Missing Link (LK=TZ)

Missing Link (LK=TZ)
James Parks / Elizabeth Davis

Four Parke Society members belong to this lineage: June Moyer PS#506, Sara Weigand PS#1034, Saundra Beckum PS#1311, and William Wilson Parks PS#1367. Saundra has compiled all known information on this lineage into the Brother software program. She has also agreed to be the contact person. Her address is: Mrs. Saundra Beckum, 4563 Elkan Avenue, Macon, GA 31206-4714. E-mail: sbeckum@juno.com or sabeckum@aol.com.

Lois Iams Blake deserves credit for the excellent work she did editing letters and other materials which Warner Cleveland Parks collected. Information also came from Maggie Van Fossen. Please read the review of her manuscript (“James Parks 1781 – 1861 & Elizabeth Davis 1782 – bef 1860”) in this Newsletter issue.


The descendants of James Parks who was born abt 1780/81 believe that his birthplace was either Maryland or Fayette Co., PA. (parents -not known). He married Elizabeth Davis between 1800-02 in Fayette Co. Elizabeth was born abt 1781/82 in New Jersey, the daughter of Jonathan Davis (?).


James parks/Elizabeth Davis were parents of the following children:



  1. David Parks b. 28 Mar 1803 Fayette Co PA m. 28 Jun 1824 at Flushing Twp, Belmont Co OH to Sarah Jones b. 3 Feb 1798 Loudoun Co VA. Children:
    1. Elizabeth Parks abt 1825 – 1905 m. Reuben Mills
    2. James R. Parks 1826 – 1903 m. Nancy Suddeth
    3. David James Parks 1829 – 1912 m. Elizabeth Bigley
    4. Sarah Parks 1831 – 1895 m. Hiram Leazure/Laisure
    5. John Parks 1834 – 1917 1m. Ruth Winrod/Wentworth 2m. Sarah Scott
    6. Thomas Milton Parks 1838 – 1909 m. Mary Ann McFadden

  2. Rachel Parks b. abt 1805 Belmont Co OH m. 10 Feb 1828 Union Twp Belmont Co OH to Carlile Bright b. abt 1808 PA. Children:
    1. Margaret Bright b. abt 1831
    2. John Bright b. abt 1832
    3. James Bright b. abt 1834 m, Nancy Mackle
    4. Jacob Bright abt 1836 – 1891 m. Elizabeth Simmons
    5. Elizabeth Bright b. abt 1838
    6. Joseph Bright b. abt 1839/41
    7. Carlisle Bright b. abt 1843 m. Emelia Whitney
    8. Deborah Bright 1843 – 1913
    9. Mary Bright b. abt 1844
    10. Frances Bright b. abt 1846
  3. Jonathan Davis Parks b. 21 May 1806 Belmont Co OH m. 15 Mar 1827 Guernsey Co OH to Rosanna Foraker (Fouracres/Foreacres) b. 2 Apr 1807 Guernsey Co OH. Children:
    1. Thomas J. Parks 1827 – 1899 m. Eliza Groves
    2. Levi Parks 1830 – 1846
    3. William L. Parks 1832 – 1898 m. Rosanna Keyser
    4. Joel S. Parks abt 1834 – 1867 m. Sarah Ann Brown
    5. James Parks 1836 – 1903 m. Grace Wharton
    6. Comrade Robert Parks b. 1840 m. Martha Parrish
    7. Nancy Jane Parks b. 1844 m. Thomas Iams
    8. Lydia Ann Parks 1847 – 1919 m. Elza Boyd
    9. Reuben Parks b. 1850 1m. Mary Martha Sutton 2m. Hannah W. Hutchison
  4. Elizabeth Parks b. 22 Apr 1810 Belmont Co OH m. 3 Mar 1836 to Samuel Arters b. 22 Nov 1812. Children:
    1. Isaac Arters b. 1837 m. Mary Ellen Moreland
    2. Sarah Jane Arters b. 1839
    3. William Arters 1842 – 1917 m. Sarah/Susan R. Mathews
    4. Caroline Arters b. 1844
  5. James Parks b. 11 Mar 1812 Belmont Co OH m. 15 Jan 1835 to Elisabeth Arters b. 27 Jul 1816 PA. Children:
    1. William Parks 1836 – 1886 m. Katherine Kochert
    2. Margaret Parks b. abt 1841
    3. Mary Jane Parks b. 1843 m. William Harrison
    4. Wesley Parks b. 1843 m. Nancy Ellen McVey
    5. John Ashley Parks b. 1856 1m. Elizabeth Metz 2m. Elizabeth Blair
  6. John B. Parks b. 27 Aug 1815 Union Twp Belmont Co OH m. abt 1838 Fayette Co PA to Annis Alean Gilliland b. abt 1819 Franklin Twp, Fayette Co OH. Children:
    1. James Parks b. 1840 1m. Phebe Alkire 2m. Sarah Fisher
    2. William G.(C.) Parks abt 1841 – 1867
    3. Hiram N.(A.) Parks b. abt 1843 m. Susanna Jone
    4. Adam S.(G.) Parks 1845 – 1915 1m. E. Livingston 2m. Mollie 3m. E. Stewart
    5. Sarah E. parks abt 1849 – 1867
  7. Joseph Parks b. 11 Aug 1818 OH m. 2 May 1844 to Margaret Bigley b. abt 1816/18 Belmont Co OH. Children:
    1. Letitia Parks b. abt 1844
    2. Thomas Parks b. abt 1846
    3. Mary Parks b. abt 1848
    4. John Parks abt 1851 – 1878
    5. Anna J. Parks b. abt 1853
    6. Lewis Parks b. abt 1855
    7. Margaret Parks abt 1857 – abt 1875
  8. Thomas Parks b. 26 Jul 1821 Belmont Co OH m. 24 Feb 1842 Morgan (now Noble) Co OH to Belinda Nesselroad (Nesselrode) b. 6 Feb 1821 Morgan (Noble) Co OH. Children:
    1. Elisabeth Parks abt 1842 – abt 1908 m. William Wilson
    2. Joseph Parks abt 1844 – abt 1920 m. Sarah Wilson
    3. James Parks abt 1846 – 1916 m. Elizabeth Maloy
    4. David Parks b. abt 1850 m. Hulda Thompson
    5. Thomas Parks 1852 – 1913 m. Delia/Delilah Thompson
    6. Ann (Amney) Parks b. abt 1853 m. Jackson Smith
    7. Susanne (Susan) Parks b. abt 1857 m. James Morrow
    8. Price Parks b. 1860 m. Anice Wilson
    9. William Parks b. 1861 m. Lucinda Lehman
    10. George W. Parks b. 1864 m. Neoma Moore
    11. Roxley V. Parks b. abt 1864
    12. Lena Parks b. 1865 m. David Lehman
    13. Albert M. Parks b. abt 1868 m. Emma Smith

