The history of the Parkers, Cooks, Ellis, and Chambers families has deep roots in Howard County and Annapolis, MD. All four families were once enslaved and had to overcome the oppressive system that deprived our ancestors of their rights for decades. The Parkers and Cooks lived in Cooksville, Maryland, and grew up in slavery on a plantation. Although their roots can be traced back to various parts of Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast, the Chambers family can be traced back to Annapolis, Maryland. Historical records indicate that the Parkers and Cooks married and had children during the mid-1800s. Based on various family DNA results we are descendants of Africans, British, Irish and Cherokee.

Before 1850, our ancestors' names were not recorded on the census due to their enslavement. The first recorded ancestor's name was Joseph Parker, born in 1765 and enslaved by the Warfield family. He lived to be 106 years old and was the father of Dennis Parker Sr., born in 1795 and enslaved by the Warfield family. Our research has also revealed a connection between the Parkers and a prominent colonial family, thanks to the marriage of Mary Molly Gasaway and Dennis W. Parker. Colonel Nicholas Gassaway, who arrived in Maryland's South River area in 1650 and was one of the founders of Anne Arundel and Howard counties, is a direct ancestor of Mary Molly Gassaway. However, the Gassaway family were plantation owners who enslaved people of color and bequeathed enslaved people to their children through estate documents for over 150 years.

We have located Oliver P. Cook, a brave soldier who joined the United States Colored Troops when he was just 19 years old. He fought in the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, serving in the Union Army to help secure the freedom of over 3.5 million enslaved people of color in Confederate states. Oliver Cook is one of our family's direct ancestors and a true hero whose name is proudly engraved on the Washington DC African American Civil War Memorial. He symbolizes our family's fight for freedom and a forefather who significantly secured it.

We discovered that John T. Chambers, Jr. was the first and only black mayor of Annapolis, MD, and in 1981 was appointed by the local City Council. He is a direct ancestor of Raymond E. Chambers, Sr., and therefore, we are his descendants. The stories of Oliver and John hold significance for our family, and we take pride in their contributions to our family's legacy.

We have also learned through our research various countries of origin for our family. It has been based on tracing our ancestor’s census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, military records, land ownership records, and various DNA tests of current descendants. This information confirms our family includes: Western African, British, Scottish, Irish, and Native American roots.

A summary of our combined family trees is as follows:

1.     Dennis W. Parker, Jr., born in 1850, married Mary L. Gassaway, born in 1861, who had Clara E. Parker (1884 to 1952). Clara E. Parker married Charles Gaither Cook in 1879, and Charles G. Cook had Delila Missouri Cook ( called Lila by her family) (1905 to 1983). Oliver P. Cook was the father of Charles Gaither Cook. Oliver was the son of Frank Cook. His father was Thomas Cook, the founder of Cooksville, MD, founded in 1802. Thomas Cook was a white farmer and his parent’s country of origin was Sundon, Bedfordshire, England (late 1690s).

2.     Delila M. Cook 1905-1983 (daughter of Charles Gaither Cook) married Clarence Tobie Ellis and had Kenneth Ellis in the early 1920s—Delila’s first marriage. She also had another son with Tobie, Charles who died at only 19 years old.

3.     Kenneth Ellis married Mamie Ellis in 1925. Mamie’s father was Herbert Lewis, born in 1904; her mother was Catherine Lewis, born in 1911. Catherine Lewis's mother was Mamie Bibbins, who worked on the Maryland and New Orleans Riverboats.

4.     Delila M. Cook 1905-1983 married Raymond Emory Chambers b 1908 whose mother was Annie Julie Weems 1883-1941, and his father was James Chambers 1881-1947. Raymond E. Chambers was Delila’s second marriage.

These summary points (1-4) show the connections between the Parker, Cooks, Ellis, and Chambers families. Our combined family tree is extensive, and we have included many other family names below. Our ancestors have played a vital role in shaping the American dream, and we are proud of our legacy of over 250 years. As a family of color, we are grateful for the sacrifices made by our ancestors in overcoming challenges like slavery and discrimination. They fought bravely to remove social and economic barriers for future generations; we will never forget their contributions.