THE PARKER FAMILY OF BROWSHOLME

FAMILY TREE

The Parker family are significant in Colne because of their connection with Alkincoats Hall and in the Forest of Bolland because of their connection with Browsholme. Genealogists and local historians in the Pendle area are likely to come across the family as landlords, members of parliament, magistrates, deputy lieutenants of the county, clergy and officers in the militia. The tree below is provided to help researchers identify the individuals encountered. It was taken initially from Burke's Landed Gentry, Volume ii, page 1232. A more detailed account was found in Whitaker's History of Whalley, 6th edition of 1879, page 340 and the additional information has been included. The family descent through Edward (generation 6), the first son of Thomas Paker and his wife Margaret Ashton, ended in generation 10 with Thomas Lister Parker who died without issue. Although he had seven brothers, they either had no issue or their children died without issue. The line was continued from the descendants of Edward's younger brother, Robert Parker, shown further down the page in generation 6. The two branches, in addition to sharing common ancestry were llinked also by the marriage of this Robert Parker' grandson, also called Robert (generation 8) to Elizabeth the daughter of John Parker and Elizabeth Southouse.

The tree in Burke's Landed Gentry has some differences to that in Dr. Whitaker's work and I have favoured the latter on the grounds that he was in the locality and could consult the family and by the 6th revised and enlarged edition there was every possibility that any earlier mistakes had been rectified.

The Parker family at Browsholme had a connection with the Leicesters of Tabley near Knutsford in Cheshire. Sir Peter Byrne Leicester (1732-1770) married Katherine, daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Fleming (1656-1736), 1st Baronet of Rydal Hall, Westmorland. Sir Peter was succeeded by his son Sir John Fleming Leicester who became 1st Lord de Tabley in 1826. Katherine Fleming had two sisters, one of whom, Barbara, married Edward Parker of Browsholme in generation 8. As a result of this connection, Thomas Lister Parker in generation 10 below, who eventually sold Browsholme, was appointed a guardian of the first Lord de Tabley's two sons on his death in 1827.

D.L. stands for Deputy Lieutenant of the County

1. Edmund Parker, a younger son of the Parker family of Horrockford, married about 19 Hen VII
+ Jennet, dau & heir of ? Redmaine, by Elizabeth his wife who was dau & heir of Robert Parker of Browsholme. They had son, and two daughters: Jenet, wife of Thomas Sherborne of Ribbleton in Lancashire and Elizabeth, wife of Leonard Helme of Goosnargh in Lancashire.
- 2. Robert Parker, living 1591.
- + Elizabeth, dau of Edmund Chadderton of Nuthurst and sister of William Chadderton, Bishop of Lincoln. She died in 1608. In addition to their sons Edward and Thomas who come immediately below there were two further sons Roger and William who are mentioned in their appropriate place near the bottom of the tree.
  - 3. Edmund Parker, drowned at Cambridge, unmarried.
  - 3. Thomas Parker, bow-bearer of the Forest of Bolland in the Duchy of Lancaster.
  - + Bridget, dau and co-heir of James Tempest of Rayne in Craven, son of Leonard Tempest who was 3rd son of Roger Tempest of Broughton. She died in 1610. The couple had 13 children and in addition to the three mentioned immediately below there were another ten who are listed in generation 4 in their appropriate position near the bottom of the page.
    - 4. Robert Parker, eldest son, born 26 Sept 1591 and died without issue.
    - 4. James Parker, 2nd son, born 6 Feb 1598 an died 20 Jan 1599.
    - 4. Edward Parker of Browsholme, 3rd and eldest surviving son, born 3 Aug 1602, married 28 Jan 1629 and had five sons and one daughter. He died in 1667 and was buried at Waddington.
    - + Mary, dau of Richard Sunderland of High Sunderland, Yorkshire by Mary his wife, 6th dau of Sir Richard Saltonstall, Knight, Lord Mayor of London. They married on 28 Jan 1629 and she died on 16 Jan 1673. This couple had five sons and a daughter.
      - 5. Thomas Parker of Browsholme, bapt Waddington 1 May 1631. Will dated 7 July 1695
      - + Margaret, 5th dau of Radcliffe Ashton of Cuerdale, Lancashire, brother of Sir Ralph Ashton, Baronet, of Whalley. She was baptised 17 July 1627 at Lowchurch and died 12 Sept 1710, buried at Waddington. This couple had two sons, Edward and Robert, and a daughter, Elizabeth, wife of Alexander Butler of Kirkland in Lancashire.
        
