PARRISH FAMILY HISTORY

The history of our Parrish family in America begins with the importation of Edward Parrish (1640-1680) to Kent Island, Maryland in 1655. Edward was most likely around 15 years old and came to the colonies as an indentured servant brought in by William Chaplain. Edward served his apprenticeship with William Piper, Richard Gott and Alexander Gordon. On November, 26, 1662, Edward's indenture ends when he applies for a land warrant of 50 acres. Edward gains another 50 acres through another servant and creates Parrish's Park on 100 acres of Cheasapeake land. Over the next few years, Edward acquires a few more of pieces of land in the early including Parrish's Chance in the Shady Side area of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Edward marries Clara (?) in 1664 and has six children. Edward builds a home at Parrish's Chance on approximately 150 acres around 1672. The house remains in our family's hands today.  Edward's second son John marries Sarah Franklin Horne in 1700 at the West River Meeting House which is a few miles west of their farm. A copy of the Quaker marriage document can be found in the photo section of this site. John and Sarah move to Baltimore County Maryland and have at least nine children together. John's son Richard is born around 1707-1709 and purchases Bachelor's Fancy in Baltimore County around 1745. At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War (1783), Richard and his son Edward (1748-1813) cross the Allegheny Mountains with their families and settled in Franklin Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He sold Bachelor's Fancy in 1785 while living in Fayette County. Around 1788 Edward moves to Monongalia County, VA near Maidsville, WV. The exact location of Edward's farm is east of Fort Martin Road and south of  Seece Lane and west of Crafts Run Road. A map can be seen in the photo section. Sims Index tells us that Edward received a land grant in 1788 for those 340 acres near the waters of the Monongahela River. We believe that this land grant was given to him for his service or support in the American Revolution. Before arriving in Morgan City (Morgantown), Edward was married twice and had nine children. Evidence suggests that Edward’s second wife died soon after his arrival in western Virginia and in 1789 he marries Rachel Evans of Dunkard Township, Pennsylvania. Rachel was the daughter of local farmer John Evans. The Evans farm was about three miles from the Parrish farm on the northern bank of Crooked Run. Crooked Run traverses the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia before emptying into the Monongahela River. A map of the Evans farm can be found in the photos section. Edward and Rachel go on to have thirteen more children giving Edward a total of 22 children.

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Edward's first son Richard (1769-1865) is the father of  William R. Parrish (1803-1885), the patriarch  of the Parrish line in Jackson and Wirt counties. Richard marries Mary "Polly" Criss of Monongalia County around 1787. They move to Marion County, WV and raise eleven children. Their farm is along Parrish Run off of Four States Road in Farmington, WV. Our patriarch William R. is born in Fairmont, VA (WV) in 1803 and marries Elizabeth Fleming Hamilton of Mannington, VA (WV) on November 22, 1827. The Hamilton's were a very well known family in the Mannington, WV area. Elizabeth’s maternal grandfather, Boaz Fleming was a veteran of the Revolutionary War having fought for Colonel Neil's Delaware Regiment. He is also the founder of Fairmont, WV. William R. Parrish and his wife Elizabeth have ten children in the Mannington, WV area before moving to Elizabeth, Wirt County, VA in 1857. Their last daughter and eleventh child Mary Eleanor is born in Elizabeth. 

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William and his son Joshua Fleming Parrish are assigned land grants of 516 acres in the Standing Stone area of Wirt County between 1857-1860. Family lore has it that gas and oil are discovered on their land on Parrish Run near Elizabeth WV. They sell their land and take the proceeds and buy a large farm six miles east of Ripley, Jackson County, West Virginia around 1866-1867. William and Elizabeth settle in Hereford, Jackson County along Route 33 with most of their children and grandchildren. William R Parrish dies on February 19, 1885 at the age of 81. Elizabeth dies on December 7, 1895 at the age of  84. Both are buried in the Parrish Cemetery in Hereford, Jackson County along with many of their children. 

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The spelling of our last name, either Parrish or Parish, have been interchangeable throughout the last four hundred years. For this website, we have used two "R's" throughout.