The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 1847 - Various

Those that engaged their lives for them."

Sir Thomas Parsons of Great Milton in Oxfordshire, (before mentioned,) m. in 1614, Catharine, a dau. of Edward Radcliff of London, son of Alderman Radcliff, by whom he had Robert, Thomas, Richard, Anthony, and six daughters. He was the son of Thomas of the same place, by his first wife, Judith Garbrand of the city of Oxford, who also had a daughter Amy, m. to Richard Alworth of Turford, Buckinghamshire. His second wife was Sarah, dau. of Edmund Waller of Costell, by whom he had three sons, John, Edmund, Francis, and two daughters, Elisabeth, m. Anthony Radcliff of Chalford, Co. Bucks, and Ann, wife of Richard Baldwin of Beaconsfield, in the same county.

The grandfather of Sir Thomas was Thomas of Great Milton, who m. Catharine, dau. of Hester Sydenham, by whom he had Thomas, Hugh, and Richard.

Richard m. Miss —— Pierpont, and had a son John of London, who m. 1. a dau. of Joshua Whistler, by whom he had a daughter Catharine; he m. 2. Mary Gualter of London. Some of this family were among the early emigrants to America.

The first of the name we find in New England is Joseph, Springfield, 1636, where he appears as a witness to the deed from the Indians of the lands of that place and vicinity to William Pynchon and others, on the fifteenth of July. There appear, however, soon after, at the same place, Hugh and Benjamin. And family tradition relates that Joseph and Benjamin were brothers, that they were born in Great Torrington, near Exeter, Devonshire, England, who, with other children, accompanied their father to New England, about the year 1630. It is probable that they came over with Mr. Pynchon.

(1)	Joseph Parsons,¹ as has been mentioned, was at Springfield in 1636, where he probably remained until 1655, in which year he removed to Northampton. On the records of the latter town is this entry: "Joseph Parsons did at a Court in Northampton, holden March, 1662, testifie that he was a witness to a deed of the lands at Springfield, and a bargain betweene the Indians and Mr. Pynchon, dated July 15, 1636, for 18 fathoms of wampom, 18 coates, 18 hatchets, 18 hoes, 18 knives." As soon as the town was incorporated he was elected "Townsman," (or selectman,) though he subsequently paid the town 20 shillings not to elect him to any office during the second year of its incorporation. After that we find him serving the town as "Townsman" for seven years. He was a principal founder of Northampton, was extensively engaged in the fur trade, and acquired a large estate. He m. Mary, dau. of Thomas Bliss of Hartford, (afterwards of Northampton,) Nov. 26, 1646. They resided in Northampton till 1679, in which year they returned to Springfield, where they both died. Among the records of deaths of that town we find, "Cornet Joseph Parsons was sick and died, Oct. 9, 1683." She outlived him near 19 years, dying Jan. 29, 1712. Their children were,
(2) (11)	I.	Joseph,² b. 1647, m. Elisabeth, dau. of Elder John Strong, whose father was ancestor of the late Caleb Strong, Governor of Massachusetts. He d. Nov. 29, 1729. She was b. at Windsor, Ct., Feb. 24, 1648, d. at Northampton, May 11, 1736, a. 88.
(3)	II.	John,² b. 1649, m. Sarah, dau. of Lieut. —— Clarke, at Northampton, Dec. 23, 1675.
(4) (21)	III.	Samuel,² b. 1652, settled at Durham, Ct., 1706.
(5)	IV.	Ebenezer,² b. 1655, served against the Indians in Philip's war, and was killed fighting under Capt. Beers at Northfield, Sept. 8, 1675, with his commander and many more. He was the first white child born in Northampton.
(6)	V.	Jonathan,² b. June 6, 1657, d. Oct. 19, 1684.
(7)	VI.	David,² b. April 30, 1659.
(8)	VII.	Mary,² b. June 27, 1661, m. 1. Joseph Ashley of Springfield, Oct. 15, 1685; 2. Joseph Williston, March 2, 1699.
(9)	VIII.	Hannah,² b. 1663, m. Rev. Pelatiah Glover of Springfield, Jan. 6, 1687.
(10)	IX.	Abigail,² b. Sept. 3, 1666, m. John Colton, Feb. 19, 1689, d. soon after, leaving a dau. who m. Francis Griswold of Windsor, Ct.
(11)	X.	Hester,2 b. 1672, m. Joseph Smith of Greenwich, Ct.

