According to Robert Anderson in The Great Migration, Nathaniel Clarke was the son and eldest child of Thomas Clark, the immigrant (a.k.a. "Thomas the tanner"), and presumably his wife Sarah. His father came to New England about 1634, and settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts, where Nathaniel was probably born ca. 1638. Nathaniel and his brother Thomas, Jr., were witnesses to a March 1, 1686-7, document regarding an Ipswich land sale by his father, Thomas Clarke, Sr.[1][2][3]
Nathaniel was "Constable" at Newbury March 7, 1667; admitted freeman April 29, 1668; Tything-man, April 25, 1681; Selectman, March 1, 1681-2; Naval Officer for Newbury and Salisbury ports, May 15, 1684; promoted from sergeant to ensign in Daniel Pierce's company of Rowley, 1685; Committee of dividing the commons, May 5, 1686.[7]
Death & Burial
Nathaniel Clark died in Newbury, Massachusetts, on Monday, August 25, 1690, "aged about 48." According to his Find A Grave: Memorial #9474228, he is buried in the First Parish Burying Ground in Newbury, but it appears that there is no gravestone extant.[2][8] Clarke says he "was probably buried in the Old Town graveyard, but the place is unknown to the writer."[9][10]
John Clarke, born January 24, 1670; married, June 19, 1694, Elizabeth Woodbridge; Clergyman; died July 25, 1705, in Exeter, New Hampshire.[11][19][20][21]
Elizabeth Clarke, born May 15, 1684; married (1) intention February 4, 1699-1700, Dr. Robert Hale of Beverly, Massachusetts, (2) December 29, 1720, John Gilman of Exeter, New Hampshire; died January 24, 1762, in Beverly.[11][34][35][36][37][38]
The will of Nathaniel Clark of Newbury, Massachusetts, was written August 21, 1690, four days before his death, and proved September 30, 1690:[43]
In the name of GOD Amen. I Nathaniel Clark of Newbury in New England Senr being weake of body, yet of sound and perfect mind and memory praise be therfore given to Almighty God, do make and ordaine this my present last will and testament, in manner and form as foloweth, (that is to say.) first & principally I commend my soul into ye hands of Almighty God, hoping, through ye merits, death & pasion of my Saviour Jesus Christ, to have ful & fre pardon & forgivness of all my sins & to inherit Everlasting Life; And my body I comit to ye Earth to be decently buried at ye discresion of my Executors hereafter named; as touching ye dispsiton of all such temporal Estate, as it hat pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me, I give & dipose therof, as foloweth
first , I will yt my debts & funeral charges be paid & discharged. Item. I give unto my son Nathaniel if he live to come home all yt my parcell of land above hatychoke, caled by ye name of ye rate lot, Joyning to his owne land, as it is bounded by ye land of John Keely westerly & ye land of Joseph baily Easterly.
item. I give unto my Son Thomas beside wt I have allrady given him, one Acre & half of land of my homsted Joyning to his owne land & ye land of Samuel Greenleafe & to ye land of Willm Moulton , provided yt his father Noyes shal give & confirm to him five acrs of salt marsh making his daughters portion worth one hundred pound.
item. I give unto my Son Henery all this my parcel of land or homsted undisposed of, with all ye salt marsh that I bought with it & a lot of salt marsh at plum island which I bought of Daniel Lunt, provided he shal live wth his mothr & take ye care her buisnes, whilst She remans a widow; but if She shal mary he shal pay to his mothr six pound a year until my youngest child be sixtene year old & then to enter upō it as his owne propr estat.
item. I give to my Son Daniel al yt my parcel of Land above harty choke caled by ye name of frehold lot as it is bounded with ye land of John Emery Easterly & wth ye land of francis browne westrly And my lot of salt marsh at Salsbury down at ye poynts bounded wth ye marsh of Samuel french Senr Easterly & ye marsh of Isaac Moril westerly.
item. I give to my Son Josiah al yt my parcel of Land wch I bought of thomas putnam Lying in Almsbury as it is bounded wth ye land of major pike easter & westerly & on Merimak River northerly.
item. my brigandine and all ye rest & residue of my p.sonal Estate goods & chatels whatsoevr I doe give and bequath unto my loving & dear wife & t my Son John whom I apoint my ful & sol Executors of thys my last wil & teste ment to be disposed of for ye bringing up of my four youngest children And when ye children are of age ys my Estate is to be devided into six parts my wife to have two parts of it, ye other four parts to be devided equaly to my Son, And my daughters Sarah, And Elizabeth, And Judith.
