PARKER, THOMAS [SSNE 819]

Surname: PARKER, PARKERS, PARCHER, ENGELSMAN
First name: THOMAS
Nationality: ENGLISH
Social status: BURGESS, INNKEEPER

Text source

Thomas Parker was an English burgess of Stockholm who was active in the first half of the seventeenth century. He was often referred to Thomas "Engelsman" in the Swedish sources. The German historian Thomas Fischer noted him as a Scottish burgess of Stockholm in 1651, perhaps conflating him with another Thomas, Thomas Glen [SSNE 6132]. The Swedish National Archives record Thomas Parker as "av Engelsk nationalitet" (of English nationality).

He was certainly resident in Stockholm by 1626 as that year he purchased two stone buildings at Skottgränd 7 and Österlånggatan 21/corner Skottgränd (a lane ironically named after the number of Scots active in Stockholm from the late sixteenth-century onwards). These buildings are often referenced as 'Pollux 6 and 7' in books on the history of buildings. The second building was an inn. This corresponds to other information describing Thomas Parker as 'gästgifvare', or inn-keeper.

From 1614 Thomas Parker is also listed as the owner of Månen, an inn located in "Baggarnes cellar", having taken over proprietorship from Didrik Fisk in 1613. Parker ran his 'wine bothy' until the 1640s. According to Stockholmsstads tänke böcker Thomas Parker (or Engelsman) is listed as an innkeeper every year from 1614 until 1641.

In May 1628, for example, Thomas and one Claes Renicke put themselves forwards before the Stockholm city council to establish a brewery. Thomas then claimed that as he could not find any other interested parties he wanted to establish a brewery on the grounds of the late Blasius Dundee [SSNE 768]'s farm (unspecified where, but likely to be outside Gamla Stan?). This appears to have been confirmed. This was reaffirmed on 8 July, along with Petter Grönberg and Claes Renike who also proposed to set up breweries.

In March 1628 Thomas Parker stood as guarantor, along with one Johan Dix, for Raleigh Sanderson [SSNE 7777] in his legal dispute with Dr James Robertson [SSNE 1637]. That same year Thomas himself became involved in a dispute with Jacob Allertt, another Stockholm burgess.

On another occasion in 1628 Thomas Parker had the misfortune to deal with a death on his premises, presumably a guest at his inn, one Georgius Hoppius, 'secretary' from Narva and he was required to furnish an inventory of the dead man's possessions on 9 June that year.

Five days later Thomas Parker called out Valentin 'fechter' for a debt the man owed him of 400 daler. Valentin was given another two chances to appear before the magistrates' council. Valentin did not answer the following two summonses, or the third for 26 June. Johan Dix and Raleigh Sanderson both testified that Valentin was in debt to Thomas. On 18 August Thomas had the 400 daler 'confiscated' through Hend.Lemnis and the town magistrates confirmed that Thomas should receive the funds until Valentin accounted for himself, although in November Thomas was still seeking payment of the money. Just two days later Thomas was again seeking repayment of money owed to him, this time 300 daler which the late Johan Hansson, a skipper, was due him.

There is a surviving letter from his widow, Anna Parkers. In August 1640 Thomas Parker, Englishman, is noted in the Riksråd (Swedish state council) records as due to receive 968 daler in copper money for loans he had made to the Baron of Brandstein's envoy, Christian Rosswijk. This is most likely the same man.

Thomas Parker apparently had a son, also named Thomas, also an inn-keeper, as a Thomas Parker was listed as such in 1652 in Skottgränden, Gamla Stan.

Thomas Parker died in 1646.

Sources: Swedish Riksarkiv, Oxenstierna Samlingen, skrivelser till Axel Oxenstierna, undated letter; Stockholmsstads Tänkeböcker från år 1592, del xvii 1628, (Stockholm, 1998), p. 21, 26, 29, 48, 52-54, 60, 65, 70, 76, 83, 94, 142, 150, 222, 224, 271 ; T. Fischer, The Scots in Sweden (Edinburgh, 1907), p.216; Svenska Riksrådets Protokoll, vol. 8, p.203; Frans de Brun, 'Vinstugor och värdshus i Stockholm i början av 1600-talet',Samfundet St Eriks Årsbok 1922, p.36; R. Josephson, Borgarhus i Stockholm, (Uppsala, 1916), pp.283-284; F.U. Wrangel, Stockholmiana I-IV, (Stockholm, 1912, pp.228-234.

Service record

SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM: Arrived 1614-08-01; Departed 1651-12-31; Capacity BURGESS, INNKEEPER, purpose CIVIC