About The Parke Society

History

Early researchers, such as Frank Sylvester Parks (1861-1937) and Rear Admiral Charles Wellman Parks (1863-1930), both of whom worked in Washington D. C. and thus had access to the National Archives and Library of Congress resources, made significant contributions to researching the Park/e/s surname in America. However, there were even earlier studies written as early as the 18 th century. For more information, see this article on Park/e/s Research B. P. S. (Before The Parke Society).

In 1963, The Parke Society was founded by Ruby Rilla (Parke) Anderson PS#1
(1896-1979) as a family association for descendants of Robert Parke (1580 –
1665), who arrived in America aboard the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. Within a few
short years the Parke Society expanded its scope, becoming a surname society
encompassing all Park, Parke, Parks, or Parkes lineages in North America with
roots in the British Isles. In the more than six decades of its existence, the Society
has amassed an impressive database of Park/e/s-named individuals, drawing
mainly from the lineage information submitted by its members, in addition to
independent research.

One of the early Parke Society members who contributed greatly to the
continuance and structure of The Society was David Livingstone Parke Sr. PS#13
(1922-2011). In addition to serving as president from 1966-1968, David served at
various times as newsletter editor, historian, librarian, and has often been
referred to by Father Michael Parks PS#425 as “Lord High Everything Else”. David
Livingstone Parke began the assignment of member numbers in 1975 and devised
the Lineage Key System we continue to use to this day, a system extremely
valuable to The Society and, as far as we can tell, unique in the world of
genealogy. His contributions to The Parke Society cannot be overstated.

Over the years other Society members have served as Lineage Leaders, helping
guide the research of members with their specialized knowledge of a particular
lineage. Robert Leon Parke PS#755 (1940-2020) for the Robert LK=T lineage,

Cecilia Kasberg Parke PS#535 (1924-2015) for the Roger Parke LK=K lineage and
Phyllis Kumler PS#525 (1927-2021) for the Thomas of Virginia LK-C lineage come
to mind, all of whom have been succeeded by other dedicated members stepping
into those roles.

Though The Parke Society officially presents itself as a “clearinghouse” for
members’ Park/e/s research, the Society’s library is full of a number of books
created by individual members, as well as research presented in newsletter
articles over the years. One Society member in particular, Jean C. Churchill
PS#934, has contributed greatly to advancing research on various lineages in her
series of “Missing Links” articles over many years.

With the advent of DNA testing for genealogical purposes in 2000, Lee
Christensen PS#957 (1921-2018) took advantage of the fledgling process to help
solve a question concerning his LK=K ancestors. After enlisting a half-dozen or so cousins to take the early 12 marker Y-DNA test in 2001, Lee answered his research question and decided to step away from the surname project. A call went out in the Parke Society newsletter, and member Ken Parks PS#1406 stepped forward to volunteer his services, having begun his DNA testing journey in 2003. Now, with the help of several co-administrators, the Park/e/s Surname Project at
FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) has grown considerably and has been, and continues to
be, of great value in guiding and directing the research of many Park/e/s
descendants.

In the early, pre-internet years of The Society, membership was almost exclusively composed of those living in the United States and Canada. This was due to the various logistical problems of dealing with international mail, foreign currency exchanges, and the lack of easy access to research facilities in other countries. Recently, however, The Society’s board of trustees has determined that an aggressive outreach to Park/e/s descendants in all countries should be made, and it is hoped that the membership will reflect this broadening of scope in the coming years, making The Parke Society truly a worldwide surname organization.

Established in 1963 as a family association for the descendants of Robert Parke (1580 – 1665), who sailed to America with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, The Parke Society quickly broadened its mission.

Today, we proudly serve as a surname society dedicated to tracing all Park, Parke, Parks, and Parkes lineages across North America [and beyond].

For over six decades, thanks to the dedication of our members and volunteer leadership, we’ve built an expansive archive of individual family research. Our work has been further enhanced by our DNA project, now boasting over 400 participants, allowing us to merge traditional genealogy with cutting-edge genetic research to answer key questions about the shared heritage of the many Park/e/s lines.

If you have Park/e/s ancestry, The Parke Society is your gateway to uncovering more about your family’s roots. Dive into our resources, reach out with questions or ideas, and join our community to deepen your research. With your membership, you’ll gain access to our extensive lineage database, borrow books from our specialized lending library, receive our newsletter, and discover how our DNA project might help break through those tough genealogy barriers.

Start your journey with us today and become a part of our shared history!