See also
| Husband: | George * PARKHURST (1495-1546) | |
| Wife: | Phebe * HODGES (1490- ) | |
| Children: | John PARKHURST (1511- ) | |
| Helen PARKHURST (1516- ) | ||
| Alice PARKHURST (1520- ) | ||
| Christopher * PARKHURST (1524-1595) | ||
| Name: | George * PARKHURST | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | John * PARKHURST (1470- ) | |
| Mother: | Ann* BARON (1472-1569) | |
| Birth | 1495 | Guildford, Surrey, England |
| Death | 2 May 1546 (age 50-51) | Guildford, Surrey, England |
| Name: | Phebe * HODGES | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | - | |
| Mother: | - | |
| Birth | 1490 | Surrey, England |
| Death | Guildford, Surrey, England | |
| Name: | John PARKHURST | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 1511 | |
| Name: | Helen PARKHURST | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1516 | |
| Name: | Alice PARKHURST | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1520 | |
| Name: | Christopher * PARKHURST | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Spouse: | Phebe* (1525-1589) | |
| Birth | 1524 | Guildford, Surrey, England |
| Death | 10 Aug 1595 (age 70-71) | Ipswich, Essex, England |
GEORGE PARKHURST of Guildford, Surrey, is first found on record on the first page of the Guildford Borough records on 3 April 1514, apparently receiving a license to sell in the local market. Later that year he was chosen as a Hallwarden. This office had the responsibility of the actual fabric of the Guild Hall as well as the collection of sums due to the Guild Merchant for Admissions, and so on. Two men usually served together. A century later, they were Borough Treasurers in general. The office of Hallwarden dates back at least to 1361. The medieval Guildhall is now gone, the present building on the site in High Street having been built in the 17th century. On 6 October 1515, George Parkhurst was named Bailiff.
On 18 January 1517/18, he was again sworn in as a Hallwarden. He is on the first list of Approved Men on 3 October 1519. Approved men were associates of the Mayor, entry being restricted to those who had served as Bailiff. There are many more entries in the Borough records for his appointment as Hallwarden and he was on the list of Approved Men year after year for the rest of his life.
On 15 January 1514/15, he and Henry Cowper were sworn in as Flesh and Fish Tasters.
In 1522, George Parkhurst was elected Mayor and Coroner of Guildford, being sworn in 6 October. He was reelected Mayor in 1529 and 1533. In 1533 he was one of two men elected a warden of the scole house (school house).
In a list of harnes appoynted within the Towne of Guldeford in 1539, the third entry is: George Parkehurst the Elder A harnes with...a Byll in his owne handes. This meant that he was a member of the local militia with a suit of armor and a weapon, the bill being a form of pike used by the English militia then, harness being an archaic word for a suit of armor.
On 27 April 1545, fines were levied against William Hamonde senior (2d.), Thomas Stoughton (4d.), George Parkhurst (6d.) and several others for permit[ting] their taverns in the High Street to be inclosed to the common nuisance. A year later he was fined 4 pence for the same offence. This may well be one of the old taverns mentioned in Colonial Homes (Vol. 9, pp. 40-4 1) as still standing on High Street.
George Parkhurst probably died between 27 April 1545. and 2 May 1546 as he is mentioned in the Guildford Borough records on the earlier date, but is not on the tax list of the latter date. Christopher Parkhurst is called son and Heir of George Parkhurst in 1550 in a Surrey Feet of Fines.
The earliest mention so far found of the name Parkhurst is of a place of that name in the parish of Abinger Hammer county Surrey, on a record of 1464. Parkhurst is about 9.. miles SEE of Guildford. It was from this wooded park, so named, that the family took its name. By the early 1500's Parkhursts were living in Shere, Guildford, Shalford and nearby. All were certainly closely related, the same given names being repeatedly used.
Ref.: Guildford Borough records, edited by Enid M. Dance, pub. by The Surrey Record Society, 1958, Vol. XXIV' Surrey Feet of Fines; Colonial Homes, Vol. 9; N.E.H.G.S.- 68; Dictionary of National Biography; Encyclopedia Heraldica, by William Berry, London, 1828-40;. Research of John Pluninaer 286