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The Parke Society Newsletter Issue 2003 - Vol. 40 No. 1 |
This family has previously been discussed in the Newsletter. In 1996 Vol. 33 No. 3 pp.38-42, David L. Parke #13 provided an overview in "Sorting Out Park/e/s in Pennsylvania," with comments by Ms. Keefer and Clarence Carson Parks #745, also descended in this line. John was identified as "John Parks (PA c. 1758." with the thoughts that he might indeed be the immigrant ancestor of the line A family chart and map are included. At 1997 Vol. 34 No. 1 p.11, "Follow-up—Farmer's Delight," Jim Hazlett #383 offered some information about the home of John and Isabelle. For background information on Pennsylvania history focusing on William Penn, see 1980 Vol. 17 No. 2 pp. 17, 27, 30, "Pennsylvania Heritage Important to the Park/e/s," by David L. Parke #13.
John Parks, the elusive progenitor of my line, may have been born about 1733, according to the Daughters of the American Revolution Patriot Index. This same source reports that he married Isabelle Galbraith on February 8, 1759, in Pennsylvania, served as a member of the Pennsylvania Continental Line, and probably died in 1788. In the Pennsylvania Archives, 5th Series, Volume 6, at pages 94 and 116, it is reported that a John Parks served in Cumberland County under Ensign John Young; no date is provided. At page 407 in the same source, we find a reference to a John Parks serving with the Path Valley men in 1781. It is not clear whether these references all pertain to one John Parks, or two, or three.
As with real estate, so also with genealogy: Location is everything. The early counties first organized during colonial days were often huge, and over time...(page 1)
The firm through which Lee has arranged for testing is Family Tree DNA, 1919 North Loop West, Suite 110, Houston, TX 77008, tel. 713-868-1438. This is not meant to be an advertisement for or endorsement of this firm. Rather, the purpose is to make available to all readers who may want to test for a connection with Roger Parke (NJ 1682), the opportunity to participate in this testing project which Lee has initiated. Family Tree DNA offers a discounted rate ($100.00 per person) to Park/e/s. A release form must be signed to share your test results with other test subjects. The "Park Surname Group join code" is: http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=R26624 More information may be sought at: Info@familytreedna.com When my mother Eva Lenore Parke Christensen handed me the record of the Parke branches from her family tree, it showed only her father John Parke (b. UT, 1854) and grandfather Charles Parke (b. IN, 1828). The record showed no one earlier than Charles, but in conversations with my mother and other Parke family members, I learned of an oral tradition that our Parke line was descended from Daniel Parke of early colonial Virginia. [Ed. note: This distinguished family has been the subject of several Newsletter articles, e.g., 1979 vol. 16 no. 3 p. 33; 1980 vol. 17 no. 1p. 5; 1983 vol. 20 no. 2 p. 24; and 1991 vol. 28 no. 1 pp. 1, 8, 10. It was founded by William Parke (VA 1631), whose son Daniel Parke (I) (1628-1679) of Williamsburg, Va., served as Secretary of the Colony of Virginia. The latter's son Daniel (II) was governor of the Leeward Islands, and this younger Daniel's grandson Daniel Parke Custis was the first husband of Martha Dandridge, who later married George Washington.]
My mother's family history documentation started with the Bible of John and his wife Mary Jane Lewis Parke, showing my mother and her brothers and sisters, all eleven of them. Beginning with this Bible and the old family stories, I started researching and documenting John's and Charles' family history.
...
The only evidence I found that Charles and Elizabeth had a relationship was
the baptismal certificate of Arinda Perkins, born in 1852, whose mother was
Elizabeth, and whose father is shown as Charles.
... I concluded from her statement that I was not the first to question the lack of documentation connecting Charles with John.
I lived with this question unresolved into the mid-1990's, when I decided to try DNA testing. ...
... As I remind myself, when I took biology back in 1934, babies were still being delivered by storks from Babyland. It was not until I read John Seabrook's article "The Tree and Me" in the New Yorker (26 March 2001), that I understood the potential of Y-chromosome testing. The article also gave me the name of a company I could work with for the testing.
Human reproductive cells have 23 chromosomes. The sperm cell can have either a Y- chromosome or an X-chromosome, determining male or female gender, respectively. The female egg contains only an X-, never a Y-chromosome. The Y-chromosome is unique to males and is passed basically unchanged from father to son generation after generation. The male line of descent can be established and followed back through the centuries by comparing markers on the Y-chromosome. Unfortunately, while this method identifies the male line with precision, it does not enable us to pin down a specific male ancestor. ...(page 1)
This is an officer's position, and the incumbent's annual membership dues are
waived. The President can appoint someone to fill the unfinished term, which runs
to the annual Convocation, to be held this year at Fort Wayne, IN, in September.
On that occasion, the Board of Trustees will elect the appointee to a full
one-year term. No term limitation applies to this position. All ordinary and
necessary expenses incurred by the Registrar on behalf of The Society are
reimburse by The Society, upon submission of the proper form.
...(page 4)
...
The journey from Aspirant to the day of ordination is neither short nor easy,
usually amounting to a period of at least four to six years of preparation. In the
case of the Rev'd Mr. Parks, it has been exceptionally long, having started in the
mid 60's in the Diocese of Albany, ...(page 5)
Newsletter Indexing: Thank you Joe Parks PS#349 who has volunteered to take on the job of color-coding the Newsletter for indexing.
Email: If you use email to reach me, please write "Parke Society" in the subject heading to avoid having your letter deleted by mistake. We are being overwhelmed by spam—therefore any address we do not recognize is deleted.
FOR SALE: Thomas Parks Pamphlet ...(page 6)
This private non-profit organization provides a well-balanced overview of our country in the years before the Civil War as well as during the conflict. Their handout materials state that their purpose is to present an unbiased portrayal of this period of our country's history from 1850-1876. I certainly believe they have accomplished their purpose.
The exhibit begins with an ...(page 7)
SAMUEL CLARK BENJAMIN
I became keenly interested in the American Revolution when I discovered (while doing research in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City) that I have two ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War. One of them, Samuel Clark Benjamin, was a descendant of Robert Parke (MA 1630). Sam served as a private in Samuel Hinman's Company of Sylvanus Seely's regiment, of the Morris County, NJ militia. Sam saw action at least three times, ... (page 8)
PDF has become increasingly important in many businesses that have computer-created documents and forms. With PDF a document can be saved as a file that preserves the original look, yet can be exchanged and opened using only a free viewer on any computer. A PDF document can also include areas (fields) where information can be typed...
Many of us are somewhat behind in updating and submitting our new or revised FGS. It
involves transcribing information from our research files or our genealogy database,
by hand or by typewriter, onto a "Form T-1 (1966)" as required for the Parke Society
lineage binders. If you are accustom to using a computer we have good news for you:
If your genealogy information is also on your computer, a few minutes of electronic
cut-and-paste and your e-FGS is ready to send to our Historian! Consider too how much
easier it will be for him to process your FGS information when it is accurate and easy
to read.
...(page 9)
To get back into the subject of computers and genealogical computer programs, I want to address some of the software options that are currently out in the market place. If membership applications (for The Society) are any indication, I would dare say that most people today are making use of computers in their search for their ancestors, not only in digging up information, but in storing, recording, and presenting it to others. Indeed it is rare to get an application without an email address, or program printouts.
While I tend to be a very paper oriented genealogist; I do see the advantages of using a computer program to keep track of all our data. None the least is, that once entered correctly (and that is the KEY concept here) the data will always be reported the same way, in every instance of its usage. ...(page 13)