This is one of tne of the oldest P-rr-tt families in the US, with Francis, the patriarch, appearing in the historical record in 1691. It is also one of the 5 largest P-rr-tt families, accounting for about 4% of Parrotts in the US.

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Overview - Francis Parrott's origin
Revised and updated 24 Dec 2017. Genealogy can change rapidly, as new information is found, forcing reevaluations of previous information. Check back for updates before using any of this information.

One group of Parrotts, found primarily in North and South Carolina and on into Texas, traces its origin to Francis and Frances Johnson Parrott. Francis appears in Chowan precinct (at the time, Albemarle Co., now Bertie), North Carolina, in 1691, when he witnessed the will of Francis Hartley, Esq. An educated man, he soon became prominent, and was appointed Justice of the Peace of Chowan Precinct on 31 March 1703. He served continually until after 1711. On April 4, 1715, Frances Parrott asked the Court to appraise the estate of her deceased husband. The widow remarried while she was still of child-bearing age.

The parents of Francis remain unknown, though they have been the topic of much speculation on the Internet and elsewhere, but most possibilities have been ruled out.

The most widely reported of these possibilities is that Francis was the son or grandson of yet another Francis. There are records showing a Francis Parrott in Calvert Co., Maryland in 1655 and 1658 (originally and erroneously reported as 1648). A Francis Parrott transported himself to Maryland in 1662. It is not clear if these are the same or different persons as the Francis of Calvert. Francis of Calvert died ca 1670, leaving an unborn child, and it is commonly claimed this child was the Francis Parrott who appeared in the Chowan precinct of Albemarle Co. in 1691. Assuming the child was a male and he survived, it is much more likely that this unborn child was the Francis who died ca 1710 in Queen Anne's county Maryland, and not the one who appeared in North Carolina. There is evidence to support the reports that the Francis of Calvert and William Parrott of Talbot were related to each other, perhaps as brothers. Francis Parrott of Calvert married Sarah Abraham, and William's second marriage was to her sister, Ann. Their brother, Isaac Abraham provided a huge bond so Sarah could be the administratrix for her late husband's estate. Reports in Links that Bind that land belonging to Francis eventually came to belong to William's descendants are incorrect. However the results from YDNA tests from descendants of William of Talbot do not match those of the descendants of Francis.

In another scenario, Francis is related to one of the best documented early Parrotts, Richard of Middlesex Co., Virginia, who was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and a large landowner in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Specifically, it has been speculated that Francis was his son from his first wife. However, there is no evidence to support the marriage of Richard to a 'first wife' -- one before Sarah Dale. In addition, a reading of Richard Sr.'s wills reveals he adhered to the principles of primogeniture. Had Francis been an older son of Richard's, he would have been mentioned in his will. YDNA results have now confirmed beyond any doubt that Francis of Bertie Co. and Richard of Middlesex are not the same family.

There are unsubstantiated reports posted online by Rod Fugate that a Lawrence Parrott arrived in Maryland ca 1660 onboard the good ship, David, along with Francis Parrott, leading many to conclude that Francis and Lawrence were related. A generation later, a Lawrence Parrott appears in Northumberland Co., Virginia, and a Francis Parrott appears in the Bertie/Chowan district of Albemarle Co., North Carolina in 1691. But, as with other speculations, the YDNA of their descendants is not the same.

Another speculation is that Francis was related to a John Parrott, one of the earliest P-rr-tts in North America, having arrived onboard the Providence in 1623, and who obtained land along the Nansemond River by 1635 and called it 'Parraketo Point.' There is a lot of speculation that surrounds this John of Nansemond county, none of which can be corroborated or ruled out at this time. One is that he was the 3rd son of Sir John Perrott, lord deputy of Ireland. Another is that he was John the Quaker.

There is a final possibility that has been overlooked by genealogists. This is the possibility that Francis was part of a larger group of Parrotts in North Carolina. This group first appeared in Edgecomb county. As the county split, more Parrotts appear in Nash and Northhampton counties of North Carolina. This is the same group that might also include the Parrotts of Granville, Pitt, and Chowan counties (this latter being the family of Francis). This relationship is suggested only by geography-- there is no other evidence at this time. Except for the Francis family, the other families are extremely poorly documented, and have not been YDNA-tested. This possibility is mentioned here simply because the topic requires additional research, and DNA testing is needed to support or disprove these connections.

One complication is that the current descendants of Francis might really be Fraziers. The Frazier family crossed paths with the Parrotts in Bertie county, which was split from Chowan in 1722. Jeremiah Frazier appears in Bertie precinct in 1742. Fast forward to the present, and the Fraziers (various spellings) and Parrotts have the same DNA.

At this point, it is not possible to tell if the Fraziers have Parrott DNA, or if the Parrotts are really Fraziers. They do not match any other Frazier or Parrott families. The possibilities are that John Benjamin was the right age to have been fathered by Jeremiah Frazier, but Jeremiah was the right age to have been fathered by Jacob Parrott. If the current Parrotts are really Fraziers, then Francis could well have been related to other contemporary Parrott families.