# 13 Some History of about the Parsons Family

Elizabeth (Parsons) Adams was born on February 18, 1862 at Taylorville, Christian County, Illinois. As a young man, I used to ask Warner Adams about his mother, and he would always say, Mother never talked about her family much. I know that her father went from Illinois to Colorado and then back to Kansas where they first visited the Overbrook area and then settled in Newbury Township, Wabaunsee County, but other than that, I really dont know much. Her father died before I was born.

Through the miracles of modern computer genealogy, I only wish I could share what Ive learned about the Parsons family with Warner, and his sister Emily Adams. I believe they would be fascinated as Im hopeful younger generations of their family will be. With that let us move back in time 500 years and learn a little about Elizabeth (Parsons) Adams Fifth Great Grandfather, Sir William Parsons, Baronet, Surveyor General and High Commissioner of Justice for Ireland in the service of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Sir William Parsons was born in 1570 in Beaminster, Dorset, England. Both of his parents were from wealthy, landed gentry. His father was James Parsons, a wealthy land owner, and his mother Lady Catherine Fenton. It will be the well-connected Fenton family that provides major assistance to William Parsons as he begins his climb up the ladder of government service and the nobility.

William Parsons was raised a gentleman in the English County of Dorset. He had the same education and training as other young gentry of his time via a private tutor, and through his maternal uncle, The Earl of Leicester, Sir Geoffry Fenton, was able to secure a government position in Ireland in 1590. Sir Geoffry was the Surveyor-General of Ireland and appointed his nephew as his assistant. Sir Geoffry was involved in other political and family businesses and didnt spend a great deal of time in Ireland, depending on his nephew instead.

Queen Elizabeth I, died in 1603 and her cousin, King James VI of Scotland came to the throne of England, uniting Scotland and England as James I. In March 1603, the Nine Years War with Ireland came to an end and Ireland was subjected to strict English rule. On October 24, 1603 William Parsons was appointed by King James to head a commission investigating the Monestaries Tyconnel and in 1605 was made the Commissioner of County Wicklow.

His Uncle, Geoffrey Fenton, died that same year and William Parsons was made Surveyor General of Ireland. This position gave him a unique position in which he could acquire lands for the crown and for himself. He truly believed that the plantation system, however cruel, was the best way for England to subjugate the Irish people and he worked his entire life to strengthen that means of landlord/tenant governance.

He was made High Commissioner of Plantations in in Ulster in 1610, High Commissioner of Plantations in Wexford in 1618, High Commissioner of Plantations in Longford in 1610 and High Commissioner of Leitrim in 1620. This consolidated his power and position. During that time, he acquired several very large estates in County Tyrone, County Wexford and County Leitrim, amounting to 12,000 acres of land.

He was created a Baron of the Realm by His Majesty James 1 of England on October 10, 1620. He was given the Manor of Tassagard, Dublin and other lands at that time. On September 6, 1622 he was made Master of the Court of Wards for Ireland and in January 1623 became a member of Irelands Privy Council. He was made Wicklow Representative to Parliament and was knighted and became Lord Parsons. After the death of King James, King Charles appointed Baron Parsons the Lord High Justice of Ireland on December 3, 1640.

Rebellion broke out in Ireland after a score of years under the oppressive plantation and tenant rent system. Baron Parsons had the power of the English King behind him and came down with a heavy hand, eventually suppressing the rebellion and acquiring even more lands for the crown and himself in the process. Others in the nobility became jealous of William Parsons and began to gradually work at causing him to lose power. He was also advanced in age, being near 70. He resigned his offices in Ireland on March 31, 1643, bitter with the royalty and the nobility. He remained in Dublin until 1648, when rebels besieged the city and he returned to England. He died on March 2, 1650 and was buried in St. Margarets Chapel, Westminster Cathedral, London.

The information for this account of the life of Baron William Parsons, comes from Dictionary of National Biography, written by Sir Leslie Styplen, Volume 12, pages 419-420, London, 1921.

