| Notes |
- “John Parks I (ca.1674-1757) was the settler who received a 1753 land grant, surveyed by George Washington in 1750....No will has been located....John I came to Old Frederick County, VA., during the early days of settlement and applied for a Fairfax grant, which he reassigned to a son named George Parks. His date of death has not been proven, but is believed to have been during the era of the French and Indian War."
[George Washington was 18/19 years old in 1750.]
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"From 1750 to 1753, George Washington worked as a land surveyor and measured many of the properties in Northern Virginia. In 1750, at the age of eighteen years, George Washington surveyed land on or near the Capon River for John Park, Sr., and also for his presumed son, John, Jr., apparently an adult by that time. Records exist concerning three tracts thus surveyed: (a) a tract of 250 acres for John, Jr.: (b) a tract of 400 acres for John, Sr. (I); and possibly (c) a tract of 135 acres for an unknown John Park, Jr....
"In his letter of Sept 9, 1893, Moses' grandson James Parks confirms that his grandfather spoke of seeing George Washington more than once at the home of his father (John Park (II)) while the surveys were in progress....
"Mrs. Northcutt notes in her 1957 paper that John Park, Sr. (presumable the owner, John I), served as a chain carrier for surveyor George Washington in 1750. That is apparently indicated by the name "John Park" at the ends of the survey documents. One wonders, however, if this could have been John, Jr. (II), as John (I) was no longer a young man by then."
(For info on Washington's notes of the survey, etc. see page 137, Park Origins.)
"There seems little reason to doubt that John (I) married Sarah Smith, daughter of the Hopewell pioneer Andrew Smith, and that they and their son John Park (II) and others left Hopewell some time after 1735. That year saw the conclusion of a legal battle and the failure of the Parks' efforts to prevent Daniel Cox from ejecting them from the land around Hopewell on which they had lived for a generation. Possible the Parks and others went elsewhere in Hunterdon County, N.J. for a time, but no one is sure....It seems likely that John (I) and his brother-in-law Thomas Smith, Sr., were in Fairfax County by 1745."
"....Both John and Thomas lost their land....due to a defect in their title. They forcibly ejected the new owners from their former land, and got into trouble with the law as a result."
"...by 1731, the Parkes were listed as members of the First Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Hunterdon County. The names included John Parke, Sr., John Parke, Jr….”.
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Feb. 28, 1702/03 John and sister Ann were baptized at St. Mary's (St. Ann's?) church Burlington, NJ, by Rev. John Talbot, a traveling minister who traveled extensively in the area, marrying, baptizing and burying members in what was a very far flung parish. They were baptized as adults in order to be able to inherit their father's land. (Historical and Geneaogical Miscellany Vol. II, by John E. Stillwell - 1906 page 49. John bought land above the falls of the Delaware in Burlington Co. from theWest NJ Society on June 16, 1699. This is in book B page 648 of theIndex to Colonial Deeds prior to ca. 1795. John was appointed overseer of the poor in 1723, 1724 and 1725 in the Hopewell Town Meeting.
One of the 50 signers of the compact to stand by each other and test the validity of Dr. Coxe's claim to eject those who did not pay for their land a second time in Hopewell. Not only did he and Thomas Smith refuse to pay for his land a second time he refused to vacate his land until forcibly evicted by Sheriff Bennett Bard who rented his homestead and Thomas Smith's to two yeomen, O'Guillon and Collier. This so enraged them that in July, 1735 they took their revenge by tar and feathering the interlopers on their land. Before this they got their families safely across the Delaware to Bucks Co. PA and then with about 10 others they broke into their former homes and tarred and feathered the two tenants, taking revenge and showing utter contempt for Coxe's dishonest officials. Tar is almost impossible to remove so it publicly shamed the two yeomen who sought to gain from injustice and they also burned their homes and barns and so reduced the profit to Coxe. John Parke, ThomasSmith and Bartholemew Anderson then escaped to PA while the other 10returned to their homes. Public sympathy was with the rebels however because in spite of great desperation in the community for money and their common knowledge of the identities of the perpetrators, nobody came forward to claim the large reward Coxe had offered for information on their whereabouts. A warrant was issued for their arrest. His land inHopewell may have the to the north of present day Broad St. between theGolden property and the present Greenwood Ave, part of a large tract held by John Parke, Roger's son and later by John Hixson. By mid century this belonged to John Hart, signer - on Hart Ave.
