Chapter 5: Scogin

The Parker Family

In the family lore at least, we are related to Bonnie Parker of Bonnie & Clyde fame--supposedly one of Mary Elizabeth's brothers was Bonnie's father. Artie Beall, Mary Elizabeth's granddaughter, recalls: "[Mary Elizabeth] and my daddy [Murphy] hid all the newspapers and would never talk in front of us kids when [Bonnie & Clyde] were doing their thing. We would eavesdrop and slip and read the papers." I'm still working to make a definite connection, but here is what I know so far.

Richard Parker was born about 1728 in North Carolina. He married Ann Hogan around 1755. Ann Hogan was the daughter of Isaiah and Nancy Hogan. Richard and Ann had five children: Lewis (1756), Daniel (1758), Stephen (1759), Richard Jr. (1761), Elizabeth. Richard Parker Sr. was a Major in the Revolutionary Army. He lived in Orange County and Chatham County, North Carolina. Richard died on April 6, 1799 in Green County, Georgia.

Lewis Parker was born around 1750-1756 in Hancock County, Georgia. He married Sarah Hatley (born in NC) on Marcy 5, 1789 in Ablemarble County, Virginia. They had five boys and one girl: Asa Hatley (1799), Lewis, Nancy, Isaiah, Thomas Sherrod, Richard. Lewis died on December 14, 1826.

Daniel Parker was born about 1758 in Abermale County, Virginia. He married Mary Lucy Ann White who had been born in Chatham, North Carolina on March 13, 1756 to her father Benjamin White. Daniel and Mary had at least one son, Stephen W. Parker (1787). Daniel died on August 14, 1844 in Upson, Georgia. Mary died on November 14, 1845 in Thomaston, Upson County, Georgia and is buried in the Parker Cemetery there.

We'll come back to Stephen Parker.

Richard Jr. was born about 1761 in Orange County, North Carolina. He married a woman named Sally in 1779. They had seven children: Anna (1782), Molly, William (1791), Celia (1795), Tabitha (1798), Bethenie (1805), Susanna (1807). Richard Jr. died on April 9, 1849 in Powells Creek, Taliferro County, Georgia.

Elizabeth Parker was the youngest child of Richard and Ann. She married William Adkins.

Stephen Parker, the third son of Richard and Ann Parker was born between 1752-1759 in North Carolina. He married Ann Brewer born about 1759 in North Carolina. Ann Brewer may be the daughter of Harry Brewer and Mary Smith, though I haven't been able to prove it yet. Stephen and Ann had at least two children, Emanuel (1792) and Nancy. Stephen died on March 17, 1788 in Green County, Georgia.

Emanuel Parker was born about 1782 in North Carolina. He married Mary Ann "Polly" Astin (or Austin) on January 30, 1807 in Greene County, Georgia. Polly was born about 1790 in Virginia. Polly's father was Robert Astin (or Austin) and he had been born about 1765 and died in May 1840 in Green County, Georgia. Her mother was Susannah Mapp. Emanuel served in the War of 1812. He was in Captain T. Dawson's Company, Georgia Militia. (His pension application number WC-4802.) Emanuel and Polly had eight children, all born in Greene County, Georgia: Nancy Jane (1808), Wiley Astin (1810), Robert Foster (1812), Susan Jane (or Susan Ann) (1819), Sarah (1821), Sidney Francis (1824), James Franklin (1828), Mary Mapp (1829), William E. (1834). Emanuel died on November 9, 1851 in Greene. Polly died between around 1873 in Shiloh, Rusk County, Texas and she is buried in the Shiloh Cemetery there.

Nancy Jane Parker was born on April 29, 1808 in Greene County, Georgia. She lived in Greene for most, if not all, of her life. She married a man with the last name of Bates on November 4, 1827 and had two children, William J. (1829) and Susan Mary Ann (1831). She then married a man with the last name of Pierce on October 30, 1836 and had another son, Wylie Mathew (1843). She died on February 21, 1889 in Georgia.

