James Clark (abt. 1608 - abt. 1689)

Born about 1608 in England

Husband of Unknown (Unknown) Clark — married before 1636 in England

Husband of Ann (Unknown) Clark — married 17 Oct 1661 in New Haven, New Haven Colony

Descendants

Died about 1689 at about age 81 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut [uncertain]

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James Clark migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 66) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Contemporary James Clarks

James Clark of Boston and Roxbury - died 1674; m. Elinor

James Clark of New Haven - died after 1682. Had a son James Clarke (c1641 New Haven-c1713 Stratford)

James Clarke of Plymouth - (c.1636-b. 1731) m. Abigail Lothrop

James Clark son of William Clark and Mary Weston (1602-1648) died in England; spouse of Sarah Harvey

Disputed Origins

William Boardman in 1906 suggested that he may be the son of John Clarke alias Kingman of the Liberty of the Cathedral Church of St Andrews, Welles, Somerset.^[1] This suggestion is based upon the 1641 will of John Clarke^[2] where he wrote, "To my son James Clerke who is now in New England, if he be living, in money ten shillings."

James is not the son of William and Mary of East Farleigh. Therefore he was not baptized in 1602, nor was he married to Sarah Harvey

From “Genealogical Research in England.” by Alfred Rudulph Justice. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. 74:130. Boston: NEHGS, 1920 (cited below). This is the pedigree of Jeremiah Clark of Rhode Island and does not claim to be the pedigree of James of New Haven or of Boston/Roxbury.

Re: James Clark, son of William Clerke, of East Farleigh, co. Kent, and St. Botolph Aldgate, London, Gent. & his wife Mary Weston (c1579-b1614)

“James, of Aldgate Ward, London, grocer, the testator of 1647, bapt. 31 Oct. 1602; d. between 6 Dec 1647 and 10 Sept 1649; m. (1) about 1630 Sarah Harvey; m. (2) Helen ____ who was living 6 Dec 1647. ...” Children: Mary one year old in 1633, James, Anne

Baptism: 31 Oct 1602 belongs to James Clarke of Aldgate Wood. Baptism: April 1602 is not proved to belong to this James either.

Biography James Clark of New Haven

James Clark ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]} (with Sarah?) arrived in Boston in 1637, aboard the Hector with the group destined to settle the Colony of New Haven.^[9]

James Clark had two wives. The first wife was the mother of his children. Her surname and given name are unknown.^[3] She was mentioned in the records as Goodwife or Sister Clarke, in conjunction with records concerning her daughters^[10] and in the meeting house seating assignments.^[8] She died after the 11 February 1655/6 meeting house seating and before the remarriage of James 17 Oct 1661.

James Clark married (2) Ann, the widow of John Wakefield on Oct 17, 1661, in New Haven, Connecticut^[11]. She died in 1695.^[3]

James received grants of land from the jurisdiction of New Haven, and bought and sold parcels. ^[12]

All men were required to be part of the local militia (trainband). 4 July 1648, James Clarke was complained of for coming late to a squadron training & late on Sabboth with his armes. He explained that his wife was sick which was allowed but he ws fined for coming late to training. He was also complained for absence to a training day, on which Sgt Munson had taken him away. James was surprised that Munson was not in court to clear him. It was remanded to next court.^[13]

James did not have an assigned seat in the 10 Mar 1646 meeting house assingment. His wife did. Sister Clarke was seated “on the other side of the door.” Goodwife Clarke was in the 7th row of the seats in the middle (a more prestigious place.) The History of New Haven by Atwater makes a note that it was James Clarke’s wife in the seates on the other side the door. John Clarke’s wife was the other Clarke female. The next seating in the records took place 11 Feb 1655/6. John Clark and his wife died before this seating. James was in the seats on the side. Goodwife Clark was in the long seats, 8th row. This would indicate that it was probably her and not John’s wife who was in the long seats in 1646 as well. The seating chart for Feb 1661/2 places James on the side, his second wife is right up front on the side. This probably indicates she was hard of hearing or could have been placed there to assist one of the other women in the row ^[14]

5 July 1653 Ellis Mew, lived with John Jones. According to James Clark on a day when Jones and his wife were away from home Mew “came into y roome where his daughter [Susan] who liued wth John Jones also was and offered to abuse her in a filthy way throwing her downe vpon the bed kissing her pulled downe his breeches and would haue forced her but she cryed out and he left her.” Susan’s testimony was about the same but saying that he “discovered her nakedness and his owne too.” Mew “said that hee did throw her vpon the bed and kiss her but that was all and hee intended no hurt and when she bid him let her alone else she would tell her master and dame then he let her alone.” Goodwife Clarke and Goodwife Jones both testified. After a lot of discussion about the truthfullness of the two. Ellis Mew was “for this miscariage be publiquly corrected by whipping.”^[15]

James daughter Mary also became embroiled in a matter of “filthy miscarriages” with John Knight who was notorious for having committed such offenses before with young children. Knight was sentenced to be hung. Mary was part of the Judson household at the time and they were taken to task over leaving Knight and Mary together. James and Mary’s mother were admonished for not speaking up sooner. Mary was considered totally corrupted. She confessed to “unclean carriages” with some other boys, and was sentenced to be whipped.^[16]

James was the surveyor of highways Apr 1680, constable in Dec 1680, and fenceviewer Apr 1682.^[17]

At the time of the third division Dec 1680, there were two in his household, an estate valued at £50.2s, and he owned 20 acres.^[18]

He died probably in 1689. His name is in the index of the second volume of probate records. Unfortunately his estate was in the first twenty pages that are missing.[AB] There is a James Clark who continues to appear in the New Haven records until 1682.^[19] James' son James went to Stratford by 1664 (children were born there), and there do not appear to be any other likely Jameses in New Haven at the time.