Baron Parsons title and lands to his brothers, Thomas and Lawrence Parsons. It is through them that the current Baron is descended. He is Baron William Clere Leonard Brendan Parsons, who lives in Birr Castle, and is known as the Earl of Rosse, another title granted by James I. The castle is in County Offaly.

Lord William Parsons was married twice. His first wife was Margaret Hoskins. Their marriage took place on November 15, 1602 at St. Marys, Beaminster, Dorset, England. They were the parents of seven children. Their sixth child, Coronet Joseph Parsons, is the direct ancestor and fourth great grandfather of Elizabeth (Parsons) Adams. Coronet is a title associated with someone who is an officer in the military. The law of Primogentry prevented him from inheriting the fortune of William Parsons, which went to his oldest son, so Joseph had no choice but to go into the military or clergy. Joseph Parsons was born June 25, 1618 in Great Torrington, Devon, England. Margaret (Hoskins) Parsons seems to have returned to England from Ireland for the birth of all her children. Joseph Parsons, in search of opportunity, immigrated to Massachusetts in 1635, only a decade after the Pilgrims arrived in America.

Because of his fathers high position within the English government, Joseph was able to secure land and also business opportunities in Massachusetts and Connecticut through grants and monopolies issued by the Crown.

Coronet Joseph Parsons was married to Miss Mary Bliss on November 26, 1646 at Hartford, Connecticut. They were the parents of fourteen children. Joseph Parsons was well-known in all of Massachusetts and Connecticut. He became the owner of large tracts of land, was a gentleman farmer, merchant, fur trader and at one time had the monopoly on all beaver pelts traded and sold in the State of Connecticut.

Joseph Parsons, Esq., held the commission from Gov. Dudly of Captain of the Northampton Company of Militia and was an active and enterprising man in business. He built a grist mill and a saw mill in Northampton and owned one in Deerfield, which he sold for meadow land. He dealt largely in tar and turpentine made in Northampton. He also dealt in boards and plank lumber which he sent down the river and bartered for goods. In 1697, he and Col. John Pynchon erected iron works at Suffield where they for some time made large quantities of iron. The estimated cost of the iron works was 300 Pounds which was a great undertaking for that day. He was interested in mills in Springfield and owned land and mill ponds there. He represented that town in the General Court. He also represented Northampton in 1693-1696 and from 1702-1724. He was at times a Judge of the County Court. He was elected townsman or selectman in Northampton in the early part of his life and served nine years.

After his return from Springfield to Northampton, he relinquished much of his business management to his sons and attended chiefly to his lands and duties as a Magistrate. He left a large estate to his widow and children.
Quotes from The Parsons Family, by Dr. Usher Parsons, a manuscript in the Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The fourth child, of Joseph and Mary (Bliss) Parsons, was Samuel Coronet Parsons. He is the direct ancestor and third great grandfather of Elizabeth (Parsons) Adams.

Samuel Coronet Parsons was born on January 23, 1652 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. Coronet was his middle name, given to identify him with his well-known father. He was married three times and widowed twice, but his second wife Rhoda Taylor, whom he married in 1691, is the mother of Elizabeth Parsonss direct ancestor and great, great grandfather, John Parsons I. Samuel Coronet moved from Massachusetts to Durham, Middlesex County, Connecticut with other family members, where he raised his children and lived the remainder of his life. He served with distinction during the American Revolution, rising to the rank of Lieutenant in the Connecticut Line. He was in service from 1777 until 1781 and was among those who spent the winter at Valley Forge with General George Washington. He sent all of his sons to Yale University. He was mainly engaged in the management of his lands and in serving his community although he also read law.

Samuel Parsons died November 12, 1734 in Enfield, Hartford County, Connecticut and is buried in the Old Durham Cemetery, Durham Connecticut.

John Parsons (whom we shall call John Parsons I for the sake of clarity) was born in June 12, 1713 in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. He attended Yale University practiced law and was a businessman. He was married twice and widowed once. His first wife was Esther Curtis, whom he married May 7, 1734 in Durham, Middlesex, Massachusetts. They moved to Wallingford, Connecticut on April 20, 1735 and remained there the rest of their lives. John and Esther had three sons before her death on December 7, 1741.

