Life

The second son of John Parkhurst (1701–1765) of Catesby House, Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...

, he was born in June 1728. His mother was Ricarda, second daughter of Sir Robert Dormer. He was educated at Rugby School

Rugby School

Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...

 and Clare Hall, Cambridge

Clare College, Cambridge

Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...

, where he proceeded B.A. 1748, M.A. 1752, and was elected Fellow. Soon after he had taken orders the death of his elder brother made him heir to considerable estates at Catesby

Catesby

Catesby may refer to:Placenames*Catesby, Northamptonshire, England**which includes Lower Catesby and Upper Catesby*Catesby, Oklahoma, USAPeople*Catesby ap Roger Jones, 1821-1877, US Civil War naval commander...

 and Epsom, Surrey. For some time he acted as curate for a friend, but received no preferment. He gave the family living of Epsom in 1785 to Jonathan Boucher

Jonathan Boucher

Jonathan Boucher was an English clergyman, teacher and philologist.-Early career:Boucher was born in Blencogo, near Wigton, Cumberland, and educated at the Wigton grammar school. After training in Workington, Jonathan became a teacher at St Bees School and in 1759 went to Virginia, where he became...

, though he knew him only by reputation.

Parkhurst led a life of literary retirement and study. In early life he became a disciple of John Hutchinson

John Hutchinson (writer)

John Hutchinson was an English theological writer.He was born at Spennithorne, Yorkshire, and served as steward in several families of position, latterly in that of the Duke of Somerset, who ultimately obtained for him the post of riding purveyor to the master of the horse, a sinecure worth about...

 and was influenced by his principles of biblical exegesis. He spent the latter part of his life at Epsom, where he died on 21 February 1797. His monument by John Flaxman

John Flaxman

John Flaxman was an English sculptor and draughtsman.-Early life:He was born in York. His father was also named John, after an ancestor who, according to family tradition, had fought for Parliament at the Battle of Naseby, and afterwards settled as a carrier or farmer in Buckinghamshire...

 in Epsom church carried an inscription by his friend William Jones of Nayland.

Works

His Hebrew grammar and lexicon contributed to the tradition of study of unpointed Hebrew through to Samuel Sharpe

Samuel Sharpe (scholar)

Samuel Sharpe was an English Unitarian Egyptologist and translator of the Bible.-Life:He was the second son of Sutton Sharpe , brewer, by his second wife, Maria , and was born in King Street, Golden Square, London, on 8 March 1799, baptised at St. James's, Piccadilly...

. From his Greek lexicon he discarded accents and smooth breathings. Both his lexicons contain theology alongside general information.

He published:

• ‘A Serious and Friendly Address to the Rev. John Wesley,’ &c. 1753, (on the witness of the Spirit).
• ‘An Hebrew and English Lexicon, … to which is added a Methodical Hebrew Grammar,’ &c., 1762; last edit. 1830. In the later editions a Chaldee
  Aramaic language
  Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
  
   grammar was added; the ‘Hebrew and Chaldee Grammar’ was published separately, 1840, edited by James Prosser.
• ‘A Greek and English Lexicon to the New Testament … prefixed a … Greek Grammar,’ &c., 1769; the edition of 1798 was edited by his daughter, Mrs. Thomas; last edit. 1851, edited by Henry John Rose
  Henry John Rose
  Henry John Rose was an English churchman, theologian of High Church views, and scholar, who became archdeacon of Bedford.-Life:Born at Uckfield, Sussex, on 3 January 1800, he was younger son of William Rose , then curate and schoolmaster in the parish, and afterwards vicar of Glynde, Sussex; Hugh...
  
   and John Richardson Major.
• ‘The Divinity … of … Jesus Christ … in Answer to … Priestley,’ &c., 1787.

A posthumous letter, on the confusion of tongues

Confusion of tongues

The confusion of tongues is the initial fragmentation of human languages described in the Book of Genesis 11:1–9, as a result of the construction of the Tower of Babel....

 at Babel, is in the Gentleman's Magazine, August 1797.

Family

Parkhurst married, first, in 1754, Susanna (died 1759), daughter of John Myster of Epsom; by her he had two sons, who died before him, and a daughter (died 25 April 1813), married to the Rev. James Altham. He married secondly, in 1761, Millicent (died 27 April 1800, aged 79), daughter of James Northey of London, by whom he had one daughter, married (1791) to the Rev. Joseph Thomas.