Thomas PARKER

                   OCCUPATION:
   Farmer & Deacon
DEATH:
    Died from Consumption.
BURIAL:
    Buried at First Parish Congregational Church Cemetery, Wakefield.
NOTES:
    1. Thomas Parker was at Lynn in 1635, having arrived on the ship "Susan & Ellen" earlier that same year. 


Birth Date might be 31 Mar 1609, Little Worton, Oxfordshire, England.
He is listed on the passenger list, see "Register," Vol 14, pg. 309. He was listed as age 30 at the time of his immigration, likely more accurate than the derived year of birth from his tombstone. He was made Freeman 17 May 1637 and removed to Reading by about 1638. He was one of the founders of the church at Reading and was deacon there for 38 years.

Thomas Parker is buried in what is now South Reading, MA, in the "old burial ground" there. His tombstone inscription is lengthy and reads as follows:

Reader weep, prepare to dy, I say,
For death by none will be said nay;
One of the 7 of this church foundation,
So to remain 'til the powerful voice say
Rise in health a glorious habitation.
A pattern of piety and of peace
But now, alas, how short his race.
Here we mourn, and mourn we must,
To see Zion's stones, like GOLD LAID IN THE DUST.

Memento mori. Fugut hora.
Here lyeth within this arched place, ye body of Deacon Thomas Parker, who was won of ye foundation of ye church, who dyed ye 12 of August, 1683 - Aged about 74.

("Inscriptions from the Most Ancient Burial Ground, in South Reading, MA," NEHGS "Register," Vol 7, pg. 25.)

His will was dated 3 Aug. 1683 and reads as follows:
WILL OF DEACON THOMAS PARKER.
The Laste will & testament of Thomas Parker of Reddinge this third of August 1683; although weake
in Bodey yet of Set in Minde & Memorey
1 I give My Soule to God that gave it and My Bodey to be buried by Christian frennds In hope of A
Joyfull Resurextion at the last days
2 I give unto My Dear wife Amy My house & homstead with two Akers of Medow at the Mill two Akers in the Reedy Medow And two Akers in the great Medow And three Akers in the saw Mill Medow next to the Medow of Edward Taylors, And Also the Improuvment of All my Cattell & houshold goods with the Improuvment of All the Land And Medow during her natural life
3 I give unto My son John Parker all the Land he lives upon Be it More or Less with five Akers of Medow In Bear Medow and two Akers of Medow by Jonas Eatons Medow And two Akers in Reedy Medow, And also a quarter parte of My great Devidend,(*) And two Akers of the wet Swamp.
4 I give unto My sonn Thomas Parker all the Land he now lives upon & five Akers of Medow in bear Medow: & the Slodge of Medow Leying near Bursham Medow
5 I give unto My sonn Nathaniel Parker all the Land he now Lives upon and the Remainder of My
Medow In Bear Medow And the Round hole of Medow at Dustins Bridge, And tow akers of Medow in the great Medow he paying three pound within one yeare after the Death of My wife Amy: unto his Brother Thomas Parker, And I also give unto sonn Nathaniel Parker one halfe of My great Devidend and Also My
Ceador Swamp, and three Akers in the Saw Mill Medow
6 Furthermore I give unto my sonn Thomas Parker two Akers of the wet swamp, And the Reste of the wet swamp I give unto my son Nathaniel Parker
7 Furthermore this is to be understod that the three Akers In the Saw Mill Medow & the two Akers in the Reedy Medow & the two Akers in the great Medow John & Nathaniel are not to have untill the Death of their Mother
8 I give unto my two Daughters Maxey & Martha fortey shillings a year to be payd them one yeare After the decease of ther mother
9 I give unto My grand children Samuel and Sarah Parker three pound apease. Samuels at twenty one years old and Sarahs at her day of Marrige provided they live with thear grandmother. Sarah while she is eighteen year old: and Samuel while he is twenty one year old provided that the over seer doo see that he hath som Trade.
Furthermore the sayd Thomas Parker shall not sell Any of his Land or Medow without the advise of
his Brethren.
10 I give unto my grandchild Samuel Parker my gunn and my Reste, but is to be parte of the three
pound that is to be payd him
11 I give unto my Sonn John Parker A great Bible that Boniface Burton gave to Me in Case It Com Into my hands
12 Lastly I make my Sonn Hannaniah Parker My full & sole Executor of this My laste will & testament; further More I Doo Desier my well beloved and trusty freind Benjamin Fitch and my sonn John Parker to bee the over seers of this My laste will & testament
Witnes WILLIAM COWDREY The Marke of
THOMAS CLARKE THOMAS + PARKER

Decon William Cowdrey subscriber to this Instrument testifieth &
saith that the testator Being in perfect mind & memory maid the
within and above Ritten instrument as his Last will & tesament
Taken upon oath
Before us,
WILLIAM HAZY | Com's for Redding.
JNo BROWN [BROWN] |

December 18:83: Thomas Clark appearing in court made oath as a witness to the above sd will

JONATHAN REMINGTON Clerk.

)"Bear" and "Reedy" Meadows are familiar terms in Wakefield at the present time. They lie along the Saugus river between the old Parker farm and the Great Pond. The "Wet Swamp" was divided among the early settlers in 1666. His "Great Devidend" was his grant of 1658, about 200 acres on the north side of Ipswich river.

Thomas sailed from London on 11 March 1635 on the ship "Susan and Ellen". Ship records state he was about 30 years of age at the time and unmarried. He settled first at Lynn, MA. About 1639 he removed to Lynn Village, MA which in 1644 was called Reading, MA and is now Wakefield, MA. He was one of the first settlers of this town. He was variously a selectman, commissioner for small cases, founder , charter member and deacon of the Congregational church and a gentleman of property. Thomas died of consumption, "aged about 74 yrs" according to his tombstone in the First Parish Congregational Church cemetery in Wakefield. His birth date could be anywhere from 1605 to 1609. Known
as Deacon Thomas. He was made freeman in 1637. He was listed as a member of the Reading church in 1648. He drew a 15 acre lot at Reading in 1652. In 1658 he was granted an unknown number of acres at Reading. His name appeared a number of times on petitions at Reading.
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Came from England in the "Susan Ellen" in 1635, a. 30. Freeman in Lynn MA 1637, Removed to Reading. Served as Selectman.