Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

chosen profession. He has preferred the
independence of a single office, has always
practiced alone, and has never had
a partner. He was prosecuting attorney
for the city of Hartford from 1887 to
1891, from 1894 to 1895, and again from
1915 to 1917. He was appointed referee
in bankruptcy for Hartford county in
1898, an office he resigned when appoint-
ed United States attorney for the district
of Connecticut in 1900. He was re-ap-
pointed in 1904 and served until 1908.
For two years, 1908 to 1910, he was cor-
poration counsel for the city of Hartford.
As a speaker he is clear, logical and forc-
ible, using nice distinctions and strong
illustrations. His public professional
service has been valuable, and he has re-
tired from every engagement with the
entire respect of bench and bar. His pri-
vate practice is in all state and federal
courts of the district.
An ardent Republican, Mr. Parker has
neither sought political office nor declined
it when offered. He has pursued the
path of duty, and has met every obligation
of citizenship squarely and fairly. He represented
East Haddam in the General Assembly
in 1878 and 1880 and Hartford
in 1909. In 1894, he was the candidate
of his party for the State Senate in the
Hartford district, and has been a delegate
to many state and other conventions of
the Republican party. From 1896 to
1900 he was chairman of the Hartford
Republican town committee.
Many-sided are his interests, and in his
desire to be of service, he has assumed
official responsibilities in many organiza-
tions. He was president of the board of
trustees of the Connecticut School for
Boys, 1899 to 1909; is chairman of the
library committee of the Connecticut
Historical Society, Registrar of the Connecticut
Society of the Sons of the Revo-
lution, member of the American Historical
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
37
.Association and of the National Geographical
Society. In religious preference he
is a Congregationalist.
Mr. Parker married, December 9, 1891,
Mrs. Adelaide (Leeds) Fowler, of New
London, Connecticut.
WILCOX, Frank Langdon,
Banker, Public Official.
The Wilcox family is one that has always
exerted a large influence in public
affairs in the Nation, State and Muncipality.
It runs to politicians, statesmen and
jurists. The motherland of the Wilcox
family is around Berlin, Hartford, Middle-
town, Meriden and Farmington in the
State of Connecticut, and almost every
Wilcox in the United States traces his
ancestry back to that spot of earth which
to them is a mecca. Among those of
distinction may be mentioned Lloyd
Wheaton Bowers, solicitor-general of the
United States under President Taft ; Hon.
Leonard Wilcox, Chief Justice of New
Hampshire; and the Hon. Preston B.
Plumb, United States Senator from Kan-
sas.
Of Saxon origin, the Wilcox family was
seated at Bury St. Edmunds, County Suffolk,
England, before the Norman Con-
quest. In the visitation of County Suf-
folk, Sir John Dugdale mentioned fifteen
generations previous to the year 1600.
This traces the lineage back to the year
1200, when the surname came into use
as an inherited family name. On old re-
cords the spellings, Wilcox, Wilcockson,
Wilcoxon and Wilcoxson are often found.
John Wilcox, the founder of the American
family, who came with Thomas
Hooker to settle Hartford, held the office
of surveyor in Hartford in 1643, an d that
of selectman in 1650. He died there the
following year and was undoubtedly
buried in the Center Church burying