item. my will is yt estate wch I have given to my Son henery viz, my homsted & ye marsh be my wifes & at her disposal during widowhod, & also my warhose & ye pacel of land or flats as it was granted by ye towne wch ye war house stands upon.
item. my wil is yt my warhouse & yt pacel of land or flats wch it stands on be disposed of by my Executors as ye rest of my estate comited to their care & to be devided to my wife & my Son John & my thre daughters.
item. my will is, yt if any of my children dy before mariage thier estat shal be devided Equally amongst ye rest of my children.
item. my desire is yt my honored father in Law Trustram Cofin & my Loveing freinds henery Sumersby & Willm Noyes be overseers of ys my Last wil and testement.
Dated in Newbery ye 21 twenty first day of august anno Dom. one thousand six hundred & ninty.
Witnes.
WILLm NOYES.
REBECCA SOMERBY.
This Last Will of M Nathaniel Clark of newbury , being presented to the Court held at Ipswich Sept 30t 1690 by the Widdow of said Clark and their Son John the witnesses hereto, appeared and gave oath that they did se the said Nathaniel Clarke Signe and owne the same as his last Will and Testament and that at the same time he was of a disposing mind, further the said William Noyce and Rebecka Sumersby do Testifie that being present when Nathaniel Clarke Senr, of Newbury, did make his Will & order it to be written that then at that time he did appoynt and order his wife Elizabeth Clarke and his Son John Clarke to be joynt Executors to this his Last Will, upon which Evidence the said will is approved & allowed, to be Enterd into Record.
James Savage (among others) claimed that Nathaniel, "d. on board the sh. Six Friends, soon after sail, in the expedit. against Quebec, 25 Aug. 1690."[2] However, several sources dispute this, including Clarke who warned of those who repeat "the troublesome error contained in Joshua Coffin's History of Newbury that Nathaniel Clarke, husband of Elizabeth (Somerby), was mortally wounded in the expedition to Canada. It was his son. See Probate papers at Salem."[44]
↑
Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985). Vol 1, Page 325. Citing: "CLARK, Nathaniel (1642-1690) & Elizabeth SOMERBY (-1716), m/2 Rev. John HALE 1698; 23 Nov 1663; Newbury Hist. {Noyes-Gilman 192, 230, 261; Fulton Anc. 579; Greenleaf 191; Howe 2:10; Wentworth 1:384-5; GDMNH 146, 297; EIHC 5:43, 7:72; NYGBR 43:95; Reg. 37:89, 46:188-9; Warner-Harrington 124; Hale (1952)290}"
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29G-GQ9V : 19 May 2022), Nathaniell Clarke and Elizabeth Summerby, 23 Nov 1663; citing Marriage, Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009706.
↑
Currier, John James. History of Newbury, Mass., 1635-1902 (Damrell & Upham, Boston, 1902). Page 101. "A List of the Freeman of Newbury."
Page 110. "Nathaniel Clarke, Constable."
Page 112. "Nathaniel Clarke, Selectmen."
Page 118. "Nathaniel Clarke, Tything-men."
Page 210. "Nathaniel Clarke, Committee of dividing the commons."
Page 478. "Nathaniel Clarke, Naval Officer."
↑
"Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCMR-NV9 : 17 January 2020), Nathaniell Clark, 25 Aug 1690. Transcript of Image: "Mr Nathaniell Clark dyed august 25 1690."
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1V-1KRH : 18 October 2022), Nathaniel Clark, 13 Mar 1666; citing Birth, , Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009724.
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-7WGB : 18 October 2022), Nathaniel Clark and Elizabeth Toppan, 15 Dec 1685; citing Marriage, , Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009724.
↑
"New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSLT-327 : 22 February 2021), John Clark, 25 Jul 1705; citing , Bureau Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 1,001,066.
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1V-1YHB : 18 October 2022), Henry Clark and Elizabeth Greenleaf, 7 Nov 1695; citing Marriage, , Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009724.
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHNZ-4XH : 20 May 2022), Henry Clark, 24 Jan 1724; citing Marriage, Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009725.
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-4715 : 18 October 2022), Nicholas Gilman and Sarah Clark, 9 Jun 1697; citing Marriage, , Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009724.
↑
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50097241/sarah-gilman: accessed 17 April 2023), memorial page for Sarah Clark Gilman (12 Jan 1678–25 Aug 1741), Find A Grave: Memorial #50097241, citing Winter Street Burial Ground, Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, USA; Maintained by Jeffrey James (contributor 47902931).