Wiley Astin Parker was born on September 17, 1810 in Greene County, Georgia. He married twice though I don't know anything about his first wife. He married Elizabeth C. (perhaps Carson) Parker on May 7, 1835 in Taliaferro County, Georgia. Elizabeth was born on January 13, 1820 in Greene. Unless researchers are confusing her with anotehr Elizabeth C., she was the daughter of William Parker, was the granddaughter of Richard Parker, Jr. and was therefore Wiley's second cousin. They had eleven children, Susan Ann Marinda (1836), Henry Robert Thomas (1838), William Wyatt Washington (1840), Edward Wylie Harrison (1842), Angeline Elizabeth Francis (1843), Frances Marion Harris (1846), Mary A. Elisa (1847), Eugena Almira Clem (1850), America Averian Victoria (1854), Althea Vernon Theo (1857), Emma Belzora C. (1859). I don't know when Wiley or Elizabeth died. Edward Wylie Harrison performed several marriages in Rusk, Texas.

Robert Foster Parker was born on October 12 or 21, 1812 in Greensboro, Green County, Georgia. He married Pertima Harris (or Pertina Simmons) (born about 1814) on July 25, 1833 in Greensboro, Georgia. They had four children, all born in Greensboro: Cordelia Ann (1836), Jeremiah H. or N. (1838), Martha F. (1842), Lessie. Robert's family is listed on the 1850 Greene County Georgia Census page 77. In 1852 Robert and his entire family moved from Georgia via covered wagons to Texas midway between Annexation Day and the Civil War. They settled in the Miden-Mt. Enterprise-Laneville regions. Many of the sons were enlisted in the services of the Southern Confederancy and all familes endured the hardships of the Reconstruction Days. Robert and Pertima built their home in the Shiloh Community. They were among the pioneers who constituted the Shiloh Baptist Church, built the schools and made Shiloh Community outstanding in Rusk County. Robert died on January 8, 1894 in Minden, Texas and he is buried at the Shiloh Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.

Susan Jane Parker (or Susan Ann) was born about 1819 in Greene County, Georgia. She married Bartley Wallace who was born about 1812 in South Carolina.

Sarah Parker was born about 1821 in Greene County, Georgia. She married Leroy Barnhardt on April 5, 1842 in Greene County, Georgia.

Sidney Francis Parker was born about 1824 in Greene County, Georgia. She married William Reuben Carmichael (born about 1823 in NC) on September 12, 1847 in Greene County. They had four children: William Mack (1851), Azalea Ophelia (1854), Elena Brown (1860), Mildred Dixon (1862). William Mack was born in Georgia, the other three children were all born in Rusk, Texas.

Before we get to James Franklin: Mary Mapp Parker was born about 1829 in Georgia. On January 9, 1845 in Greene County, Georgia, she married Joseph Franklin Nelson, who had been born on April 16, 1824 in Greene to Perry Nelson and Martha McClelland. They had four children: Walter Terry Colquitt (1845), M.V. (1849), James Coryden (1851), Mary Laura Virginia (1853). Mary died on June 10, 1855 in Georgia. Joseph died on April 4, 1895 in Georgia and is buried in the Powellton Cemetery, Hancock County, Georgia.

James "Jeptha" Franklin Parker was born in October 1829 in Greene County, Georgia. Once source claims he was born "Jeptha" but changed it to James when he moved to Texas. He married Sarah Jane Jackson on January 19, 1849 in Greene County. Sarah had been born in 1828 in Georgia (perhaps in Greene County) to parents who were also born in Georgia. One theory is that her parents might have been James A. Jackson and Mary R. Underwood (who were married December 2, 1827 in Greene). Franklin and Sarah Parker had a lot of children, I believe they included: James Foster "Bud" (1850), Mary Elizabeth (1852), John Henry Thomas (1856, son), Salinda "Lynn" F. H. (1859), S.F. (1862, son), Wylie Ada Vincent (1866). Artie Beall also remembers the names: Leaman, Sid and Charlie (killed by a horse at age 9), but some of these names could be nicknames for people already listed. I think that James Franklin is the same Jeptha Parker that enlisted in the Confederate Army; he applied for a pension and his number was 06921.

In the 1850 census, the newlywed Jeptha (22) and Sarah (22) Parker are living in Greene, Georgia (indexed as "Jephtha") with their infant James F. (4 months).

