PARKER - English: occupational name from Middle English parker ‘park-keeper’ (Old French parquier , parchier ), a person employed to look after deer and other game in a hunting park.
James Parker is the 3rd Great Grandfather of David Barry Parker, known as Deaf Dave, the owner of this www.deafdave.com.au website. James Parker came to Taree, NSW, Australia as an assigned convict to Henry Flett. He was granted conditional bail and married a free settler Scottish lady, Catherine Perry.
3rd Great Grandfather
James Parker m Catherine Perry
b: 22-March-1818 Trowbridge, England
d: 19-September-1889 Purfleet, Taree, New South Wales
2nd Great Grandfather
George Parker m Euphemia McKinnon
b: 17-July-1850 Purfleet, Manning River, NSW, A
d: 23-January-1939 Casino, NSW, Australia
Great Grandfather
George Spencer Manning Parker m Agnes Marie Seistrup
b: 18-August-1883 Purfleet, Taree, NSW, Australia
d: 16-April-1957 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Grandfather
Douglas George Parker m Daphne EE Millard
b: 06-June-1918 Lismore NSW Australia
d: 18-August-1986 NSW Australia
Father
Barry Douglas Parker m Janice Boland
b: 26-February-1940 NSW Australia
d:
Self
David Barry Parker m Jitka Maria Navratil
b: 24-November-1968 Ryde NSW Australia
d:
My Parker Dynasty started in Taree with James Parker b1818
A bit of Taree first. The name Taree is believed to date back to 1770 during Captain James Cook exploratory voyage. He sailed north from what was to become Sydney.There were three Aboriginal tribes in the local area and it is thought that their name for a local 'fig' tree, a "Tareebit", resulted in the name Taree being used.
The first recorded European to cross the what is today known as the Manning River, was explorer John Oxley in 1818. He named a settlement at the mouth of the river "Harrington". Local commerce started to grow after that time. In the 1820's Cedar tree cutters arrived and started felling the vast local Cedar forests. Following a large grant of land on the river to Mr William Winter in 1831, he established a family home called "Taree" and had a Schooner named "Tarree" that was used to ship the cut Cedar to Sydney and ports in between.
Manning River ... named after Sir William Manning, Deputy-Governor of the Australian Agricultural Company, by Henry Dangar (surveyor for that company) in 1826 - originally "Manning's River", the apostrophe was soon dropped.
Now a bit about my Parker ancestors (male)
» A detailed family tree from the North Coast Pioneers website
» Wikitree - James Parker
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James Parker b1818
On the 23rd March 1835 he was tried at the Somerset Quarter Sessions and convicted of the crime of stealing a coat. He had no previous convictions but nevertheless he was transported to the Colony for Life. He was 17 years old. James was a Protestant, single and could read. His occupation was Chimney Sweep. He was described as being 5'4 ¼" in height, with a sallow and freckled complexion, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He had two small dark moles on the lower part of the right side of his neck and a scar on the forefinger of his left hand.
James arrived in the Colony aboard the "England" (3) which sailed from Portsmouth on the 8th June 1835, and after a journey of 112 days arrived on the 28th September 1835. He was one of 230 male prisoners aboard together with 29 rank and file of the 28th Regiment, 9 women and 7 children. The Sydney Morning Herald of that date in the column "Shipping Arrivals" makes note of the "England's" arrival. The "England" was a 425 ton Three masted Barque and was captained by Thomas Barron. Obediah Pineo was the Surgeon Superintendent on this voyage and from his report we learn that a number of boys of whom James was included received an inoculation. What he was inoculated against we are not told except that directions were followed most scrupulously but resulted in failure. A decision was made to try again but this too resulted in failure. By his account the journey was without any major problems due in part to his strict regime of cleanliness to not only the ship but to all persons on board.
Official records for the years 1834 to 1837 in relation to Convict Assignments and their employers are not in existence and the Government Gazettes do not name the individual Convict assigned to a particular person. In James case no mention is made of him until November 1839, when a letter was written to the Colonial Secretary from a Mary Cann requesting details of James's sentence. She states that he is not aware of the term of years he has been transported for, and she had not been supplied with a copy of his indents when he was assigned to her. From this we can assume that James was assigned to Mary Cann when she was living on the Paterson River in the Hunter region as she was there at that time. Mary, together with Robert Searle an Overseer convict who had worked for her husband James Cann prior to his suicide, together with her children, and various others then made an overland journey to Taree, arriving sometime in September 1836.
Worked for William Wynter at one time?
In November 1843 James obtained a Ticket of Leave, 43/2625 dated 10.11.1843, which stated he was allowed to remain in the District of Port Macquarie.
In December 1846 he obtained a Ticket of Leave Passport 46/996 dated 11.12.1846, that allowed him to remain in the service of a Mr. Deane of New England.
In October 1848 James obtained a Conditional Pardon 48/1871 dated 20.11.1848. He was by this time married to Catherine Perry who, being the free settler made the application to marry, to the Colonial Secretary.
Catherine Perry was the third born daughter of Thomas Perry and Catherine McMeekin who had arrived in the Colony on 23rd October 1841 aboard the "New York Packet" and settled around Glenthorne/Purfleet.
James & Catherine were married on 31st August 1847 in St. Andrews Church, Port Macquarie NSW (ref. V1847352 78). Witnesses were Thomas Lattimere and Henry Flett. James' occupation was given as Farmer of Glenthorne.
James died 19th September 1889. Catherine was born on 5th November 1829 in New Luce, Scotland and died on 11th February 1913 at son-in-law W.J. Stitt's residence, Carters Island, Taree.
James and Catherine are buried in Taree Estate Pioneers Cemetery #126. The age indicated on his gravestone is incorrect. He was 71 years at the time of his death. The inconsistencies regarding his age and his Father's name were due to the fact that his Convict background was probably not mentioned to his children as his son George gave the information for the death Certificate.
In Manning River News 1865-1873 Index of local content: "News" received 12/10/1867; advert cart & harness for sale, Purfleet 12/10/1867; Mr & Mrs Parker passengers on "Fire King" 11/5/1867 & 28/12/1867 (could be Thomas & Jane Parker?) In Manning River News 1865-1873 Vol 2 (1866) Index of local content: 'Thank you' to Dr Calov, Purfleet 11/8/1866 In Manning River News 1865-1873 Vol 1 (1865) Index of local content: horse accident to son Purfleet 30/9/1865.
One of his 5 children, George Parker b1850
George Parker is known to the family as Da. He is a farmer of Taree. He and his wife Euphemia Ann Mackinnon have produced 13 children. He left the Manning River District some years after marriage in 1874 to come to the Richmond River District.
He chartered the pilot boat "Christina Gollan" from Taree and brought other settlers to Woodburn . He arrived in 20th November 1886. He selected land at Buchandoon and farmed this land until his retirement in 1927. He then lived at Lismore and later on in Casino.
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