William Clarke (1609 - 1690)

Born 1609 in England

Husband of Sarah (Slye) Clark — married 15 Nov 1676 (to 8 May 1688) in Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 18 Jul 1690 at about age 81 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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William Clarke migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 68) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Judge Lieutenant William CLARK was born about 1609^[1] He immigrated to New England settling in Dorchester by 1636.^[2]

He married twice, both women were named Sarah. The first Sarah's maiden name is the subject of much debate. They married about or before 1638 in Dorchester.^[1] The second was Sarah (Slye) Cooper, previously married to Thomas Cooper who had been killed. They married 15 Nov 1676 Northampton. ^[3] He was very active in Dorchester holding various offices and positions in there.

William was town Commissioner in 1660 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He moved between 10 Jul 1660 and 28 Feb 1661 to Nonotuck (later Northampton). The later date is when he joined the church at Northampton. He served as a lieutenant of first military company in Dorchester in 1661 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony and became a member First Church of Christ in Northampton on 28 Apr 1661 in Northampton being one of four founding members of the first church in Northampton. ^{[citation needed]}

As Lieutenant of the Northampton company, Clarke became the first person in Northampton authorized to perform marriages by the General Court of Massachusetts. He was Associate Justice of the Hampshire County Court between 1662 and 1688 in Northampton and was Associate Justice of the county for 26 years. Clarke heard the trial of Mary Bliss Parsons. In 1672, witch hysteria swept through the western outpost of Northampton (20 years prior to the famed hangings in Salem). He was frequently appointed by the Court to settle grievances with Indians. ^{[citation needed]}

William was a Tavern owner in 1671 in Northampton. He served as a Garrison commander in 1675 in King Philip's War and actively served at age 50 commanding a garrison of 26 men. ^{[citation needed]}

William died on 18 Jul 1690 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony ^[4]in an epidemic which started in 1689 and worked its way up the Connecticut River to Northampton and was buried in Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton. In 1884 or 1888, his descendants erected a memorial to his memory in the Bridge Street Cemetery and a monument was erected by his descendants near his grave in 1880. ^[5]

Children

Children of William Clarke and his first wife Sarah _________, all born at Dorchester.^{[citation needed]}

1. Sarah Clarke, born 21 Apr 1638; died 21 Jun 1638 at Dorchester.
2. Jonathan Clarke, born 1 Aug 1639; died 1 Oct 1639 at Dorchester.
3. Nathaniel Clarke, born 27 Jan 1642; died 30 Mar 1669 at Northampton, Massachusetts. Married Mary Meekins, born 8 May 1663 at Hatfield, Massachusetts.
4. Experience Clarke, born 30 Mar 1643; died young at Dorchester.
5. Increase Clarke, born 1 Mar 1646; died 24 Apr 1662 at Northampton.
6. Rebecca Clarke, born 1 Mar 1648/49; married Israel Rust of Hingham, Massachusetts on 9 Dec 1669; died 8 Feb 1733 at Northampton.
7. Deacon John Clarke, born 1 May 1651; died 3 Sept 1704 at Northampton. Married (1) Rebecca Cooper (daughter of Sarah Slye Cooper), born 15 May 1657; died 8 May 1678. Married (2) Mary Strong, born 26 Mar 1654 at Northampton; died 8 Dec 1738 at Northampton.
8. Samuel Clarke, born 16 Oct 1653; married Elizabeth Edwards 1 Mar 1682 at Northampton; died 5 Aug 1729 at Northampton.
9. Capt. William Clarke, born 3 Jul 1656; died 9 May 1725 at Lebanon, Connecticut. Married 15 Jul 1680 (1) Hannah Stronge, born 30 May 1659; died 31 Jan 1693/1694 at Northampton. Married (2) Mary Smith, born 14 Mar 1662 at Milford Connecticut; died 23 Apr 1748 at Lebanon, Connecticut.
10. Sarah Clarke, born 19 Mar 1659; married Captain John Parsons 23 Dec 1675 at Northampton; died 15 Apr 1728 at Northampton.

Research Notes

Profile issues: Torrey's NE marriages is cited for marriage info (Torrey is an index not a source), immigration and origin claims need to be better sourced

Claimed birth information: FindAGrave claims he was born 11 Feb 1610 at Plymouth, Devon, England. A search for records in FamilySearch, Ancestry & FreeRegUK returned zero matching results. There is a baptism for William Clarke son of Nicholas on that date [11 Feb 1609/10] in the St Mary Parish Register, at Wigton, Cumberland, England.^[6] However, William Clarke is a common name, and without other evidence to indicate where he originated from or his family member names it is impossible to determine if this is the correct record. More research is needed. Cole-12288 23:28, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