1860 census should show J.F. (32), S.J. (32), J.F. (9), M.E. (7), J.H.T. (3), S.F.H. (1), probably living in Rusk, Texas. It may be Frank and Sarah Parker in the 1860 census living in Tunnel Hill, Whitfield, Georgia. If so, then they are: James (33), Sarah (38), James (9), Mary (7), Albert (4), Louisa J. (2), Elizabeth (73). But it seems a stretch..

1870 census should show J.F. (42), S.J. (42), J.F. (19), M.E. (17), J.H.T. (13), S.F.H. (10), S.F. (7), W.A.V. (3), probably living in Rusk, Texas. It may be Frank and Sarah Parker in the 1870 census living in Tompkins, Putnam, Georgia. If so, then they have three children: James F. (8), William M. (6), Charles D. (3). But it doesn't seem quite right.

We see Frank and Sarah in the census for 1880 in Rusk, Texas: James Franklin (52), Sarah Jane (5?, wife), S.F. (17) and Wylie Ada Vincent (13).

I believe that Sarah J. Parker died sometime between 1880 and 1900, though one source says she died in 1905 in Rusk. Her daughter, Salinda F. H. Parker, married Robert M. Bullard on January 8, 1878 in Rusk, Texas and had two sons, Alfred (1880), Jessie (1882). Robert died sometime between 1882 and 1900. In the 1900 census, a "widowed" Frank Parker (70) is living with his daughter Salinda Bullard (40) and two of her three children, Alfred (20) and Jessie J. (18). In 1910, Salinda (49) is living with Jessie J., his wife and two kids. Frank died on March 18, 1905 in Shiloh, Rusk, Texas and he is buried in the Shiloh Cemetery.

James Foster "Bud" Parker was born on February 18, 1850 in Greene, Georgia. He married Adeline "Addie" Amanda Little (born March 1, 1852) on December 31, 1873 in Rusk, Texas. They had nine children: Lewis Franklin (1874), Minnie Leticia (1876), Dena Elizabeth (1880), Sarah Jane (1882), Terrance Smith (1886), Martha Ann (1889), Bonnie Florence (1890), James Dennis (1892), George Lofton (1895). James Foster died on June 21, 1932 in San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas. Addie died in San Antonio, Texas probably before 1920. I found one source that calls Charles Bell Parker "Bud" and says he married Amanda Adaline Little and had Lewis, Tilden Little, Bonnie, Letitia, Deena and George Lofton. I think this has to be some creative geneology by someone hoping to connect themselves to Bonnie Parker.

We'll come back to Mary Elizabeth Parker's family in the next section.

John Henry Thomas Parker was born on February 3, 1855. He married Lula (or Lulie) Elizabeth Griffin (born February 15, 1867) on June 5, 1886 in Rusk, Texas. They had seven children: William (1886), Robert L. (1889), Berta "Bertie" (1892), Annie Ray (1893), Gracy (1895), Ida (1896), Harry (1898). Lula died on February 21, 1918. John died on June 21, 1928 and is buried in the Shiloh Cemetery, Shiloh, Rusk, Texas.

Wylie Ada Vincent Parker was born on August 6, 1866 in Minden, Texas. On November 25, 1885, he married Francis "Fannie" Elizabeth Hudson (born September 17, 1869 in Meriwether, Georgia). They had seven children: Stella Viada (1886), Clarance Hayes (1888), Ross Vincent (1890), Robert Dempsey (1892), Frank Bryan (1899), Jessie Harris (1902), Lula. Wylie moved from Rusk to Arp, Texas in the early 1900s. Wylie died on August 8, 1933 in Arp, Smith County, Texas. Francis died on December 21 1959 in Henderson, Texas. They are both buried in the mason Cemetery in Arp, Smith County, Texas.

Artie Beall remembered Mary Elizabeth talking about a John & Susan Parker, an E.C. & Etta Parker, Lewis & Mowena Parker, and Robert & Purtina Parker. She also believed that Mary Elizabeth was kin to the Hudmans, Keelings, Griffins, Threadgills, Wallaces, Turners and Beardens but doesn't know how. In 1880, E.D. and Margret Wallace live next door to the Parkers and Scogins. In 1900, the Hudmans, Wallaces and Griffins are living near them in Rusk, one Wallace is living with her son-in-law who is a Parker.

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