Parker Family Group # 1

Comment

Comment by Bobby Don Parker on November 7, 2009 at 4:36am

Nancy,
I have not tested my mtdna, but plan to do so. There is a Parker in my mtdna line, Mattie May (Parker) Haddock, daughter of James M. "Jim" Parker (1841-1910) and Amanda (PipKin) Parker. But if there is Native American in the mtdna, it would only be a coincidence that one female in the maternal line happened to marry a Parker.
Mattie May (Parker) Haddock (1884-1951) was my mother's mother's mother (great-grandmother). I would like to see a Parker from her father's ydna line join the Parker DNA project. My Parker ydna came from my father and I do not have ydna from anyone from my mother's family. Genealogy wise, I've traced my mtdna line back to a Mrs. Elizabeth Griffith (maiden name unknown) who was born in NC in 1782 and died in DeKalb Co., TN

Comment by Bobby Don Parker on November 7, 2009 at 3:17am

Nancy,
The Cherokee/Catawba history is very interesting and if there is anything in the National Archives Fort Worth Branch that could help I would be glad to make a trip there myself. I live in the Dallas/Forth Worth area.
Of course I can't rule out blood relationship to Quanah. But I did alot of research on the Parker's of Parker's Fort trying to find a link, only to find that we are looking at 2 different Parker lines. I wasn't alone in spending alot of time on that and I would like to save others some time and frustration. If there is a blood relationship to Quanah Parker, the fact that we share the same surname is only a coincidence. Family's sometimes falsely claimed a connection with someone of the same surname who was famous or infamous, and it got passed down through the generations as fact.
Just onbe of many examples, a fellow Parker researcher once told me that Annie (Short) Parker, wife of John Wesley Parker and daughter-in-law of Henry Parker Jr, told her grandchildren that Henry was a first cousin to Cynthia Ann Parker, mother of Quanah. That can be proven false.

Comment by Nancy Cox-Misenheimer on November 6, 2009 at 11:26am

Also, Bobby, as for Cherokee bloodline, when you get into the Catawba history, you will see that the Cherokee in N.C. were decimated by smallpox but not as bad, so the Cherokee and Choctaw accepted or adopted the Catawba people who wanted refuge. Why do you think that Henry was rejected initially into Cherokee tribal membership? I think the enrolling person or persons knew their tribal history and about the Catawba tribal members being a blend of other smaller tribes. I went to Tahlequah and inquired about the 1835 records and the Guion Miller rolls applications from the office. As soon as the lady heard me say, Guion Miller Rolls, she asked me what year Henry is listed first in Arkansas. I told her we have a Bible record of 1835 emigration with other Indian people on a boat and she said she could not help me because my Henry was more than likely Western Cherokee and those records are at Ft. Worth, Tx. She turned around and went to the other room and left me standing at the counter. I was very puzzled and determined to find out why the full blood ignore the Western Cherokee descendants. So, really, we are not totally descended Western Cherokee either. Henry Parker came into Arkansas on the boat with the residue of Western Cherokee who had mixed European blood. These are some of the very ones who have and had descendants in Pope co. Arkansas in 1835 and later. Some of them went to Oklahoma, Texas etc. and then kept going and lost their identity as the blood line thinned out.
For others who have been my family history research clients, I have had to gather their material from online and the History Commission but if I lived in Texas I would have made a special trip to the Ft. Worth Archives and asked for the Western Cherokee records of Arkansas.
When I sent for the service records of William Henry Woolcott, grandson of Henry Parker Sr., the National Archives sent me 44 pages of his Union service. One was an affidavit made by Winnie telling about visiting her "boys" at Dardanelle, Ar. and some others were land records of William's from Record Group 49. This is a long answer but if anyone else has Native American blood it will hopefully help with some sources.

