WILLIAM PARCEL was born March 30, 1819, in Morris township, Washington Co., Penn., and is a representative of an early pioneer family of the county, who were originally natives of New Jersey. His grandfather John Parcel, was three times married, and by his first wife had six children three sons and three daughters all of whom went West with the exception of one daughter; by the second wife there were two children, Stephen and Phebe; by the third marriage there were no children. John Parcel died at the age of eighty-nine years, his last wife having preceded him to the grave some time. Stephen Parcel, son of this old pioneer, was born in 1789 in Washington county. He learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed in his earlier days at Point Industry, Morris township. Later he conducted a mercantile business at the same place, and during the latter years of his life gave his attention to farming. He was very successful in each of his vocations, and accumulated a considerable fortune. Early in life he married Miss Dorcas Ambler, of Belmont county, Ohio, daughter of William Ambler and they became the parents of ten children, as follows: John and Sally, both deceased; Phoebe, widow of John Gardner, of Bellefontaine, Ohio; William, the subject of this sketch; Stephen, Isaac and Dorcas, all three deceased; Elizabeth Jane, widow of Lewis Hoge, and now living at the old home (she has one son, James Lewis); and Samuel Ambler and Solomon Lee, both deceased. The father died July 4, 1844, the mother a year later, both at the age of fifty-four years. The Parcel family were at one time members of the Mount Herman Baptist Church, later of the Beulah Baptist Church. In his political preferences he was an Old-line Whig. William Parcel received his education in the subscription school of the neighborhood, which was held in an old log dwelling. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, and now owns and resides on the farm which was owned by both his father and grandfather, and which is a valuable property, located one mile southwest of Sparta. With the exception of twelve years devoted to general merchandising at Point Industry (now Sparta) Mr. Parcel has given his exclusive attention to farming. Success has crowned his honest efforts, and he is now the possessor of a comfortable competence. He has never married. His sister Elizabeth Jane lost her husband some thirty-five years ago, and she has since lived with our subject. In 1871 Mr. Parcel was elected a justice of the peace on the Republican ticket, in a Democratic township, which speaks volumes for his popularity, especially when it is considered that he was again nominated, though he declined re- election. In church connection he is a Baptist.

Text taken from page 958 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]