William CLARKE

Notes:

Name:
He lived in a garrison house by Eel river, which was surprised by the Indians on a Sunday, March 12, 1676, while he was at church. His wife, several of his children, and some other persons, eleven in all, were killed in this attack, which is said to have been the only serious one ever made on the settlement. A son of William Clarke, named Thomas, was left for dead, but afterwards recovered, and had a silver plate put over his exposed brain, by the celebrated surgeon Dr. John Clarke, of Boston. He ever afterwards was known as "Silver-headed Tom."

In July 1676, two hundred Indians surrendered themselves to the Plymouth Governor, and were pardoned, wit the exception of those who had been concerned in the slaughter at Clarke's garrison at Plymouth; these were put to death.--Baylies' History

The colony records give the names of these Indians, and state that they were decapitated.

William Clarke seems to have been an active and enterprising man, having extensive operations in lands, etc., as appears by the colony records. In 1670, William Clarke and Edward Gray, of Plymouth; Richard Bourne and William Swift, of Sandwich; Thomas hinckley and Thomas Huckins, of Barnstable; Samuel Sturgis, of Yarmouth, and John freeman, of Eastham, formed a company to engage and regulate the making and disposing of all the tar made in the colony, at the price of eight shillings for every small barrel, and twelve shillings for every great barrel, during the full term of two years.

In 1679, Joseph and Barnabas Lothrop, of Barnstable; Kenelm Winslow, of Marshfield; and William Clarke, of Plymouth, as the agents of thirty partners, purchased for the sum of L200, the remainder of the lands not already granted, between Dartmouth on the west, Plymouth purchase on the east, and Middleboro' and Plymouth on the north, "to be settled, in four years with an Orthodox Ministry." These rants include the present towns of rochester and marion.--Baylies' History.

In 1684, William Clarke hires the bass fishing at Cape Cod, of the town of Plymouth, at L30 a year. --Plymouth Records.

In 1697, he received a grant of land from the town of Plymouth, where he was living in 1714.

1682, "the Court have agreed with Mr. William Clarke, of Plymouth, to provide suitably for the Governor and Magistrates diet, lodging, etc., in the County House at Plymouth, for four Courts, viz: October, march, June, and July, and to pay him forty pounds in money for the same; if it shall happen that the General Court be adjourned, or special courts called within the time of the year, he is to be allowed for those Courts according to his just account."-- Records

William Clarke was deputy in 1674, 1680, 1681. Was a selectman for many years.

William married Sarah WOOLCOT on 1 Mar 1659. Sarah died on 12 Mar 1676. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Hannah GRISWOLD on 7 Mar 1677. Hannah (daughter of Lieut. Francis GRISWOLD and Mary TRACY) was born on 11 Dec 1658; died in 1687. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Abiah WILDER on 3 Aug 1692. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Excerpt from "Certain Comeoverers": The oldest stone on "The Burying Hill" in Plymouth, of purple Welsh slate, bears this inscription: "Here lies buried ye body of Mr. Thomas Clark, aged 98 years. Departed this life March 24th, 1697." If the statement on this stone is true he was born in 1599. His own statement under oath in an instrument signed by him in 1664 is that he was then fifty-nine years old, and consequently born in 1605.
That Thomas Clark was a man of education and substance and was held in respect by the community is abundantly shown by the public records. In 1632 he was assessed L1 4s. 0d. in the tax list, being among the ten largest taxpayers. In 1633 he took the freeman's oath. In 1634 he indentured an apprentice, William Shuttle, probably to teach him carpentry, since Clark is designated as a "carpenter" in the earlier records and later as a "yeoman," and a "merchant," and finally a "gentleman." About this time, 1634, he married Susanna Ring, a daughter of Mary Ring, a widow, who came over to Plymouth in 1629 with several children. It may be the widow Ring came to the new land on the advice of Mistress Elizabeth Warren. At all events in Mrs. Ring's will, dated in 1633, she gives to "Mrs. Warren as a token of love a woddon cupp." Her son Andrew Ring, the brother of Susan Clark, became "a leading citizen."
In 1637 Thomas Clark headed the list of volunteers to fight in the Pequot war and presumable saw service. His real estate transactions were numerous, as were his lawsuits.......
He was also acquitted in 1652 of "staying and drinking at James Coles." From 1641 to 1647 he was constable and surveyor of highways. At one time he was appointed to audit the accounts of the Plymouth Colony. In 1651 and in 1655 he was a Representative to the General Court.
About 1655 he removed to Boston, where possibly the ideas of a proper rate of interest were less restrictive. At all events he seems to have prospered here as a merchant. His wife, Susanna, had perhaps died before he left Plymouth. In 1664 he married Alice Nichols, the daughter of Richard Hallett, and the widow of Mordecai Nichols of Boston. In 1668 he purchases a wharf and warehouse property "near the lesser drawbridge near Shelter Creek in Boston." He lived in the vicinity of Scottoe's lane. His eldest son, Andrew, married in Boston a daughter of Thomas Scottoe, and in 1673 Thomas Clark conveyed a house and land to his son Andrew on the way "that goeth from the mill bridge to Charles River" which Thomas had acquired under an execution in a suit against the estate of John Nichols.

