Submitted by Descendant: Harriet Holmes RAFFO
Samuel Parkhill was born in Londonderry, Ireland. He came to America when he was a very young man. He settled in Virginia and lived with his brother John Parkhill. Samuel received an education in Virginia, but left college to serve in the War of 1812. He married Martha Ann Bott of Virginia in 1817.
In the late 1820’s he joined with his brother John Parkhill, ad a colony of Virginians and moved to the territory of Florida. Samuel became a planter and lived on his plantation in Leon County, Florida named Maplewood.
Samuel Parkhill was on the staff of Gen. Clinch with the rank of Colonel and served in the Seminole War. While the Seminole War was being waged, Florida took her beginning steps towards becoming a state. A Convention met at St. Joseph to write Florida’s First Constitution which would eventually lead to the application of Florida being admitted to the Union. Samuel Parkhill was a member of this convention representing Leon County.
Samuel and Martha had eight children: Robert Emmet, Ann Maria, John Bull, Catherine, Victoria, Agnes, Samuel Miles, and Richard Call.
Samuel Parkhill was first established as a Florida Pioneer in 1988