Nathaniel Parker, father of the Elder John Parker on WikiTree

[Joe Crouch]

I've been editing the WikiTree profile for Nathaniel Parker ( https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Parker-21041 ), the stated father of the Elder John Parker (1758-1836) of Parker yDNA FG# 5..  He has often been confused with the Nathaniel Parker (1724-1811) who died at Greenfield, Sumner Co., TN. and buried near Old Fort Morgan, Sumner Co., TN. of Parker yDNA FG #18.

 

On the WikiTree profile for the Elder John Parker's father I've uploaded a 1751 Great Wagon Road to Philadelphia map to aid in discussion.  .Dr. Dennis Wests  University of Tennessee's yDNA website ( http://web.utk.edu/~corn/parkerdna/park5.htm#FG5 ) shows the earliest yDNA ancestors for this line settled in Middlesex Co., N.J. and in Worcester Co., MD.  Middlesex Co., N.J. is just east of Philadelphia, PA, the west on the Great Wagon Road takes you to Baltimore Co., MD. where the Elder John Parker's 1833 Coles Co. IL. revolutionary war pension application states he was born in 1758.  By 1777 the Elder John Parker was in Culpeper Co., VA. when he 1st entered militia service for the American Revolution.  Sometime about 1785 the Elder John Parker migrated to Georgia where he remained until 1804 when he migrated to Turnbull Creek, Dickson Co. TN. where he remained until he migrated to Coles Co., IL where he filed for his Revolutionary War pension in 1833.

 

The Elder John Parker's son Daniel Parker (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Parker_(Baptist) ) migrated from Dickson County, TN to Sumner Co., TN. in 1807 and remained there until 1817 preaching at Bledsoes Creek, Castalian Springs, (now New Hopwell), Sumner County, TN. Baptist church, near to where the Nathaniel Parker of Parker yDNA FG#18 who died in 1811 lived.  ( See 1902 History of Middle Tennessee Baptists:    https://archive.org/stream/historyofmiddlet00grim/historyofmiddlet00grim_djvu.txt ) and search for Daniel Parker.  Other than as a parishioner to preacher calling each other 'Brother', yDNA has proved they were not biologically related.  I suspect this is where the merging of these two Parker lines occurred, which has led me to question whether 1934 booklet The Daughhette of Estill County, KY (  https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE89502 ;) statement on page 16 where it says "John Daughhetee's 2nd wife was Susan Parker. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Parker,...."  Was this statement based upon the the 1902 History of Middle Tennessee Baptists and the proximity of the Elder John Parker's son Daniel Parker to the Nathaniel Parker of yDNA FG#18.   Other than the Daughettee genealogy, I've found no hard documentation that the Elder John Parker's father was actually named Nathaniel Parker, and links to Hampshire Co. VA. are most likely a Red Herring based upon the 1902 History of Middle Tennessee Baptists and the 1934 Daughette's of Estill Co. KY. books.

 

Questions also arise with Ann Clayton born in Gloucester Co. VA. as the mother of the Elder John Parker.   There is a 1919 Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, Vol. 53, R.R. Bowker Company, page 575 query ( https://books.google.com/books?id=PDQ-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA574&lpg=PA574&dq=%22Ann+Clayton%22+%22Nathaniel+Parker%22&source=bl&ots=7TMIbNJ7kD&sig=BJ76yiM4Xa3rKRGrMN6l-WBniJw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAzgKahUKEwiIqaTb043IAhVLaT4KHe27BX0#v=onepage&q=%22Ann%20Clayton%22%20%22Nathaniel%20Parker%22&f=false ) for a John Parker as the son of Nathaniel Parker and his wife, Ann Clayton, but it does not say he is the Elder John Parker. This query says she's supposed to be a daughter of John Clayton and Elizabeth Whiting of Gloucester Co., VA. John Clayton was born in England, 1685, and died in Gloucester Co., Va. 1773. He was an eminent botanist and had a botanical garden on his estate, which he called "Windsor". He married Elizabeth Whiting, 1723, and had several sons and daughters..

Generally daughters married in the county that their parents lived in, so if that holds, then their daughter Ann Clayton married in Gloucester Co. , VA. Gloucester Co. , VA is roughly 170 miles away from Baltimore Co. MD. where the Elder John Parker per his 1833 Coles County, IL. Revolutionary War pension application was born. Given the dearth of roads in early colonial america this seems suspicious.  This raises the question of whether two different Ann Claytons have been merged over time. One in Baltimore County, MD. and the other in Gloucester Co., VA..or even if it was an entirely different Nathaniel Parker who married a Ann Clayton in Gloucester Co. VA.

 

The Elder John Parker's statements in his 1833 Revolutionary War pension application seem to be the only factual document for his origins. Has anyone of Parker yDNA FamilyGroup #5 really researched the records in Baltimore Co. Maryland  and /or researched the Parkers in Middlesex County, N.J.? 