Comment by Nancy Cox-Misenheimer on November 6, 2009 at 11:06am

Bobby, in our family branch of Henry Parker Sr. I have determined that the father of your Henry Jr. and my Winnie, brother and sister, are part Catawba on their mother's side, whoever she is. I suspect a lady named Mary but you know how many Mary's there are in this world.
In S.C. records, Pony Hill has done a tremendous work of revealing the Native Tribes and the old records. Google his name to find what he has done.
Henry Sr. according to his ydna in his son's descendants and according to notarized affidavits of 1886 and 1896, my Winnie, and her other sisters are included on the female lineage.
For that many of your branch to have the story of relationship by blood to Quanah Parker, you would need to look at your mother's lineage for Quanah. You have ruled out that it is on the male line.
If you have your mtdna tested, you would know the dna of your mother, her mother and her mother etc.
I have my mtdna results and that is the path the mtdna takes. I was disappointed in my results because it is not nearly as clear as the ydna. I get several cousins reported to me a month from the testing service. mtdna is so complex I think in my mtdna haplogroup that this may be my problem with understanding my ancestry from mtdna.
However, that may not be the case for you. If you spring for the mtdna and it gives your answer for Quanah, then you can be assured that it was well worth it. I could understand a couple of folks in a family with the story but this one is all through your branch.
About the Native American ancestry. Kathy Jo is right about the Native blood but it goes deeper. The affidavit I have from the Cherokee Citizenship Commission in 1896 states that Henry Parker descendants were rejected for Cherokee citizenship but the lady who was writing gave us a clue. She said from her records the Indians coming from that part of S.C. at that time to illinois and then Indian Territory, which was Arkansas in 1835, were instructed to check the Catawba Nation for Henry Parker's ancestry. How very kind of her to encourage us.
Pony Hill has excellent work on this tribe. When the Europeans came into Virginia, the Natives were pushed further south by "treaties" and buyouts for the land.
S.C. land records list Parkers with the same names as we are researching on the ydna beginning around 1657.
The Catawba Nation of S.C. is really a blend of several tribes who were decimated by the smallpox and raids in retaliation for murders visa versa. In my opinion, after studying Pony Hill's and others writings on the Catawba and similar tribes, I think Henry Parker Sr.'s mother was part Catawba by name. She may have been raised in "town" by her folks or she could have been a captive in servitude to a white family. However it happened, the child, Henry was given his white father's name and ydna! . I have never seen his name other than Henry but there is a William Henry Parker on the military records that I have not placed.
In the affidavits I mentioned, the great granddaughter, Mary Ellen Parker, daughter of Edward Parker, brother to your Henry Jr. told the Citizenship commission that she had been told her great grandfather was a chief of a tribe before they came to Ark. This probably meant he was a head man. I do not have any of that information although I have looked for years for it.
The Catawba Nation in S.C. has been queried and they did not return my letter or an answer.
Have a great day.

Comment by Kathy Jo Bryant on November 5, 2009 at 9:25pm

You're right, Bobby. Quanah has been proven to be in another Parker family group. I'm sure Native Americans of various tribes exist within Parker Family #1.

Comment by Bobby Don Parker on November 5, 2009 at 8:35pm

The rumor of relationship to Quanah Parker among descendants of Henry Parker (1827-1902) is widespread, but the Parker DNA Project proves that Quanah Parker was from a different genetic Parker line (The "Elder John' Parker line is a different group). So I'm dismissing that as myth. I have no doubt that there is Native American (Cherokee) in this Parker line. There is some documentation of that. Just thought I would comment on that as that question seems to come up often with my Parker cousins.

Comment by Kathy Jo Bryant on April 28, 2009 at 10:33am

If your son carries the Parker surname, he can take the Y-DNA test. It doesn't matter whether it is a uncle, brother, or other male relative in your Parker line. They will all have the same markers. If your son's surname is Jackson, you must find another male Parker surname relative to test. You are most welcome, Deneiece

Comment by Deneice Jackson on April 28, 2009 at 10:06am

Can my son take the test? I guess it would be better for my brother to take it, right? Thanks for your help.

Comment by Kathy Jo Bryant on April 28, 2009 at 12:39am

You need to have a male Parker surname male take the y-DNA test. Quanah's Parker line has already been tested, so if your match his, that will tell you the answer.

Comment by Deneice Jackson on April 27, 2009 at 11:44pm

Are we Comanche or Cherokee? My great uncle George Washington Parker is listed as Cherokee. My great grandmother was Elizabeth Ann "Bettie" Parker (his sister). But, in research, some are saying we are related to Quanah Parker, who was Comanche.

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