History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

83

EZRA PARKER
One of the two Revolutionary soldiers buried in the township cemetery of Royal Oak is Ezra Parker. He was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, December 13, 1745, and died in Royal Oak, Michigan, July 7,
I842 in the ninety-seventh year of his age.
With the family of his father, Andrew Parker, they removed from
Wallingford, Connecticut, to Adams, Massachusetts, about I770; having previously married Sarah Tuttle. He married as his second wife,
Elizabeth Perry of North Adams, Massachusetts, about 1772 and they
had ten children, to-wit: Samuel, David, Ezra, William M., Joel, Cratus,
Elizabeth, Ira, Abigail and another son, name unknown, who died young.
After the Battle of Lexington, April, I775, Mr. Parker joined the
Berkshire company; was present at the battle of Bunker Hill in Boston,
and in September of that year was a sergeant among the picked I,200
which constituted Arnold's expedition through the wilds of Maine to
Quebec and participated in the entire campaign, returning with the
remnants of that expedition. Later a commission was tendered him in
the Revolutionary army by the state of Massachusetts, but was declined.
He, still as sergeant, was engaged among the troops from western Massachusetts at the battles of Bennington and Saratoga.
In I793 the family removed to Herkimer county, New York, and in
I795 to Bridgewater, Oneida county, New York. Mr. Parker, however, was the owner of extensive tracts of land in various points, in the
state of New York, including St. Lawrence county near Watertown, and
upon these tracts he settled his various children. Later, he and Mrs.
Parker made their home with their son, William M., in Sangersfield
county, New York, from about I8I3 to I835, and removed with his son
William to Royal Oak, Oakland county, Michigan, in June, 1835, living
there until his death in 1842. His descendants are quite numerous and
are scattered all over the United States. The family is connected through
various branches with many of the prominent families of the east of that
name.
The only ones of his immediate descendants living in this section
was William M. Parker, who married Lydia Gilbert Bull in Bridgewater,
Oneida county, New York, in 1802, and the fruits thereof were eleven children, seven of whom were living and removed with the family to Michigan in I835. William M. Parker also owned numerous tracts of land in
the state of Michigan in Oakland and Genesee counties, especially but
settled upon the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 6,
township of Royal Oak, and on the old road previously described, having
purchased the farm or land of Alexander Campbell. Of his children,
Asher B. Parker first settled upon the west half of the northeast quarter
of section 8 and the east half of the northeast quarter of section 7, township of Royal Oak. For four years, 1840 to I844,.he lived in the township of Genesee, county of Genesee. In I839 Asher B. Parker married
Harriet M. Castle, they having seven children, all of whom are living
at the present date. One son, Ralzemond A. Parker lives upon the old
homestead and is a practicing lawyer in Detroit.
William Parker was with Hooker's congregation settling Hartford,