Parker is an old and respected name in England. It derives from a royal title meaning "Keeper of the King's Parks." I find it quite amusing that my maternal line, the Fosters, derive from a similar title, "Keeper of the King's Forests." One might wonder what the difference was. A Park was a preserve where game animals, especially deer and elk, were protected from the hungry people -- but not from the nobility. The King's Forest was even more important. The Forests preserved quality ship-building timber against time of need, as when facing the Spanish Armada.

One of the earliest Parker emigrants to America was Do. Richard Parker of Jamestown (we know today that there were actually three Richard Parkers in this period) and it was my dream to make connection back to him. But the furthest back I could go was to Tennessee with knowledge that the Tennessee parents were born in North Carolina. For years this brickwall seemed impenetrable. Then a cousin, Dr. Carl Parker III began to chip away at this blockade.

In his book, The Parkers: American Odyssey of a Pioneer Arkansas Family (c. 2006), Carl details his research through census records, tax records, land records and marriage records to penetrate the North Carolina fog. By process of elimination, he finally found a Parker, Thomas Parker (128) who fit the profile.

Thomas Parker lived on 100 acres near Bear Creek, a tributary of the South Fork of the Yadkin River in present-day Davie County, North Carolina. During his lifetime, this was Rowan County. Among his neighbors were the Boones, Bryans, Gaithers, and Frohocks. The first public mention of Thomas is when he filed a marriage bond dated 9 July 1767 in Rowan County to marry Mary Bostin.

Thomas must have been born circa 1747, making him 20 at time of marriage; not an unreasonable assumption. The where has not been determined. The witness to Thomas' marriage bond was a John Frohock, Jr. It is known that a Thomas Parker and John Frohock, Sr. arrived in Pennsylvania between 1720 and 1730. Thomas Sr. had a son, Thomas and a grand-daughter Elizabeth who was married to John Frohock. There is no record of them settling for any time in Pennsylvania. As this was the beginning of the Great Migration south into Virginia and North Carolina (see article The Great Wagon Road), it is belived that, by 1745, the Parkers and Frohocks were well situated in the Granville district of North Carolina. Granville district being the mother county of Rowan County. It is not unreasonable to believe Thomas Parker Sr. is the grandfather of our Thomas Parker, but it is unproven.