A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Parks, Abraham
PARKS. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 21; h-p., 20.)
Abraham Parks entered the Navy, 24 Dec. 1806, as Clerk, on board the Sandwich, Lieut.-Commander Emanuel Hungerford, lying in the River Medway, where he attained the rating of Midshipman in April, 1808, and in the following Sept. removed to the Irresistible prison-ship, Lieut. -Commander Poynter Crane. Becoming attached, in Jan. 1809, to the Sirius 36, Capt. Sam. Pym, he assisted in that vessel at the reduction, in the ensuing Sept., of the town of St. Paul’s, in the Ile de Bourbon. On his return to England in July, 1810, in the Raisonnable 64, Capt. John Hatley, he joined the Melpomène troop-ship, Capts. Hon. Wm. Waldegrave, Gordon Thos. Falcon, and Robt. Rowley; under whom he continued employed until Feb. 1815 on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations, and also in the Chesapeake, where he was severely burnt by an explosion of gunpowder. On 7 of the month last mentioned he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Portia 14, Capt. Henry Thomson; and in the following Nov., after having again served on board the Melpomène as Master’s Mate, and as Admiralty-Midshipman in the Julia 14, Capt. John Wyatt Watling, he took up a commission bearing date 15 March in the same year. His appointments have since been – 18 May, 1835, to the Coast Guard – 7 Feb. 1839, to the Victory 104, flag-ship of Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, Admiral-Superintendent at Portsmouth – and, 21 July, 1839, 3 Sept. 1841, and 20 Oct. 1847, to the successive command of the Pike, Cuckoo, and Dasher steam-packets. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.