PARKE FAMILY GENEALOGY, by FS Parks, page 25.
born in Preston EN in 1580. He was a personal friend of John Winthrop. He was a man of means. He did not come to the new world through dire necessity or to better his condition, but rather through a desire to have more religious liberty.
He and his family sailed from Cowes, Isle of Wight, for America, on board the "Arabella", with seventy-six passengers, March 29, 1630, and landed in Boston MA, June 17, 1630, making the voyage in seventy-eight days. He lived for a time at Roxbury MA.
In 1639 he, with his son Thomas, went through the wilderness to Wethersfield CT, with the first settlers there. He resided at Wethersfield CT with the first settlers there.
He was a resident of the town plot of New London for about six years, and then moved to lands which he owned on the Mystic River.
He died in Mystic aged 84 years. His grave is in the White Hall graveyard, at White Hall, Mystic CT. His house was east of the present road and southeast of the burial ground, and stood just south of a small knoll, somewhat rocky.
SWAMP YANKEE, by James Allyn, page 10.
Came from Little Preston in Northamptonshire. His wife was Martha Chapen (Chapin), daughter of Capt. Robert Chapen of Edmundsbury. With their son Thomas Parke they sailed from Cowes in 1630 aboard the Arbella to Salem with John Winthrop. Soon after they moved to Roxbury to join the friends from home. In 1640 the Parke family moved to Wethersfield, and in 1649 to New London to rejoin the Denisons at the new settlement. Robert Park was one of the first to settle the Groton side of Mystic in 1654, and later the town of Preston east of Norwich.
ANCESTORS OF ALDEN SMITH SWAN AND HIS WIFE MARY ALTHEA FARWELL, by Josephine C.
Frost, The Hills Press, New York, MCMXXIII, page 157.
Robert Park, the first of the name who appeared in this country, came from Preston, Lancashire, England. He sailed from Cowes, Isle of Wright, in the ship "Arabella", March 29, 1630, anad landed at Salem, Mass., June 12, and at Boston, June 17.
He with his son Thomas settled in Wethersfield, CT, in 1640, and he was made Deputy to the General Court from that place in 1641 and 1642. In 1649 he removed to New London, where he resided for six years, and his new barn, which stood on what is now the corner of Hempstead and Granite Streets, was used as the first house of worship in the new town and the call to service was by the beat of drum. He finally settled at Mystic in Stonington and was one of the men appointed by the General Court of MA to an official position, in the organization of the town of Southertown (Stonington) in 1658.
His will was probated in March, 1665. He married Martha, daughter of Capt.
Robert Chaplin, in Edmundsbury, England and she died before 1660, and he married second, Mrs Alice Thompson, the mother of the wife of his son Thomas.
Sources: Park Society; History of the Town of Stonington by Wheeler; The New England Ancestry of HRH the Princess of Wales" by Gary Boyd Roberts and William A. Reitwiesner; NEHGR, April 1972; The Ancestors and Descendants of Horace Thaddeus Perkins 1812-1951 on Film 1,036,644; A. Roots 29A; Boston Evening Transcript; History of New London, Conn., by Frances Manwaring Caulkins; The First Church of Christ in New London, 974.65/N2, K2l; American Ancestors and Cousins of the Princess of Wales (Diana) by Gary Boyd Roberts and William Addams Reitwiesner; The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 by Charles Edward Banks; Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England; TAG 16/16; Saturday's Children--A History of the Babcock Family in America by C. Merton Babcock; Potter-Richardson Memorial; Saturday's Children, A History of the Babcock Family in America; Founders of Early American Families; The Great Migration Begins, v3, pages 1389 and 1390; Magna Charta Sureties 163-10.
Dictionary: Robert Parke of Preston Parish, Lancashire, England; went to
Wethersfield, Conn.
Migrations: William Parke, son of Robert and Martha Chaplin Parke, was
baptized in Semer, Suffolk, 21 April 1607, so the Parkes apparently resided
there at that time. Page 1390 says only that Robert followed William to
New England, arriving by 1639. Evidence that Robert Parke was in New England as early as 1630 seems quite slight. [Founders of Early American Families says he came to New England in 1630 and returned to England.]
C.M. Babcock: Robert Parke was a personal friend of Gov. John Winthrop.
He located in Wethersfield, CT, and, after 1647, at New London, where his barn served as the first meetinghouse.
