James Clark of Dover and Madbury, N.H.

My first draft of my Deliverance Clark article that was recently published, was written from her husband Abraham's perspective, at least in the genealogical summary.  My editor, quite correctly, flipped the focus to Deliverance and so her children are all mentioned in their own sketches with their children just listed by name.  However, the first draft did bring down the two Clark sons of Deliverance one more generation.  So here is the first:

JAMES CLARK, son of Abraham and Deliverance (Graves?) Clark was born about 1688, probably at Durham, N.H., and died at Wells, Maine, after 13 November 1767 and according to Friends’ Records in that year.[1]  James married at Dover on 16 January 1717/18,[2] Sarah⁴ LEIGHTON, born at Dover about 1701 and died at Wells in 1770, daughter of John³ (Thomas^2-1) and Sarah (Cromwell) Leighton.[3] 

James and Sarah were members of the Friends Church in Dover and their family records appear there.  James Clark of Dover, husbandman and Sarah his wife quitclaim to Thomas Leighton of Dover, husbandman, all rights or claims to “ all or singular lands and estate of John Leighton, late of Dover, husbandman, deceased” on 26 August 1742.[4]  On 13 November 1767, James Clark of Madbury, yeoman sells to “my son Remembrance Clark” of the same parish, yeoman, all rights in the 4^th division of lots in Rochester.[5] 

James wrote a will dated 29 January 1754 that was proved on 24 February 1768.  He mentions his wife Sarah, sons Jonathan, James, and Remembrance, and daughters Sarah Swain and Martha Clark.[6]

Children of James and Sarah (Leighton) CLARK, all born at Dover:

1. Jonathan, born ca. 1725, died before 17 August 1786 at Barrington when administration on his estate was granted to his son Daniel.[7]  Jonathan married first, probably at Newington, Izette³ DOWNING, daughter of Joshua² (John¹) and Susannah (Dennet) Downing, a non-Quaker, for which he was “disowned.” She died prior to his second marriage at Dover on 5 September 1770 to Mary FRIEND[8], daughter of Abraham and Abigail (----) Friend and widow of Peter⁵ (Henry⁴ Ephraim³ Jeremiah² Henry¹) TIBBETTS.[9]  His estate was distributed on 7 July 1788 to son Jonathan Clarke, daughter Iset Clarke, Grandson, Paul Winkley, daughter Sarah Clarke, and eldest son Daniel. His widow Mary is mentioned in the probate papers and survived Jonathan.  Children definitely by first wife: (i) Daniel[10]; (ii) Izette; (iii) Martha who married William Winkley on 20 November 1785[11]; Children whose maternity is unknown: (iv) Jonathan and (v) Sarah.
2. Sarah born ca. 1728, married ca. 1752 Richard SWAIN, Jr., a non-Quaker for which she was disowned.
3. James, born ca. 1730, alive in January 1754.  He was to get the 67 1/2 acres in Barrington on which he was living when his father wrote his will.  On 28 May 1770 Jonathan Clark was chosen as constable in Barrington “in stead of his brother James Clark who had been chose.”[12]  Possibly the same man in the 1790 census at Barrington with a household of two males over 16 and 1 female.  Next door was a Moses Clark.[13]  One Deliverance Clark married Samuel Robinson on 3 December 1777 at Barrington.[14]
4. Remembrance, born 25 10 mo. 1732, died, Madbury, 5 11 mo. 1810.[15]  He married at Dover 31 8 mo. 1763, Sarah BRIDGES, who died at Dover on 8 1 mo. 1809, daughter of Joseph and Mary (---) Bridges.[16]  He was the administrator of his aunt’s Deliverance (Clark) Hanson’s will, in which she uses the term cousin to mean nephew.  His family appears in the Friend’s Records at Dover.[17] Seven children: (i) Abraham; (ii) Mary; (iii) James; (iv) John; (v) Sarah; (vi) Joseph; and (vii) Remembrance.
5. Martha, born 23 6 mo. 1735, died Dover 17 7 mo. 1819, married there on 24 November 1762, Daniel⁵ VARNEY, born Dover, 28 November 1726, d. there 3 October 1802, son of Stephen⁴ (Ebenezer³ Humphrey² William¹) and Mercy (Hanson) Varney.  Their family appears in the Dover Friend’s Records.[18]  Six children: (i) Daniel; (ii) James; (iii) Sarah; (iv) Deliverance; (v) Aaron; and (vi) Mercy.

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[1] Quaker Records as reprinted in the New Hampshire Genealogical Record 2 (1904/5):126.

[2] Quaker Records as reprinted in the New Hampshire Genealogical Record 2 (1904/5):126.

[3] Perley M. Leighton, A Leighton Genealogy:  Descendants of Thomas Leighton of Dover, New Hampshire (Boston, Mass.: NEHGS, 1989), pp. 26-27, 38.

[4] New Hampshire Provincial Deeds 28:15.

[5] New Hampshire Provincial Deeds 79:506.

[6] New Hampshire State Papers 35:22-24.

[7] Evans, Abstracts of Strafford County Probate, p. 23-34.

[8] Dover Friends’ Records, NHGR 1:68.

[9] Henry Tibbetts of Dover, N.H. and Some of His Descendants by May Tibbetts Jarvis, New England Historical & Genealogical Register 99(1945):52.

[10] His marriage record in the Friend’s records call him a son of Izette.  NHGR 1:113.

[11] Some Descendants of Samuel Winkley by Ann Theopold Chaplin, The New Hampshire Genealogical Record 12 (1995):63.

[12] Barrington, N.H. Town Records I:476-77.

[13] Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States Taken In the Year 1790: New Hampshire (Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992), p. 87.

[14] Barrington Town Records 1:686.

[15] William Edgar Wentworth, Vital Records 1790-1829 from Dover, New Hampshire’s First Newspaper (Camden, Me.: Picton Press, 1995), p. 130.

[16] Dover Friends’ Records, NHGR 1:63.

[17] Dover Friends’ Records, NHGR 4:122.

[18] Dover Friends’ Records NHGR 4:121.

 

Comments

[Ocalbrian]

I am researching my Brock family heritage which were present in the time period that you are discussing.I find the Friends to be a very interesting and important group from a historical and personal perspective.Thank you.
Brian Francis