Here is the Proclamation put out for their arrest:
"In Council, A PROCLAMATION Whereas I have received information uponOath, that one Duncan Qguillon and one John Collier, were on the second day of July last past, severally put into the Possession of the DwellingHouses and Plantations lately in the Possession of John Parks and ThomasSmith, late of Hopewell in the County of Hunterdon, by Daniel Coxe Esq.;who then had possession of the said dwelling Houses and Plantations, delivered unto him by Bennet Bard, Esq.; High Sheriff of the said County of Hunterdon, by Virtue of a Writ of Possession to the said Sheriff, directed and issuing out of the Supreme Court of this Province of NewJersey: And that in the Night between the Thursday and the Friday following, divers Persons unknown, to the number of Twelve or more, being all disguised, having their Faces besmear’d with Blacking, and Armed withClubs, and Sticks in their Hands, Did in an Insolent, Violent, andRiotous Manner, break into and enter the said respective Dwelling Houses, and did Assault, Beat, and Wound the said Duncan Oguillon and JohnCollier, and other Persons then in the said several Dwelling Houses; and them did with Force & Arms, violently a move and turn out of possession,Cursing, Swearing, and Threatening in a most outrageous manner, that they would Kill and Murder the said Daniel Coxe, Esq; in Defiance of all Law and Government. To the end therefore, that the said audacious Offenders may be brought to condign Punishment; I have thought fit by and with theAdvice of his Majesty’s Council, to issue this Proclamation, hereby promising his Majesty’s most Gracious Pardon, to any one of the saidOffenders, who shall discover one or more of their Accomplices so that he or they may be brought to condign Punishment. And as furtherEncouragement to any one who shall detect so unparallel’d and insolent anOutrage, I do hereby promise to Pay to the said Discoverer the Sum ofThirty Pounds, Proclamation Money, within one month after any or either of the said Offenders shall by his Means be convicted of the said Offence. Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at Perth Amboy, the TwentySecond day of August, in the Ninth Year of his Majesty’s Reign Anno Domini, 1735. By his Excellency’s Command, W. Cosby Lawr. Smyth, D. Secr. God Save the King Ed."
Note: There appears to be no record of any neighbor coming forward to identify John Parke and Thomas Smith as the 'offenders' or to claim the substantial reward. John and Thomas and their families left shortly after for Virginia. John, brother-in-law Thomas Smith and friend BartholomewAnderson left right away in 1735. It is thought that Sarah and the rest of the children remained behind for awhile - possibly even as long as until 1745. I tend to doubt it was that long. I think they were just in various locations before finally purchasing their land inFrederick/Hampshire Co., VA - just keeping a low profile.
Parke, Smith and Anderson eventually made their way to Morgan Bryan's settlement of Quakers on Opequon Creek in an area that became FrederickCo. VA and later Hampshire Co., WVA. Names of those who had resisted paying Coxe and later escaped Hopewell for debt appear in the names of those in this settlement in VA along with the two yeomen who were tarred and feathered!! - Duncan O'Quillon and John Collier, who after being beaten, tarred and feathered, realized they were not welcome in Hopewell!The greatest concentration of these folks from Hopewell were along BackCreek (the next creek west of Opequon) in a small, mountain community where a peak was named by its early settlers "Jersey Mountain."
Back in Hopewell John had served as Constable and on the Grand Juryand was a respected member of the community. He had the most to lose ashe had 600 acres of good land with fruit trees etc. in Hopewell. Hepurchased 300 acres of this land in 1699 which was described as beinglocated in the north central part of what became Hopewell Twp. , north ofthe Village of Marshall's Corner. (Source Wm. Hunter & Richard L.Porter "Hopewell A Historical Geography." The three fled to Pennsylvaniaand may have spent some time there in Chester/Bucks Co. area. An unusualentry in Revel's Book of Surveys lists for a Thomas Parke (but in themargin it calls him John) for 300 acres next to Thomas Twigg on Feb. 27,1696-7.
A time gap is found between the time John left Hopewell in 1735 and when he was recorded in land surveys in Hampshire Co. in 1745. It is possible that he was in Hampshire Co.(then Frederick Co., VA) before this time as were others as well whose land was not surveyed by GeorgeWashington, then a young 19 yr old surveyor until 1745 and after. Before these surveys were made, these settlers were living on their unrecorded land. John's first survey appears to be recorded by George Washington onApril 10, 1750 on Thomas Edward's Mill Run. I believe that John may have stayed a few years in the area of the Welsh settlement of PA (near present day Philadelphia) and came to Frederick Co.- Back Creek with the settlers that Morgan Bryan brought down from the Welsh settlement to the first of the Bryan Settlements there near Winchester - then calledHopewell (interesting!) Later of course Morgan Bryan was to take settlers further south to the second of the Bryan Settlements in Rowan Co. in present day Davie & Yadkin Co.s.
