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180 " GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS
SKETCH OF PRESIDENT PARKER.—Henry Parker entered the service of the Trust
as a constable on July 4, 1733. The next year he was promoted to be third bailiff,
and the year following lie became second bailiff. In 1738 when Causton was deposed,
Parker was given the position of first bailiff of Savannah; and he continued to hold
that office until the charter of the colony was surrendered to the king. When the
province was divided into counties, Parker was made first assistant for the County
of Savannah; and in 1743 he was made first'assistant for the whole of Georgia.
On March 27, 1750, he was advanced to the office of vice-president, which had been
created to give relief to President Stephens on account of his great age and infirmi
ties. On May 24 of the following year, Parker was made president of the colony
and held the position, when, the government of England took charge of the province.
Parker's character is clearly delineated in all the accounts we have of him. He
was strongly addicted to the habit of drunkenness, and it seems that he never over
came this handicap. He was a poor manager of his own affairs and was often
reduced to want, his dress and appearance becoming despicablej for service in his
office. The neglect of his personal affairs was partly occasioned by his zeal for the
colony, for he was ever ready to serve the public when he was not under the influence
of strong drink. In consideration of his poverty and services, the Trustees in 1738
gave him the use of two Trust servants and'a gift of money additional to his salary.
In his public service, he was acknowledged by his enemies to be a man of good sense
and of an impartial temperament, though he showed no special initiative or strength
of 'will. That he was comparatively easy to lead was evident in 1739 when a number
of malcontents in Savannah got him to join with them in petitioning for negroes and
changes in tenures, though he himself was not interested in the changes and knew
that the petitioners were mainly bent on embarrassing the Trustees. As a punish
ment for his weakness in this instance, as well as his other shortcomings, the Trustees
removed him from the offices which he held under them; but before the removal took,
effect, he was restored to office. His restoration was due to his acknowledgement of
his faults and his promise to make an effort to overcome them.—J. B. McCain: The
Executive in Proprietary Georgia.