Page Name

Ray Parker -- Generations 1 and 2

John Parker (I) born est 1725, in Northern Ireland d. bef 8/1793 (his wife listed as Widow Parker 8/1793 Roads list) Grayson, Co. Va. Came to the U. S. in the 1770’s prior to December 1774 based on his first land grant in the Colonies, Montgomery Co. Va. All the children born before 1774 below were most likely born in Northern Ireland.

• Wife Hannah unknown. b. abt 1735 M. abt 1750 d. abt 1806 (she is listed on the 1805 property tax list)
• Samuel B. abt 1760 m. ?? two males over 16, one male under 16, four females 1790 Surry Co. Census
• William B.abt 1748 m. Elizabeth Lydia Bryant b. 1768 Dtr of John Bryant & Lydia Allen Bryant
• John (II)B. abt 1764 m. Sarah Connelly 1794, 2 nd Polly Pinnion 1821, d. 1829 in Surry Co. NC
• Joseph B. abt 1752 d. 5/5/1819 m. 1 st Mary Hutchens in Isle of Wight, Va, 2 nd m. Elizabeth
• Rector 9/17/1800 in Grayson Co. Va. Moved to West Va.
• Joshua B. abt 1772 D. bef 1840 m. Sarah .
• Arthur B. abt 7/17/1775 m. Eleanor Ballard 1808 moved to Tennessee
• Susanna B. abt 1780 m. a Bryant between 1802 and 1805

John Parker seems to have been closely associated with Doswell Rogers b. C1736 who migrated from Tyrone County Ireland to Virginia. Doswell Rogers’ son William Rogers was born 10/14/1763 in Halifax Co. Va. Doswell Rogers was on the New River in present day Grayson Co. area on the 1770 list of Tithables for Botetourt Co. Va. Doswell Rogers dies in Hawkins Co. TN in 1809, buied at Windale, Washington Co., Va. Joan Tuft found a 1797 land transfer from Doswell Rogers to the heirs of John Parker listed above in Grayson Co. Va. This fits in with Joseph Parker b. 1752 above and my Grandfather Joseph Parker b. 1887 comments about the Parkers being from Ireland, Joseph Parker b. 1752 specifically stated that his family was from Northern Ireland.

Directions to Tyrone Co. Ireland from Belfast:

Northern Ireland's two main motorways strike out west from Belfast, skirting Lough Neagh 'that noble sheet of water' to the north and the south. To the north the M2 heads towards the Sperrins, while the M1 will bring you to the windswept moors of county Tyrone.

An Interesting note : The land Ray Parker lives on today in Yadkin County NC was purchased from Robert Matthews in 1790 by my GGGGGrandfather George Adams, Robert Matthews was born C1737 in Tyrone Co, Ireland and died 1819 in Iredell County NC, the county he was listed as being a resident of on the deed to GGGGGrandfather George Adams in 1790. As noted John Parker I owned land in Yadkin Co. NC on the southside of the Yadkin River from present day Surry Co. NC. Land Grant to John Parker deed book B page 246 dated Oct 24 th, 1782 NC Grant to John Parker 200 Acres southside of the Yadkin River in Surry Co. NC.

Final Land Grant for the John Parker I estate.

Land Office Patents & Grants/Northern Neck Grants & Surveys : CATALOG CARD

Land Grants to GGGGGGrandfather John Bryant in present day Grayson Co. VA.

The 1782 Montgomery County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List parent county of Wythe then Grayson Co. Va in 1793.

Name Tithes Slaves Horses Cattle

This shows that the John Parker Family was occupying the 297 acre tract on Meadow Creek, in 1793 before the 1797 land transfer from Doswell Rogers and the 23 rd day of February, 1802 land grant for the same plot of land by Governor James Monroe. There must be a reason for the multiple transfers of the same property to John Parker and his heirs starting back in 1774, but this is now unknown. Why would the same property be transferred to the John Parker Family three times?