        6. Edward Parker of Browsholme, J.P. for Yorkshire, born 1 Jan 1658 and died 11 Jan 1721. He married twice.
        
        + 1st wife, Catherine, dau and heir of Henry Bouche of Ingleton Hall
        
        7. Thomas Parker of Browsholme, son and heir, bapt Waddington, 17 Oct 1689, died 1728 without issue leaving his estates to his half-brother, John Parker of Browsholme.
        
        + 2nd wife, Jane, dau of John Parker of Extwistle, buried at Waddington, 6 Feb 1721. This couple had three sons and four daughters. In addition to John covered below, they were: Edward Parker of London, who married and had sons Thomas and Edward; Robert Parker bapt at Waddington 6 Nov 1693, who died unmarried; Mary Parker, bapt Waddington 9 May 1696 died young; Margaret Parker, bapt Waddington 8 Mar 1708 and died young; Jane Parker who married ? Southouse and Elizabeth Parker, wife of George Toulson of Skipwith in Yorkshire.
        
        7. John Parker of London and afterwards of Browsholme, Bow bearer of the Forest of Bolland, born 11 June 1695, died 28 Mar 1754, buried at Waddington.
        
        +   Elizabeth, dau of Henry Southouse of Manaden, Essex. This couple had a son Edward and a daughter, Elizabeth Parker, who married her second cousin, Robert Parker of Alkincoats, Colne as shown later. She was buried at Colne 2 Dec 1781.
        
        8. Edward Parker of Browsholme only son and heir, bow-bearer of the Forest of Bolland, born 1730, died 22 Dec 1794 and buried at Waddington.
        
        + Barbara, dau and co-heir of Sir William Fleming of Rydal Hall, Westmorland, married Lancaster, 1750, died 23 Apr 1813 and buried at Waddington. This couple had two sons, John the heir and Edward who died young.
        
        9. John Parker of Browsholme, bow-bearer of the Forest of Bolland, sometime Fellow Commoner of Christ College, Cambridge, MP for Clitheroe, died 25 May 1797 aged 42, buried Waddington, 10 June
        
        + Beatrix, dau of Thomas Lister of Gisburn Park, in 1778. She was the sister of Thomas Lister, the 1st Lord Ribblesdale. She was born 25 Nov 1749, married at Giggleswick in 1778 and died 10 May 1807, buried at Waddington. See footnote 1. When John died in 1797 they had eight sons.
        
        10. Thomas Lister Parker, of Browsholme, bow-bearer of the Forest of Bolland, born 27 Sept 1779, baptised at Giggleswick on 29 Sept sold the mansion and estate of Browsholme to his cousin, Thomas Parker of Alkincoats, Colne in 1820. Thomas Lister Parker died unmarried 2 March 1858. This branch of the family ended as his seven brothers either died without issue or had children who died without issue.
        
        10. Edward Parker, born 3 Nov 1780, bapt Giggleswick 15 July 1781, married 1813, died 17 Dec 1828
        
        +    Isabella, dau of the Rev. J. Strode of Hatfield, Hertfordshire. They had one daughter, Isabella, who was born July 1814 and died unmarried 2 Aug 1844.
        
        10. John Fleming Parker (Rev.) M.A. born at Marshfield 17 April 1782, bapt Giggleswick, 5 Jun 1785, married Dec 1817, died 26 Nov 1862. He married his first cousin
        
        +   Hon. Catherine, dau of Thomas Lister 1st Lord Ribblesdale of Gisburn Park and widow of James Skurray Day, of Burnett in Somerset.
        
