Nathaniel Clark (1730 - 1802)

Born 29 Mar 1730 in Plainfield, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Thankful (Gates) Clark — married 30 Apr 1751 in Preston, Connecticut [uncertain]

Husband of Jemima (Allen) Clark — married 26 Sep 1768 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 29 Jun 1802 at age 72 in Canterbury, Connecticut

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Biography

Nathaniel Clark served with Lexington Alarm - April 1775, Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution.

Nathaniel Clark was born in Plainfield, Connecticut. He was a son of Dr. Theophilus Clark and his wife Martha. His birth on 29 March 1730 is recorded in Canterbury, Connecticut, vital records.^[1]

He married Thankful Gates on 30 April 1751.^[2][3] They had eight children. On 26 September 1768, not long after Thankful's death in May 1768, he married Jemima Allen,^[4] with whom he had at least two children.

Children of Nathaniel Clark recorded in vital records were:

1. Asa Clark, born 23 June 1753 in Plainfield, Connecticut.^[5]
2. James Clark, born 10 October 1754 in Plainfield, Connecticut.^[6]
3. Elisha Clark, born 17 December 1755 in Plainfield, Connecticut.^[7]
4. Elizabeth Clark, born 15 August 1758 in Norwich, Connecticut.^[8][9]
5. Thankful Clark, born 7 May 1761 in Canterbury, Connecticut.^[10]
6. Rufus Clark, born 15 May 1762 in Canterbury, Connecticut.^[11]
7. Rosel Clark, born 19 May 1764 in Canterbury, Connecticut.^[12]
8. Ezra Clark, born 27 May 1766 in Canterbury, Connecticut.^[13]
9. Nathaniel Clark, born 1 June 1773 in Canterbury, Connecticut.^[14]

An additional daughter, Jemima, is named in his will.^[15] Jemima was a child of the second marriage, born in about 1770.

In The History of Middletown, Vermont, Barnes Frisbie stated that Nathaniel Clark had seven sons and three daughters in total and that five of the sons (Asa, Elisha, Rufus, Roswell and Ezra Clark) removed to Middletown, Vermont, soon after the town was organized.^[16]

Nathaniel Clark is credited with Revolutionary War military service for having turned out at the Lexington alarm in 1775.^[17][18] The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) also has recognized him for civilian service as a grand juror, surveyor, inspector, and committee member. ^[19]

The U.S. census record for Canterbury, Connecticut, in 1800 names Nathaniel Clark as head of a household that included one male and one female over 45 years, one female age 26 to 45 and one male each in the age ranges 10 to 15, 16 to 25, and 26 to 45.

"Nath'll Clark of Canterbury in the County of Windham and State of Connecticut" made his will on 15 December 1801. (The signature on the will is "Nathaniel Clark.") Heirs named in the will included his wife Jemima, six sons (Asa/Afa, Elisha, Rufus, Rosel/Roswell, Ezra, and Nath'll Jr.), three daughters (Elizabeth, Thankfull, and Jemime), and grandson Allen Gates Clark. The "well beloved wife Jemima" was to receive "all of my Household furniture for her ufe & Improve During her natural Life, & alfo the ufe and Improvement of one third part of my real eftate During her Natural Life." Additionally, she was to have "my riding Horfe, Two Cows, five good Sheep, & her preferred riding saddle to be hers forever after my Deceafe." The five sons Asa, Elisha, Rufus, Rosel, and Ezra were to receive certain lands to be divided between them in equal shares, "except only Deducting from the Parts of Shares of Asa, Elisha, & Ezra such __ms as has already been paid them by this Testator as part of their Portions..." Nathaniel, the youngest son, was to receive "my home farm of land I now live on & purchased of Eliashib(?) Adams Dec'd with all the Buildings standing on same and my new riding saddle & Dish(?) & all the rest of my property both real and personal not otherwise Disposed of in this will." The three daughters were to receive "twenty-five dollars each," and were the divide the indoor moveables between them after the death of wife Jemima. Grandson Allen Gates Clark was to receive his watch. Son Nathaniel was named to be executor.^[15]

His wearing apparel was to be divided equally among his six sons.^[15] Elisha Clark signed a receipt on 3 May 1804 stating "Rec'd of my brother Nath'l Clark five sixths in Value of the wearing apparel of our Hon Father Nath'l Clark Dec'd for myself & brothers living in the state of Vermont."

