Thomas Clarke Notes

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England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series, Volume IV
Author: William Richard Cutter

This is the Third Series, Volume IV of a four series set. It has records of achievements of people from England, who have set up commonwealths in New England. About 6000 names included in this record.

Bibliographic Information: Cutter, William Richard. New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series, Volume IV. 1915. Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1996.

CLARKE - There is no name more numerously represented in the pioneer settlement of New England than this.

The many families bearing it render distinctions somewhat confusing and uncertain. The name is undoubtedly derived from an occupation, and arose from the variations in pronunciation of early times. There were probably many who took the surname simultaneously, which arose from the occupation of clerk. It appears very early in the history of Rhode Island, and has been honorably associated with it down to the present time. The family herein noted originated, as far as known, at Westhorpe, in the county of Suffolk, England, a manor in the Hundred (township) of Hartismore, in the centre of the northern part of Suffolk.

(I) John Clarke, of the county of Suffolk, was buried March 3, 1559. He had sons, John, mentioned below, and Thomas.

(II) John (2) Clarke, son of John (1) Clarke, was born in February, 1541, as was also his wife, Catherine, daughter of John Cook, and both died in the same year, 1598. They had children: John, died young; Thomas, mentioned below; Pastor, born 1574; John, 1577; Margaret, 1579; and Mary, 1581.

(III) Thomas Clarke, son of John (2) and Catherine (Cook) Clarke, was born in August, 1570, and married Rose Kerige. Record of the following of their children is found: Margaret, born 1600; Carew, 1602; William, 1611; and Joseph, mentioned below. Both the parents died in 1627. It is known that three of their sons, Thomas, John and Joseph, came to this country in 1637, landing at Boston, and that others of the name, related to these, came at the same time. The three above named settled at Newport the next year. There the first two died, in 1674 and 1676, respectively, leaving no male descendants.

(IV) Joseph Clarke, son of Thomas and Rose (Kerige) Clarke, was born December 9, 1618, and was baptized December 16 following at Westhorpe. He was admitted an inhabitant of Newport, Rhode Island, in 1638, became a freeman in 1641, and was made one of the original members of the First Baptist Church there in 1644. In 1648 he became a member of the general court of trials, and was made a freeman of the colony in 1655. He acted as commissioner in 1655, 1657-58 and 1659, and was assistant in 1658-63-64-65-78-80-90. Before 1668 he removed to Westerly, where he was made a freeman in that year, and represented the town as deputy to the general assembly in 1668-69-70-71-72, and 1690. His name appears in the list of inhabitants of Westerly in 1669, and in 1677 he was a member of the court of justices of the peace, to attend to matters of the injurious and illegal acts of the Connecticut colony. He appears in Newport in 1680, with his wife, Margaret. The latter died in Newport in 1694, and he died June 1, of the same year. Children: Joseph, mentioned below; William, Mary, Sarah, John, Susannah, Joshua, Thomas, Carew and Elizabeth.

(V) Joseph (2) Clarke, eldest son of Joseph (1) and Margaret Clarke, was born February 11, 1642, in Newport, and passed most of his adult life in Westerly. From 1669 to 1700, inclusive, he was town clerk of Westerly, and he died there January 11, 1727. In July, 1675, he moved his family to Newport for safety during the Indian war, and returned as soon as the troubles were over. He married (first) November 16, 1664, Bethiah Hubbard, born December 19. 1646, daughter of Samuel and Tacy (Cooper) Hubbard. She died April 17, 1707, and he married (second) Hannah, widow of Thomas Peckham and daughter of William Weeden. She passed away March 3, 1723. Children, all born of the first marriage: Judith, born October 12, 1667, at Newport; Joseph, April 14, 1670, in Westerly; Samuel, September 29, 1672; John, August 25, 1675, in Newport; Bethiah, April 11, 1678, at Westerly; Mary, December 27, 1680; Susanna, August 31, 1683; Thomas, mentioned below; and William, April 21, 1688.

(VI) Thomas (2) Clarke, fourth son of Joseph (2) and Bethiah (Hubbard) Clarke, was born March 17, 1686, in Westerly, and died in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, November 26, 1767. He was baptized at the age of eleven years, and his name appears in the list of members of the Westerly Baptist Church in 1718 and 1740. He was ordained deacon, August 26, 1735, and was chosen assistant elder, October 20, 1750. He married, in 1710, Elizabeth Babcock, born February 18, 1691, in Westerly, daughter of Captain James and Elizabeth (Saunders) Babcock, of that town. Children: Sarah, born May 11, 1712; Thomas, March 4, 1715, in Westerly; Joshua, mentioned below; James, March 3, 1720; and Joseph, September 14, 1728.