Name:
Thomas Clarke, who was buried on the hill, in Plymouth, came over in the Anne, in 1623 being then 23 years old.

He was probably a seafaring man, as well as carpenter. It is recorded that in 1635, he lost a boat worth L15 in a great storm in Eel river.

He had for his garden plot, in 1623 one acre on the south side of the brook. In 1637, he was the first to volunteer to go against the Piquot Indians. In this roll are Mr. Stephen Hopkins and his two sons, Caleb and Giles. At this date he dwelt at Eel river, and was styled "yeoman."

In 1642, he was surveyor of Plymouth: in 1651, one of the Plymouth committee. He appears to have been a very active, trading speculating man. In 1629, he bought an acre of land on the south side of the town for 30 pounds of tobacco and the next day sold it to Governor Bradford. He purchased a lot of land at Eel river in 1630, for L10. He resided at Plymouth in 1643 and 58. December 3, 1639, he was fined 30 shillings for extortion, in that he sold a pair of boots and spurs for 15 shillings which he purchased for 10 shillings. Before 1631 he had married Susanna, daughter of widow Mary Ring...

Mr. Clarke was elected one of the deputies of Plymouth in 1655, and again in 1656....

March 6, 1654/5, he was presented before the grand jury for taking six pounds for the bare loan of twenty pounds one year, which the jury "conceived to be great extortion, contrary to the law of God and man." At his trial the traverse jury cleared him. It was probably a false charge....





THOMAS CLARKE, PLYMOUTH

1633
Took the Freeman's oath.
Was assessed for the Colony tax, L 4s. 0d.

1634
Takes Wm. Shuttle as apprentice for 11 years. At end of tie T.C. was to give him 2 suits of clothes and 8 bushels of corn.

1637
Thomas Clarke heads the list of volunteers to act against the Pequin Indians. Is mentioned as Thomas Clarke, yeoman, of Eel river.

1638
A tract of land called Slowly Field is granted to Thomas Clarke. he is presented to the Court for stopping the highway to Eel river.

1639
Simeon Trott agrees to serve Thomas Clarke for 7 years, he to receive a calf and 12 bushels of corn at end of time.

1639
Abraham Perce sold to Thomas Clarke one acre of land lying on ye S. side of ye towne abutting on Hob's hole with one end and bounded on ye one side with the ground of Ralph Wallen, on the other side with common ground, for the sum of 30 pounds of good merchantable tobacco, to him and his heirs forever.

1639
Thomas Clarke is fined 30s. for selling a pair of boots and spurs for 15s., which he bought for 10s.

1641
He is constable and surveyor of highways for the years 1642, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

1644
Thomas Clarke sells 12 acres of land at Duxbury for one Dutch cow, valued at L6.
Has suit with Matthew Fuller, which Thomas Clarke gains.
Has a suit with Wm. Powell, which Thomas Clarke gains.

1648
Has a suit with -- Gromes, which is settled by Thomas Clarke receiving 14 bushels of wheat and 5 bushels of corn.

1650
Thomas Clarke is allowed to draw and sell a cask of strong waters. Is one of the Committee of Plymouth Colony.

1652
Is presented for staying and drinking at James Cole's--acquitted.

1654
Is on a Committee to raise means to fit out an expedition ordered by the Lord Protector.

1655
Is presented to the court for taking L6 for the use of L20 for one year -- acquitted.

Thomas married Susanna RING before Jul 1631 in Plymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]