Josiah Parker, Sr. (I)

Josiah Parker

• Birth Nov 1655 Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay
• Marriage May 8 1678 Chelmsford, Massachusetts Bay Colony
• Death July 26 1731 Groton, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay
• Parents: Captain James Parker, Sr. & Elizabeth Long
• Wife: Elizabeth Saxton

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Parker-3810

Josiah Parker was christened 1 Feb 1657 in Chelmsford.[1]

Josiah, s. James, bp. 1: 12m: 1656, a. 4 y. 4 m. PR1

If he was 4 years and 4 months old on 1 Feb 1657, then he was born 1 Oct 1652. W.H.M.A. in the Boston Transcript article says that Josiah along with James and Samuel were probably born in Billerica.

His daughter, Sarah, was born on May 1 1683. [2]

The following is from the article in the Boston Transcript by W. H. M. A.[3]

JOSIAH(2) [James(1)] res. in Groton until 1687 or later; was an inn-holder in Woburn in 1693-95, rem, to Cambridge in 1696 and afterward res. there. He was a cap. in active service, selectman, and otherwise prominent. After the d. of his f., he easily took the place as the leading member of the family, and was abundantly trusted for his honesty, prudence and good judgment. As executor of his f.‘s will, he had the task—and it was one of delicacy—of dividing the testator ‘s residual property among his numerous gr.chn. He m., May 8, 1678, Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas Saxon or Sexton of Boston, who survived him. His will was dated July 6, 1731, and proved Aug. 5, following.

Chn.:

1. Sarah, b. May 1, 1683; m. (1) Stephen Cooledge, (2) Nicholas Fessenden.
2. Simon, b. Aug. 27, 1687; probably d. young. (Butler's Groton calls this child a s. of Joseph(2)[Joseph(1)]. I place him here as found in printed records of Groton.)
3. Susanna, birth not found.
4. Josiah, birth not found; d. at sea, before May 12, 1729, when his bro. Thomas administered on his estate and that of their bro. John, jointly.
5. William, probably d. young.
6. Ann, m. William Warland.
7. Mary, bap. Dec. 11, 1698; m. Thomas Dana.
8. Thomas, bap. Dec. 15, 1700.

Oddly enough, WHMA does not list his son Joshua with the births of his siblings, but then does call him out later in the article. Joshua was baptised on the same date as William and Ann.

Research Notes

His birth date is derived from the above baptismal entry. This is problematic because it puts him within 6 months of his brother James, who birthdate is also derived from a baptismal record.

His father famously had a daughter with his second wife at an advanced age. This will generate a warning when you attempt to save changes to this profile.

Sources

1. "Vital Records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts," The Essex Institute, 1914
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=BEEOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA203&dq=Stephen+...
3. Mass Vital Records - Groton
4. History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630 - 1877: With a Genealogical Register by Lucius Robinson Paige, Page 622
5. https://books.google.com/books?id=ezsVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA652&dq=Josiah+P...
6. WHMA in The Boston Transcript https://jenningsweb.us/ParkerInAmerica.html Additional Sources:
7. Family Search https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/MNPD-YLT
8. "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZ27-TP8 : 15 January 2020), Josiah Parker, 1656.
9. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH8R-QMC : 10 November 2020), Josiah Parker, 8 May 1678; citing Marriage, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004277139.
10. Will - https://search.ancestry.com/collections/9069/records/1574523