Joseph,³ (2) who m. Elisabeth Strong, had,

(12) (26)	I.	Joseph,³ b. June 28, 1671, graduated at H. C. 1697, being the first of the name who had graduated there. He m. Elisabeth, dau. of Dr. Benjamin Thompson of Roxbury, Ms., (who was son of Rev. William Thompson of Braintree, Ms.,) in 1701. He settled in the ministry, 1st, at Lebanon, Ct., 2nd, at Salisbury, Ms., in 1718, where he d. March 13, 1739, a. 69. His wife d. at Kensington, N. H.
(13)	II.	John,³ b. Jan. 11, 1674.
(14)	III.	Ebenezer,³ b. Dec. 11, 1675, m. Mercy Stebbins, Dec. 15, 1703, d. 1744.
(15)	IV.	Elisabeth,³ b. Feb. 3, 1678.
(16)	V.	David,³ b. Feb. 1, 1680, at Northampton, grad. H. C. 1705, minister of Malden, 1708, of Leicester, 1721, where he d. 1737, having been dismissed two years before. His son David⁴ graduated at Harvard College in 1729, and was ordained as the first pastor of the church in Amherst, Nov. 6, 1739. He m. Eunice Wells of Wethersfield, Ct., had 9 children, and d. 1781, a. 69. He was the father of the Rev. David⁵ Parsons, D. D., of Amherst, who was b. Jan. 28, 1749, H. C. 1771, settled Oct. 2, 1782, d. 1823, a. 74. Dr. Parsons had eleven children; namely, Ezekiel Williams,⁶ a physician in Colchester, Ct.; David⁶ of Amherst, an artisan; Prudence Stoddard,⁶ m. Rev. Marcus Smith,⁶ Rensselaerville, N. Y.; Thomas,⁶ a merchant, New York city, d. a. 41; Harriet,⁶ m. 1. Rev. Royal Washburn, and 2. Hon. David Mack of Amherst; Francis,⁶ an attorney at Hartford, Ct., and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas; Mary,⁶ m. Rev. William Williams, formerly a clergyman, but now a practising physician at Salem; Caroline,⁶ d. a. 22; Sophia,⁶ m. Rev. Silas Aiken of Boston; William,⁶ a physician of Canaan, Ct., d. a. 27; and James,⁶ a graduate and an instructor of youth at Savannah, Ga., d. a. 29.
(17)	VI.	Josiah,³ b. Jan. 2, 1682, m. Sarah Sheldon, June 22, 1710, d. April 12, 1768, a. 86.
(18)	VII.	Daniel,³ b. Aug., 1685, at Northampton, m. Abigail Cooley of Springfield, June 17, 1709, resided in Springfield.
(19)	VIII.	Moses,³ b. Jan. 15, 1687, at Northampton, m. Abigail Ball of Springfield, Jan. 20, 1710, about which time he removed to Durham, Ct.
(20)	IX.	Abigail,³ b. Jan. 1, 1690.
(21)	X.	Noah,3 b. Aug. 15, 1692, left descendants.

Samuel,² (4) who settled in Durham, Ct, had,

(22)	I.	Timothy,³ b. 1694, d. Jan. 28, 1772.
(23)	II.	Simeon,³ b. 1701, d. Jan. 6, 1784.
(24)	III.	Phinehas,³ b. 1703, d. May 6, 1724.
(25)	IV.	Aaron.³
(26)	V.	Ithamar,³ b. 1707, d. Jan. 21, 1786. He and probably all his brothers left male posterity. David⁴ and Nathan,⁴ sons of Ithamar, removed to Granville, Ms., about 1760. David⁴ of Granville, Ms., had a son Joel,⁵ who was father to the Hon. Judge Anson V.⁶ Parsons of Philadelphia.