PS Newsletter 2001 Vol. 38, No. 3, Page 39

(Editor’s note: For information on James and Elizabeth Davis Parks and their family, please see the review by Jean Churchill PS#934, Librarian, of James Parks (1781-1861) and Elizabeth Davis (1782-BEF. 1860) by Lois lams Blake, at 2001 Vol. 38, No. 1, p. 3; also, Mrs. Churchill’s “Missing Link Three,” 2001 Vol. 38, No. 1, p. 8.)

Belmont County, Ohio

While at the Allen County, IN Public Library we found and copied several Belmont Co., OH records: Marriages for: James Parks, Jr. and Elizabeth Arters, David Parks and Sarah Jones, and Joseph Parks and Margaret Bigley. 1827 Enumeration: David Parks in Flushing Twp., Hugh Parks in Colerain Twp., Wm. Parks in Pease Twp. and James Parks in Union Twp. Several other names from other lines were also noted.

We then proceeded to Belmont County, OH in search of the location of the farm operated by James Parks and his wife Elizabeth Davis beginning about 1822. This property was described as “the west 1/2, of the southwest 1/4, of Section 35, Township 8, Range 5, in the township of Union, county of Belmont, state of Ohio, containing 55.42 acres.” and is now part of Barkcamp State Park, which is entered off OH 149 a mile or so south of 1-70. Beyond the park office there is a very old farm homestead and more modern barn, which we estimated to rest on the site of their original homestead. This site is on high ground, a typical spot for a homestead, the rest of the property is now covered with second growth vegetation.

We then proceeded north and west to the Rockhill Cemetery, in Flushing Twp., Belmont County, to possibly find more Parks gravesites. No stones were erected for James and his wife Elizabeth, but we understand there is a stone for their son Joseph.

We stopped at the Belmont Ridge Cemetery on Belmont Ridge Road in Flushing Township, Belmont Co. Ohio, where we had better luck and found the grave sites of John B. Parks, and two of his young children, William G. and Sarah E. ; both of whom passed away in 1867. When John died in 1874, Annis (Gilleland), his wife, must have buried him and then later moved away. She passed on after 1880.

Harrison County, OH

The 1850 Census for District No. 71 of Moorefield Twp., Harrison Co., OH showed three adjacent dwellings with Parks families: James Parks, 26, Farmer with wife Nancy, 21, and children Sarah Jane & Susanna; John (B) Parks, 30, Farmer, with wife Annis, 26, and children Wm., Hiram, Adam S. and Sarah E.; David Parks, 53, Farmer with wife Sarah, 58, and children David, Sarah, John and Thomas.