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-3HXB : 18 October 2022), Joseph Clark, 7 May 1682; citing Birth, , Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009724.
↑Boston, MA: Deaths, 1700-1799. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org($), New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007), (Dunkle, Robert J. and Lainhart, Ann S. Boston Deaths, 1700-1799, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1999). Page 7610 ($). Citing: "Josiah Clark, Boston, 29 Aug 1717, 36y."
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-W6XX : 18 October 2022), Elizabeth Clarke, 15 May 1684; citing Birth, , Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009724.
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHQL-BJ3 : 20 May 2022), Mrs. Elisabeth Clark in entry for Mr. Robert Hale, 4 Feb 1699; citing Marriage, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007011152.
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH5X-KQK : 20 May 2022), Elisabeth Clark in entry for Robert Hale, 4 Feb 1700; citing Marriage, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004934217.
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-8D89 : 20 May 2022), Madam Eliza. Gilman, 24 Jan 1762; citing Death, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004029870.
↑
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DZ37-CS2M : 11 May 2022), Judith Clark, 3 Jan 1686; citing Birth, Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009706.
↑
"Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC68-V3K : 28 December 2022), Judith How in entry for Thomas Jenkins, 29 Jul 1737.
He "died on the Canada Expedition expedition, leaving a large family and an estate of 700£, of which John and his mother were executors."
This statement about the "Canada Expedition" is in error, first stated by Coffin and repeated in this source. It was his son Nathaniel that died on the "Canada Expedition". Both father and son died in 1690.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9474228/nathaniel-clark: accessed 12 April 2023), memorial page for Nathaniel Clark I (1645–25 Aug 1690), Find A Grave: Memorial #9474228, citing First Parish Burying Ground, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Jeffrey James (contributor 47902931). Note: No Gravestone Photo. Contains Unsourced Information. For Research Only.
Roberts, Gary Boyd. Notable Kin (Carl Boyer, 3rd, Santa Clarita, California, 1998)
Is Nathaniel your ancestor? Please don't go away! Login to collaborate or comment, or contact
the profile manager, or ask our community of genealogists a question.
Changed son to this profile, Josiah, as uncertain based on the information regarding spouse of Sarah Chamberlain for Josiah on this page. Am thinking to detach and then a new profile for the proper son of Nathaniel can be created (or found). However, the secondary source that explains the correct lineage (Descendants of Nathaniel Clark pg.196-198) uses the same vitals as the current profile for Josiah has, with DOD of 1717 and spouse Sarah re-married to Joseph Woodwell by 1720. The 1726 DOD shown on this profile and the Find-A-Grave memorial are hard to reconcile with the secondary source. Any ideas on where it is form?
I agree. The Clark source comes in 2 editions - 1885 and 1902. I used the later edition which apparently doesn't have a special section highlighting Josiah, so I was relying more on FamilySearch for sources, which is where the Find-a-Grave source came from. It does appear that Josiah's FamilySearch profile may contain a conflation of information for 2 different persons named Josiah Clarke. For example, there are two marriage records, Sarah Chamberline, 24 Jan 1705, in Boston, and Priscilla Greenwood, 6 Dec 1707, in Ipswich. I have now removed reference to the Find-a-Grave source here and added a ref to the earlier Clark source. It's likely that the Find-a-Grave memorial is also some sort of a conflation, but more research will be required to figure that out.
Yes definitely a conflation. I think there were 3 Josiah’s who were all contemporary. I think the Josiah who married Priscilla Greenwood may be son to Nathaniel’s brother Thomas but right now this is just a guess. I’ll detach Josiah right now and see what can be found in the record
According to the Great Migraton, Nathaniel's father's Thomas's wife was Sarah. I can't find any records referring to a Mary Sherman who supposed married a William Clarke. Any objections to replacing Nathaniel's mother with Sarah (Unknown) Clark?
This week's featured connections are
Redheads:
Nathaniel is
10 degrees from Catherine of Aragón, 15 degrees from Clara Bow, 22 degrees from Julia Gillard, 12 degrees from Nancy Hart, 7 degrees from Rutherford Hayes, 15 degrees from Rita Hayworth, 16 degrees from Leonard Kelly, 16 degrees from Rose Leslie, 17 degrees from Damian Lewis, 14 degrees from Maureen O'Hara, 21 degrees from Jopie Schaft and 29 degrees from Eirik Thorvaldsson
on our single family tree.
Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
edited by Jared Stiffler
So change anything in those familys