Death date in December 1674, belongs to James Clark of Roxbury.

The following paragraph from the book "The Ancestry of William Boardman"^[1] makes reference to a land document which quotes from the probate of James's estate early in 1689:

"The wife of William Chatterton was Mary Clark, daughter of James Clarke (No 198), whom he married about 1660. After the death of her husband she lived some years in New Haven but about 1717 went to live with her daughter Mary Hotchkiss, in Wallingford, and died there February 3, 1722. In a document dated March 8, 1688-9, James and Samuel Clark, administrators of the estate of James Clarke, Senior, give William Chatterton, whom they term "our brother," power to in behalf of his son, Samuel Chatterson, as an heir of James Clarke. [New Haven Land Records, 1: 448.]"

Children

From Families of Ancient New Haven. Jacobus listed them James, Mary, Samuel, (perhaps) Sarah, Susan, Ebenezer.

• (perhaps) Sarah m. 25 Oct 1650 William Wooding. A marriage in 1650 would indicate a birth about 1630, not later than 1636, making her a first born child.
• Susan; m. James Kelly of Hartford. The 1653 court record does not give her age but indicates born between 1635 and 1641.
• James Clark d. 1712; resided in Stratford; m. (1) Deborah d/o John Peacock; m. (2) Hannah d/o William Jones, widow of Patrick Falconer (children b. 1664-1686, his birth say 25 years before child = 1639, or 21 at marriage b. about 1643)
• Mary d. 3 Feb 1722 Wallingford m. William Chatterton. Mary's 1655 court appearance is indicative of an age 13-18 so born 1637-1642.
• Samuel d. 22 Feb 1729/30 New Haven; m. (1) 7 Nov 1672 New Haven Hannah Tuttle (1655-1708); m (2) 18 Apr 1717 New Haven Mary d/o John Thompson, widow of Samuel Lines and John Hitchcock. If age 25 when he married b. about 1647
• Ebenezer, b. 29 Nov 1651 New Haven; d. 30 April 1721 ae 70 Wallingford; m. (1) Sarah _____ (prob not Peck) ; m. (2) 22 Dec 1696 Wallingford Elizabeth Parker, widow of Josiah Royce; She m. (3) 16 Oct 1721 Wallingford Nathaniel Andrews.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Boardman, William F. J., The Ancestry of William Francis Joseph Boardman (Hartford, 1906), page 245
2. ↑ NEHGR 51:115 [1]
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Jacobus, Donald Lines (compiler). Families of Ancient New Haven, Vol I-VIII. and Index Vol IX New Haven: 1931. Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1974, 1981, 1997. Originally published as New Haven Genealogical Magazine, Volumes I-VIII. (Rome, NY and New Haven, CT 1922-1932). Pp 407-409
4. ↑ Hoadly, Charles J, MA. (editor) Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven, From 1638 to 1649. (Hartford: Case, Tiffany and Company, 1857.)
5. ↑ Hoadly, Charles J, MA. (editor) Records of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven, From May 1653 to the Union. (Hartford: Case, Tiffany and Company, 1858.). Mary 137-139
6. ↑ Dexter, Franklin Bowditch (editor) Ancient Town Records Vol 1. New Haven Town Records 1649-1662. (New Haven: New Haven Colony Historical Society, 1917.)
7. ↑ Dexter, Franklin Bowditch (editor) [Ancient Town Records Vol II. New Haven Town Records 1662-1684. (New Haven: New Haven Colony Historical Society, 1919.) Index beginning at page 445.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Atwater, Edward Elias, and Lucy M. Hewitt, and Bessie E. Beach. History of the Colony of New Haven to Its Absorption Into Connecticut Meriden, Connecticut: 1902 pp 544, 545, 546, 548, 551, 548
9. ↑ Calder, Isabel MacBeath, 1934. Passengers on the Hector, 1637-1638. In The New Haven Colony, New Haven CT: Yale University Press, pp. 29-31.
10. ↑ Hoadley2, pp 137-139; Dexter1 pp 182, 183
11. ↑ Vital Records of New Haven 1649-1850 Part I. Hartford: The Connecticut Society of the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, 1917
12. ↑ Dexter1 p 110, 137-139, 284, 396; Dexter 2 p 37, 78
13. ↑ Hoadly1 p. 391
14. ↑ [Atwater 544, 545, 546, 548, 551, 548) Also in colony town records.] [Dexter1 p. 271 p. 511; Dexter 2 p. 219]
15. ↑ Dexter 1 p 182, 183; Full account
16. ↑ Hoadley 2 pp 137-139
17. ↑ [Dexter 2 pp 397, 401, 419]
18. ↑ [Dexter2 p 405]
19. ↑ Dexter, Franklin Bowditch (editor) Ancient Town Records Vol II. New Haven Town Records 1662-1684. New Haven: New Haven Colony Historical Society, 1919.

• Alfred Rudulph Justice. "Genealogical Research in England: Clarke". The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 74, Part 1: January 1920, page 73; Part 2: April 1920, page 132.
• Johnson, Ezra Levan. Newtown's History and Historian, Ezra Levan Johnson (Newtown, Conn., 1917) "Descendants of Some of Newtown's Earliest Settlers", Page 44
• Great Migration Directory. Unknown 1640 New Haven [NHCR 1:92; Ackley Bosworth 164-5 (nice summary bio by Jacobus): Gillespie Anc 65-70 (not online); Waters 1256-7 (clue) ) [Re: John Clark alias Kingman of Welles, will mentions a James Clark in New England] https://archive.org/details/genealogicalglea02byuwate/page/1256