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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   August 2007

Rev. Samuel Parkhurst

Benjamin Parkhurst, weaver, of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, in his 9 Dec. 1721 will, proved 8 Dec 1722 named his wife Mercy (Thompson) and children, including Samuel Parkhurst.[1] 

That Samuel, the father of our subject, was born in Elizabethtown about 1715 and died in Newark in 1783.[2]  He married Esther Baldwin, ca 1720-1776, daughter of Samuel and Mary Baldwin.  In 1747 he bought items from the estate of Moses Ball who was the uncle of Mary Ball, wife of Christopher Seely, grandson of Samuel Seely and Charlotte Popino.[3]  There may be a relationship there that would connect the Parkhursts with people in Orange County.  Samuel and Esther’s children were Samuel, Stephen, Caleb, David and Esther.

Our Samuel Parkhurst was born in 1739 and died 11 March 1768.  He is buried in the basement of the Blooming Grove United Church of Christ.[4]

Samuel attended Princeton College where he studied theology and he was licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick in 1761 and ordained the next year.[5]

“Bethlem April 29, 1761, At a meeting of the Prsbytery of New Brunswic at the place aforesaid, Mr. Samuel Parkhurst having afford himself as a Candidate for the Gospel Ministry and having given satisfaction to the Pby respecting his acquintance with experimental religion, and having passed thro the usual trials much to the satisfaction of the Pby and to their unaminous approbation upon the whole they look on him as completely qualified for Preaching the everlasting gospel of Christ and do hereby unanimously license and appoint him hereto and chearfully recommend him as an approved candidate for the Gospel Ministry to all people where God in his providence may call him.”

Samuel was subsequently called, mainly by members of the Florida Presbyterian Church in Orange County, to preach there, beginning 14 June 1762.  Their bond of that date, reads as follows:

“Know all Men by these Presents that we Francis Armstrong, Daniel Wood, William Thompson, John Wisner, Joseph Totten, William Armstrong, George Wood, John Poppino Junr, John Allison, Samuel Jayne Junr, Richard Bailey Junr, Noah Holly, Richard Edsell, William Blain, John Minthorn, John Edsel, Samuel Edsell, Daniel Burt, Richard Johnson, Alexander Simpson, Willm Campbell, of the County of Orange and Province of New York, are held and firmly bound to Saml Parkhurst of the County and Province aforesaid, in the just and full sum of one hundred and sixty pounds, lawful money of the Province aforesaid, to be paid to the said Saml Parkhurst or his certain Attorney, Executor, Administrator or Assigns, for which payment will and truly to be made, we bind ourselves & each of us, jointly and severally, for & in the whole, firmly by these Presents, sealed in our seals, dated this fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord Christ, one thousand, seven hundred and sixty two.

The Condition of this Obligation is if the above bounden Francis Armstrong, Daniel Wood, William Thompson, John Wisner, Joseph Totten, William Armstrong, George Wood, John Poppino Junr, John Allison, Samuel Jayne Junr, Richard Bailey Junr, Noah Holy, Richard Edsell, William Blain, John Minthorn, John Edsell, Saml Edsell, Daniel Burt, Richard Johnson, Alexander Simpson,  & Willm Campbell, or either of them, do & shall, well & truly pay, or cause to be paid unto the said Saml Parkhurst, his Executors, Administrators or Assigns, the sum of eighty pounds current money of New York and that on or before the thirteenth day June, yearly & every year, as long as he shall continue the regular Gospel Minister of the two Presbyterian Congregations of Florida and Warwick, according to the Plan upon which they are now united (the first of which Payments is due on the thirteenth day of June in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and sixty three) then this Obligation to be void as of none effect, otherwise to remain in full Force & Virtue.

before the sealing of these Presents N. B. that it was agreed upon by both Parties concerned in this Bond, that when either of the above bounden Persons removes his stated Residence out of the bounds of the forementioned Congregations he shall be free from this obligation.

Sealed & delivered in Presence of                                                                     Signatures of above

John Poppino, Christian Poppino, their marks[6]                                                                

The fact that John Poppino was not one of the bonded and that he and Christian (who could not sign their own names) were witnesses, suggests to me that they may have been instrumental in bringing Samuel into the community.

