Parish Genealogy

John Parish of Groton, Mass., and earlier of Braintree and Mendon, was probably the first of the line in New England. The difference in the way of spelling the name of Paris and Parish, some using frequently two r's, has led to confusion, but there were apparently two distinct families, one bearing the name Paris, the other Parish. Of the Paris family were the Rev. Samuel Paris of witchcraft fame, his uncle John Paris a planter of Barbados, and Thomas Paris who appears on Long Island in 1683. Of the Parish name the earliest seem to have been Thomas Parish of Cambridge, who came over in the Increase in 1635, and John Parish of Groton. Savage has called this John "perhaps a son of Thomas or a brother as seems more likely," but as there is no Thomas among John's six sons mentioned in his will, it is probable that neither of these suppositions is correct. Nor does there seem to be any evidence from wills or other sources of information to connect him with the Paris family.