John Parke's land was adjacent to Richard Arnold's land and they may have arrived in the area at the same time or together. This land aFairfax land grant, was later settled on by John Kale about 1774. No record has been found for a purchase of that land by John Kale. An 18th century mill mentioned in a courthouse land record in 1800 stood onKale's land. The graveyard on this land is known as the Kale family graveyard in present day but was the Parke family graveyard originally.
John assigned his 400 acres in Hampshire Co. to his son George in1753. George Jr. and his mother Elizabeth (by then married to an Ashbrook) inherited it August 16, 1767. It was this land that John III, son of John II, George's brother, sued to get ownership of because being the son of John Parke Jr. he was rightful heir to the land of John Parke I, according to English law. John Parke I signed this survey assignment with the "e" at the end of his name.
Also found in the Book of Survey of George Washington (July1749-October 1752), is a survey for 135 acres on Mill Run, a branch of the Capapon River, granted to John Park, Jr., 29 December 1760.( this is actually John III) On March 31, 1751, 30 acres of land was surveyed for Bartholomew Anderson. John and Bartholomew had left New Jersey togetherAnother record is found indicating that George Washington surveyed forThomas Parks, Sr. 127 acres, Frederick Co., River of Cacapon, April 12,1750. Memo of Survey, p. 37. "Park Origins" by Percival Park. (p.127). It is unknown if Thomas was related.
In 1783 a John Park, wife Sarah of Hampshire Co., sold 135 acres onMill Run, a branch of Cacapon to George Horn. Rec: 11-11, 1783 Wit:none. This seems to the land survey by Geo. Washington above - however, why this was sold as late as 1783 doesn't make sense and John & Sarah were both long dead. (could it be 1753?)
According to information from Mrs. Betty Northcutt, John Parke I had been killed by Indians, who propped up his body on a post for all to see. The exact date is not known for John's death. However his land warrant was assigned to his son George, who was also killed during theFrench & Indian War in which he served about the same time. Because George was soon dead also, this land went to George Jr. and was the land contested by John III. This assignment occurred about 1762.
The date of his death has been narrowed down to sometime prior to Nov. of 1756 by this document found:
'Certificate James Smith heir to John Park's for a mare impressed Valued at 6 pounds to be laid before the counsel paying the money Nov 2nd 1756.Work of this nature are to be paid by the Colonel."
"This is to certify that John Park's Mare was prest for an Express from Col. Washington to Col. Stephens she being valued at L 6.0 Henry Harris Fort Edwards April 29, 1756"
James Smith had gone before the counsel to state that he never received the mare: "October 17th 1756 I sign over the within to James Smith Allen Park(s) November 2 day 1756 This day James Smith came before me the subscriber and made oath that the within roane mare prest at Fort Edwards was never returned to the owner nor his agent James under my hand this day and year above Tho. Swearingen"
His land which bordered on the land (400 acres) of Richard Arnold Sr.& Jr. and later John Arnold was bought by Hans Jerg Kail/Kehl/Coehl/Kale/Cale about Bet.1760-1774. Great-grandson Samuel remembered that the house was situated on the land at the foot of the hill below the graveyard. He also remembered that George Washington stayed with them while he was doing the Fairfax land deed surveys. The land was near Bubbling Springs, a mineral spring and on the Great Capecapon River. Johann Georg/John George died in 1797 and was buried on the land in the graveyard first used as a family graveyard by John Parke Sr., Sarah Smith & their family and the Arnold family. The land was divided evenly between his 3 sons, Peter, John & George. Peter & John sold their share to brother George and they moved to Ohio.
April 11, 1750 surveyed for Joseph Edwards - 400 acres on Cacapon River -granted to him in 1752, this property was immediately north ofRichard Arnold who witnessed the survey by Washington.
This property was about 3 miles south of Capon Bridge on the Cacapon just north of Bubbling Springs, it was exactly one mile (320 poles) long and5/8 mile (200 poles) wide which is 400 acres and was oriented 33 degrees south of east. The western or northwestern boundary was at the foot of Dillon's Mtn. on the west side of the river. Arnold's Ford is another 2 miles south. Property is between Capon Chapel cemetery on the north andKale and Monroe cemeteries on the south. Joseph Edwards had a 400 acre grant immediately to the north which was patented by Robert Pugh in 1760, John Chenoweth had the grant to the south which was above John Parke and the Bubbling Springs Chenoweth's grant was surveyed for Silvenius Smith in 1750.
