William Parker (early settler) facts for kids

William Parker (1618–1686) was an important early settler in the Connecticut Colony and one of the people who helped start the city of Hartford. He was a Puritan, which meant he followed a strict form of Christianity. William sailed from London on May 21, 1635, on a ship called the Mathew. He arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony that summer. He first settled in a town called Newtowne (now Cambridge) and joined the church group led by Thomas Hooker.

Starting a New Life in Connecticut

William Parker was one of the first people to own land in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1636. His name is even on the Founders Monument in Hartford! In 1639, his home was on the west side of what is now Trumbull Street. This location shows he was part of Thomas Hooker's group that moved to Hartford in 1636.

William Parker and the Pequot War

William Parker was also a soldier. He fought in the Pequot War in 1637. This was a conflict between the English colonists and their Native American allies (like the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes) against the Pequot tribe. William became a sergeant, which is a leader in the army.

Moving to Saybrook

Around 1643, William Parker moved to Saybrook. He became a very important person in the church there by 1646. He also served as a "Deputy" for the Connecticut General Court many times. A Deputy was like a representative who helped make laws and decisions for the colony. He was also a Sergeant in the Saybrook Train Band, which was a local group of trained soldiers.

William Parker owned a lot of land in Saybrook. He was even one of the people chosen to figure out how much property important people like George Fenwick and William Carmackle owned after they passed away.

Family and Land

William Parker had ten children with his first wife. Later, before 1682, he married his second wife, Elizabeth Pratt. She was the widow of Lieutenant William Pratt. Interestingly, William's daughter, Margaret, married Joseph Pratt in 1671. Joseph was the son of Lieutenant William Pratt and Elizabeth (Clark) Pratt, making them step-siblings who married!

William Parker was a very large landowner. Besides his land in Hartford and Saybrook, he also owned land in Hebron. He got this land from Joshua, who was the third son of a Native American leader named Uncas.

In 1654, a writer named Edward Johnson described William Parker as "a man of pregnant understanding, and very useful in his place." This means he was considered very smart and helpful in his community.