What might this say? Can you fill in the blanks?

[bwarnerok]

here is the will for Captain William Parker, 1793.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd132/ohmymy40/captparker1.jpg

This is page 1 of 2 and page 2 really doesn't say much more except for it gives the guardianship of his 2 children, Charles William and Mary Elizabeth to his uncle Reverend William Parker of St. James, Westminster and the Rev's wife, Mary. I've no idea how old Capt. Parker is when he dies, or what he died of.

On this first page, I'm trying to figure out is there is yet another name that might help me. It looks like it might be Mr. parnister or Barrister? I read this that Captain Parker is leaving 200 hundred pounds to Rev Parker "who will be pleased to pay it to Mr. ________ who with great benelovence of mind ___ gratiously complied to advance that sum to my son..."

it's possible that Charles William was at Westminster school at this time and maybe this man has something to do with that? (Charles didn't live much longer -- he was of a "wild disposition" and apparently being raised by the minister didn't help him one bit).

Then a bit later I believe this gratious benefactor is mentioned again?

"...and I express my most friendly sentiments to Mr. ______________ for his ____ findings in _____. And...."


Hoping with this stab in the dark it might help me figure out who the mother of Capt Parker's children were, or where/when they were born and who Capt Parker's parents might have been.

Thank you.
Betsy

[Astoria]

Looks like Dr. Penniston for his tender findings.

[pipsqueak]

Mr Penniston.... tender kindness.....

[Astoria]

cont.

.......in so doing. And I request my executor to give my watch chain and Scals (scales?) to my son Charles William Parker

[bwarnerok]

What in the world could this Penniston man have found that was so tender?

[Astoria]

Another word for discretion perhaps.

[Colin Moretti]

Mr Penniston

... watch chain and seals ...

Colin

[bwarnerok]

I can't find where a Penniston was ever headmaster at Westminster (that would've been TOO easy). But why he's the go between from to son Charles makes you think he's somewhat tied to the child. And where is the mother to these children?

Perhaps this Penniston was a medical Dr. who diagnosed Parker, which would help with the 'tender findings" but doesn't explain why he's the one to hand over 200 pounds to the kid.

I think that maybe it's the SEAL not scales that he is leaving to the son - that would make more sense.

-b-

[bwarnerok]

well so much for auras... I think the glorious beacon of light has outshone us all. :-)

[Astoria]

Looking again I agree with Colin on the seals, would they have been of huge importance at that time.

[Colin Moretti]

... to merit the rare and tenderness (probably it should be tenderest - the is the office copy of the will so it's been transcribed from the original) attention of his excellent and benevolent Great uncle the before named Doctor William ...


... my kind uncle the before named Doctor William Parker to be applied ..

Colin

[Astoria]

? as a testimony to my .................. and regard for him.
What does that bit say?

[Colin Moretti]

... testimony of my Remembrance and regard ...

[pipsqueak]

It's tender KINDNESS not findings... (as I said :D )

[Colin Moretti]

It's tender KINDNESS not findings... (as I said :D )

Agreed

Colin

[bwarnerok]

Ok.. I see the tender kindness but what is the next word. Tender Kindness in ______. Saving? Seeding? Reading? Serving?

Thank goodness it's in English. :-(

[pipsqueak]

kindness in so doing

[bwarnerok]

Okay. Well.. now we know he's grateful to this Penniston guy (whoever he is) for his tender kindness (of which we don't know what he did that was so kind).

Sure wish there was some sort of helpful clue in this long winded thank you note. :-(

[pipsqueak]

I William Parker, Captain is his Majesty's Corps of Royal Engineers do by this my Will give unto my much revered and esteemed uncle the Reverend WIlliam Parker ?? Rector of the Parish of Saint James Westminster the sum of two-hundred pounds requesting that he will be pleased to pay it to Mr Penniston who with great benevolence of mind he graciously complied to advance that sum to my Son Charles William Parker a Minor on his anxious though improvident request and I express my most friendly sentiments for his tender kindness in so doing. And I request my Executor will be pleased if he thinks fit to give my watch, chain and Seals to my Son Charles William Parker as a testimony of my Remembrance and Regard for him, and the best provision which it is in my power to present in ..... to my dear son is to recommend him most earnestly to exert his dutiful attention and Endeavours to merit the rare and tenderness of his excellent and benevolent Great-Uncle the before named Doctor WIlliam parker and of his amiable Lady Mrs Mary Parker, his wife who to my family have been most attentive and bountiful benefactors. All the rest of my personal estate and effects whatsoever I fully bequeath to my kind uncle the before named William Parker In Trust for my only daughter, Mary Elizabeth Parker to be applied for her use and benefit in such manner as he shall think fit and I appoint the same Doctor William parker Sole Executor of thie my Will. And I give and devise the Custody Management and Guardianship of my two Children - Mary Elizabeth Parker and Charles William Parker.

