Montagu Edmund Parker


Montagu Edmund Parker of Whiteway House, near Chudleigh and of Blagdon in the parish of Paignton, both in Devon, was Sheriff of Devon in 1789. Portraits of him by Sir Joshua Reynolds and John Downman survive at Saltram House.

Origins

He was born in 1737, the 3rd son of John Parker of Boringdon Hall, Plympton, of Saltram House, Plympton and of Court House North Molton, all in Devon, by his wife Catherine Poulett, whom he married in 1725, a daughter of John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett by his wife Bridget Bertie, a granddaughter of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey. His elder brother was John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon of Saltram, whose son was John Parker, 1st Earl of Morley. The Parker family had risen to prominence in the mid-16th century as the bailiff of the manor of North Molton, Devon, under Baron Zouche of Haryngworth.

Career

He served as Sheriff of Devon in 1789. He inherited various of his father's secondary estates including Blagdon, Paignton and adjoining Collaton Kirkham, which his father had inherited from his younger brother Francis Parker of Blagdon. The public house in Collaton St Mary is called the "Parkers Arms" after his tenure.

Marriage and progeny

In 1772 he married Charity Ourry, daughter of Admiral Paul Henry Ourry, of Plympton House in the parish of Plympton St Maurice, Devon, MP for Plympton Erle 1763–1775 and Commissioner for Plymouth Dockyard. Paul Ourry was the second son of Louis Ourry, a Huguenot refugee from Blois in France who had obtained British citizenship in 1713 and a commission in the British army. Charity Ourry's mother was Charity Treby, daughter of George II Treby of Plympton House. By his wife he had two sons:
He died in January 1813. There is a will listed for probate in 1814 in Chudleigh. His funeral appears to have taken place at St John's Church, Paignton, then the parish church of his secondary residence at Blagdon, as his funerary hatchment survives in that church, affixed high up on the south wall of the nave. It displays the arms of Parker impaling Azure, a fox statant on grass proper in chief a sun in spendour or. Above is the crest of Parker: A cubit arm erect vested azure cuffed argent the hand holding a stag's antler proper. Below is the Latin epitaph In Caelo Salus. Below is a skull. The frame is decoated with skulls and crossbones. The public house in Collaton St Mary is called the "Parkers Arms" after the tenure of the Parker family.