Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Parker, Thomas (1695?-1784)
PARKER, Sir THOMAS (1695?–1784), judge, a relative of Lord-chancellor Macclesfield, came of a Staffordshire family, and was born about 1695. Educated at Lichfield grammar school, he afterwards entered the office of a London solicitor named Salkeld, where he was the companion of Philip Yorke, afterwards Lord-chancellor Hardwicke, and of John Strange, afterwards master of the rolls. From the former he received steady patronage through life. He was admitted a student of the Middle Temple on 3 May 1718, called to the bar on 19 June 1724, received the degree of serjeant-at-law on 17 May 1736, and was made king's serjeant on 4 June 1736; and on 7 July 1738 he was appointed a baron of the exchequer. Thence, on 21 April 1740, he was removed to the common pleas, and subsequently was knighted, 27 Nov. 1742, and returned to the court of exchequer as chief baron on 29 Nov. 1742. Here, in spite of Lord Hardwicke's endeavours to procure for him the chief-justiceship of the common pleas, he remained for a longer period than any of his predecessors, till, in November 1772, he resigned on a pension of 2,400l. a year, and was sworn of the privy council 20 Nov. He died at South Weald, Essex, on 29 Dec. 1784, and was buried in the family vault at Park Hall, Staffordshire. He published, in 1776, a volume of ‘Reports of Revenue Cases, 1743 to 1767,’ and left the reputation of having been a useful judge. He married, first, Anne, daughter of James Whitehall of Pipe Ridware, in Staffordshire, by whom he had two sons, George, the second, being father of Sir William Parker (1781–1866) [q. v.]; and, secondly, Martha, daughter of Edward Strong of Greenwich, by whom he had two daughters. The elder daughter, Martha, married, on 5 June 1783, Sir John Jervis (afterwards earl of St. Vincent) [q. v.], and died without issue on 8 Feb. 1816. An engraving, by J. Tinney, is mentioned by Bromley.
[Foss's Judges; Campbell's Chief Justices, ii. 571; Harris's Lord Hardwicke, ii. 25, 269; Gent. Mag. 1785 pt. i. p. 77.]