Parker Webster was the younger brother of Asa Wesbster.
One of Asa and Sally's sons was also named Parker and is designated at Parker
II at this site. Sometime between 1812 and 1816, Parker moved to Elizabethtown.
What follows are a few notes about Parker. These notes are a result of the
work of
.
Here is what Henry had to say about him: "The next I shall mention is Parker, my fathers fourth son. He lived with father until old enough to learn a trade. He learned to be a joiner. After he was twenty-one years of age he worked at his trade in Newburyport Mass. and some in Portland. He accumulated some property and then went to Kenebunk, Maine and began to trade in goods. Afterwards he bought a share in a merchant vessel and went into the West India trade where he met with some loses. At one time he lost eight hundred dollars. It was when his vessel returned from a voyage and he entered the cargo as was customary and paid the duties but one of the sailors entered a complaint for some reason or another and Parker lost the sum I have mentioned. This did not discourage him. He went on with his business. He owned two stores then. After some years the embargo was laid on and trade became dull so he sold his shipping and hired eight hands and went to Upper Canada. They got out lumber and rafted it to Quebec at which he did a very good business. After living single more than fifty years of his life he married a woman of twenty-four years and had two children. He entered into partnership with another man and when they dissolved, they owed a large debt in Montreal and had one due them so large that the man collected it and ran away leaving him to pay the debt. This reduced his property. He died soon afterwards, leaving his wife and children in Canada. I know nothing more of them."
Nov. 26, 1819 - Parker married Susan Baker, widow of Ira Baker.
Mar. 24, 1830 - Parker died before this date. His widow, Susan, married Duncan
Carley, Esq., and their marriage bond was dated Mar. 24, 1830. Both were of
Brockville.
Some background -
No marriage has been found for Susan to Ira Baker.
Here is the marriage record for Parker and Susan: "Nov. 26th.-Parker
Webster and Susan Baker, both of Elizabethtown,
license, witnesses by Charles Lord, E. M. Chase. 1819"
The marriage was also announced in the Montreal Herald, Dec. 24, 1819
issue: "At Brockville, on Sat., 27th ult. Parker Webster age 65 years
to Susan, relict of late Ira Baker, of same place, deceased, age 25 years."
However, Apr. 5, 1765 is the date of birth we have for him from John Thiel's
list, so he was actually 54.
In the 1819 census for Elizabethtown, Parker shows up as a single man living
alone. In the next census, 1821, he had a wife and there were also two male
children and one female child in the household. Looks as if Susan brought
a child or two with her. The next one was 1839 and there was no sign of Parker
or Susan.
The next record we have is the marriage bond for his widow, Susan. "Carley,
Duncan, Esq. & Susan Webster, widow, both of Brockville. b: Daniel Jones
Esq. and Robert Gilmour Esq., both of Brockville. 24 March 1830 at Brockville.
w: Sam'l Pennock."
There is a birth record for Duncan. He was born Oct. 9, 1791. So this one,
at least, was not that much older than Susan (b about 1794).
Next we have from the Brockville Recorder the notice of Duncan's death in
the May 2, 1834 issue: "On Wed. night last the 30th ult., at his residence
in town Duncan Carley Esq., son of Col. Carley, aged 42 years."
This much is all from the records and is pretty solid. Now to speculate a
bit on what happened to Susan... I found this family in the 1851 census for
Elizabethtown Township:
Susan Attleford b Ireland widow 40
Ann Carley b CW 11
James Attleford b CW 11
Of course, I can't find a marriage record for Attleford. For this to be our
Susan we have to assume:
1) She had a child out of wedlock while she was still Susan Carley about 11
years earlier.
2) She then married a widower named Attleford who had a son the same age as
Susan's daughter.
3) Attleford died.
4) Susan knocked about 17 years off her age here.
ALL of which seems possible...
