Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Parker, George (d.1857)
PARKER, Sir GEORGE (d. 1857), major in the East India Company's service, cantonment magistrate at Cawnpore, was second son of Vice-admiral Sir William George Parker, second baronet of Harburn, Warwickshire, who died in 1848, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of James Charles Still of East Knoyle, Wiltshire. Vice-admiral Sir William Parker, first baronet (1743–1802) [q. v.], was his grandfather. He was educated at Addiscombe, and proceeded to India as an infantry cadet in 1833, but was not posted until 30 Jan. 1837. He was then appointed lieutenant in the late 74th Bengal native infantry, in which he became captain on 3 Oct. 1845. After serving as second in command of the Bundelkund military police battalion, of the Joudpore legion, he was appointed superintendent of Akbárí and joint magistrate at Meerut on 10 June 1847. In June 1852 he went home sick, and succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his elder brother, Sir William James Parker, the third baronet, in the same year. Returning to India in December 1854, he, on 5 May 1856, was reappointed superintendent of Akbara and made magistrate at Cawnpore. During the siege, Parker, Wiggins, the judge advocate-general, and Brigadier Alexander Jack [q. v.] were the only residents who courageously remained in their houses (Malleson, Hist. Indian Mutiny, 6th edit. ii. 228). He died of sunstroke during the sortie of 6 July 1857, ten days before the massacre. He had obtained a majority a few days earlier.
Parker married, first, Miss Marshall, by whom he had a son, George Law Marshall (1838–1866) (who succeeded to the baronetcy), and two daughters. He married, secondly, in 1847, the youngest daughter of Lieutenant-colonel Elderton; she also died, leaving daughters only.
[Foster's Baronetage; East India Registers; Malleson's Hist. of the Indian Mutiny, 6th edit. vol. ii.; Trevelyan's Story of Cawnpore; Gent. Mag. 1857, pt. ii. p. 467.]