1793 Wythe County Personal Property Tax List created from Montogomery Co. in 1789

This indicates that John Bryant had an unmarried male in the household who could have married Susannah Parker between 1802 and 1805. Maragaret Parker where does she fit in? Joseph Parker was the bondsman for her later marriage in Grayson Co. Va. We know that Garner Bryant was the son of John Bryant, James and Robert Bryant may have been brothers of John Bryant, they were not listed in John Bryant’s 1800 will in Grayson Co. Va.as being heirs. John Bryant listed his daughters in his will, unfortunately he did not list their married surnames. Uncle Garner Bryant was the witness to the two deeds made for the division and sale of the John Parker estate in 1807, he was married to Hannah Davis a Cousin of Ray Parker’s and descendant of Grandfather Charles Davis born C1706 in Wales, England. It is not known which Bryant Susannah Parker married, but there must have been several candidates based on the above list. Both the Bryants and Davis were Quaker Families, and three of William Parker and Elizabeth Lydia Bryant’s children, Lydia Parker, Rebecca Parker and George Parker married into Ray Parker’s Adams Quaker Family in Surry Co. NC as did Charles Bryant who married Aunt Ann Adams in 1812.. It is also interesting that the same Parker, Bryant and Davis Families also owned land in Surry Co. NC in what is now Yadkin Co. NC. We are currently surrounded by hundreds of Parker, Bryant, Davis and Adams descendants from these families here in Yadkin Co. NC.

Land Grant to Ray’s GGGGGuncle Thomas Davis in Montgomery Co. VA. at the Mouth of Elk Creek and the New River. Elk Creek is less than five miles from Meadow Creek where the Parkers and Bryants lived.

Family of GGGGG-Uncle Thomas Davis in Montgomery/Grayson Co. VA Note the three Bryant Marriages.

ii. T HOMAS D AVIES , b. January 16, 1733/34, Chester Co., PA; d. Abt. 1789, Montgomery Co., VA; m. E LIZABETH K NOX , July 15, 1758, Perquimans MM, NC; b. WFT Est. 1720-1743; d. WFT Est. 1763-1832.

Notes for T HOMAS D AVIES :

children:

1. Charles b. 4/5/1759 Orange Co., NC m. 1779 Miriam Carr
2. Thomas b. 11/1/1760 " m. 1782 Rebeckah Bryant
3. Mary b. 9/4/1762 " m. 1783 James Williams
4. Hannah b. 4/12/1764 " m. 1782 Garner Bryant
5. John b. 1/1/1766 " m. 1789 Lydia Bryant
6. Daniel b. 11/13/1767 " m. 1792 Jane Patton
7. Morris b. 7/2/1769 " m. 1790 Margaret Ward
8. William b. 9/4/1771 " m1. 1797 Elizabeth Huff, m2. 1856 Sarah (Stokes)
9. Harmon b. 11/11/1773 Montgomery Co., VA m. 1796 Hannah Middleton
10. Moses b. 2/14/1776 " m1. 1796 Ann Willits, m2. 1838 Susanna Croy
11. Elizabeth b. 2/17/1778 " m. 1796 Joshua Stoneman
12. Tamer b. 8/30/1780 " m1. 1796 James Vernon, m2. 1816 Jehu Hiatt

1794 Grayson County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List

Transcribed by Jeffrey C. Weaver, May, 1998

Name White Males Blacks Blacks Horses

Over 16 12+ under 12

Parker, John 1 2

Parker, William 1 7

The 1800 Grayson County, Virginia Tax List

Since most of the 1800 Grayson County census was burned in 1814, tax lists are about the only way to obtain similar data. This record, taken from information on file in Library of Virginia does that to some degree. The first column is the tax payer, presumably the same as the head of the household. The next column is the number of white males over age 21. The third column is the number of horses owned. The next column lists the number of slaves over age 16, and the last column lists the number of slaves between 12 and 16 years of age. If no number is shown it should be assumed to be zero.

Parker, Joseph 1 2

Parker, Saml. 1 1

Parker, Arther 1 1

Parker, William 1 3

The 1805 Grayson County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List

Transcribed by Jeffrey C. Weaver, May 1998

Name White Blacks Blacks Horses Tax Amt

Males under Over

16+ 16 16

Parker, Joshua 1 1 (stud) 5.00

Parker, Samuel 1 2 .24

Parker, Arther 1 0 .00

Parker, William 1 1 .12

Parker, Joseph 1 5 .60

Parker, Hannah 1 3 .36

The 1805 Grayson Land Tax List Note the larger value per acre for the Parker land vs the other properties below. This indicates that the Parker Property was well developed, buildings etc, compared to the other properties. This indicates that they had been on and developed the property over a long period of time.