He died in Canterbury, Connecticut, in 1802 and is buried in the Old Smith Cemetery there. There are two memorial stones for him in Old Smith Cemetery; one stone (with a design typical of the cemetery) shows a death date of Jan. 29, 1802, AE. 72;^[20][18] the other stone (probably more recent) memorializes him as a Revolutionary War veteran and indicates that "Mr. Nathaniel Clark died June 29th 1802 in the 73d year of his age."^[20]

Sources

1. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630-1870 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928. Canterbury, page 50: CLARK - CLARKE, CLEARK, s. Theophilus & Martha, b. Mar. 29, 1730.
2. ↑ Preston Marriages
3. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630-1870 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928. Canterbury, page 50: CLARK - CLARKE, CLEARK, Nathaniel, m. Thankful Gates, Apr. 30, 1751.
4. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630-1870 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928. Canterbury, page 50: CLARK - CLARKE, CLEARK, Nathan[ie]l, m. Jemima Allen, Sept. 26, 1768.
5. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), Plainfield, page 23: CLARK, CLARKE, CLERK. Asa, s. Nathaniel & Thankfull, b. June 23, 1753.
6. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), Plainfield, page 23: CLARK, CLARKE, CLERK. James, s. Nathaniel & Thankfull, b. Oct. 10, 1754.
7. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), Plainfield, page 23: CLARK, CLARKE, CLERK. Elisha, s. Nathaniel & Thankfull, b. Dec. 17, 1755.
8. ↑ Norwich CT: Vital Records of Norwich, 1659-1848. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.) Originally published as: Vital Records of Norwich, 1659-1848. Hartford, Society of colonial wars in the state of Connecticut, 1913. Vol. 1, page 356: Elizabeth. ye Daughter of Nathaniel Clark, and of his Wife Thankfull was Born, on ye 15th: Day of auguft in ye year 1758.
9. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WF-3DZ : 7 January 2020), Elizabeth Clark, 1758.
10. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), Canterbury, page 51: CLARK - CLARKE, CLEARK, Thankful, d. Nathaniel & Thankful, b. May 7, 1761.
11. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), Canterbury, page 50: CLARK - CLARKE, CLEARK, Rufus, s. Nathaniel & Thankful, b. May 15, 1762.
12. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), Canterbury, page 50: CLARK - CLARKE, CLEARK, Rosel, s. Nathaniel & Thankful, b. May 19, 1764.
13. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), Canterbury, page 50: CLARK - CLARKE, CLEARK, Ezra, s. Nathaniel & Thankful, b. May 27, 1766.
14. ↑ Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), Canterbury, page 50: CLARK - CLARKE, CLEARK, Nathan[ie]l, s. Nathan[ie]l & Jemima, b. June 1, 1773.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2} Will of Nathaniel Clark, Plainfield Connecticut Probate Files, Family History Microfilm copied in NEHGS Library, March 25, 2017.
16. ↑ Barnes Frisbie, The history of Middletown, Vermont, in three discourses: delivered before the citizens of that town, February 7 and 21, and March 30, 1867 (Google eBook), Tuttle & Co, 1867, 74ff
17. ↑ DAR Lineage Book
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Hale Project
19. ↑ DAR Ancestor Search, Nathaniel Clark, Ancestor #: A210955.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28549171/nathaniel-clark: accessed 23 October 2023), memorial page for Nathaniel Clark (29 Mar 1730–19 Jun 1802), Find a Grave Memorial ID 28549171, citing Old Smith Cemetery, Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA; Maintained by Nate Bramlett (contributor 46874243).

• Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630-1870 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928.
• Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage Book, Volume 9, page 250. Lineage for Mrs Isabella S Clark Kingsley 8673. Mrs Isabella S Clark Kingsley, Born in Connecticut, Wife of Walter Kingsley. Descendant of Nathaniel Clark and of Corp Asa Clark of Connecticut. Daughter of Thomas Gilbert Clark and Cressa Judson his wife . Granddaughter of Allen Gates Clark and Celinda Darling his wife. Gr granddaughter of Asa Clark and Rebecca Allen his wife. Gr gr granddaughter of Nathaniel Clark and Thankful Gates. Nathaniel Clark turned out at the Lexington Alarm. Asa Clark 1775 enlisted as a private in the Canterbury company commanded by Obadiah Johnson and in 1778 he was corporal in Capt David Cady's company.
• Early Preston, CT (Griswold section) Marriages. Compiled by Frederic W. Bailey: "Early Connecticut Marriages as Found on Ancient Church Records prior to 1800". 1896-1906. The town of Griswold was incorporated in 1815, from land that was taken from Preston. The Congregational Church in Griswold was organized November 20, 1720 as the Second Church in Preston. Text: Nathaniel Clark of Plainfield & Thankful Gates, April 30, 1751
• Hale Project, Headstones in the "Old Smith Cemetery" in Canterbury, Connecticut. Windham County Connecticut CTGenweb Project. Retrieved 3 September 2014.