        11. Thomas Lister Parker died without issue, 1 Aug 1852
        
        11. John Parker, died without issue 18 April 1845
        
        11. Catherine Parker, died 10 Dec 1841.
        
        11. Frederick Parker, died 7 Dec 1841.
        
        10. Charles Robert Parker, born at York 4 Apr 1783, bapt Giggleswick, 1 Nov 1785, died without issue.
        
        10. Henry Parker, born at York, 6 Apr 1784, bapt Giggleswick 1785, Major 53rd Regiment, died Cuddalore East India.
        
        +     Anne dau of John Maclean of Galway. Married in Galway, May 1808 and had one son.
        
        11. Thomas Lister Parker, born 1809 and died without issue.
        
        10. Rev. William Parker, bapt Giggleswick 5 June 1785, Vicar of Waddington then of of Skipwith, died without issue 24 Sept 1848. He was a J.P. and D.L in the East Riding.
        
        10. Septimus, bapt Giggleswick 27 Apr 1788, buried there 23 Oct 1792
        
        10. Octavius, bapt Giggleswick 13 Aug and buried there 27 Aug 1790.
        
        6.   Robert Parker, 2nd son of Thomas Parker Margaret Ashton, born about 1662, bought the estate of Alkincoats, and died 10 Nov 1714
        
        +    Ellen dau of Miles Whitaker of Symonstone. They had three sons, Thomas, Robert and Edward.
        
        7. Thomas Parker of Alkincoats, Colne, J. P.
        
        + Alice only child and heiress of John Blakey of Lanehead, the last descendant of the Blakeys. She was the widow of John Lonsdale of High Riley. She died at Alkincoats 21 Apr 1737. With Thomas Parker she had in addition to their heir Robert a son Thomas, born 8 Aug 1723 and died 23 March 1740 and a daughter Betty born 16 Aug 1728 and died aged 2 months.
        
        8. Robert Parker of Alkincoats, bapt Colne 9 Mar 1720, married his cousin on 1 Oct 1751 and buried at Colne 12 May 1758..
        
        + Elizabeth only dau of John Parker, Esq. of Browsholme. They had Thomas their heir, Robert who died unmarried in 1805, and John Parker Toulson, born 21 March 1755, died 2 Oct 1822, who married Hesther Arthur-Worsop, dau of John Arthur-Worsop of Howden in Yorkshire and had five surviving children, two sons and three daughters. (Information from John Parker Toulson of British Columbia. See Footnote 2)
        
        9. Thomas Parker of Alkincoats, J.P. and D.L., born 20 Apr 1754, married 4 May 1778, died 27 Apr 1819.
        
        +    Betty, only dau and heiress of Edward Parker of Newton Hall, Yorkshire, by his wife Elizabeth, who was dau and heiress of John Goulbourne of Manchester. She died on 8 Nov 1808.   They had:
        
        10.   Robert Parker, born 3 Feb 1780, died died 7 June 1789.
        
        10.   Thomas Parker of Alkincoats and Newton Hall formerly Capt. in the Royal Horse Guards Blue, J.P. and D.L. who purchased the estate of Browsholme in 1820 from his cousin, Thomas Lister Parker, and died without issue 22 Apr 1832. and was succeeded by his brother Edward.
        
        +     Mary dau of William Molyneux of Liverpool, on 6 May 1824. She died 22 May 1838.
        
        10.   Edward Parker formerly of Selby in Yorkshire, solicitor, succeeded to Browsholme and Alkincoats, succeeded his brother. He was J.P. and D.L. born 18 July 1786, married 4 July 1816 and died 22 May 1865.
        
        + Ellen only child of Ambrose William Barcroft of Noyna, near Colne, Lancashire, the direct heir of the Barcrofts of Barcroft and by her, who died 10 July 1866, had issue.
        
        11. Ambrose Barcourt Parker, Capt. 64th Regiment of Foot, born 13 April 1817, J.P. and D.L. died unmarried 5 Jan 1850.
        
        11. Thomas Goulburne Parker of Browsholme and Newton in Yorkshire and Alkincoats, Colne in Lancashire, who was alive at the time of Burke's Landed Gentry in 1879 and of the 2nd Edition of Whitaker's History of Whalley. He was M.A. of Lincoln's Inn and Middle Temple, barrister-at-law, a J.P. and D.L. for West Riding and also J.P. for Lancashire and Hon. Lieut.-Col. 5th Royal Lancashire Militia. Born 4 August 1818, married 28 Nov 1845.
        
