First Meeting House

First Meeting House, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

As Seen on TV: Mr. William Park

I continue to be surprised at seeing Deacon William Park mentioned in the lineage chart of Pastor Rick Warren on Henry L. Gates, Jr.'s program. I have rewatched that episode, pausing to examine the lineage displayed on the screen in hopes of finding the two documents that were in Pastor Warren's "Book of Life".

After some searching, I found the following book in PDF format at archive.org which I downloaded and started looking through until I found the page. It does take some patience as pages like the screen shot above are not text and therefore searchable. At least the book is free and out of copyright. (see the title page below)

Finding this gave me an idea about some finding some books on the History of Newton, MA knowing that both my husband's ancestors and now some of mine are buried in the East Parish Burying Ground in Newton Center. While I work with what I am finding, you will have to be patient and wait for the results. In case you want to see if you have ancestors buried there, then look at the Interment.net list of burials.

 

Pedigree Collapse

Pedigree Collapse, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Pedigree Collapse

It hasn't been very long since I learned about the term "pedigree collapse". This genealogical phenomena simply means that because of having ancestors in the family that are they themselves related, I don't have as many ancestors as I should.

Huh? Fewer ancestors. Well, that's not a problem. I like it when I research a married couple once and find them again when I work on a different line. Maybe I will have time to have a life after all?

I have discovered that Robert Parke and his wife Martha Chaplin appear twice in this pedigree view. (see the pink double-headed arrow?)

I might not have noticed it except that I have two woman named Martha Park in a later generation.

For a few minutes, I thought that this was the same woman who married two different men named Isaac. But, that is not the case here as I have found in other places in my work.

It seems that Robert Park had two sons who both had a child named Martha.

New England is a crazy place.

Robert PARKE

Robert PARKE, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

"A boulder is erected to Sir Robert Parke, a pioneer who is buried here, as he owned land near this spot in the early times."

[The Homes of Our Ancestors in Stonington, Conn. by Grace Dension Wheeler, Published in Salem, MA Newcomb & Gauss, Printers, 1903. p. 259]

If you have been watching the PBS series, Finding Your Roots, with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., you may recognize the name of PARK that was mentioned on the chart of Rick Warren.

They mentioned Deacon William PARK (1604-1685) and his wife Martha HOLGRAVE. This is the memorial boulder of Dea. William PARK's father, Robert. 

This is the immigrant ancestor. Buried in Whitehall Cemetery #21, Stonington, New London, CT

Ancestry.com. Genealogy of the Parke families of Connecticut, including Robert Parke, of New London, Edward Parks, of Guilford, and others, a [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
Original data: Parks, Frank Sylvester,. Genealogy of the Parke families of Connecticut, including Robert Parke, of New London, Edward Parks, of Guilford, and others, also a list of Parke, Park, Parks, etc., who fought in the Revolutionary War. Washington: unknown, 1906.

Robert PARKE

Robert PARKE
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

My 2nd great grandparents, Dudley Wheeler Stewart and Eliza Fish Denison were 4th cousins and because of this they share many ancestors. The line which works backwards to Robert Williams contains two lines from two of the sons of Robert.

Two of the sons of Robert Williams, brothers Dea. Samuel Williams and Isaac Williams married two sisters! These women were the daughters of Dea. William Park (a son of Robert). They were named Theoda and Martha.

Robert Parke and his wife are buried at Whitehall Burying Ground but they have no real gravestones so this monument was erected in their memory.