Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/218

 PAliKER

PARKER

the Congregational church at Dauby, N.Y., 1812- 27. He was agent for the Auburn Theological semiiuxr}- ; was pastor at Fabius, N.Y., 1827-32 ; at Middiefield, Mass., 1832-33 ; conducted a young women's school at Ithaca, N.Y., 1833-35, and was sent to Oregon by the First Presbyterian church, Itliaca, un- der the auspices of the A.B.C.F.M., 1835, to explore and locate missions, returning by the way of the Sandwich Islands in 1837. He lectured in the eastern states on the character of Ore- gon Territory, enlist- ed Dr. Marcus Wliit- man and other mis- sionaries to work there, and did much to set forth the value of that territory, then in strenuous dispute. He was the first missionary of the A.B.C.F.M. beyond the Rocky Mountains, and the discoverer of an easy grade for a rail- road tlirough the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific ocean. He was married first to a Miss Sears of AshHeld, Mass., and secondly, in 1815, to Jerusha Lord (1790-1857) of Sahsbury, Conn., a niece of Noah Webster. He is the author of Exploring Tour Beyond the Rocky Mountains (1838), which was republished several times, and of which a London edition was issued. He died in Ithaca, N.Y., March 24, 1866, and in 1901 a tablet to his memory was placed in the First Presbyterian Cliurch of Ithaca.

PARKER, Samuel Parker, clergyman and educator, was born in Boston, Mass., Sept. 10, 1805 ; son of Jolin Rowe and Mary (Hamilton) Parker ; grandson of the Rt. Rev. Samuel and An- nie (Cutler) Parker. He prepared for college at tlie Boston Latin school and was graduated at Harvard in 1824. He was usher and sub-master of the Bos- ton Latin school, 1824-30, and prepared for holy orders under Bisliop Griswold of the Eastern diocese. He was ordered deacon in 1834 and priested in 1835 by Bishop Griswold. He was married, April 20, 1836, to Eliza Pomeroy, grand- daughter of Judge Tlieodore Sedgwick and niece of Catherine M. Sedgwick, the autlioress. He went as a missionary to Stockbridge, where he enacted St. Paul's church and built up a flourish- ing parish. He wjis assistant to Dr. Mulilenberg in the Cliurch of the Holy Communion, New York city ; rector of St. Mary's church, Staten Island, where he erected a stone church ; return- ed to St. Paul's, Stockbridge, and succeeded Dr. Huntington at Grace church, Amherst, wliere he

also built a fine church. He next labored in New York city ; was rector of St. Pauls, Stock- bidge, and of Trinity, Lenox, and conducted a preparatory school at Stockbridge. He was rec- tor at Christ church, Exeter; Epiphany, Win- chester ; and Trinity, Melrose, and officiated in vacant churches in western Massachusetts, includ- ing Christ church, Sheffield, making his home in Stockbridge and devoting much of his time to the public librarj', of which he largely selected the books purchased and procured funds for its en- largement. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Union college in 1861. He died in Stockbridge, Mass., Nov. 16, 1880.

PARKER, Theodore, clergyman, was born in Lexington, Mass., Aug. 24, 1810 ; son of John and Hannah (Stearns) Parker ; grandson of Capt. John Parker, an officer at the battle of Lexington, and a descendant of Thomas Parker, the immigrant, Lynn, 1635. Theodore worked on his father's farm and in his shop ; was a student at the public school ; attended a day school in Lexington one term in 1826, where he took up algebra, Latin and Greek ; from 1827 was self-instructed, mak- ing rapid progress, and in 1830 was examined and admitted to Harvard, where he passed his successive examina- tions in each class, but under the rules of the college was not allow^ed to receive a degree. He taught in a private school in Boston in 1831, in a private school in Watertown, Mass., 1832-42, and prose- cuted his post-grad- uate studies, includ- ing theology, in 1834. The honorary degree

of A.M. was conferred upon him by Harvard in 1840. He was ordained pastor of the Unitarian society at West Roxbury, Mass., June 21, 1837, remaining minister of that society until February, 1845, when lie was excommunicated by the Uni- t£irian association on account of alleged heret- ical teachings, and resigned his pastorate. He formed and was installed as pastor of a new society, Jan. 4, 1846, and preached in Boston at the Melodeon, 1846-52, and at Music Hall, 1852-59. TJie new society, aided by the reform movement in Massacliusetts which had reached its height, grew rapidly. Mr. Parker was a leader in effect- ing the escape of runaway slaves in Boston and defended and helped the revolutionary movement of John Brown in the West. He accepted the editorship of the Massachusetts Quarterly and

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