Then on to the Harrison County Courthouse in Cadiz, where we searched records. The birth records in this county only go back to 1872, but we did find the following Parks birth records pertaining to our line: Mary P. Parks born 06 May 1873 and Annie P.M. Parks born 18 Sept. 1874, Moorefield, Harrison Co, both daughters of James Parks and Phoene Alkire.

We also found and copied the following Parks deeds to Harrison County property:

  1. David and wife Sarah Parks to John B. Parks 14 Feb 1838, Moorefield Twp.
  2. Moses Kennedy to James Parks, 13 Apr 1839
  3. John B. Parks and wife Annis to Adam Sproule, 26 Jan 1865, Freeport Twp
  4. Brandus Bethel and wife Sarah to John B. Parks, of Belmont Co., OH, 24 Mar 1866, Freeport Twp
  5. John B. Parks and wife Annis G. Parks to Elias Sudduth, 21 July 1868, Freeport
  6. William and Eliza A. Parks to James Ewing, Nov 1868

The properties attributed to John B. Parks were adjacent to one another, were on either side of the line separating the townships of Moorefield and Freeport, near the northwest corner of what is now Piedmont Lake, and are within a mile of the town of Piedmont in Moorefield Township. We drove to these sites, which are somewhat hilly and now covered with second growth timber. Ohio route 22 goes right through some of this land.

We are told that the property owned by Robert Parks, in the Robert/Laban Parks line, was acquired about 1803. (Editors note: For information on the Robert/Laban Parks line, please see Mrs. Churchill’s “Missing Link – Robert and Laban Parks,” at 2001, Vol. 38, No. 2, p. 26.) According to Harrison County Probate Records, 1800-1812 p. 29, the Robert Parks property was the SE 1/4 of Sec. 3 of Twp XII, R7, in 1810 and the E 1/2 of the SW of Sec 3, Twp XII, R7 in 1826. This property, which was left to his son John B. Parks (b. 1798), is located in Washington Township about 3 miles north of the James B. Parks (b. 1815) property and is now partly inundated by the Clendening Reservoir in what is now known as the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.

It is interesting to speculate on the degree to which these two John B. Parks families were in touch with each other, but to date we have no positive connection established. We then proceeded to Fayette County Pennsylvania, in the search for David Parks, mentioned frequently as the father of James Parks (b.1781).

Fayette County, PA

The first stop was the Pennsylvania Room of the Library in Uniontown, where many historical records are retained. A search here found very little on David Parks other than:

  1. In the Franklin Township taxables list for 1785 he had 2 horses, 2 cattle, no property.
  2. A statement in the 1882 “History of Fayette Co” with regard to Dunbar Township: “from 1800 down to the present time (1882) the following in Dundar Township, kept taverns, some for a brief time and some for a series of years”. This list included, among many others, the name “David Parks”. It is worth noting here that Dunbar Twp. was formed from the eastern part of Franklin Twp. in the early 1800s.

With specific regard to our John B. Parks, we did find some interesting documents regarding the Livingston and Gilleland families in Fayette Counties, copies of which were obtained. John B. Parks, although born and raised in OH, married Annis Gilleland of Franklin Twp. Fayette Co., PA. Likewise, his son Adam S. Parks, born and raised in OH, married Elizabeth Livingston of Franklin Twp., Fayette Co., PA. We conclude from this that very strong ties existed between our Belmont and Harrison Co., OH families and Fayette Co., PA families over a period of three generations.


PS Newsletter 2006 Vol. 42, No. 1, Page 9

The Missing Link for this lineage appeared in 2001 (Vol. 38, No. 1, p. 8) as well as in a book review of James Parks (1781-1861) and Elizabeth Davis (1782-bef. 1860), edited by Lois Iams Blake. It was followed up by an article written by W.W. Parks, PS#1367, and his brother R.R. Parks, which appeared in 2001 (Vol. 38, No. 3, p. 39). Sara Weigand, PS#1034 and Mrs. Saundra Beckum, PS#1311 are also active researchers.

This manuscript includes a pedigree chart, family group records, an excellent Table of Contents, and an Index, all of which make it very easy to follow. It is a helpful addition in researching this line because it contains thorough source material including census data, tax lists, wills, cemetery information, and Civil War files.

The compiler includes information on earlier Parks of Pennsylvania and the Jonathan Davis family. The reader does need to remember that there are numerous Park/e/s fragment lines in southern Pennsylvania and it is difficult to be absolutely sure of naming the correct ancestor without the use of DNA.

Dr. Harmon has researched the Pennsylvania and Ohio areas where this family resided. She believes that the father of James (b. abt. 1781) is David Parks of Fayette County, PA, based on the fact that he named his eldest son David. The death record of this son states that he was born in Fayette Co, PA.