[Astoria]

Sounds like the son was helped out of a tight fix at some point to the tune of £200 pounds, a vast amount in those days, I should think.

[bwarnerok]

My notes on Charles William Parker say, "Attended Westminster and died at an early age.

From 'The List of the Queen's Scholars of St. peter's College, Westminster"
entry reads - who was of a wild dispostion"

So somewhere I have read an entry to this book for Charles William Parker and it seems that somewhere along the line I'd seen where he died although I don't have a death date listed for him so it must've been in an obit or bio for the Rev Parker or his wife or the sister.

For some reason I think he might've died in a carriage accident and he was racing although who knows.. that could've been some romance novel I was reading.

[Colin Moretti]

Back after learning a little about the medieval suburbs of Winchester.


Reverend WIlliam Parker ?? Rector of the Parish of Saint James .. Parker D D Rector ... [probably Doctor of Divinity]

before named William Parker In Trust for should be before named Doctor William Parker In Trust for
present in ..... to my dear son Could this be present in vivo[?] to my dear son?

Colin

[Geoffers]

Could this be present in vivo[?] to my dear son?

present in View

[Colin Moretti]

Of course, Geoffers, thanks.

Presumably since Uncle William was to be executor and Charles William was a minor Captain William was still a relatively young man; I would guess that daughter Mary was also a minor since Uncle William had "... custody management and guardianship" of her too. No mention of Mrs Captain William - was she dead?

What sort of period was there between the date of the will and the grant of probate? If it was short it would probably indicate that he was at death's door.

Colin

[bwarnerok]

Here is the last page of the Will in case you think it might be helpful in some way. http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd132/ohmymy40/captparker2.jpg

Will was written in April of 1793 and probated in July of 1793. I imagine he was not just at death's door, but most likely already had one foot in it.

I have no idea who Captain Parker's wife was but I think she might have been Catholic only because of googling and finding some Catholic reference in Google books that I couldn't get into, but certainly sounded like a Catholic thing. I'm assuming she was dead by 1793 but who knows -- she never seems to reappear as there is never any mention of her in later family docs or wills.

We know that Captain Parker was the eldest of Rev. Parker's nephews but I'm not certain as to who his father was... Joseph, Samuel or Thomas are the options I have as the brothers of Rev parker.
Rev William Parker was born abt1714
Samuel Parker abt 1716
joseph parker abt 1717
Thomas Parker abt 1719
All of these are the children of Moses Parker and Hannah Lovett and all are Baptised at St. Michael, Coventry, Warwickshire.

We know that Rev. Parker was at St. James Westminster from about 1767 until his death in 1802 so chances are if Captain William was born after 1767, then he should have been baptised at his uncle's church.

If we cannot find his marriage or Charles William or Mary Elizabeth in the records of St. James Westminster.. possibly it's because the mother was Catholic.

I know that Captain Parker was with the Royal Engineers and one item I saw states he was a governor of the Isle of Man however I have never found a Governor listed there with his name.

In "The List of the Queen's Scholars of St. peter's College, Westminster" it says that Charles William would have entered the college in 1794/5 at the age of 15 (followed by the letters Abiit of which I haven't a clue what that means). Another accounting states that he actually completed school and had enlisted in the army -- but I've not found anything to prove that. But I'm just guessing that Charles William was born about 1779/80.

I know Captain parker was buried at St James Westminster (not the main church but at the alternative burial place they had) as was mary Elizabeth when she died decades later.

Are there any good films on deathsburials/monuments at St. James Westminster? I think Rev Parker most likely married and buried nearly all of them in his 30+ years and possibly the ones I need did not make the IGI.

I have the Will for the Rev as well as his wife, and other family members. All want to leave money for poor Mary Elizabeth (even decades later) although poor Mary Elizabeth did very well for herself! But Charles William and whoever the mother was are not ever mentioned.

-b-

[Colin Moretti]

...
I have no idea who Captain Parker's wife was but I think she might have been Catholic only because of googling and finding some Catholic reference in Google books that I couldn't get into, but certainly sounded like a Catholic thing...That might have been a problem, particularly as Uncle William was a CoE clergyman; although there was some relaxation on the restrictions on Catholics at that time (Catholic Relief Act, 1778) it was not universally popular (think Gordon Riots, 1780).

A good indication of whether the books are about Catholic matters would be to see if they are in the catalogue of the Catholic National Library:
http://www.catholic-library.org.uk/

Colin

[bwarnerok]

I'm still searching for the Catholic reference, however I did find an obit listing for Charles William Parker in April 1800 where it lists he has died, is a Lieutenant, and was 25 years old.
So I looked in the IGI for a birth in 1775 of a charles parker to a william... nope. :-(