The Parker Family

Part 1

According to the history of Chatham Co., North Carolina, some of the earliest settlers came into the area in the early to mid-1700s. By 1760, the Haw River Valley was very well settled and the Colonial Assembly voted to create Chatham County on Jan. 26, 1771.

There were many Parkers in the Chatham area during this early history. It's not clear which Parkers were related or might be our ancestors. Peter Parker took out a land grant in 1746. His home was just south of the Granville Line. In 1774, Richard Parker, a former Justice of the court, was voted to the Assembly.

At the library at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Ralph Pruiett, Sr. found a collection of five letters written to Brigadier General Allen Jones of North Carolina. One letter was from a Josiah Parker, as follows:

July 10, 1781
From Colonel Josiah Parker (North Carolina Militia) at Crocers 10 miles from Smith Field in the Isle of Wight (Virginia)
To the honorable General Jones, North Carolina
Parker discussed the activities of the British Forces in Virginia and expressed the hope that Jones' Forces in North Carolina will be able to keep back the "Noblemen" on the Frontier.

Our earliest known Parker ancestor was another Josiah Parker who was born on Aug. 31, 1812 in Chatham Co., North Carolina. He lived about fifty-two years and had a family of seven or eight children.

On Dec. 7, 1838, Josiah Parker married Parthenia Hackney in Guilford Co., North Carolina. The following is from the Guilford County Courthouse, Dec. 7, 1838:

Josiah Parker to Parthenia Hackney
Record 04602336
Jabez Hunt, Bondsman
Bond # 000525B
Green Morgan J.P.

According to the 1850 Census, Josiah and Parthenia Parker had three children. Note that Josiah Parker's first name is "Joseph" in the census record.

By the 1860 census, the family had grown to six children and Josiah's name was correct.

Josiah and Leonidas probably served in a North Carolina regiment during the Civil War. It is presumed that both died during the war since neither appears in census records after the war.

By the time of the 1870 census, the family was much smaller. Parthenia's name had been shortened to Parthia. Her age and place of birth were inaccurate. She would have been 55 or 56 years old and, according to prior and subsequent census records, she was born in Virginia. Eliza had presumably married and moved out. Her 1923 death certificate indicated she was the widow of Albert Hubbard. Census records indicate Albert's full name was James A[lbert] Hubbard. Permandes (best guess of spelling based on 1860 census record) was now listed as Peandus. In later records his name was generally some variation of Permandus (as it was spelled on his gravestone); however, his descendants believe his name was Phenandis while his 1878 marriage license indicated his name was Philander. Finally, Barney's age seems off by a year or two. All of these inconsistencies are understandable given that Parthenia and her sons could not read or write.

In 1871 at the age of 12, Barnett J. (Barney) Parker ran away from home. It was said that he ran away because of his bossy sisters. The 1870 census suggests he had no sisters living at home, so this may or may not be true. He is said to have worked on the railroad with his first job as a cook for a section gang.

Not much is known about those years between 1871 and 1888. How long he worked for the railroad is unknown and when he turned to farming is unknown. According to this marriage license, Barney married Roxanne Hull on Oct. 26, 1879 and the story is told that they had a son named Gurney, but there is no record of this. Some family members say that the child died at birth. Roxanne Hull Parker died in 1888. The 1880 census records indicate that Barney Parker and Roxanne Hull were living in Guilford County. They also show Parthenia Parker living alone.

We do not know where Barney and Roxanne Parker lived when Roxanne died. However, at some point after the 1880 census and possibly after 1888, Barney Parker moved to Claiborne Co., Tenn. where he married his second wife Louisa Jane Wagoner on May 31, 1891. Louisa Jane Wagoner was the daughter of Richard Wagoner and Millicent Willis. She was born in March 1866 in either Kentucky (per 1880 and 1920 censuses) or Tennessee (per 1900 and 1910 censuses) and died in 1936. Here are the 1900 and 1920 census records for the Barney Parker family.

Barnett and Louisa Jane (Wagoner) Parker

Children of the marriage of Barney and Louisa Jane Parker were:

• James Roscoe
  m1. Cora Ellison, b. 1896, d. 1932
  m2. Cordelia (Axie) Cox Baldwin, b. 1902, d. 1988
• Bryan, m. Teresa Webb.
• Milton Kasper Parker
  m1. Margaret Jane Seal in 1919, b. 1901, d. 1925
  m2. Agnes Louise Rutherford in 1926, b. 1907, d. 1975
• Roxanne (Roxie), m. Silas Treece.
• Cora Louella
• Carralee (Carrie)
  m1. Otis Miracle from 1927 to 1933
  m2. Turley Lay in 1935
• Stella Dean, m. William Arby Russell, Sr. in 1936
• Ditmus Thomas, m. Laura Presnell in 1924

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