Dr. Roger PARKE, I

Bef 1648 - 1737  (> 89 years)

• Name	Roger PARKE
  Title	Dr.
  Suffix	I
  Birth	Bef 25 Jun 1648	Lancashire, England
  Christening	25 Jun 1648	Priory Church, Cartmel, Lancashire, England
  Gender	Male
  Immigration	Abt 1682	NJ
  Death	5 Nov 1737	Hopewell, Hunterdon [now Mercer] County, NJ
  Burial	Parke-Larison Cemetery (Defunct), Hopewell, Mercer County, NJ
  Notes	(1) England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975: Name: Roger Parke Gender: Male Christening Date: 25 Jun 1648 Christening Place: Priory Church, Cartmel, Lancashire, England Father's Name: Allan Parke (2) Before leaving England for New Jersey, "Roger Parke of Hexham, county of Northumberland, England, yeoman," purchased 200 acres of land, to be laid out in "West Jersey," pursuant to a deed dated May 24-25, 1682, from Edward Bylinge. (More than four years later, after he had settled in New Jersey, "Roger Parke, late of Hexham, now of Crosswicks Creek," sold that land to John Watkins of Middlehook pursuant to a deed dated November 11, 1686.) See Ege, Ralph, Pioneers of Old Hopewell, Hopewell, NJ: Race & Savidge, 1908, p. 188. (3) Also, before leaving England for New Jersey, Roger Parke received from the Quaker meeting in Allendale, Northumberland, England, a certificate of removal dated "the eleventh day of the fowerth month, 1682" (i.e., June 11, 1682). See U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database online], Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, p. 24. (4) The compiler has not found the name of Roger Parke on any list of passengers arriving in New Jersey from England. (5) Ege, Ralph, Pioneers of Old Hopewell, Hopewell, NJ: Race & Savidge, 1908, p. 15: In the year 1691, Dr. Daniel Coxe transferred the right of government of West Jersey to a company of proprietaries called "The West Jersey Society of England," for a valuable consideration. This society appointed Thomas Revell their agent, and he claimed the right to sell lands and give deeds for the same in the name of the society. Great inducements were held out to the New England and Long Island settlers as well as to those of the older portions of this state, to avail themselves of the cheap and fertile lands of the thirty thousand acre tract, and scores of them were induced to come and settle, only to find that after they had subdued the wilderness and established their homes, that their titles were utterly worthless. (6) Ege, Ralph, Pioneers of Old Hopewell, Hopewell, NJ: Race & Savidge, 1908, pp. 50 fn., 189: Roger Parke of "Crosswicks Creek, formerly of Nottingham, England," purchased in April, 1697, 400 acres of land of Thomas Revel[l], agent for the New Jersey Society. The survey is described by Mr. Revel[l] as beginning at a white oak tree on the north side of Stony Brook at Wissamenson, and at the same time another tract of 100 acres adjoining Thomas Tindal, for his daughter, Annie Parke. . . . On June 16, 1699, "John Parke of Parkesberry," in the County of Burlington, purchased of Thomas Revell, agent for the West Jersey Society, 300 acres adjoining his father on the north. If his tract exceeded the number of acres specified in his deed as much in proportion as the tracts surveyed for his father and sister, the Parke family had fully 1000 acres lying in one body, between Stony Brook and the mountain (or "Rocks," as the mountain was then known). . . . (7) Ege, Ralph, Pioneers of Old Hopewell, Hopewell, NJ: Race & Savidge, 1908, pp. 182-185: . . . Doctor Roger Parke, . . . so far as known, was the first white settler within the present limits of Hopewell Township. There is a singular fascination about every scrap of tradition concerning this old pioneer, who settled on the farm now occupied by Mr. C. E. Voorhees, two miles west of Hopewell Borough, his farm two hundred years ago including several of those now adjoining Mr. Voorhees. It is an old tradition that when he first settled there, the Red men of the forest still had their wigwams, and held their Powwows, on the banks of Stony Brook at that point; and that the dusky maidens admired their beauty as reflected in the crystal waters of the stream, while the young braves reclined on its green banks, under the grand old trees which were still standing within the memory of the writer [Ralph Ege], and were the beauty and glory of the romantic old homestead. This spot was the birthplace of the writer, and in his boyhood it was one of the traditions of the place that the old Indian medicine men had taught Doctor Parke their mysterious arts of healing, and that the herbs and plants which flourished in such great variety all about the place, had, many of them, been planted by him and their leaves, blossoms, barks and roots, used in his practice. Occasional reference to Doctor Parke, made by the old people of the neighborhood, awakened an intense desire to know more of this traditional old doctor, of whom the "oldest inhabitant" seemed to know so little, and who had his residence there, years before the birth of the writer's great great grandfather. To my youthful imagination, the man who had the courage to live among a barbarous and savage race, whose cruelty and treachery were proverbial, was an immortal hero, and deserved a more imposing monument than the rough sand stone in the old family graveyard, which bore the simple and very vague inscription, "R. P. 1755, A. 91." One of my earliest recollections was of the old garden, which occupied a part of the same spot as at the present, a considerable space of which was, at that time, devoted to beds of herbs, both annual and