Frederick County, 2:208, 5 March 1746
On the petition of James Coddy, Thomas Smith, John Parks, William Naylor, Josiah Arnold, George Potts, Darby McKeaver, Samuel Farrington, George Hoge, Peter Foster, and Walter D[illegible] for a road from Park's graveyard near Cape Capon water, over Dillon's Run, into the Wagon Road on Joseph Edwards's land, it is ordered that the said road be cleared bythe said petitioners and that they work on the same under James Coddy, who is hereby appointed surveyor thereof. And it is further ordered that the said James Coddy cause the said road to be kept in good repair and make bridges thereon where required according to law.
From: History of Nixon Family in Hampshire County
It is estimated that George Nixon was born about 1718 in Pennsylvania, and came to this area during the early 1740s, where he married ElizabethArnold, daughter of Richard Arnold Jr. Elizabeth was born circa 1722 inChester County, Pennsylvania, and died about 1783. Apparently, GeorgeNixon knew the Arnolds and Edwards in Pennsylvania. The Arnolds, whose land adjoined John and George Parks, and James Caudy, were among the first settlers along the Cacapon River south of present-day Capon Bridge.At least five children were born to the union of George and Elizabeth(Arnold) Nixon. William, Jonathan, Hannah, Nancy, and Elizabeth Nixon.In1758, George inherited from his father-in-law, Richard Arnold Jr, the plantation house and one-half of the Arnold’s Fairfax land grant.Arnold’s will named son-in-law George Nixon and friend Jesse Pugh to be executors. Witnesses to the will were Roger Parke, James Caudy, and John Ashbrook, all early pioneers in Cacapon Valley. In 1779, George Nixon Sr.received a Fairfax grant for 79 acres along Dillon’s Run. That land was first owned by Jacob Fout who was killed by Indians before he could secure a title.Some time after Elizabeth’s death, possibly in 1785,George Nixon married a young woman named Rachel Parks, daughter of Andrew and Rachel (Mosley) Parks. Ironically, they named their three childrenWilliam, George and Joseph. Troublesome and confusing! From his first marriage to Elizabeth Arnold, old George Nixon also named his oldest sonWilliam, whom he promised the plantation house and a portion of theFairfax land grant. Elizabeth, while on her death bed, made a passionate plea for her husband to transfer the land legally to their son William.The son had paid the fee simple but George did not follow through to issue a deed. Neither did George Nixon Sr. give the land to William (now deceased) nor his heirs, in a will dated February 15, 1793. Instead, the plantation was willed to son George Nixon Jr., who was less than three years old. Now, the first William Nixon (of George Nixon Sr.) had died in1781, and his property, by law, was to have been passed on to his eldest son, being also named George Nixon (1769-1857). But, without a legal instrument, he was unable to assume ownership. To receive his intended due, grandson George, of William Nixon, filed a chancery court suit against son George Jr., of George Nixon Sr. George Jr., whose legal guardian was Francis White, the Hampshire County Sheriff, was about eighty ears old when the chancery suit was filed. Charles Magill, attorney for the plaintiff, called a list of witnesses to testify that George NixonSr. had verbally verified his intention for son William to inherit the land being questioned. These depositions provide insight into the CaponBridge community during the second half of the 18th century. Depositions were given by Rees Pritchard, Jacob Clutter, Michael Capper, John Perrill, Joseph Wilkinson, Sarah Nixon, Thomas Wilkinson, Benjamin Webb, Elizabeth Webb, John Albion, Mary Pugh, John Muir, John Arnold, BenjaminMcDonald, Robert Pugh, Michael Lyon, Isaac Lupton, and John Brown.
Hopewell Meeting -Quaker meeting house in Opequon Creek, Old FrederickCo., VA began in 1732 - Back Creek Meeting house began in 1759-1869 and was Jesse Pugh's Meeting.
More About John Parke:
Burial: Park (Kale) Cemetery, Near Capon Bridge, Hampshire Co., WVA
To Fairfax Co. VA: 1745, Then to Capon Valley (Capacon?), warrant for land 1750., in Old Frederick Co. VA - Hampshire Co. - now W VA
Unjustly evicted from his: 1731, Hunterdon Co., Hopewell Twp. NJ property [1, 3, 20, 21, 22, 23]
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1677 - 1757 (80 years)
[4, 5, 6, 7, 8] 
