Capt. Ephraim Parker 1 2 3
- Born: 18 Aug 1793, Fitzwilliam, Cheshire, NH 1 2 3
- Marriage (1): Lucy Stone on 7 Dec 1816 in Fitzwilliam, Cheshire, NH 1
- Died: 24 Oct 1880, Orange, Franklin, MA at age 87 1 2 3
- Buried: Orange: Central Cemetery, Franklin, MA 3
FamilySearch ID: LZJD-KQF.
Noted events in his life were:
1. Book: Genealogy and biographical notes of John Parker of Lexington and his descendants, 1893. 2
Capt. Ephraim Parker, son of Judge Nahum and Mary (Deeth) Parker, was b. in Fitzwilliam, N. H., Aug. 18, 1793; m. Dec. 7, 1816, Lucy, b. June 3, 1795, dau. of Capt. David and Ruth (Mellen) Stone of Fitzwilliam. He was a millwright by trade in early life, was an excellent mechanic and made many inventions, many of them were valuable and are still in existence, but like most inventors made no money out of them. He was educated at New Salem Academy in Mass., and about the time of his majority he invented the machine for making and setting card teeth, which was then mostly used for domestic use, and proved to be a very valuable thing. He built mills in what is now called New Boston (part of Winchendon), Mass. In a few years he moved to the village of Fitzwilliam, where he was deputy sheriff' for some years, also selectman, and there he worked at his trade of millwright and through that section of the country building many mills and becoming well known for his ability in this direction. He taught many apprentices the millwright trade. In 1836 or 1838 he bought a mill in Ashby, Mass., afterwards sold and moved to Ashburnham, Mass., still following the millwright business and speculating, buying and selling mill property in different places. From Ashburnham he moved to East Boston, bought a water-front and built a dry dock. From there he moved to Richmond, Va., after selling his dry dock, and bought the Woodruff patent right and started a large establishment for planing boards for building purposes. These were the first phming machines that were sent south. Later he moved his family to Rockford, 111., but after a few months returned to Massachusetts and built large mills in Orange. He sold these and bought the cotton factory in Athol, and was very instrumental in getting the Vermont and Mass. R. R. through from Fitchburg to Brattleboro, Vt., holding meetings all along the line and publicly speaking in favor of the railroad, representing the town of Athol in the General Court in Boston. He was often chosen as moderator at town meetings. He was a great Biblical scholar. He was not only a man of great energy and enterprise but an able debater on almost any subject, especially religion and politics.
In Illinois his wife died in 1852 and was buried on the bluffs of the Mississippi river at Rock Island. He removed to Marlow, N. H., where his daughter, Mrs. Benjamin Coolidge, resided. Here he made many inventions, among which was a machine for turning and boring bobbins at one automatic operation. These machines are now in very extensive use. On his daughter's death he came to visit his son, Alfred A. Parker, at Orange, and in one week he had the third paralytic shock from which he died, and was there buried. He died Oct. 24, 1880, aged 87 years and two months. He retained his faculties in a marked degree to the very last.
Ephraim Parker was captain of a State Military Company at Fitz William, N. H., and hence was known as Capt. Ephraim Parker through life. He was something of a lawyer, a prominent Anti-Slavery man and Washingtonian, and president of the society. He was called a man of marked ability, always living ahead of the times.
Their children were : Julia Selina Parker, b. in Fitzwilliam, N. H. ; m. Benjamin Coolidge (merchant), Dec. 23, 1842. She d. Oct. 7, 1S80, in Marlow, N. H., at age of 62. leaving no children.
249. Alfred A. Parker, b. in New Boston (part of Winchendon), Mass., in 1823; m. March 30, 1857, Frances A. Whipple of Orange.
250. Edward Nelson Parker, b, in New Boston, in 1826 ; m. Miss Lackland of St. Louis, Mo. He d. i883[?], in Missouri.
251. Charles Adams Parker, b. in Fitzwilliam, N. H., in 1833.
252. Horace Milton Parker, b. in Fitzwilliam, N. H., in 1835.
253. Eliza Ann Parker, b. in Fitzwilliam, N. H., in 1838; m. Lucas C. Topping.
254. Janette Frances Parker, b. in Ashby, Mass., in 1840; m. Marshall Thayer of Springfield.
Ephraim married Lucy Stone on 7 Dec 1816 in Fitzwilliam, Cheshire, NH.1 (Lucy Stone was born on 3 Jun 1795 in Fitzwilliam, Cheshire, NH,1 2 4 died in 1852 in Rock Island, Rock Island, IL 1 2 4 and was buried in Rock Island, Rock Island, IL.)
|