perennial, some of which bore large showy flowers, while others were very insignificant, proving that they had been planted for use, rather than beauty. The dilapidated old fences were overgrown with a thicket of vines and shrubbery, which also had their uses in the old doctor's time; but in the writer's boyhood, was a favorite summer resort for the robins and catbirds, whose happy voices blended very harmoniously in the early morning, but created a frightful discord later in the day, as they spitefully snarled and scolded over the right of possession to the old garden. Some of the herbs in this garden were not native to this locality, but had been brought from other states and transplanted, on account of their valuable medicinal properties; and the old Larison family, who were descended from Dr. Parke, and succeeded him on the homestead, were familiar with their uses, and had carefully guarded them while they remained on the farm. A few years after the old farm came into the possession of the father of the writer, the old house which had sheltered Doctor Parke and at least three generations of his descendants in the Parke-Larison line, was taken down, and a new house erected near the site. The old garden was not spared in the march of improvement, for while it was in keeping with the old house and its surroundings, it was strangely out of harmony with the new order of things, and was "cleared up." While some of the herbs were transplanted to the new garden, most of them (which were called by the old people, "Old Doctor Park's Yarbs,") were consigned to the brush pile, but not to oblivion, as many of the same varieties are still found on the shelves of every up-to-date drug store in the country. After the lapse of two centuries a few still survive on the farm, to recall the memory of the famous old doctor, who had here stewed and brewed the bitter concoctions, which won for him the distinction of being the pioneer physician of old Hopewell. So far as known he was the only physician in this region for many years, and rode on horseback over these hills and mountains, when very few houses stood between the Delaware and the Millstone, and all the country to the north was still the home of the Lenni Lenape. On these long lonely rides his saddle bags were well supplied with an assortment of remedies for both external and internal treatment. It was not a prescription age, and as no drug store existed nearer than New York or Philadelphia, he carried an apothecary shop with him. He had his cere-cloth, salves, ointments, washes (or liniments), plasters and poultices, for external application; and besides these, his pills and powders, which were used on all occasions. These latter, the old doctors called their "pukes and purges," but in the more polite usage of our times, would be termed emetics and cathartics. His constant companions were the lancet and horn cup for bleeding and cupping, which were considered indispensable to the outfit of every doctor and chirurgeon of "ye olden time." It is not known whether Dr. Parke had received any medical education before emigrating to this country, but the fact that his name is not found in any of the biographies of early physicians in this state, is no proof. It is a well known fact that some of the pioneer physicians, who had a very extensive practice before the revolution, and served as surgeons in the army for a time, are not mentioned in any of the histories heretofore published. His home was a Mecca for the afflicted, who made long pilgrimages to be treated for cancers, ulcers, catarrh, rheumatism and other diseases, not too severe to admit of the patient making the journey on foot or on horseback, as we must not lose sight of the fact that in Dr. Parke's day there were no wagon roads. One of the popular modes of treatment practiced by the Indian "medicine men," and doubtless by Dr. Parke also, was the "sweating and plunging" remedy, which was invariably resorted to in obstinate cases which refused to yield to ordinary treatment. It was heroic treatment and in some instances, where the patient was low in vitality or the diagnosis of the "medicine man" was at fault, it was attended with fatal results. Yet it was said that they performed some wonderful cures, which seemed little less than miraculous. The mode of treatment was to heat a large stone red hot, and then cover it with a heavy tent of skins, tightly sewed together (such as were used by them in winter) then place the patient inside in a perfectly nude condition. The stone was then frequently wet with water until it caused the perspiration to "stand out like beads," and in this condition the patient would be hurried to the near-by brook and plunged in, only for a moment, when he was taken back in the tent or hut, and covered with skins or blankets, until the perspiration was more profuse than before, if possible. (8) Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 35, No. 2 (1911), pp. 199, 207: William Penn's Account with Samuel Jennings, Receiver General, 1690-1693: . . . 