William Clarke (abt. 1598 - aft. 1635)

Born about 1598 in England

Died after 1 Jul 1635 after about age 37 in Warrosquyoake, Virginia Colony

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Biography

William Clarke was a Jamestown colonist.

William Clarke was born c. 1598,^[1] probably in England. We do not yet know the identity of his parents.

In 1623, he boarded the ship Providence^[2] and sailed to Jamestown. He came as an indentured servant and first lived in Elizabeth City.^[3][4]

Early in 1625, an official census was taken (the Muster of 1624/25), and he was living at Newport News, in the household of Daniel Gookins.^[1][5] William was one of twenty servants living there. The muster shows there was ample food and armaments for this group.

"PROVISION: Come, 30 barrells; Fish, 2000; Peese, 3 hodheds; Shott, 200 lb; Peeces, 16; Ordinances Mounted, 3; Armores, 20; Swords, 20; Cattell Neete, 15; Houses, 4; Boate, 1."^[1]

William eventually earned his freedom, worked hard, and became a successful planter. On 1 Jul 1635, he patented 250 acres of land in Warrasquoyoake County (later to become Isle of Wight County) on the south side of the Nansemond River. He used his personal headright and those of four other persons.^[6]

Finding no more information about the life or death of William Clark, we record on this profile that he died "after 1 Jul 1635."

Research Notes

Two William Clarkes arrived in the Colony of Virginia in 1623.

• William Clarke, b. 1598, d. aft. 1 Jul 1635, Warrosquyake (this profile)
• William Clarke, b. 1605, d. aft 18 Nov 1635, Elizabeth City

A third William Clarke also settled in the Colony of Virginia in Henrico.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Jester, Annie Lash., Hiden, Martha Woodruff. 1883. Musters of the Inhabitants in Virginia 1624/1625, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1625: FamilySearch International, Title No. 2058494., p. 48.
2. ↑ List of Passengers on the Providence Research and compilation by Anne Stevens, packrat-pro.com.
3. ↑ List of the Living and Dead in Virginia
4. ↑ Coldham, Peter Wilson. The Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1660, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, p. 44.
5. ↑ Coldham, page 63.
6. ↑ Nugent, Nell Marion. Cavaliers and Pioneers. Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, Vol. I, Virginia State Library, Virginia Genealogical Society. Richmond, Press of the Dietz Print Co. 1934, page 24.