He was born in New York on August 5, 1821, the son of
Foxhall A. Parker Sr. and Sarah Jay Bogardus (born 1794), daughter of
Robert Bogardus (1771–1841). Parker was appointed a midshipman March 11, 1837. He was attached to the
West Indian Squadron, then transferred to the
Philadelphia Naval School, graduating in 1843. In 1842, he served under his father,
Foxhall A. Parker Sr., in
Constitution. He also served under his father in
Brandywine. On September 21, 1850, he was commissioned lieutenant. He served against the Florida Indians, on the Great Lakes, the Mediterranean, the Pacific, and on various coast surveys. Parker died at
Annapolis, Maryland and was interred at the
United States Naval Academy Cemetery. His brother was
William Harwar Parker, who served in the U.S. Navy and in the
Confederate States Navy. ==Writings==