The following year, 1764, Samuel married Renelche DuBois, daughter and heir of Nathaniel Dubois who lived eight miles from Newburgh on the road to Goshen.[7]^,

Despite Renelche’s generous bequest from her father who died in 1763[8], she and Samuel were in need of money by the next year, 1765, as witness the following bond:

“Know all men by these presents that we, Samuel Parkhurst of Florida in the County of Orange & Province of New York Clerk & Zechariah DuBois of the County and Province aforesaid, Farmer, are held and firmly bound unto Lewis Bevier of Marbletown, Abraham Hasbrouck of Kingston, Simon DuBois, Jacob Hasbrouck & Abraham Dojo of the New Paltz, all of the County of Ulster, Province of New York & being executors of the last will and testament of Philip DuBois deceased in the just and full sum of one hundred pounds current money of New York aforesaid to be paid to them ….  For they which payment will be truly made and done, we do hereby bind ourselves jointly and severally, our and each of our heirs, Executors & Administrators firmly by these presents, sealed with our seal, dated this fourteenth day of June in the Year of our Lord Seven Hundred and sixty five. 

The condition of this obligation is such that if the above bounden Samuel Parkhurst and Zechariah DuBois, or either of them, or either of their Heirs, Executors or Administrators shall & do well & truly pay or cause to be paid to the above named …. the just and full sum of fifty pounds…with lawful interest from the date hereof and that on the fourteenth day of June next ensuing the date hereof, then this shall be void and of none effect, otherwise it shall remain in full force and virtue.                                                                        Saml Parkhurst

                                                                       Zachariah Dubo

Signed sealed and delivered i n presence of us

Jonas DuBois  Hannah DuBois

As previously mentioned, Samuel died 11 Mar 1768.  On 1 June 1768, administration of the estate was granted to Renalche Parkhurst.  Bondsmen were Dr. Nathaniel Elmer and Geertruy Dubois [her mother] all of Orange County.  Witnesses: John Gale and Christian Poppino (her mark).[9]

Nathaniel Parkhurst was in the Warwick Census of 1790: 2 males over 16 and 3 females.  This no doubt included Renalche.  In 1800 there was one boy 10-16, a male and female 26-45, no doubt Nathaniel and his wife Mary, and one woman 45 and over, probably Renalche.  Because Samuel died so young and there were no other Parkhursts in Orange County, whatever family influences there were on Nathaniel as he grew up were from the DuBois family.

On 4 March 1793, the Board of Trustees of the Florida Presbyterian Church purchased from Renalche Parkhurst, Nathaniel Parkhurst and Mary his wife, a lot near the meeting house for the purpose of a parsonage, at a price of £450 which had been raised by subscriptions of many church members including Daniel Poppino, John Poppino, Richard Poppino, and Christian Poppino Minthorn, widow of John Minthorn.[10]  (The Minthorns had earlier named a son Samuel Parkhurst Minthorn.)

Nathaniel Parkhurst died probably in 1807.  Letters of Administration were issued to his widow, Mary Parkhurst, 17 January 1808 but she died before 7 Feb 1810 and Daniel Carpenter served as Executor of both estates.[11]

The 1810 Census showed Samuel Parkhurst with 1 male under 10, 1 male 10-16, 2 males 16-26, 2 females 26-45, and 1 slave.  In 1813, the Union School House District showed Samuel Parkhurst next to Nathaniel Wheeler.  Not found in 1820.

From this we can surmise that Nathaniel and Mary Parkhurst had a son Samuel, perhaps born about 1785.  There is a family bible that shows the family of Lewis Dubois Parkhurst, b 23 Dec 1805, d 1 Sep 1851, no doubt the son of Samuel Parkhurst.[12]   According to the bible, he m1 13 Oct 1831, Susan Coleman, b 13 Oct 1818, d 6 Jan 1843.  Their only child who survived to adulthood was Gabriel Harrison Parkhurst, 31 May 1836 – 29 Jan 1921, m 11 Dec 1861, Mary Ward Sloat. 

Lewis Dubois Parkhurst m2, 29 Nov 1843, Emily Jayne, b 3 Dec 1814, d 9 June 1873.  Their children who survived to adulthood were: Lewis Dubois Parkhurst 4 May 1845 – 6 Feb 1896; Mary Fannie Parkhurst 18 July 1850 – 14 July 1879, m 1 May 1872 William A Preston; and Dewitt Jayne Parkhurst, 18 July 1850 – 14 June 1903, m 1 Oct 1874 Maggie Taylor.

They were still living in Florida near the Wheelers in 1850.