Witter Genealogy
Author: Georgia Cooper Washburn
Call Number: CS71.W828

This book contains the history and genealogy of the Witter family of Massachusetts.
Bibliographic Information: Washburn, Georgia Cooper.
Witter Genealogy. The National Historical Company. New York 1929

CLARKE - The Clarke ancestors of Mr. Loveland came from Westhorpe, Suffolk, England. This family was one of the most important in the history of New England and perhaps in the history of Colonial America. Its members were scholars and statesmen and there is every reason to believe that they were entitled to Coat-Armor.

The Arms blazoned for Clarke of Suffolk, are: Gules, an inescutcheon between four lions rampant argent. There are other Coats-of-Arms blazoned for special branches of the Suffolk Clarkes; but the one given which, from its simplicity and absence of Crest, is shown to have been an ancient Coat, is given for the Clarke family in general as seated in County Suffolk.

1st JOHN CLARKE, of Westhorpe, Suffolk, was buried in that parish on March 3, 1559. He had two sons:

Thomas Clarke, baptized at Westhorpe on January 4, 1543-44; and buried there May 10, 1588.

2nd JOHN CLARKE, son of the preceding John, was baptized at Westhorpe, February 11, 1541. He was buried on April 7, 1598. He married Katherine, the daughter of John Cooke. She was baptized at Westhorpe, February 12, 1540-41, and was buried there March 30, 1598. The children of John and Katherine (Cooke) Clarke were:

i John Clarke, born on Saint Mark's Day (April 25), and baptized on May 1, 1569.
ii Thomas Clarke, of whom below.
iii Carew Clarke, baptized August 17, 1572.
iv Christopher Clarke, baptized December 6, 1574.
v John Clarke, baptized March 17, 1577.
vi Margaret Clarke, baptized June 8, 1579.
vii Mary Clarke, baptized September 21, 1581.

3rd THOMAS CLARKE, the second son of John and Katherine (Cooke) Clarke, was born on All Sints' Day (November 1), and baptized on November 3, 1570. He died on July 29, and was buried on July 30, 1627, at Westhorpe. He married Rose Keridge, who may have belonged to the Kerridge family of Shelby in Suffolk, mentioned in the Herald's Visitation of Suffolk in 1664-68. She died September 19, 1627. The children of Thomas and Rose (Keridge) Clarke were:
i Margaret Clarke, born February 1 and baptized February 19, 1600.
ii Carew Clarke, born February 3 and baptized February 17, 1602; married Datre (???).
iii Thomas Clarke, baptized March 31, 1605; came to America and was a resident of Newport, Rhode Island; died, unmarried, at Newport, October 2, 1674, leaving a will dated July 28, 1674, and proved December 18, 1674, in which he mentioned children of his brother, Joseph Clarke.
iv Mary Clarke, probably born July 17, 1607, and baptized on July 26 of that year, came to America with her brother, Doctor John Clarke, and married Reverend John Peckham, who had been Chaplain to the Earl of Hertford, and who settled in Rhode Island by 1638.
v Doctor John Clarke, baptized on October 8, 1609, at Westhorpe.
vi William Clarke, baptized February 11, 1611.
vii Joseph Clarke, of whom below.

4th JOSEPH CLARKE, the fifth son and youngest child of Thomas and Rose (Keridge) Clarke, was baptised at Westhorpe, Suffolk, England, December 16, 1618, having been born on December 9, 1618. He came to America and on May 20, 1638, was admitted as an inhabitant of the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island. On December 19, 1639, he became a Freeman of Newport. He died June 1, 1694.

That Joseph Clarke was twice married is evidenced by the mention in the will of his brother, Doctor John Clarke, of "brother Joseph Clarke and his children by his first wife, excluding John." The name of his first wife is unknown. He married, second, Margaret--mentioned in the will of Joseph Clarke's brother, Thomas Clarke, 28 July, 1674. In the will of Doctor John Clarke, date 20 April, 1676, the testator refers to his brother Joseph's children, by his first wife, "excluding John." There is reason to believe that there were at least three children by the first marriage of Joseph Clarke. Children of Joseph Clarke:
i JOSEPH CLARKE, born at Newport, February 11, 1642, probably the son of his father's first marriage; married at Westerly, Rhode Island, November 16, 1664, Bethia Hubbard, the daughter of Samuel Hubbard, of Newport.
ii John Clarke, probably the second child of Joseph Clarke, and certainly a child of the latter's first marriage.
iii William Clarke, probably the third child of Joseph Clarke and one of the children of his father's first marriage.
iv Susannah Clarke.
v Mary Clarke.
vi Joshua Clarke.
vii Sarah Clarke, of whom below.
viii Thomas Clarke.
ix Carew Clarke, this doubtless being his name, although he is given the nick-name of "Kazy" in the will of his uncle, Thomas Clarke. It will be recalled that the name of Carew appears in this family in its English ancestry above.
x Elizabeth Clarke.