[Wayne N. Parker]

Joe, I want to thank you for all your hard work you have put into your research on the different Nathaniel Parker. I also want to thank you for keeping me updated on your project.

Today you send send me a letter from DAR on your research that you sent to them back in Dec. 2015. They have accepted your corrected information. We (the Parker researchers) owe you a BIG THANK YOU!!!!!

Wayne

[James David Parker]

Joe, I have nothing for proof concerning "Nathaniel". I found NJ history full of unnamed PG5 orphans, mostly due to war. And wars destroyed many colonial records. To my knowledge, PG5 first arrived in Boston September of 1634. Within weeks had removed to Scituate,MA and by 1639 most were well established in Barnstable,MA. The Elisha Parker branch relocated to Richmond County-Staten Island,NY prior to 1685 when Elisha sold potions (Thomas returned) and relocated just across the river to the area later named Woodbridge,NJ. -settled by "men from Kent", England who had first settled Newbury,MA. The FitzRandolph, Vail, Laing, Shotwell and PG5 families all have similar migrations and are found intermarried, attending church, listed in wills...etc. Terry Barton of World Family research proposed a theory of multiple PG5 immigrations including to Baltimore County.

My PG5 James b.1752 UNK m.1780 (Rebecca?) Anna Doty b.1765 Basking Ridge,NJ. Her ancestor Edward Doten arrived on Mayflower. Whereas my PG5 line migrated to Kentucky County, VA after the Revolution; ElderJohn's eldest was b.Culpepper,VA. ElderJohn was one of several PG5 to then remove to GA (PG5 John m.Gordy and Jacob m.Teackle/Smith). Not sure on the VA to GA to TN timeline but in 1817 he reunited with my James at Ft.Allison (CrawfordCo,IL) on the Wabash. My James was in Boston,KY by 1781, then Butler Co,OH by 1808, then Ft.Allison in 1816. The Crawford County lines have changed so references to Coles or Clark may sound like they never moved until they went to Texas. But both ElderJohn and James relocated 60m NW to Clark County which split in 1830(?) creating Coles County. PG5 and Doty were 1st settlers of Coles/Clark. To this day, PG5 flourish throughout SE IL. The ill-fated 1833 Texas wagon train began in Coles -where Cynthia Ann was born 1827. My James died at the home of my 3ggf George Parker, one block west of my father's home in Westfield,IL near Coles/Clark line. Family states Elder John's son Nathaniel who stayed behind or returned to Charleston,IL - "I know my own" when questioned about my ancestors being related. In 2013 my yDNA confirmed the relation.

[James David Parker]

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2189/31906_284018-00046/284423...

[James David Parker]

Joe, I have found a PG5 Nathaniel in Middlesex County, NJ.
Union -Rahway/Plainfield Quaker monthly meeting:
(4)Nathaniel Parker b.1735 Plainfield,NJ (Siblings: John b.1736, George b.1739, Infant twins b/d 1741)
(3)George Parker b.1695 Woodbridge,NJ - Elizabeth (Shotwell) Laing b.1707
(2)Thomas Parker b.1658 Scituate,MA m.1678 Mary (Fletcher) Mott b.1658?
(1)Elisha Parker b.1630 Sibertwald,Eng. d.1717 m.Elizabeth Hinckley

Elder John Parker's family relocated to Culpepper County, but I can't find names within that legend either. Culpepper is about halfway between Hampshire and Gloucester Counties.

[Joe Crouch]

Per the Plainfield, N.J. Quaker notes, Nathaniel Parker, the son of the George Parker who married Elizabeth Laing was born the 4 Dec 1735. Daniel Parker, the brother of the Elder John Parker, was born 15 Mar 1750. Assuming Daniel Parker was conceived on said Nathaniel Parker's wedding night, then he married at age 13.5 years old. Not impossible, but unlikely.

[James David Parker]

Agreed. Just a thought: was the birth reference double dated? 15 March 1749/50? Found online> 'To avoid misinterpretation, both the "Old Style" and "New Style" year was often used in English and colonial records for dates falling between the new New Year (January 1) and old New Year (March 25), a system known as "double dating." Such dates are usually identified by a slash mark [/] breaking the "Old Style" and "New Style" year, for example, March 19, 1631/2. Occasionally, writers would express the double date with a hyphen, for example, March 19, 1631-32. In general, double dating was more common in civil than church and ecclesiastical records.' -Connecticut State Library.

[Joe Crouch]

And in doing an Ancestry search for Daniel Parker dying in 1818 Dickson Co. TN. one of the first results is a tree by Beverly Lange which has Daniel Parker's birth as March 15, 1756 in lieu of 1750. (See: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/64356907/person/44... ). Adding six years to his age at marriage makes him 19.5 years old, something more reasonable. The rest of her tree matches what you'd originally outlined.