        + Mary Ann, eldest dau and co-heiress of John Francis Carr of Carr Lodge, Horbury, Yorkshire and had issue:
        
        12. Edward Parker, born 10 Sept 1846
        
        12. John William Robinson Parker, born 6 Oct 1857.
        
        12. Thomas Goulburne Parker, born 27 Dec 1859
        
        12. Ellen Parker, wife of Malcolm Nugent Ross Davenport, Capt. 5th Lancashire Militia and grandson of Rear Admiral Sir Salusbury Davenport, K.C.H., C.B. of Bramall Hall in Cheshire.
        
        12. Mary Barbara Beatrix Parker
        
        12. Alice Isabel Parker
        
        12. Margaret Anne Parker
        
        12. Harriet Maria Parker, deceased by 1879
        
        11. Edward Parker, MA, St. Peter's College, Cambridge, incumbent of Waddington, succeeded to Newton Hall with his brother, Robert John. He was born 14 November 1821 and married 24 Oct 1850. .
        
        + Catherine dau of James Neville of Beardwood, Lancashire and had six sons and five daughters.
        
        11. Robert John Parker of Selby in Yorkshire, born 13 Jan 1823, solicitor.
        
        11. William Barcroft Parker, born 25 Feb 1825 and died 1 Dec 1830
        
        11. James William Parker, died 18 Sept 1832
        
        11. Septimus Parker, died 12 July 1836
        
        11. Elizabeth Agatha Parker (See footnote 3 )
        
        11. Ellen Barcroft Parker, married Duncan Campbell, Lieut.-Col. at one time Major in 90th Light Infantry and had issue. Ellen died 11 Nov 1865.
        
        11. Barbara Phoebe Parker, married Nicholas England of Southfield House, Lancashire and had issue.
        
        11. Mary Martha Parker, died 20 Dec 1833.
        
        10.   Robert Parker, the second of that name, Lieut. in 76th Regiment died unmarried at Walcheren, 2 Sept 1809.
        
        10.   John Parker, born 29 March 1791, married 29 Nov 1821 and died 4 Jan 1830.
        
        +      Ann Edmondson of Coates Hall, Yorkshire. She died 2 Sept 1851. They had issue:
        
        11. Thomas Parker of the Heaning near Newton in Bolland, born 9 Nov 1826
        
        11. Richard Parker, died unmarried, 14 Feb 1856
        
        11   Elizabeth Parker, married 30 Dec 1856 to Rixon Ellingthorpe of Shorrock Hey near Blackburn and died 1869b without issue.
        
        10. Elizabeth Parker, married Capt. John Atherton, and died 14 Feb 1842
        
        10. Ellen Parker died 19 Dec 1802.
      - 5. Robert Parker (2nd son of Edward Parker and Mary Sunderland) of Carlton in Craven and Marley Hall, bapt at Waddington 23 June 1633 and still living in 1695.
      - + Jane, dau of William Rookes of Eshold, Yorkshire, living in 1720
      - 5. Edward Parker of Gray's Inn, barrister-at-law, bapt Waddington 1 May 1636, living 1669
      - + Anne, dau of John Boteler of Kirkland, Lancashire and had three sons.
      - 5. Richard Parker, bapt Waddington 14 Nov 1637, died 15 June 1639
      - 5. Roger Parker, bapt Waddington 20 Jan 1638, married and had issue.
      - 5. Mary Parker, born 17 May 1641
      - + Thomas Heber of Hollinghall, Yorkshire and had issue.
    - 4. Roger Parker, 4th son (of Thomas Parker and Bridget Tempest) M.A. born 30 Oct 1603.
    - 4. Richard Parker, 5th son, born 28 Jan 1604, died without issue.
    - 4. William Parker, 6th son, M.A. rector of Tetford in Lincolnshire, born 28 May 1608.
    - 4. Nicholas Parker of Wirksworth in Derbyshire, born 20 Sept 1610.
    - 4. Elizabeth Parker, born 6 Jan 1592
    - 4. Jennet Parker, born 3 Feb 1593, married Aug 1612
    - + Richard Carryer of Wirksworth, Derbyshire, sometime fellow of St. John's, Cambridge
      - 5. Robert Carryer who married Elizabeth ? and had a daughter, Jennet Carryer, who married her second cousin Sir Thomas Parker, Lord Chief Justice, see below.
    - 4. George Parker of Park Hall, Staffordshire
    - + Grace, dau of Hugh Bateman of Hartington, Derbyshire
      - 5. William Parker, heir, 41 in 1663, married his cousin Bridget Carryer, see below, and had issue George Parker of Parkhill, Staffordshire.
      - 5. Thomas Parker, 2nd son
      - + Ann dau of Robert Venables of Antrobus in Cheshire
        
