John Parker

John deserves to be recognized among the foremost in the settlement of this town. He leased and lived upon the large farm belonging to the church in Cambridge, north of the Woburn road, on both sides Shawshin river. He was the first town clerk and the first collector of taxes; was the agent of the town in locating and disposing of the two large grants, one of 8000 acres sold to Brenton. and the proceeds used to extinguish Cambridge titles, and the other of 4000 acres, used variously for the town's benefit. He built the first meetinghouse, and whatever the town had to do, John was very likely to do it. It is not known whence he came, or when he arrived in America. His wife was the widow of John Poulter, who was of Raleigh, in Essex, not far from Billericay. The wife of Jonathan Danforth was her daughter, but Mr. Parker had no children. He and Danforth call each other father-in-law and son-in-law. He d. 1667, June 14, and if born in 1600. he was four years older than his wife. She married April 16, 1674 to Thomas Chamberlain of Chelmsford, and died there on February 8, 1692-3, aged 88. Mr. Parker's extensive enterprises left his estate insolvent, his creditors receiving 15 shillings and 6 pence per pound.