She also discusses the question of whether the wife of James (b. abt. 1781) was Elizabeth Davis or Elizabeth Boyd. The book Tombstone Inscriptions and Family Records of Belmont County, Ohio by Esther Weygandt Powell gives her the surname Boyd but without any research. The great grandson of James Parks, W.C. Parks believed that her surname was Davis. His reasoning was partly based on their son who was named Jonathan D. Parks with the “D” standing for Davis. Dr. Harmon says there is a possibility that James was married twice but she has no record to support this.

The manuscript provides the following new information for the James & Elizabeth (Davis) Parks lineage:

  1. David Parks2 (1803 Franklin, Fayette Co, PA, 1824 Belmont Co, OH) mar. Sarah Jones. Please note spelling changes within this family:
    1. James Parks3 (1826-1903) mar. Nancy Sudduth (earlier spelling Suddeth)
  2. Rachel Parks2 (abt.1805- ) mar. Carlyle Bright. (earlier spelling is given as Carlile). Other changes within this family:
    1. James Bright3 (abt.1834- ) mar. Nancy J. Hackel. (earlier spelling Mackle) 8 Sep. 1872 Bethel, Monroe Co, OH
    2. Joseph Bright3 (abt.1841 – 9 Oct. 1878 Monroe, OH). Died unmarried.
  3. Jonathan Parks2 (1806-1877) mar. Rosanna Foraker. Note spelling changes within this family:
    1. Thomas Parks3 (1827-1899) mar. Eliza Grooves (earlier spelling Groves)
    2. William L. Parks3 (1832-1898) mar. Rosanah Keyser (earlier spelling Rosanna)
    3. Robert Parks3 (1840-1938) mar. Martha J. Parrish (earlier name, “Comrade Robert”)
  4. Elizabeth Parks2 (1810-1888) mar. Samuel Arters (b.1812 Fayette Co, PA -d.1893
    Kirkwood, Belmont Co, OH) son of William and Elizabeth Arters 3 Mar. 1836 in Union, Belmont
    Co, OH. They had 4 children:
    1. Isaac Arters3 (1837-1911) mar. (1) Ann Pollock 25 Sep.1862; divorced; mar. 24 Sep.1868 to (2) Mary Ellen Moreland. Isaac served as a Private in Co. D, 185th OVI; received pension for injuries while serving. Two children by second marriage. William b. Kirkwood Twp, Belmont Co, and Susannah b. Richland, Belmont Co, OH.
    2. Sarah Jane Arters3 (1839- ?) mar. John Harris (abt.1829 MD-?) 10 Nov 1863.
      Seven children all born in Kirkwood, Belmont Co, OH.
    3. William Arters3 (1842- ?) mar. Susan R. Mathews 19 Jan 1871. Two children, Eva and William, were listed with the John Hare family on the 1880 census.
    4. Caroline Arters3 (1844- ?) mar. John Taylor Hare 19 May 1870. Three children, all born in Union, Belmont Co, OH
  5. John B. Parks2 (1815-1874) mar. Annis Gilliland.
    1. James Parks3 (abt. 1840 Franklin, Fayette Co., PA, 24 Oct 1927 Cleveland, OH) mar. (3) Harriette Clark 10 May 1926, Cuyahoga Co., OH. James Park served in the Civil War as a Private and Corporal in Co. B, 126th Regiment OVI. He was discharged as a result of a gunshot wound—application for pension filed.
  6. Joseph Parks2 (1818-1844) mar. Margaret Bigley. Note marriage, death, and spelling changes within several of their family group:
    1. Luetta Parks3 (abt. 1846 Union, Belmont Co., OH-?); formerly spelled Letitia.
    2. Thomas Parks3 (abt.1847-1921 Union, Belmont Co, OH.)
    3. Mary Parks3 (abt.1849) mar. William H. Harrison 13 Feb.1867 in Belmont.
    4. John Parks3 (abt.1851-18 Jul 1878 Belmont, OH) mar. [unknown] Warnach 26 Sep. 1871 in Belmont.
    5. Anna D. Parks3 (abt 1853- ?); middle initial “J” in earlier material.
    6. Lewis Parks3 (abt. 1855-1877 Belmont, OH)
  7. Thomas Parks2 (1821-1886) mar. Belinda Nesselroad. Note spelling changes within several of this family group:
    1. Price Parks3 (1860-1938) mar. Annie Wilson (earlier spelling is Anice).
    2. George Parks3 (1864- ) mar. Noma More (earlier spelling is Neoma Moore).
    3. Philena Parks3 (1865-1959) mar. David Lehman (earlier spelling is Lena Parks).

Please note that this is not a complete listing of all the grandchildren of James and Elizabeth (Davis) Parks. For more complete information please borrow this book or contact Saundra Beckum, PS#1311, at sabeckum@aol.com.