Clarke-Clark genealogy : records of the descendants of Thomas Clarke, Plymouth, 1623-1697

1884·11.8 MB·English

by  Johnson, William W. (William Wallace), b. 1813

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CLARKE-CLARK GENEALOGY.
RRGORDS
— —
OF
THE DESCENDANTS
OF
THOMAS CLARKE
^
PLYMOUTH, 1623—1697.
-COMPILED by-
Rev. William W.
Johnson,
COMPILEROF ''RECORDSOFTHE DESCENDANTS OF DAVID JOHNSON,
OF LEOMINSTER, MASS."
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PublishedbytheCompiler,
NORTH GREENFIELD, WISCONSIN.
1884.
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PREFACE.
' The stranger, or the citizen, who reverently and carefully
walks among the ancient graves, on "The Burying Hill," at
Plymouth, Mass., may read upon a memorial stone that marks
the grave of one of the fathers, the following inscription:
"Here lies buried ye body of Mr. Thomas Clark, aged 98
years. Departed this'life March 24, 1697."
From this man, whose mortal resting place is thus kept in
remembrance, and who severed the instinctive ties that bound
him to his native land, and left, forever, all the sacred associa-
tions of boyhood that clustered around his home in the old
world, to assist in laying the foundation of a great republic in
the new, an extensive and intelligent race have sprung, if not
like the descendants of Abraham, numerous as the ''stars of
heaven," yet great in numbers, and great in influence, as the
following pages will show.
From the hardy and pious ancestors, who established them-
selves, in hardship, in hunger, in peril and in toil, on the wild
and comparatively sterile shores of New England, many distin-
guished families have descended, but not many of these can
show a better record than the descendants of the mate of the
Mayflower. Owing to the location of these descendants, in
close proximity to the sea, many of them, like their great an-
cestor, have spent life in the midst of ocean perils, but among
them, all the varied avocations of life are well represented, the
learned professions prominently appear, and art and science, in
all their extensive domain, have but few abler advocates.
In presenting this work to the numerous descendants of
Thomas Clarke, of Plymouth, whose records are contained
herein, the compiler desires to call attention to a few facts in
connection with the work.
In 1869, Mr. Samuel C. Clarke, now of Marietta, Ga., issued
from the press of D. Clapp & Son, of Boston, Mass., a genea-
logical pamphlet compiled with great research and care, en-
titled, '' Records of some of the DescendantsofThomas Clarke,
Plymouth, 1623-1697."
In the year 1881, a desire was expressed by several of the
descendants, for a revision and continuation of the work, and a
correspondence arose between Mr. Clarke and the present com-
piler, bywhich an arrangementwas made that the latter should
undertake the work, Mr. Clarke generously offering him the
pamphlet above referred toas the basis of a new work, assuring
I' him, also, that he would aid him in the collection of new rec-
i
I
\
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ords. In accordance with this arrangement the work was com-
menced, and the first eighteen pages of the said pamphlet,
almost entire, will appear in the new work. During the past
two years the compiler has put forth persevering efforts to col-
lect, in a thorough manner, the records of the numerous
branches of this great family, and he desires to say that he has
received hearty co-operation and assistance from many who
have manifested a deep interest in the movement, and, without
personal mention, would extend his sincere thanks to all such,
and to those, also, who have made the work interesting by lib-
erally contributing the means to illustrate it with valuable por-
traits.
The general arrangement of the work is the same as the
arrangement in the pamphlet of Mr. Clarke. Genealogical
works have become numerous, and they appear in different
forms, but the compiler has seen no form that he prefers to
this.
The recordsare presented in the order of the generations,and
families of the same generation appear in connection in the
book. The descendants are numbered in the regular order of
descent, from the first to the last, and this descendant number
is found on the right hand side of the page; and when any de-
scendant becomes the head of a family the descendant number
is placed before the name of that person, in connection with
his family record, on the left hand side, and in its new location
may appropriately be called the family number. Thus, if the
reader desires to know anything more of a descendant in a
future direction, hewill turn forwarduntil hefinds his descend-
ant number on theleft; or, if he desires to see the record of the
family of this descendant's father, he will note his family num-
ber and turn back until he finds this number on the right.
Thus the book, in its general arrangement, is an index to itself
The compiler designs to give the birthplace and parentage oJ
each descendant, not by having these facts appear with his