Wheeler: "Robert Park(e), the first of the name who appeared in this
country, came from Preston, Lancashire, England; sailed from Cowes, Isle of Wight, in the ship Arbella, March 29, 1630, and landed in Salem, Mass., June 12, and at Boston June 17, 1630, with 76 passengers all told. He settled with his son, Thomas, in Wethersfield, Conn., in 1640, and was Deputy to the General Court in 1641-42. He removed to Pequot, now New London, in 1649, where he resided six years, and his new barn, which stood on the corner of Hempstead and Granite streets, was used as the first house of worship in the new town, and the call to service was by the beat of a drum. He finally settled at Mystic in Stonington, as he was one of the men appointed by the General Court of Massachusetts to an official position, in the organization of the town of Southertown in 1658." He also served in the Colonial wars. His will was probated in March 1665.
Founders: Robert Parke. Came on the "Arbella" 1630. Salem, MA. Returned
to England. Wethersfield 1639. New London 1649. Mystic 1658. Died there
4 Feb. 1664/5. Deputy. Gentleman.
Roberts/Reitwiesner: Among Robert Parke's descendants are Bess Wallace, wife of Harry S Truman, presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey, jurist John Marshall Harlan II.
BET: Sir Robert Parke, born 1580, died 11 Feb. 1644. Married 9 Feb. 1601.
Roberts/Reitwiesner: Immigrant in the Winthrop Fleet, soon thereafter in
Roxbury, MA; in Wethersfield, Conn., 1639; in New London 1649; in
Stonington 1658. Baptized 3 June 1580 Postingford, Suffolk, (with St. Marys
[Parish?] added info from Prodigy researcher). Died Mystic (Stonington),
Conn., 14 March 1664/1665 (actually the day his will was proved. See above and below). Married Martha Chaplin, 9 Feb. 1601/2, Semer, Suffolk, England.
Record of General Court of MA, dated 30 May 1644, says, "That he may proceed in marriage with Alice Thompson without further delay." He was almost 64 at the time.
Winthrop: Probably from Bures, co. Suffolk, or vicinity. Born about 1585.
Came on Arbella. May have been related to Edward Parke, who called Winthrop
"cousin." Married (1) Martha Chaplin. She and son Thomas Parke accompanied him.
Caulkins: His will is on the town book, dated 14 May 1660. Proved in March
1664/5. It names William, Samuel and Thomas. He was in Wethersfield in 1640 and made a freeman of CT Colony in April 1640 and deputy to the General Court in September 1641 and September 1642. Moved to Pequot in 1649; resided in the town plot about six years and then "established himself on the banks of the Mystic."
First Church: Worship in Rev. Richard Blinman's First Church of Christ in New London was first held in Robert Parke's barn 1651-1655. The barn was located on the southwest corner of Hempstead and Granite streets.
TAG: Will of Robert Park of Mistick (sic) "neere New London." Dated 14 May
1660, proved 14 March 1664/5. Names William, eldest son, executor, "all houses and lands at Mistick on boath Sides of the Riuer (170 acres);" Son Samuel, 50 pounds "in case he shall first Come and Demand the Same in Roxburyh, Mass., within 7 years next;" "Thomas Parke or any of his children at choice of my Executor, one-third of my estate in lands or good pay."
Memorial: Robert Parke, born about 1580 in Bures, Suffolk, England, married (1) at Semer, Suffolk, 9 Feb. 1601/02 Martha Chapin, (2) 30 May 1644 at Roxbury, MA, Alice (Freeman) Thompson, widow of John Thompson of Preston,
Northamptonshire. In 1649 They were living in New London and removed to
Stonington, CT, where Robert bought 2,000 acres from Winthrop and was the 13th signer of the Covenant. He died 4 Feb. 1664/5 in Stonington and is said to be buried in Whitehall Cemetery, Mystic.
Saturday's Children: Robert Parke sailed on the Arbella in 1630 for New
England. His destination was Wethersfield, Conn. His point of origin was
Lincolnshire. [This corrupted from Lancashire along the way?]
Ship Passengers, National and New England (973, W3s): Robert Parke,
secretary to Gov. Winthrop, sailed 1630 on the Arbella, with wife Martha and
three children. Page 139.
Sureties: Robert Parke, married Alice Freeman before 30 May 1644 at Roxbury, Mass.