Quinlan-Orvis-Parker Families


Introduction

My first substantial on-line contact with a genealogy researcher was with Marian Lenz, from Iowa, who opened her books and research to me, and saved me countless hours of work. She knows much about the Quinlans, being descended from Richard Jackson Quinlan and Lucy Orvis, and we have spent an inordinant amount of e-mail time exchanging information, and just chatting. For the first time, I learned that genealogy is as much about getting to know distant relatives as it is digging up information on old European ancestors.

My mother has Barbara Quinlan, a descendant of Richard and Lucy's son Frank, living close by her, and has always been interested in the Quinlan line. Barbara also has a take on the mystery of Richard J. Quinlan, but you'll have to read the history section to find out about that.

The Orvis ancestors are well documented in the book, "A History of the Orvis Family in America", Francis Wayland Lewis, 1922; The Parker ancestors are also well documented in the book, "John Parker of Lexington and his Descendants," Theodore Parker, 1893, so the presentation here will be limited to our direct ancestors and their children.

Jim Pearce