Note research here by Ray Parker ray.parker@slkp.com and from the Surry County Heritage Book Volume I, extensive use of the Grayson Co. Va. Personal Property and Land Tax Records, Parker Deeds in Grayson and Montgomery Co. Va. And Surry County, NC. Grayson Co. Roads and Transportation notes. Land Grant signed by James Monroe Governor of the State of Virginia, 2/23/1802 confirming the original grant to John Parker I, on 12/27/1774. This grant lists John Parker I’s heirs.

Birth date of 1752 in Northern Ireland for Joseph Parker is as he told his Granddaughter Susannah Jane Parker. Received from Lois Marshall. In addition we have located a birth record for William Parker b. 4/10/1748 in Ballyhay, Cork County, Northern Ireland to a John Parker. Note: Samuel Parker is an enigma, we suspect but cannot identify with any certainty the names of any of his children and he had six children on the 1790 Surry County, NC Census Report. He was closely associated with the Jayne (De Jayne) Family who came from Bristol, England via New York, as recorded in several Surry Co. NC land transactions in the 1790’s. After doing additional research, it appears that Samuel Parker had sons Samuel Parker Jr. and George Parker as they were the witnesses to several deeds granted by Samuel Parker in the early 1800’s in Surry Co. NC. Their names appear on multiple deeds in the 1800-1812 time frame.

Note:

• Hannah Parker is buried at the Deep Creek Friends Church, in Yadkin County NC, Row T Pos 3
• William Parker is buried at Deep Creek Friends Church, Row T Pos 1
• Elizabeth Lydia Parker is buried at Deep Creek Friends Church, Row T Pos 2
• Samuel and John Parker were Revolutionary War Veterans.
• John Parker I, received a land grant to 296 acres in Montgomery/Grayson Co. Va on 12/27/1774 on both sides of
• Meadow Creek a copy of this land grant is at the end of this family history.
• West of the present City of Galax Va. This seems to be his first property in the Colonies.
• John Parker I, also received lands grants in Surry Co. NC in 1779 and 1782 totalling 400 acres on the
• South side of the Yadkin River in present day Yadkin County, NC. This land was on the Yadkin River. Two hundred
• Acres of this land was deeded to John Parker II, by his brothers and sister in 1805.
• John Parker II, bought 100 acres of land from David and Alice Fleming, Surry County Deed Book P, page 63. ( note
• David and Alice Fleming were Ray Parker’s Grandparents.)
• William Parker’s son George Parker lived on 200 acres on Forbush & Fall Creeks off Nebo Road in present day Yadkin
• County in 1835.
• Samuel Parker received five land grants in the Cadle Creek area of Surry County
• From the State of NC totaling over 1350 acres of land. The records are on file at the Surry Co NC Courthouse.
• The John Parker I estate was settled 1/7/1807 with the signatures of all the children above
• And Elizabeth Rector Parker with Garner Bryant as a witness to the deeds. 2 09 acres of land was
• deeded to Samuel Parker and another 87 acre tract sold to Robert Nichols in Grayson Co. Va.
• On 2/21/1807 Samuel Parker purchased 118 acres of land in Grayson Co. From WilliamGreg
• On 4/15/1810 Joshua Parker purchased X acres of land in Grayson Co, Va from Moses Wills.
• John Parker II owned 600 acres of land in Surry County NC on Stewarts Creek
• Arthur Parker was a lieutenant in the Grayson Co. Militia in 1811.
• Joseph Parker owned property on the 1799 Monroe Co. Va personal property tax report.
• Joseph Parker in his will at the end of this family history lists 1021 acres of Property.

Unplaced Grayson Co. Va Marriages from the Independence Grayson Co. Library family archives

Margaret Parker and John Brown 12/18/1794, Joseph Parker Bondsman

Margarett Parker and Robert Bryant 10/3/1796, Joshua Hanks Bondman (no return)

Unplaced Surry Co. NC Marriage: Lemuel Parker to Sarah Richards (No date) Wm. Armstrong bdsm.