CHRISTOPHER PARKHURST (George) is first on record on 2 May 1546 on a tax list of Saint Mary's parish, Guildford, Surrey. He'was assessed 4 pence for goods and 20 pence for lands and tenements. By a 1550 Feet of Fine, he and his sister sold land to his brother-in-law, probably property which he had inherited from his father. Probably his mother had died at that time and this was the final settlement of the estate. Octave of Hilary 1550- Nicholas Babbe, plaintiff, vs. Henry Alby, gentleman, and Elizabeth his wife, and Christopher Parkeherste, son and heir of George Parkeherste, deforciants, re a messauge, 42 acres of land and 8 acres of pasture in Guldeford, Stoke next Guldeford, and Merrowe. Consideration £40.
Christopher Parkhurst was probably born in the period of 1520-24, married about 1546, and had five known children by this marriage. His wife must have died about 1567 and he remarried, perhaps about 15 68-9, and he then had several more children almost a generation younger than the first ones. This is apparent as there seems to have been a gap in the sequence of children. His son Christopher was too young to have been the father of these younger children. This is apparent from the will of Bishop John Parkhurst, in which he expressed concern about the education of his nephew Christopher, son of his brother Christopher. The nephew was thus surely underage at the time (157 3/4), and was perhaps born about 1572. In 1561, Christopher Parkhurst was named Keeper of the Bishop's Palace in Ipswich, county Suffolk, by his brother, who had been appointed Bishop the year before. He was probably the one 01 that name buried at Saint Lawrence, Ipswich, 10 August 1595.
Children:
HELEN, bapt. 25 June 1547 at St. Mary's, Guildford; m 1574 in St. Peter's, Creeting, Suffolk, William Crosse
ELIZABETH, bapt. 2 April 1549 at St. Mary's, Guildford
GEORGE, bapt. 13 March 1550/51 at St. Mary's, Guildford; m 1, Joan; she was buried 8 June 1619 at St. Lawrence, Ipswich; m 2, Thomasine Allen, 1 Aug. 1624 at St. Lawrence; he was buried 18 Dec. 1631 at St. Lawrence; Thomasine was buried out the gaile (jail) 15 Sept. 1636. He was a grocer. He had a son John bapt. 5 Nov. 1581, who m 7 Jan. 1603/4, Rose, dau. of Thomas Sicklemore who in his 1619 will mentioned his bro. George Parkhurst. George's will dated 12 Sept. 1631, names wife Thomasine, dau.in-law Rose Parkhurst, & gr. ch. George Parkhurst & Robert Parkhurst, both under 21 (George bp. 10 Aug. 1606, d before 1634/5; Robert bp. 23 June 1611, prob. buried 1666 at St. Clement's, Ipswich); son John had 5 or 6 other ch. who d.y.
JOHN, bapt. 29 Oct. 1554 at St. Mary's, Guildford (parents not named); m Sarah who was prob. the Sarah Parkhurst who m 7 Jan. 16 11/12 at St. Stephen's, Ipswich, Benjamin Cole; 7 ch.; he d 1611. testate
JAMES, apparently m at Stonhaxn Aspall, Suffolk, 12 July 1584, Joan Saunders alias Hewe, under age. The m record which says John (sic) Parkhurst is evidently in error. James is mentioned as an overseer in the Stonham Aspall P.R. for 1584. Joan Parkhurst was buried at Stonhaxn Aspall 25 May 1629; 6 ch. bp. at Stonham Aspall: Mary 6 July 1585-bur. 8 July 1585, Sarah 4 Dec. 1586-rn 1616 Win. Sheppard, Agnes 28 Sept. 1589, Joan 19 Aug. 1593, John 26 July 1597-bur. 10 Dec. 1597, John 11 March 1598/9
ANN. bapt. 1 Nov. 1569 at St. Nicholas, Ipswich, dau. of Christopher Parkhurst CHRISTOPHER, b perhaps c. 1572; surely a child at time of his uncle's will 1573/4; possible the burial in 1595 refers to him rather than his father.
SAMUEL, perhaps a son born c. 1574; dead by 31 July 1619 as will of Benjamin Osmond of Ipswich mentions Benjamin Parkhurst son of Samuel deceased (P.C.C. Somes 776). His wife was prob. Margaret of Ipswich whose estate was admin. by her son Henry 1616 (Ipswich Reck Office IC/AAG/2); 7 ch.
JOSEPH, perhaps a son born c. 1576; in 1 Jan. 1598 at St. Lawrence, Ipswich, Joan Shibdum; in 2, Elizabeth. .....; his will of 28 Feb. 1634, pr. 2 Oct. 1635 (P.C.C. Sadler 101) left everything to widow Elizabeth; widow Elizabeth P. of Ipswich in 12 May 1640 at St. Clement's, Ipswich, Edmund Morgan, widower.
Ref.: Guildford Borough Records 1514-1546, edited by Enid M. Dance, pub. by The Surrey Record Society, 1958, Vol. XXIV; Surrey Feet of Fines; Parish Registers; Probate records; Encyclopedia Heraldica, by William Berry, London, 1828-1840, Vol. II
