Five sons of John and Ann (_____) Parker all immigrated to New England from Great Burstead, Essex, and left many descendants, especially in the vicinity of Groton, Massachusetts. The most comprehensive account of the ancestry of the Groton Parker families is that of Richardson54, which supersedes all previous work.

As Shattuck312 notes, “The name Parker has ever been very common in New England, and has been borne by more families than any other in Groton and its vicinity. James and Joseph, who first settled in Woburn, and were among the original grantees of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dunstable, and Groton, were ancestors of the most numerous families, though some were descended from Jacob, Abraham, and perhaps John, also early inhabitants of Woburn and Chelmsford.”

Nason’s History of Dunstable313 transcribes the 1673 petition to the General Court for the incorporation of Dunstable, and among the petitioners are all the immigrant Parker sons of John and Ann Parker: James Parker, Sr. (also James Parker, Jr.), Abraham Parker, Joseph Parker, John Parker, and Josiah Parker.

John and Ann (_____) Parker are also ancestors of U.S. President Franklin Pierce through their son Jacob Parker and his first wife Sarah _____.53