A First Settler of Plymouth Colony, and Barnstable, MA.

1) Robert Parker was proposed as a

freeman in Plymouth Colony in 1659.

This means he was born in 1638 or

earlier.

2) It is probable that he came to

New England as a child, but so

far, I am not convinced as to

who his parents were.

3) There are two possibilities in the Plymouth

Colony, one a William (wife Mary)of Scituate

and the other a Mr. William (wife Alice) of

Taunton. Both left wills, but neither

mentioned a son Robert. Robert seems to

have had a brother Elisha who was married

in 1657 (to Elizabeth Hinckley, sister of a

former governor of Plymouth Colony) and

who also wasn't mentioned in either of

the wills.

4) Robert was the principal heir in the will

of Thomas Shave of Barnstable, who died in

1672. He called Robert his "well beloved

kinsman". The will also mentioned John

Crocker (one steer that were in his keeping),

Joshua Lumbert (one cow), John Chipman

(who was born in Brinspittal, Dorsetshire in

1614 and settled in Barnstable) (clothing and

half the money "hee hath of mine in his

keeping"), David Linnell (black troopers

coate), Ann Annible(the wife of Anthony

Annible, probably his fourth wife, as two

other Anns and a Jane had already died)

(bed and bedding), and a James Ha_. Jr.

(two cows that were in his keeping). His

well beloved friend John Chipman was

executor and after debts were paid, the

remainder was to go to his kinsman

Robert Parker and Elisha's children,

as he sees cause. The fact that Elisha

was mentioned indicates that Thomas

Shaw was related to Robert, rather than

to Robert's wife.

5) Robert had two other dealings in the

Barnstable probate records.In one, he and

Abraham Blush settled a land controversy

with Richard Collicut of Boston through an

attorney in 1666. In the other, he was

conveyed land in Mattaposett (?) by Samuel

Allenin 1681. Samuel Allen was probably

the son of Thomas Allen,who was

connected with the Annibles (son-in-law

Samuel Anniblewas one of the executors,

maybe Thomas had married the AnnAnnible

mentioned in Thomas Shaw's will.)

6) Robert married Sarah James at

Barnstable in 1656. They were the parents

of three children. He then married again

and had eight more children, the youngest

son named Elisha. The children were all

mentioned in his will. There may have been

more who died young. The children were:

son Samuel and daughters Mary and ane,

from his first marriage and sons Thomas,

Daniel, Joseph, Benjamin and Elisha and

daughters Hannah, Sarah and Alice from

his second marriage. The inventory of his

estate showed that he had two farms in

Barnstable and lands at Sepican, which

was the earlier name of Barnstable.

His estate was valued at 463pounds.

7) Robert seemed to live a quiet life

compared to a lot of ourother ancestors

in the Plymouth Colony. He was fined

once in 1658 for striking another man (the

other man was fined, too.)In 1669, he was

chosen to be constable of Barnstable, but he

didn't appear to be sworn in. There was

an order for him to appear or be fined,

but I didn't see anything to show how

it wasresolved.

8) ROBERT, Boston, call. an adm. to the

ch. 9 Mar. 1634, "serv. to our by William

Aspenwall," was a butcher, possib. came

from Woolpit, near Bury St. Edmunds, Co.

Suffk. freem. 4 Mar. foll. rem. early to

Cambridge, m. Judith, wid. f Richard Bugby

of Roxbury, had Benjamin, b. June 1636;

Sarah, Apr. 1640; John, bapt. at Roxbury,

in right of his w. 27 Mar. 1642, and I

judge him to be the H. C. gr. 1661; Nathanael,

28 July 1643, d. young; and Rachel, wh. d.

bef. her f. His w. d. 8 May 1682, aged 80;

and in his will, of 21 Mar. 1684, pro. 7 Apr.

1685, he calls hims. a 82 yrs. The s.

Benjamin, and John, [vol. 3, p. 356] he says,

had full sh. and are d. so that he names sole

heir, his d. Sarah, w. of Thomas Foster, m.

15 Oct. 1652, and to her ch. after her.

with provision for doub. portion to the s.

Thomas. See 3 Mass. Hist. Coll. X. 168.