John Parsons (I) married a second time to Esther Hall on January 27, 1842 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. They were the parents of eight children, of whom their sixth child, John Parsons, II, is the direct ancestor and great grandfather, of Elizabeth (Parsons) Adams.

John Parsons II was born on November 25, 1753 in Wallingford, Connecticut where he spent his entire life. John Parsons II served in the US Army, enlisting in September 1844. He was married to Asenath Carrington on December 11, 1783 at the First Congregational Church in Wallingford. They would be the parents of eleven children. John Parsons lived to the age of 94, died in 1848, and is buried in the Center Cemetery, Wallingford, Connecticut.

It will be the seventh child of John and Asenath (Carrington) Parsons, Leverett Parsons, who will be the direct ancestor and grandfather, of Elizabeth (Parsons) Adams. Leverett Parsons was born December 3, 1790 and grew up in Wallingford, Connecticut where he received a common school education. Leverett is French for Young Hare and its not known how this name was chosen.

He fought in the War of I812, serving with General Anthony Wayne in the Ohio Campaigns against the Indians. After his service, he bought part interest in a clipper ship which carried merchandise and passengers between New York City and Charleston, South Carolina. He sold his shipping interest and settled in New York City where he bought part interest in a grocery mercantile business. In 1820, he moved to Rutherford, North Carolina and again purchased a grocery business. There, he married Sophia Hill on December 9, 1823. Sophia Hill was born in 1804 in Rutherford, North Carolina. They would become the parents of nine children, all born in Rutherford, Rutherford County, North Carolina. Leverett and Sophia Parsons and their children would all move first to Ogle County, Illinois and then Christian County, Illinois. Leverett, who had made moves many times in his life, was convinced that the West held golden opportunities. Leverett was the grandfather of Elizabeth Parsons Adams. He died in 1869 and Elizabeth Parsons was born in 1862, so she knew her grandfather in childhood. It will be the oldest son of Leverett and Sophia (Hill) Parsons, John Hall Parsons, who will be the father of Elizabeth (Parsons) Adams.

Leverett Parsons moved his family to Ogle County, Illinois in 1850 where he purchased a large farm. He was already 60-years-old and his sons were primarily responsible for operating the farm. Leverett Parsons died in May 1869 and is buried in Taylorville, Christian County, Illinois. His wife Sophia (Hill) Parsons went to live with her youngest son, Harvey C. Parsons, and died on his farm in Plymouth, Iowa on November 19, 1880. She is buried in the Plymouth Cemetery.

John Hall Parsons, father of Elizabeth (Parsons) Adams, was the oldest son of Leverett and Sophia (Hill) Parsons. He was born on October 25, 1825 in Rutherford, Rutherford County, North Carolina. Although as the oldest son, John H. Parsons should have inherited his fathers estate, it appears that either he decided not to stay in Illinois and farm, or he thought that selling the farm and moving further West held more opportunity. In any case, he did not remain in Illinois.

I want to point out that it seems there is a great many years that elapsed between these six generations of Parsons men—from William Parsons in the late 1500s to John Hall Parsons in the early 1800s. But all of the Parsons men seemed to marry late in life and live 80 or 90 years. I have double checked the lineage, and it does seem accurate. However, as I have said many times, Ive done the best Im able to do but mistakes do happen. Proceed with caution.

Im going to stop there and continue with the story of John Hall Parsons and his family in another post.

Photo One: Map of Dorset with and inset of England.
Photo Two: What Beaminster looks like today.
Photo Three: Drawing of Sir William Parsons
Photo Four: Esker was one of the four ancient Royal Manors of Dublin, which constituted the ancient demesne of the English Crown: the others were Newcastle Lyons, Saggart or Tassagard, and Crumlin. This estate belonged to Sir William Parsons.
Photo Five: Birr Castle, current home of the Earl of Rosse, Ireland.
Photo Six: Photograph of the Brendan Parsons, Seventh Earl of Ross
Photo Seven: Photograph of the headstone of Samuel Coronet Parsons.
Photo Eight: Photograph of the headstone of John Parsons II