Charles Parke (10 June 1791 – 1860) was an English landowner and

Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547), taking over the military duties of the Sheriff of Dorset and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment o ...

Life

He was the son of William Parke of the Thickets,

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

, and his wife Eleanor Baldwin Crosse. In 1810 he was HBM Commissioner to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

where he was tasked with purchasing bullion for the British Government. The family were slave-owners in Jamaica. The compensation money paid to them on emancipation was shared between Charles's brother William Parke (1784–1863) and his mother. Parke's father died in 1813. In 1847 Charles Parke purchased the Henbury estate in

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

, and resided there.

Family

In 1820 Parke married Letitia Alcock, daughter of

Joseph Alcock Joseph Alcock (1760–1821) was a British Civil Servant in the Treasury between 1785 and 1821. Early life Joseph's parents were William Alcock and Mary Mawbey. Mary’s brothers included John and Joseph Mawbey who owned a successful vinegar distil ...

of Roehampton. Letitia's brother was

Thomas Alcock (MP) Thomas Alcock (1801 – 1866) was a British Member of Parliament for 24 years non-consecutively, a progressive Liberal on questions of expansion of the popular ballot he was also an established church benefactor. Alcock was born in Putney, son ...

. Their children included Charles Joseph Parke; and William Parke, at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

with him. Charles' great-niece Alice Katherine Parke, married Henry James Grasett, a Canadian militia and army officer who became the longest serving police chief in the history of the Toronto police force.http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parke, Charles 1791 births 1860 deaths Deputy Lieutenants of Dorset