A Scotch girl married an Englishman named Charles Fox. Two sons were born of this union. In later years the parents were divorced. The father kept the eldest son, who according to the English law of primogeniture was to succeed to his titles and estate, but allowed his wife to keep Charles, the younger son who had no vested prospects and his mother added her maiden name to his, and thenceforward he was known as Charles Fox-Taylor. Charles Fox-Taylor married Jennie Walker, the granddaughter of the Ghigau, or Beloved Woman of the Cherokees. This was the supreme title and was granted only on account of extreme merit and was so rarely conferred that no other instance of its invokement was known.
Charles and Jennie Fox-Taylor’s third child and only daughter, Susan was born in February 1798 and married in April 1814 Samuel Parks, born January 12, 1789.
He was fiscal agent for John Ross in 1838-9, securing wagons and teams for him. Parks died on June 3, 1841 and his widow died December 12, 1876. Samuel and Susan Parks children were, consecutively: Ruth married Dickson Price; Almira married James Price; Jennie married John Langdon and Joseph Collyr; George W. married Louisa Spriggs; Thomas Jefferson born Nov. 18, 1821 married Maria Annie Thompson, born September 11, 1830; Thomas Jefferson Parks died May 6, 1883; Calvin, William, Mary Ann married William C. Day; Lieutenant Colonel Robert C., John Ross and Samuel.
Maria Annie Parks nee Thompson was the daughter of James Allen and Martha (Lynch) Thompson; the granddaughter of Jeter and Nannie (Martin) Lynch; the great granddaughter of General and Susannah (Emory) Martin.
Thomas Jefferson Parks was born in the Eastern Cherokee Nation on October 18, 1821. Emigrated with his parents to the Western Cherokee Nation in 1838-9. He married February 10, 1848 Miss Thompson and settled in Delaware District where he was a prosperous farmer and merchant until the civil war. Returning in poverty to his desolated home after the war, he by hard work and close application, soon acquired another competence. He was a master mason and while always having a wholesome interest in politics, he on account of his business interests never allowed his name to be used as an aspirant for office. He died on May 6, 1883.
Thomas Jefferson and Maria Annie Parks were the parents of Susan Martha born December 1, 1848, married Edwin E. Carr; Johnson Calvin, born December 2, 1851, married Minerva Williams; Mary Jane, born March 28, 1856, married Robert Franklin Browning; Emma Josephine born May 8, 1858, married Robert Samuels; Anna Medora born March 5, 1860 married James Bonaparte Woodall; Jefferson Thompson born March 13, 1862, married Ruth Etta Duncan; Nancy Alinira born May 20, 1865, married Henry Clay Ballard; Rev. James Allen, born March 20, 1867 married Florence Youngblood and Fannie born January 9, 4871, married Davis Hill.
Ruth Etta (Duncan) Parks is the daughter of John Tormmason and Eliza Annie (Sanders) Duncan; the grand daughter of John and Elizabeth (Abercrombie) Duncan, and Robert and Mary (McCreary) Sanders; the great grand daughter of Charles Gordon Duncan, a Scotchman and his wife Dorcas a full blood Cherokee of the Deer clan. Dorcas was a full sister to Ge-ho-ga who married John Adair.
Jefferson Thompson Parks was born on January 13, 1862. He graduated from the Cherokee National Male Seminary June 26, 1884. Was elected a member of the Board of Education in 1898. After having conducted a large mercantile establishment at Tahlequah he closed out that business and commenced practicing law. Being an ardent democrat, he at the advent of statehood was elected judge of Cherokee County and was reelected.
The home life of Judge and Mrs. Parks is ideal, pleasant and cultured, they have been blessed with five children: Clarena the eldest is deceased, Ruth Anna is the wife of Frederick Hathaway; Mildred .Josephine is Mrs. Thomas L. Ballinger of Park Hill; Miss Wahlelle, and Jefferson Thompson Jr. are a part of the pleasures and attractions of the Park’s home.