David Parsons (Joseph2, Joseph1) was of the 3nd American generation of his family. His tragic story will be told after a brief description of the lives of his parents and grandparents

Elizabeth Strong (1648-1736)
Joseph Parsons ((1647-1729)

David was the son of Elizabeth Strong and Joseph Parsons Jr. Joseph Parsons Jr was an early lawyer in western Massachusetts, serving as Justice of the Peace for Northampton and for 23 years a Judge of the Hampton County Court. He also served as a deputy of the General Court (legislature) for 14 years (1693-1707) and in 1696 and again in 1718, was "Commissioner of Oyer and Terminer." In 1711, he was commissioned captain of a company of foot soldiers in the New Hampshire regiment (command by Colonel Samuel Partridge (1645-1740); Partridge was a seventh great grandfather of this contributor.

The wife of Joseph Parsons Jr was Elizabeth Strong, born Feb 24, 1648. She was a daughter of Elder John Strong. John Strong had come to Massachusetts on the ship Mary & John in 1630, the same vessel which brought others of this contributors ancestors, including John Maverick (1578-1635/6) and Mary Gye Maverick (1580-aft 1666).

Elizabeth Strong and Joseph Parsons were married for more than fifty years. Joseph died at age 82; Elizabeth, at 88, on May 12, 1736.

The headstones of Joseph Parsons Jr and Elizabeth Strong Parsons read:

Here lyeth the body of Joseph Parsons, Esqr. Who deceased November yr 29 A.D. 1729 aged 83 years

Here lyeth the body of Mrs Elizabeth Parsons reliet of Joseph Parsons, Esq, who died May ye. 11 A.D. 1736 aged 89 years

The ten children of Joseph and Elizabeth Strong Parsons were: Joseph III, John, Ebenezer, Elizabeth, David (memorialized here), Josiah, Daniel, Moses, Abigail, Noah. The Rev. David Parsons (1679/80-1743) and his wife Sarah Stebbens (1686-1758) are in the ancestral line of this contributor.

Joseph Parsons was the son of immigrant Joseph Parsons Sr (1620-1683) and Mary Bliss (?-?), among the founders of Springfield and Northampton, MA.

DAVID PARSONS (1680-1743)

David Parsons (the subject of this Memorial) was born at Northhampton, MA Feb 3, 1680. He graduated from Harvard College in 1705 and was minister of the Congregational Church at Malden, MA. After twelve years he was asked to become the first minister at the church at Leicester, MA, where he died Oct 12, 1743.

David was married to Sarah Stebbins (1686-1759). They were the parents of:

1. Sarah (?-1709)

2. Sarah (1710-?) unmarried

3. David (1712-1781), the Rev., married Eunice Wells (- 1796)

4. Israel (1714-b/f 1715)

5. Israel (1715-b/f 1723)

6. Nathan (1721-1806) married (1) Catherine (Amy?) Gould, (2) Susannah Graves (1787)

7. Israel (1723-1767) married Hannah Waite (1751), (2) Lois Wiley (1761)

8. Solomon (1726-1807) married (1) Elizabeth Taylor (1752), (2) Elizabeth Sweetser (1781)

9. Lucy (?-?) married the Rev. Edward Billings

David Parsons' pastoral interlude at Leicester, begun with great promise in 1722, collapsed into acrimony and bitterness. In 1727, the newly founded, cash-strapped small town became arrears in paying his salary and undertook efforts to relieve themselves of their minister's salary. He was asked to accept a delayed payment and to relocate. In his mid-40's, having been at Leicester for some five years, under an agreement that he was settled there for life, David Parsons refused to consider any great modification in the terms of his call. There followed meetings, litigation, factions and divisions within the congregation. Finally, in 1835, there was agreement that David Parsons would no longer be church minister and therefore, no longer paid. He did however remain in the town.

Town records indicate efforts were taken to keep the former minister away from the property of the church. Apparently, the dismissed pastor who would-not / could-not leave Leicester, disputed the laying of town roads on property he claimed was his; he would secure firewood from forests titled to the church. The lingering dispute caused church attendance to decline and the church building to fall into decay and neglect.

David Parsons "carried to the grave the feelings of bitterness which had been engendered in his controversy with the town; and was buried by his special direction, on his own land, apart from the graves of his people. He was unwilling that his ashes should repose by the side of those with whom he had worshipped in the sanctuary, and to whom he had broken the consecrated bread. His grave, once visible on a mowing-field, about thirty rods north of the present (1863) meeting-house, has been leveled by the plow share; and the headstone, with his name inscribed upon it, no longer serves, as it did for more than a century, as a monument to human frailty." (Judd, History of Hadley, 1863, pp. 87-88, see also note, p. 414)

What became of the headstone? It was used in the building of a chimney, inside of which the inscription could be read: "In memory of Rev. Mr. David Parsons, who, after many years of hard labor and suffering, was laid here, Oct. 1, 1743, aged sixty-three." And also, "Sarah Parsons died June ye 17, 1759, aged seventy-three."

David Parsons is remembered in local history as "a man of strong passions and the people of Leicester were unyielding and after years of strife he died and was buried by his special direction on his own land, being unwilling to be buried with his people" (Judd, History of Hadley, 1863, note, p. 414). "Meekness does not seem to have been a distinguishing trait in his character" (Washburn, History of Leicester 1860 p. 387).

_________

OUR DAVID RAISED IN PRIVILEGE AND HOPES HIGH

by

Richard Baldwin Cook
(copyright 2010)


Our David raised in privilege and hopes high.
Both parents well respected all around.
A Harvard grad in 1705,
Dave Parsons was ordained a cleric sound.

A Malden, Mass. tenure had proved his keep.
The elders in Leicester had taken note.
He was then called to pastor there the sheep.
He went expecting to enlarge his scope.

The sheep, wolves proved, around his lonely manse.
The promised large support was just a game.
Into the local court the parties danced.
Dave lost his salary and his good name.

If from his grave Dave us advise, he should:
Don't Insist: the church give promised firewood.



_________

The above quotations are found in PARSONS FAMILY, Henry Parsons (Vol 1, 1912, p. 69). Much additional data about the Parsons family may be found in the book ALL OF THE ABOVE I, by Richard Baldwin Cook (Nativa, 2007, revised 2008). For further details, please see this contributor's main page.