Immigration claims: It has been claimed that William Clark was a passenger on the Mary & John in 1630, and also that he arrived on the Mary & John in 1634. There was a William Clark (abt.1610-aft.1640) who arrived in 1630 but his details clearly separate him from William Clark of Dorchester and Northampton. There was a William Clark enrolled as a passenger on the Mary & John in 1634. However, Anderson notes: "It has not been possible to connect this passenger with any of the men named William Clark who later appeared in New England."^[7] Although he does not specifically mention William Clark of Dorchester, it follows that Anderson found the two-year gap before an appearance in Dorchester in 1636 too long to conclude they were the same man, especially considering the common name. Also, a search of the entries in the Great Migration Directory associated with the 1634 Mary & John, shows that those who arrived in New England settled in Ipswich, Newbury and Salem (and one person in Roxbury). There was no connection to Dorchester as there was with the 1630 Mary & John immigrants.

No known connection to Dorset: There seems to be no basis for claims that he was possibly of Dorset. The passengers from the 1630 Mary & John were from West Country, and many from Dorset. It's probably the mistaken belief that he was part of that immigration group that is the source of this statement.

Great Migration Directory entry: Clark, William: Unknown; 1636; Dorchester, Northampton [DChR 3; NEHGR 5:98; DTR 1:37; TAG 12:255; Waterman 1:637-40]. (The William Clark admitted to freemanship on 22 May 1639 was probably this man or the second Watertown William Clark [MBCR 1:376].)

Disputed Wives

Several surnames have been suggested for Sarah, the 1st wife of Lieutenant William Clark, Sr:

1. Sarah Holton, the presumed sister of William Holton who is buried next to William and Sarah Clarke in Northampton, Massachusetts.
2. Sarah Strong. (If her surname was Strong and she was a sister of Elder John Strong, it would mean that two of her children married first cousins, which was forbidden in Puritan New England.)
3. Sarah Huit (or Hewitt), relative of Rev. Huit who was one of the pastors of the group that first settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts and then removed to Windsor, Connecticut.

No solid source documentation for the three is available. Note, For the ongoing conversation on the first wife, Sarah (Unknown) Clark, as we try to organize a single profile for her so that we can discuss the research there, please check out the forum on The many wives of William Clarke.

It is Wikitree's policy that when there is sufficient doubt of a name, the term Unknown should be used, rather than use a name which is inaccurate. There is no documentation as to his wife Sarah's maiden name, so it is listed as Unknown.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, (1985), https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/44330:3824?tid=192637565&pid=352516046712&queryId=3ee5f2a6c8e3aa4b025e9248a235c00a&_phsrc=PbL2134&_phstart=successSource.
2. ↑ Anderson, Robert C. The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1640: A Concise Compendium (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Great Migration Study Project, Boston, 2015), Page 68.
3. ↑ Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, (1985), 160, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/44330:3824?tid=192637565&pid=352516046712&queryId=3ee5f2a6c8e3aa4b025e9248a235c00a&_phsrc=PbL2134&_phstart=successSource…
4. ↑ Massachusetts, U.S., Town Birth Records, 1620-1850, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/7642706:2495?tid=192637565&pid=352516046712&queryId=e3b58d5604273da6fc65446d9778000a&_phsrc=PbL2140&_phstart=successSource.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11075779/william-clarke: accessed 13 November 2023), memorial page for LT William Clarke (11 Feb 1610–19 Jul 1690), Find a Grave Memorial ID 11075779, citing Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by P.K. Magruder (contributor 47017377).
6. ↑ Cumberland : Wigton : St Mary : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/64d4b816f493fd18ca7a6bcb : viewed 19 Sep 2023) baptism William Clarke 11 Feb 1609/10
7. ↑ Anderson, Robert C, George F. Sanborn, and Melinde L. Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635 Vol. II: C-F (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Great Migration Study Project, Boston, 2001) p 101. American Ancestors (subscription).

See also:

• lark turn the hearts: blog, The most discussed event in Williams life is exactly which ship he arrived on in which year. Here is a blog that clearly states the three most widely discussed possibilities, and eloquently re-tells the family story of the night William and Sarah lost their log cabin to a fire set by a runaway slave:
• The Waterman Family (E.F. Waterman, New Haven, Conn., 1939-1954). Vol 1, 637-40.
• The New England Historical & Genealogical Register]] (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1851) Vol 5, Page 98.
• “Vital Records of Northampton, Massachusetts.” Corbin Collection Volume 1: Records of Hampshire County, Massachusetts. CD-ROM. Boston, Mass: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2003. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.).
• SAR Membership Number: 45675 Ancestry/ SAR Membership
• Daniel L. Sherwood and His Paternal Ancestors (Ryder Printing Co., Portland, Oregon, 1929) Page 290-1
• Bridgman, Thomas. Inscriptions on the Grave Stones in the Grave Yards of Northampton]] (Hopkins, Bridgman & Co., Northampton, Mass., 1850) Page 13
• William Facts