| Oldest Portrait 
EBENEZER PARMELE
JR.
1738-1809
Ebenezer, Isaac, John,
John
From the Yale Picture Collection
A member of the Yale
Class of 1758, Ebenezer
was a clockmaker like his
father. This sketch was
made when he attended the
New Haven school. He
served as Guilford's town
clerk from 1771-76 and
his signature appears on
many village documents.
From 1771-80 he also
served as clerk of the
Guilford Probate District.
His is the oldest known
family portrait.
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Quite a family resemblance:
Morgan Beal, ready for her
high school prom in Kent,
Ohio, stands in front
of a portrait of her
great-grandmother, Lillian
Jeanette (Wilson) Force
Parmelee (1868-1947). |  |
GENERATIONS AND FACES
Almost everyone says that the first thing they'd grab if the house were on fire is the family
picture album. It's more valuable than gold to many, yet few have taken the time to make a
copy and store it elsewhere for safekeeping.
I, for one, have made copies of old portraits of my ancestors and sent them to my out-of-state
brother. If anything should happen to my photos, I know they still exist elsewhere. Thanks to
the Internet, we can store away pictures of our ancestors digitally, and share them with our
far-flung cousins.
As time allows, I'll scan various Parmelee families and post them here. And your
contributions are welcome, but in those group photos, please identify all the people you can.
Assembling this has been the most difficult and most time-consuming part of the website. So
be forewarned: Although I really enjoy receiving your family photos, it will take some time
before I get them posted. Your patience is greatly appreciated.
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