        6. Sir Thomas Parker, Earl of Macclesfield, Lord Chief Justice, who married his second cousin Jennet Carryer, see above and had issue.
    - 4. Elizabeth Parker, born 2 Aug 1595 married twice but had no issue from her first husband, Henry Slinger of Catlow who died 20 Aug 1612.
    - + 2nd husband, James Carryer of Helpstone, Northamptonshire,
      - 5. Bridget Carryer, married her cousin William Parker, son of George Parker, see above.
    - 4. Jane Parker, born 28 Nov 1596 and died April 1597
    - 4. Anne Parker, born 8 Oct 1606 and married 14 Feb 1624.
    - + Captain Thomas Whittingham, a royalist slain at the Battle of Newbury, 1643, in the Civil War
  - 3. Roger Parker, D.D., for 14 years Precentor of Lincoln and Dean of Lincoln from 13 Dec 1613, died 29 Aug 1629 aged 71, MI at Lincoln. He married but no children are recorded.
  - 3. William Parker of Blisland and Wallington in Cornwall, D.D., Archdeacon of Cornwall, buried at Warleggan in 1631. He married and had two sons, James and William.

Footnote 1.

Beatrix Lister of Gisburn Park was descended from Edward I through his daughter Elizabeth, who married Humphrey Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex. The descent is shown in detail in Whitaker and goes through the female line on several occasions. The tree involves an Earl of Northampton, an Earl of Arundel, Thomas Lord Stanley, Sir John Savage of Clifton in Cheshire, Thomas Legh of Adlington in Cheshire and then the Hulton family, who, after several generations, had a daughter Beatrix Hulton who married Thomas Lister of Gisburn and had a daughter Beatrix Lister.

Footnote 2.

Information from John Parker-Toulson

John Parker assumed the surname TOULSON in 1789 on condition of an inheritance from his second cousin; Jane Walton; widow of Banastre Walton of Marsden Hall, and sole heiress of George Toulson and Elizabeth Toulson (nee Parker; she was sister of John Parker of Browsholme 1694-1754).

Footnote 3.

I have had correspondence with Jane Simpson who has been doing research into the ownership of a property. She has obtained a death certificate for an Elizabeth Agatha Parker who died aged 82 on the 10th February 1903 at Quintcliffe House in Ripon. (Jane wonders if this is a misinterpretation of Whitcliffe Lodge.) The death was in the Ripon Registration District. Elizabeth is described as of independent means. There is no indication on the certificate that the lady in question was a spinster, a widow or a married woman. The informant was Annie Fothergill, present at the death and she is not stated to be a relative.From this information Elizabeth was born about 1820/1821 according to whether she as just 82 or nearly 83.

The parents were married in 1816 and they had Ambrose in April 1817, Thomas in August 1818 and Edward in November 1821. There were only 16 months between the first two so there is room 17 months later for Elizabeth Agatha in say March 1820, leaving another 17 months before Edward in November 1821. So it is just possible that the Elizabeth Agatha Parker reported in this death certificate is the one in the tree. She would have to be born about March 1820.

Sources:

An History of the Original Parish of Whalley by Dr. Thomas Dunham Whitaker, 1st edition, 1801, 4th edition, revised and enlarged by John Gough Nichols and Revd: Ponsonby A. Lyons, 1872.
Burke's Landed Gentry, 6th edition of 1879, volume II, page 1516.

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