name in connection with his own family record, but by refer-
ring to the record of his father's family, especially when the
children were all born in the same place. But there are some
instances where birthplace was not given, and of course must
be omitted. There are difficulties connected with the produc-
tion ofa genealogicalwork, which none, but thosewhohavehad
experience in it, can fully know. The information, especially
the later records, must be obtained by correspondence. Many
letters must be written. Some will be promptly answered
while others will remain unanswered, and a second, and some-
times a third,must besentbeforethe desiredinformationcomes,
if it comes at all. Meanwhile the compiler hopefully, and pa-
tiently,must wait. With all thecareand scrutiny that he car
command to make the dates correct, there still will be some er-
rors. Different members of the same family have sent to the
compiler different birthdates ofthe same person. One of these
must be used, it may be the right one, or it may be the wrong
— —
5
one, he must use his own discretion and let it pass in that
way.
Itmay be appropriate to express a thought in regard to the
spelling ofthe Clark name. By some ofthe descendants ofthe
same ancestor it is spelled with the iinal e, and by others with-
out it. Even the name of Thomas Clarke is spelled both ways.
On his gravestone it appears without the final e, also in the
name of Clark's Island. Butthis different spelling is not con-
finedtothe Clarkname alone. Burk, Kirk,Wild, Wait, Brown,
and others are spelled with the final e, aswellas without it, and
yetthe identity of the name is not questioned. It seems to be
a matter of taste more than of essentiality.
In this work, the female branches of descent are traced, as
fully and as extensively as the male branches. The descend-
ants of a female ancestor, not bearingthepatronymic name, are
considered worthy of the same attention, as the descendants of
a male ancestor But, without discussing the question in re-
gard to the propriety of tracing the female lines in a genealog-
ical work, we would refer our readers to the able discussion of
this question, by Dr. D. P. Holton inhisprefaceto theWinslow
Memorial, Vol. I.
The compiler is not a Clark descendant, but his children are
Clark descendants;andbetakes a deep interest inthe work, and
has neglected nomeans that would helptocrownitwithsuccess.
And he desires and expects, that the intelligent, the educated,
the generous hearted, and the wealthy, whose records are founJ
in the book, will give their patronage to it, to such an extent as
will enable him to receive back the amount of money, which
he has expended inthe publication of thesame,butfortheper-
jsevering labor which he has bestowed, he expects nothing but
'the satisfaction of having given to the world the records of a
race, ranking high amongthedescendantsofasterlingand pious
ancestry, who rescued New England from its pristine wildness,
and made it theland of the free, and the home of the brave.
North Greenfield, Wis., March 6, 1884.
A
INTRODUCTORY POEM.
AWnhoanccaemsteorwiotfhatnheanPciilegnrtimlsineo,'erthebrine,
The captain's mate, (on a pilgrim bark,)
Bearing thename of Thomas Clarke;
Atlength became aman of renown,
Amongthe settlers of Plymouth Town.
One of those menwhotheforest cleared'^
Orbeneath its shade theircabins reared;
Ready, with counsel and deeds w^as he.
TInotmhaekweiltdhinseslsantdhe'r'et,hethlaatndrooufntdhethfermee.s"tood. ^
He joined in prayer with the just and good;
In the trials great of that desert shore,
Hispartwith theresthe nobly bore
Andalougandusefullife was given,;
In whichto prepare his soul forheaven.
Theyears of a century, nearly passed
Beforehewas calledto breathe his last.
He first looked out on the world's bright scene,
Inthe quietreign of the "Virgin Queen;"
And he waslivingin manhood's prime,
In thetrying days of CromwelPs time;
The scepterfrom James the Second hadpassed,
And William the Third w^as crowned at—last,
And Thomas the Pilgrim, apilgrim still
But, restedat length on ''The Burying Hill."
And now as the tourists softly tread
Among the graves of theancient dead,
On "Burying Hill," wiiere they laidhis bones.
Toreadthe lines on the sculptured ston—es,
"Thebody of Thomas Clark lies here"
(Laid in the grave in his ninety-ninth year,) 1/
On atime-wornstonewill duly appear. "
Nowlet us change the metre of ourverse,
And otherfactsin measured linesrehearse.
The ceaseless pulse of ocean beats the same.
As when ourfathers from old England came;
Upon therock-bound shore the ocean rolls,
As in those early daysthat "tried men's souls;"
Thewinterstorm drops downthe drifting snow.
As inthe years departed long ago;
The winding stream flows onward to the main.
Bearingaway the melted snow and rain.
As then it flowed, within the ancient wood.
Whenthe wild native on its margin stood;
And, overheadthe twinkling orbs of light
Bedeck, as then, the starry vault of night.
The seasons, in theirwonted order, come.
Aswhen the Pilgrim found hisdeserthome;
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