(1755 - 95) of Harefield, Mx., yst. s. of William Parker of Salford Priors, War; educ. Caen, and Ch.Ch. Oxf. 1773; m. 1785 Jane Anstruther.
1774 - 5 see Sir Roger Newdigate
1782 - 4 [dep. London 25 July 1782] Turin (6 - 19 Nov. 1782), Florence (by 2 Dec. 1782 - 15 Jan. 1783), Rome (23 Jan. - Feb.), Naples (10 Mar. - 2 May), Sicily (8 May - 21 Jun.), Naples (by 22 Jun.), Rome (25 Jun.), Florence (4 Jul.), Milan (29 Jul. - 17 Sep.), Verona (27 Sep.), Venice ( - 2 Nov.), Rome (9 Nov. 1783 - 20 Mar. 1784) [Elba by 24 Apr.] Leghorn (24 Apr.), Venice (9 May) [England Oct.]
A cousin of Sir Roger Newdigate, Charles Parker was an amateur artist, geologist and mineralogist, besides being well versed in the classics. His first tour, which interrupted his studies at Oxford, was with Newdigate (whose wife had recently died) and Sir Roger's sister-in-law, Mary Conyers. Some of the drawings Parker then made of Aosta in Piedmont are preserved with the Newdigate papers.
He described his second tour in a series of lengthy letters to Sir Roger and Lady Newdigate (his second wife), interspersed with a travel journal (Parker letters MSS). It was centred on Sicily, where he observed the terrible effects of the February 1783 earthquake at Messina, and the journal principally describes Greek sites and natural phenomena, subjects which he may possibly have discussed with Sir William Hamilton. His own interests appear to have been more in vulcanology than architecture.
He had begun his tour with William Bromley, a richer and younger man, whose guardians had entrusted him to Parker's care, but their tastes differed and they parted company on arrival in Sicily (though they were to meet again thereafter). Parker's account conscientiously reports on the changes since he last toured in Italy with Sir Roger; thus in Florence he sketched the new display of the Tribuna,1 and in Rome he described the publications of the Piranesi firm following the death of Giovanni Battista in 1778. He also took drawing lessons from 'little' Fabrini ('the same quiet, civil little being'), and with an unknown master in Rome. He bought pictures, books and objects of art for Sir Roger ('Tastes are always different, but as mine was formed under you, I think there must be some similarity'), as well as medals and books for himself. He talked with the 'learned & ingenious' Allan Ramsay in Naples in June 1783. In March 1784 he noted between 30 and 40 English in Rome 'which rejoices the Antiquaries & Picture Sellers'. In Venice2 he saw the Ascension festivities and two Regattas, the 'Boats with silken sails & silver oars, like Cleopatra's Barge on the Cydnos'.
On his return journey (on which a Mr Repington was his companion) Parker's drawings were shown to the Court of Brunswick (September 1784). Many are now preserved in a private collection and one of the Straits of Messina (including a view of Palmi), may have been used by Wright of Derby (see Joseph Wright). Sir Roger had intended to make Parker heir to his estates, but he predeceased him and the estates passed instead to his younger brother, Francis Parker Newdigate.
1. Parker letters MSS, b 2073. See M. McCarthy, Apollo, 134[1991]:159 - 68. 2. ASV is 760.