However clicking on the Search button in the upper right hand corner of Beverly Lange's profile, one of the resulting documents is the 'Parker Family Cemetery, Deed and Claim Info.' (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/50708745/person/268967... ) wherein it states an Upson Co, GA Daniel Parker died in 1844 age 88 (born 1756) so the 1756 may be a different Daniel Parker. Seems there's confusion over multiple Daniel Parker's as 'The History of the Old Spencer Mill' in Dickson Co. TN. ( http://www.oldspencermill.com/history.html ) states Daniel Parker, the brother of the Elder John Parker was the first minister at the Turnbull Primitive Baptist Church, Dickson Co. TN.and that Daniel died in 1818 Dickson Co. TN.

[James David Parker]

I'm familiar with those possibilities. Few mid1700s PG5 branches are replete without a Benjamin, Daniel, David, Elisha, George, James, John, Joseph, Nathaniel or Samuel. The same can be said about other known PGs located near PG5 in same time period. Numerous online sources state competing "facts" that I'm incapable of deciphering into 100% verifiable/usable data. Many discrepancies have been identified using gene testing. But I've found identical persons claimed by multiple PGs. I thank you for reminding me that despite wanting to fill-in my blanks, there's just no getting around the fact any deviation can result in wasting time on the wrong "James" Parker line.
I forgot to add earlier that there was in fact at least one PG5 "raised" in Hampshire/Frederick County VA. Joshua York b.22Jan1756 was raised by Jeremiah York alongside numerous nonPG5 siblings @Forks of Cacapon. I suspect the Job Parker living nearby was also PG5 but there's no proof. There were PG5 serving with General Braddick as he marched on the French @Pittsburg-Ft Duquesene. Troops camped at the Forks for several days in the spring of '55.

[Joe Crouch]

As an FYI, my excursion into the yDNA PG5 line by editing WikiTree pages for the stated father Nathaniel Parker who may have married Ann Clayton is to present what few facts that are out there using information from the Elder John Parker's 1833 Coles Co., IL revolutionary war pension application, biographical information from Daniel Parker(s) (brother to Elder john, and the Elder John Parker's son Daniel), and Susan (Parker) Daughhetee whose descendants stated that her father was a Nathaniel Parker all in an effort to get PG5 researchers to get past the proved wrong link to the 1730-1803 Nathaniel Parker and look in Culpeper Co. VA. and Baltimore County, MD for their PG5 ancestry. Since Middlesex Co. N.J. is due east of Baltimore Co. MD. accessed via the Great Wagon road to Philadelphia, logic states that this PG 5 branch originated there since there are PG5 Parkers there that predate 1750. Some past researcher jumped to the conclusion that this Nathaniel Parker was the same Nathaniel Parker found in early Sumner Co. TN. of PG18 and it’s been a quagmire ever since.
My Parker line is PG18. I have in my possession the 1828 family bible of Pamelia A. (Parker) Duffy, daughter of Thomas Parker 1768-1846 who married Susan Rogers born Hampshire Co. VA., g-daughter of the Nathaniel Parker referred to in Jay Guy Cisco’s 1909 book Historic Sumner Co. TN as having been born abt. 1730 Hampshire Co. VA. and died in 1803 Sumner Co. TN. A circa 1860 family bible by a second daughter of Thomas Parker 1768-1846 states that Nathaniel Parker was born in 1724 Virginia and died in 1811 Sumner Co. TN.. His death is confirmed by his 25 Feb 1811 will which was produced in the Mar 1812 Sumner Co. TN. court. There’s also a circa 1885 bible belonging to a descendant of the Richard Parker who married Nancy Rogers. Per that family bible this Richard Parker was born 20 Sept 1770 and died 9 Feb 1838 Sumner Co. TN. And a 1904 letter found on page 482 of Parker in America states John, son of Nathaniel Parker lived in Shelbyville, KY. John, Thomas & Richard were the three eldest sons of the Sumner Co. TN. Nathaniel Parker who married Rogers sisters.
See
- Origin of Parker Family text in Historic Sumner Co. Tn.: http://sites.rootsweb.com/~theduffypapers/parker/origins_of_histori... )
- There were 2 Nathaniel Parkers in Hampshire Co. VA, but only 1 migrated to Sumner Co. TN.: http://sites.rootsweb.com/~theduffypapers/parker/nathaniel_parker_o...

[Joe Crouch]

James,
What's the date of the Quaker meeting? Is there an online link to the document?

No one to my knowledge to date has produced evidence that the Ann Clayton of Gloucester Co., VA married the father of Daniel Parker the Elder John Parker.

And other than the confusion of the Nathaniel Parker who died in 1811 Sumner Co. TN. of Parker yDNA FG #18 being the father of Daniel Parker and the Elder John Parker of Parker yDNA FG#5. No one has produced evidence that anyone from Parker yDNA FG#5 was ever in Hampshire Co. VA. So is the Nathaniel Parker, SR. in the 1782 to 1789 Hampshire Co. VA really belong to Parker yDNDA FG#5?