative to the provincial legislature, and in Mar. 1775 his name appears in a division of the town Into school districts. On the removal of his wife and children from Plymouth he did not accompany them. It is probable that he had joined the army. His family next appear at Douglas, Mass., and according to a custom of the time they were duly warned. The warrant was issued 28 Aug. 1775, citing that "Dinah Parker, wife of Eleazer Parker, with children Sarah, Rebecca, Dinah, Eleazer, and Phineas, came from Plymouth, N. H, to Douglas in May or June 1775."

In 1777 Eleazer Parker and his family were living at Harvard, and there he enlisted in the Continental Army for the term of three years, serving in Capt. Joshua Brown's company of Col. Timothy Bigelow's regiment from 14 Apr. 1777 to 14 Apr. 1780. About 1800 he removed from Harvard to Bloomfleld, Me., where he was living as late as 1834. In his application for a pension, in 1818, he says that he is 77 years of age, that he served three years in Capt. Joshua Brown's company of Col. Timothy Bigelow's regiment, and that he was then a resident of Harvard. In a supplementary statement, in 1820, he names his wife Dinah, and states that she is 78 years of age. While in the service, his name on one company roll is written " Ebenezer Parker." His application for a pension is signed "Eleazer." The pension was granted to "Ebenezer," but paid during his life to " Eleazer." No reason for the use of the name Ebenezer is found. In "Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolution" Vol 11, p 849 He is referred to as Eleazer (alias Ebenezer)^[7]

He is also mentioned on Page 590 of "Parker in America"^[8] That provides little new information other that a discussion of his wife Dinah who did not die young as has been reported in other sources (notably Family Search).

Rebecca Parker, a daughter of Eleazer and Dinah (Farnsworth) Parker, the date of whose birth is unknown, was married in Dec. 1795 to John Denison Huse. He died in Harvard 6 Aug. 1840. They had five children. The writer has had in his temporary possession a file of letters, dated from 1830 to 1834, written at Bloomfleld, Me., signed Eleazer and Dinah Parker, and addressed to "our children John D. and Rebecca Huse of Harvard."

He is mentioned in "History of the old towns, Norridgewock and Canaan, comprising Norridgewock, Canaan, Starks, Skowhegan, and Bloomfield, from their early settlement to ... including a sketch of the Abenakis Indians": "Eleazer Parker, B. ; was in the French War, and Revolution; died aged about 100 years."^[9] The "B" is to tie him to Bloomfield. Other men in the list have similar letters to tie them to neighbouring towns.

Testimonial

Served in in Capt. Joshua Brown's company of Col. Timothy Bigelow's regiment in Massachusetts.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts I Eleazer Parker, aged seventy seven years, a citizen of the United States, born in Groton in the state of Massachusetts, now resident of Bloomfield in the District of Maine, upon oath testify and declare, that in April 1777, I enlisted as a private soldier, into the army of the revolution, against the common enemy, upon the continental establishment, for the period of three years, in Capt Joshua Brown’s company and Col Timothy Bigelow’s regiment of the Massachusetts line. This period I fully .... out and took my final and honorable discharge from the Army, at Highlands, near West Point, April 8 1780. My discharge is lost and is not now in existence to my knowledge. The above facts, together with the depositions hereunto annexed, are all the witness in my power to furnish at this time. From my reduced circumstances in life I am in real .... from my country in support. And I hereby relinquish all my claim to any pension heretofore allowed me by the laws of the United States, if any; but am not to my knowledge ... on any pensions list whatever. I request that I may be placed upon the pension list for the District of Maine. I further testify and declare upon oath that I was at the Battle of Stillwater and wintered one winter at Valley Forge; and was in the Battle of Monmouth the .... following Eleazer Parker his mark

On 26 May 1820 before Nathan Westroup,Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas, for the Counties of Lincoln, Kennebec, and Somerset, Eleazer Parker, age eighty also wrote he was also at the taking of Burgoyne, the battle of Rhoad Island, and the battle of White Plains

Burial

Eleazer is buried with his wife at Southside Cemetery in Skowhegan (see Find-a-Grave reference). His military headstone is about 75 yards in from the East side of the cemetery on road "C", on the right. His is the last headstone in the group before a large gap in headstones. There is no marker for Dinah.