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 should be modernised in sympathy with a progressive policy at the universities. He also sat on the commission for military education in 1869, and advocated the linking up of the public schools with Sandhurst and Woolwich, so as to ensure a broad general culture before technical and professional training. Again, as a member of the Scotch educational endowments commission in 1872, he argued persistently that the benefits of endowments should go 'not to the most necessitous of those fairly fitted intellectually, but to the most fit among those who were fairly necessitous.' His views greatly stimulated the development of secondary education in Scotland. He wished the Scotch elementary schools to form a 'ladder' to the University, and he sought to protect them from the evil system of 'payment by results.' He was in 1887 chairman of a departmental committee on higher education in the elementary schools of Scotland, and the report which he drew up with Sir Henry Craik in 1888 gave practical effect to his wise proposals.

Parker, whose wide interests embraced a precise study of scientific hypotheses, engaged in his later years in biographical work of historical importance. In 1891 he brought out the first volume of a 'Life of Sir Robert Peel' from his private correspondence, which was completed in 3 vols, in 1899. In 1907 there followed 'The Life and Letters of Sir James Graham' (2 vols.). He allowed the subjects of his biographies to tell their story in their own words as far as possible. Parker, who was elected honorary fellow of University College in 1899, was made hon. LL.D. of Glasgow and hon. D.C.L. of Oxford in 1908. In 1907 he was admitted to the privy council. His last public act was to attend the council in May 1910 on the death of King Edward VII and sign the proclamation of King George V.

Parker died unmarried at his London residence, 32 Old Queen Street, Westminster, on 18 June 1910, and was buried at Fairlie. His portrait was painted by Sir Hubert von Herkomer. He bequeathed 5000l. to University College, where two Parker scholarships for modern history have been established.

 PARKER, JOSEPH (1830–1902), congregationalist divine, born at Hexham on 9 April 1830, was the only son of Teasdale Parker, a stonemason, and deacon of the congregational church, by his wife Elizabeth Dodd. His education at three local schools was interrupted at fourteen with a view to his following the building trade under his father; he soon went back to school, and became teacher of various subjects, including Latin and Greek. Though he taught in the congregational Sunday school, he joined the Wesleyan body, to which his parents had for a time seceded. This led to his becoming a local preacher; his first sermon was in June 1848. The family returned to Congregationalism in 1852, and Parker, having obtained a preaching engagement from (1794–1867) [q. v.], of the Moorfields Tabernacle, left for London on 8 April 1852. While in London, Campbell gave him nine months' sermon drill, and he attended the lectures of [q. v.] at University College. Soon becoming known as a preacher of original gifts, he was called to Banbury (salary 120l.), and ordained there on 8 Nov. 1853. His Banbury ministry of four years and eight months was marked by the building of a larger chapel, a public discussion on secularism with [q. v. Suppl. II], and the winning of the second prize (75l.) in a Glasgow prize essay competition on the 'Support of the Ordinances of the Gospel.' In 1858 he was called to Cavendish Chapel, Manchester, in succession to [q. v.]. He declined to leave Banbury till the debt (700l.) on his new chapel there was discharged. The Manchester congregation cleared off this, along with a debt (200l.) on their own chapel. Parker accepted their call in a letter (10 June 1858) stipulating for 'the most perfect freedom of action,' and maintaining that ’the office of deacon is purely secular.' He began his Manchester ministry on 25 July 1858, and for eleven years made himself as a preacher a power in that city, while exercising a wider influence through his literary labours.

In 1862 he received the degree of D.D. from Chicago University, but he first visited America in 1873. In 1867 he was made chairman of the Lancashire congregational union. Rejecting in 1868, he accepted in 1869, a call to the Poultry Chapel, London, in succession to James Spence, D.D. (1811–76). He rapidly filled an empty chapel, instituted the Thursday noon-day service, and conducted for three years an 'institute of homiletics' for the gratuitous instruction of young students in the art of preaching. He had come to London on condition of a removal of the congregation from the Poultry to a