William Parker (builder)

William Parker (1800 - 1854)[1] was a St. John's masonic builder, shipowner and shopkeeper who along with partner Nicholas Croke built the National Historic Cape Spear lighthouse starting in 1834 or 1835.[2] The Cape Spear lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador and the most easterly building in North America.[3]

William Parker married Margaret Gleeson on December 1, 1831 in St. John's. William later owned a brig named "Margaret Parker" after his wife.[4]

Members of the Parker Family were prominent businessmen in St. John's Newfoundland for nearly two centuries.[5] William's son James Francis Parker founded Parker & Monroe, Ltd. in 1880[6] which was the largest shoe store on the island for many years. It had several retail outlets and manufactured 100,000 pairs of shoes per year in its plant on Alexander St. Most of the shoes were sold to Newfoundlanders.

References

  1. ↑ "A Collection of Newfoundland Wills (P) William Parker". Newfoundland Grand Banks Site. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada". Parks Canada. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site". Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "Ship Registration Index". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Howard House". Heritage Newfoundland. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "The Lea". Heritage Newfoundland. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
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