Elder John Parker 
Elder John was born on September 6th, 1758 in Baltimore, MD, USA.1 Elder John's father was Nathaniel Parker and his mother was Ann Clayton. His paternal grandfather was John Parker and his paternal grandmother is Elizabeth Taliaferro. He had six half-brothers and two half-sisters, named Nathaniel, Richard, Thomas, Isaac, Aaron, Robert, Elizabeth and Nancy. He died at the age of 77 on May 19th, 1836 in Fort Parker, TX, USA.1 General Notes
Revolutionary War Veteran as a volunteer in Slaughter's Virginian Regime
nt under
Captain Fields.
John moved to Culpepper County, VA before 1777.
John then served again in Col. Alexander's Virginia Regiment under Captain
Collier in 1779.
After the war, the family moved to Georgia.
John became an elder in his church, thus the nickname.
John was a Baptist Church member.
The family then moved to Tennessee and had children, but moved on to a fo
rt in
Crawford County, IL.
Revolutionary War Veteran as a volunteer in Slaughter's Virginian Regime
nt under Captain Fields.
John was born September 5, 1758 in Baltimore, Maryland to Nathaniel Park
er and Ann Clayton. John moved to Culpepper County, Virginia before 177
7. John was a Revolutionary Soldier, Serial # S32435. He served in Colon
el Alexander's 2nd Virginia Regiment of the Continental line in Captain Bu
ller Claiborne's 8th Company in 1777 and 13th Regiment of the Continent
al Army of Virginia. While serving John was known as "High Johnny" becau
se of his high spirit and friendly manner with the other soldiers.
After the war, John and Sarah moved to Elbert County, Georgia. Here John w
as made an Elder in the Primitive Baptist Church and in 1803 received perm
ission from the governor of Georgia to leave Elbert County to visit the "N
atchez Indian Territory". Their family eventually established the Turnbu
ll Primitive Baptist Church in 1806 which remains the oldest continuous
ly meeting church in Dickson County Tennessee. Elder John Parker was a mis
sionary that moved from place to place establishing churches. He resid
ed in Bedford County, Tennessee until the stories of Fur Trappers loured h
im to Crawford County, Illinois in 1814. It was here on the 28th day of Ju
ly, 1821 that Sarah "Sally" White died. It was also here that John marri
ed Sally Duty on the 21st of March 1825.
The Parker family moved to Texas from Quincy, Illinois, taking the Bapti
st Church in Illinois with them. On Saturday evenings they would pitch the
ir tents and on Sunday all of the ordinances of the Church were observe
d. The caravan of the Parkers came up on the east side of the Navasota Riv
er until they struck the old San Antonio Road and made their way to the pr
esent Houston County, near the north line of the present town of Grapelan
d.
From this place the Parker clan scattered. Daniel took his children and we
nt a few miles north to what is now Elkhart, in Anderson County Silas, Jam
es, Benjamin and Elder John pushed on to the west. They first took their f
amilies to the last fort that was thought to be safe from Indian attack, F
ort Houston, which is about 2 mi. west of the present city of Palestine, A
nderson County, Texas. The fort was an important point of frontier defen
se from 1836-1839. It was abandoned in 1841, and later the site became t
he home of Judge John H. Reagan, called Fort Houston.
Elder John, Silas, Benjamin and James W. Parker moved on to the head of t
he Navasota River in present Limestone County, near the present Groesbec
k. Here they erected Parker's Fort, a kind of wooden barricade or wall aro
und their cabins, as a means of protection agains hostile Indians. Complet
ed in March of 1834, the stockade's walls were constructed of split ced
ar logs buried in the ground and extending up 12 feet with sharp points. I
nside the walls were two-story blockhouses, rows of log cabins for livi
ng quarters, and a livestock corral. The Parkers and other families mov
ed inside the compound and began farming outside the walls. Since there h
ad been no Indian troubles, they felt so secure they left the fort's gat
es open so workers could come and go with ease. But on May 19, 1836, whi
le the men worked in the fields and the children played inside the fort, m
ore than 100 Indians -- Comanche, Kiowa, Caddo and Wichita -- appear
ed at the gates with a white flag of peace. Benjamin Parker left the fo
rt to talk to the warriors,
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Ancestor Pedigree Chart
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*There are earlier generations for the ancestor(s) indicated. See their page(s) for details (click name)
- b.1590 in Brownsholme, Yorkshire, England d.1672 in Warleggan, Cornwall, England
- b.29 Nov 1630 in Warlegan, Liskeard, Cornwall, England d.16 Apr 1683 in Nansemond, VA, USA
- b.1600 in Shillingham, Cornwall, England d.23 Apr 1686 in Warleggan, Cornwall, England
- b.1652 in Sittenburne, Rappahannock, VA, USA d.1687 in Rappahannock, VA, USA
- b.1630 in London, England d.1665 in Parker Creek, New Kent, VA, USA
- b.1680 in Rappahannock, VA, USA d.1760 in Hampshire, VA, USA
- b.1658 d.1719 in Essex, VA, USA
- b.1730 in Hampshire Co, VA d.1803 in Sumner Co, TN
- b.06 Sep 1758 in Baltimore, MD, USA d.19 May 1836 in Fort Parker, TX, USA
- b.1726 in Gloucester, VA, USA d.1790 in Sumner, TN, USA
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Elder John and Sarah were married in a religious ceremony in November 1779 in Culpepper, VA, USA.1 They had five sons and three daughters, named Jesse, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Silas Mercer, Mary, Phoebe and Sarah.
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Children
Daniel Parker
Daniel was born on April 5th, 1781 in Culpepper, VA, USA.1 He died at the age of 63 on December 4th, 1844 in Elkhart, Anderson, TX, USA.1
Mary Parker
Mary was born on March 6th, 1785 in Culpeper, VA, USA.1 She died at the age of 61 on December 18th, 1846 in Jeffersontown, Shelby, KY, USA.1
John Parker
John was born in 1786 in Culpepper, VA, USA.1 He died at the age of 44 in March 1830 in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA.1
Benjamin Parker
Benjamin was born on May 13th, 1788 in Elbert, GA, USA.1 He died at the age of 48 on May 19th, 1836 in Fort Parker, TX, USA.1
Phoebe Parker
Phoebe was born in 1790 in Culpeper, VA, USA.1 She died at the age of 73 on July 23rd, 1863 in Pike, IL, USA.1
Silas Mercer Parker
Silas Mercer was born in 1804 in Bedford, TN, USA.1 He died at the age of 32 on May 19th, 1836 in Fort Parker, TX, USA.1
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