1693 . . . To Roger Parke for Cureing negro Sam £9 9s (9) Roger Parke I ceased to adhere to the Quaker religion no later than 28 February 1703, when two of his children, John and Ann, were baptized by the Episcopal minister, John Talbot. See Schuyler, Hamilton, A History of St. Michael's Church, Trenton: In the Diocese of New Jersey, From Its Foundation in the Year of Our Lord 1703 to 1926, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1926, p. 23: THE EARLIEST MINISTRATIONS Entries of Baptisms under the hand of the Rev. John Talbot Hopewell. Feb. 28. Anno Domini. Jesus Christi 1702-3. John and Ann ye children of Roger Park, baptized by Mr. John Talbot. Roger, son of Roger Park, baptized 7'br. Sept. 8, 1704. . . . The above are exact transcripts from the Parish Register of St. Mary's [Episcopal] Church, Burlington, of entries in the well-known handwriting of the Rev. John Talbot, and prove conclusively that his ministrations to church people in Hopewell go back to 1702-1703. (10) "Daniel Coxe, Jr.," from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: In 1731, . . . [Col. Daniel Coxe, Jr.] claimed that he possessed superior title to that of the West Jersey Society, via a superseding deed that his father had recorded years earlier; the courts upheld Coxe's claim. Hundreds of families were forced to repurchase their own property from Col. Coxe or be forcibly evicted. The ensuing scandal was one of many injustices that inflamed American anger against the British during the years leading up the Revolutionary War. There were lawsuits and riots; Col. Coxe was burned in effigy; but to no avail. As a result, many Hopewell residents left New Jersey, either unable to pay Col. Coxe or disgusted with the colony's rampant political corruption. One group of Hopewell expatriates settled on the Yadkin River in what was then Rowan County, North Carolina. This community, the Jersey Settlement, continued to attract new settlers from the Hopewell area for several decades. (11) Ege, Ralph, Pioneers of Old Hopewell, Hopewell, NJ: Race & Savidge, 1908, pp. 200-201: Among the Archives of the Supreme Court of this State is found the record of the famous trial between Doctor Daniel Coxe and fifty of the early settlers of Hopewell Township, who had purchased their lands of Thomas Revell, agent for the West Jersey Society. The writer has a copy of the original writ of ejectment, together with the names of those on whom it was served, dated May term of Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1733. Of the fifty, who on April 22, 1731, entered into a written agreement and solemn compact to stand by each other and test the validity of Dr. Coxe's claim to the 30,000 acre tract, embraced in old Hopewell Township, six were Parkes, Roger Sr., Roger Jr., John Sr., John Jr., Joseph and Andrew. Dr. Coxe gained the suit, and the settlers who were unwilling to pay the Coxe claim were notified to vacate. Then came the great excitement incident to ejecting the settlers from the farms which they, or their fathers, had purchased in good faith, and on which they had built dwellings, barns and fences, and spent many years in clearing and improving. At the August term of the Supreme Court, 1735, complaint was made by Mr. Murray, Attorney for Dr. Coxe, that several persons in Hopewell, had, in a "riotous and outrageous and violent manner, and by night assaulted ye persons who by virtue of his Majesties writ, were by the Sheriff of Hunterdon County, put into possession of the several houses and plantations of the persons named in the complaint." Public sentiment among the settlers at the time of this great excitement was largely in sympathy with those who resisted forcible ejectment from their homes. However it was a lost cause, and their resistance only resulted in their being heavily fined, and bound over to keep the peace. Many of the settlers made the best settlement possible with the attorney of Doctor Coxe, while others sold out their improvements to newcomers from Long Island and elsewhere, for barely enough to give them another start in the wilderness, either in Virginia, Pennsylvania or northern New Jersey. Nearly all the Parke family left Hopewell Township at that time, and their names are found among the pioneers of northern Hunterdon. (12) www.findagrave.com: Dr Roger Allan Parke, Sr Birth: Jun. 25, 1648 Death: Nov. 5, 1737 Family links: Spouse: Ann Patison Parke (1658-1731); Children: Roger Parke (1684 - 1755) Note: His Parents: Allan Parke 1606-1667, Elizabeth (1610-1669) - England Burial: Parke-Larison Cemetery (Defunct), Hopewell, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA Created by: Diane Fisher Record added: Jul 21, 2015 Find A Grave Memorial# 149607641
  Person ID	I42447	Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
  Last Modified	17 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Allan PARKE,   b. 15 Dec 1606   d. 11 Aug 1667 (Age 60 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth (PARKE)
  Family ID	F18277	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Anne PATISON,   b. 1658   d. 1731, Hopewell, Hunterdon [now Mercer] County, NJ (Age 73 years)
  Marriage	Apr 1676	Allendale Monthly Meeting, Allendale, Northumberland, England   [1]
  Children	1. Anne PARKE,   b. Abt 1676, Northumberland, England   2. John PARKE, I,   b. Abt 1677, Northumberland England d. Abt 1757, Present-Day Hampshire County, WV (Age ~ 80 years)   3. Roger PARKE, II,   b. 25 Jun 1684, Northumberland, England d. 5 Nov 1755, Hopewell, Hunterdon [now Mercer] County, NJ (Age 71 years)
  Family ID	F18276	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	17 Apr 2024

  
  

• Sources

  Details: Details: Details: Citation Text: (1) England & Wales, Quaker Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers, 1578-1837 [database online], Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013: Name: Roger Spark [Roger Parke] Event Type: Marriage Gender: Male Spouse: Ann Pateson Marriage Date: Apr 1676 Marriage Place: Allendale, England Meeting: Monthly Meeting of Allendale Piece Description: Piece 1271: Monthly Meeting of Allendale (1651-1778).