Benjamin Parkison

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Husband Benjamin Parkison ^{1 2}

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            AKA: Benjamin Parkinson 3 4 5
           Born: 1750 - near Carlisle, Cumberland Co, PA 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 26 Oct 1834 3
         Buried:  - Pigeon Creek U. P. Cemetery, Washington Co, PA

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         Father: William Parkinson (      -      ) 5 6
         Mother: 

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       Marriage: 

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• Family History: Joseph F. McFarland, 20th Century History of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1910).
To read a brief sketch of the Parkinson family, click here.

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Wife

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Nancy Parkison ⁴

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            AKA: Nancy Parkson 7
           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1878 7
         Buried: 

         Spouse: David Hootman (1793-1868) 8
           Marr: 1815 4

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General Notes: Husband - Benjamin Parkison

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Between the years 1768 and 1770 five Parkison brothers-Joseph, Benjamin, Thomas, James and William-came from Virginia to the Monongahela Valley in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

... we have learned from the venerable Capt. Ira H. Butler (who obtained his information from Joseph Parkison himself) that the Parkisons before removing to this [Washington] county had been members of the Conococheague settlement. As our readers will learn by scanning maps and historical works, the "Conococheague settlement" was a very early one, and the English, Scotch, and German emigrants who first located there supposed that their settlement lay wholly within the domains of Lord Baltimore. However, by a subsequent arrangement between the proprietors of the two provinces (an arrangement though not at all satisfactory to a majority of those who were thus transferred from the rule of Lord Baltimore's officers to those of the Penns'), the present line between the States of Pennsylvania and Maryland was finally established considerably to the southward of the line called for in Lord Baltimore's grant, and thus the original Conococheague settlement is embraced by what is now known as Washington County, Maryland, formed from Frederick in 1776, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, formed from Cumberland in 1784. The Parkisons were of English or Scotch descent. [HWC 1882, 566]

It is tradition as well as a well authenticated fact that the Parkinsons came from the old Conococheague Settlement, a very early one, composed of the English, Scotch and German emigrants who first located there supposing their settlement lay wholly within the domains of Lord Baltimore. However, by a subsequent arrangement between the proprietors of the two provinces, the territory in which the Parkinsons found themselves was within the boundaries belonging to the Penns.
(They) removed from their home in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, near Carlisle, about 1769 or 1770, to the mouth of Pigeon Creek, on the west bank of the Monongahela River, where Monongahela City is now located. The five brothers took up some 5,000 acres of lands among them in Washington County along the waters of Pigeon and Mingo Creeks from 1769 to 1791. [TCHWWC, 530]

He took up several tracts of land, finally settling on a farm on the Glades Road between Dunningsville and Kammerer, on the old Washington and Williamsport Turnpike. He was a prominent farmer and owner of mills, and made himself famous as a leader of the Whiskey Boys during the insurrection in western Pennsylvania in 1794. He was captured and taken a prisoner during the Whiskey Insurrection and taken to Philadelphia among others who were tried and found guilty of high treason, but afterwards pardoned by President Washington. He was one of the first justices of Washington County, Pennsylvania, elected in 1781, and was one of the twelve justices that composed the first court of Washington County, one of whose number was elected President Judge.

Shortly after the close of the Revolutionary war he came to Washington County and settled. In 1792 he built for himself a dwelling-house and tavern stand on his farm, acquired several years previous both by Virginia certificate and Pennsylvania patent. His home and tavern stood on the "Glades road," eight and one-half measured miles from Parkinson's Ferry, and was later occupied as a residence by Mr. William Gamble, who was also owner of a portion of the farm. At the same time he built a distillery, and in 1795 a blacksmith-shop just west of the tavern. This still, of one hundred gallons capacity, was seized for non-payment of the excise on Nov. 14, 1794. John Coulson was the first smith in charge of the shop, and was succeeded by David Hootman, Parkinson's son-in-law. The "Buck Tavern," the name of the stand, to the management of which he gave his personal attention, was famous for its hospitality, its table, and good liquor. [HWC 1882, 883]

1 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 566.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 1355.

3 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 883.

4 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 959.

5 Joseph F. McFarland, 20th Century History of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1910), Pg 530.

6 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 834.

7 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 411.

8 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 411, 959.