Clark Family

This page was extensively revised on March 6, 2005. A few revisions were made March 12, 2006

Unfortunately, I know less about this family now than I thought I did. DNA evidence has shaken one of our main assumptions, and I am increasingly dubious about a couple of relationships previously listed on this page.

If you accepted data from a past version of this page, please read this revised version carefully.

This family is confusing. The names Francis, Thomas, and John are used in every generation and in nearly every family, and it's difficult to sort them out. If you have additions and corrections to what I have presented here, I would be delighted to receive them.

First Generation

Second Generation

Elizabeth Clark (d. before 1769) m. William (?) Haley
Sarah Clark m. Andrew Moorman [error corrected 7/6/05]
Thomas Clark m. Elizabeth; was her maiden name Rush?
John Clark, wife's name uncertain (see below)
Joseph Clark (d. 1774) m. Mary, maiden name unknown
Francis Clark m. Christian [not Christina!] Stone
Agnes Clark m. John(?) Haley
Isaac Clark (d. 1787) m. Rebecca ??
Ursula Clark m. Benjamin Mosby
Christopher Clark m. Elizabeth Stone, Christian Stone's sister
Benjamin Clark (d. 1766) m. Elizabeth Price

All these children except Benjamin, who was already deceased, are named in the will written by Francis Clark on January 15, 1769. The will specifically names only two grandchildren, Cordelia Haley and John's son Francis, although there were many others by this time.

I'm grateful to Heather Olsen for a transcription of the complete will.

Daughters Elizabeth and Agnes both married men named Haley, most likely William and John, respectively, but confirmation of this would be helpful. Initially I assumed Cordelia Haley was Elizabeth's daughter, but Heather Olsen points out that a slave Beck is left to Agnes in the will for her lifetime, and then to Cordelia, suggesting that Agnes is Cordelia's mother.

The will also names an Isham Haley but does not specify his relationship. Doug Tucker suggests that he was the husband of a deceased daughter, Mary.

The abstract of this will that most of us relied on for years gives Sarah's name as Clark, suggesting that she was not married. This is an error; the will actually calls her Sarah Moorman.

Sons Francis and Christopher and their wives moved to Anson Co. NC in the 1750s. They appear in NC Quaker records thereafter, associated with several different meetings over time.

Doug Tucker names two additional possible children for Francis and Cordelia, Frances Clark, who married Benjamin Dumas in about 1730, and Tabitha Clark who married John Moorman in 1751 at Camp Creek Meeting. Does anyone have solid proof that they belong in this family?

Third Generation

The will of Francis Clark Sr. left 200 acres on Cross Creek to a grandson, Francis Clark, son of John Clark. This appears to be the same tract sold by Francis Clark and wife Ann to John Dykes in 1774.

This is the only grandson mentioned in the will. Traditionally he has been assumed to be the Francis Clark born 8th month 5, 1748, recorded in Quaker records as son of John and Anne Clark of Fork Creek, Louisa Co. VA (along with Thomas born 1746 and John born 1750). This may be true, but I find it a bit strange that this would be the only grandson mentioned in the will, since he had an older brother Thomas, born 1746, who was still living in 1769, and based on the ages of Francis and Cordelia almost certainly had older cousins as well. Was he the oldest namesake? or simply a favorite one?

Or, was the Francis Clark who inherited the land NOT the one born in 1748? This is my current working hypothesis. For my rationale, please see Clark discussion.

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Child of Thomas Clark and Elizabeth
John Clark

Did they also have sons named Thomas and/or Francis?

Fourth? Generation

Paulette Clark b. 1771 is my ancestor, and we know that he was the son of John Clark and Ann Paulett. Most genealogies of this family make this John the son of Francis and Cordelia, but a good case can be made based on estimated birth and marriage dates that he is actually their grandson rather than their son [see my analysis ]. If he's a grandson, then I think the most likely candidate for his father is Thomas Clark.

Paulette Clark will be forever blessed because he wrote a memoir of his life and family in the 1850s, not long before his death. He begins the memoir with a list of his siblings, in the order given above. He was probably the youngest son; his sister Nancy is probably the youngest child. See my Hat Creek documents page for a copy of this memoir.

Paulette states that John Clark moved his family from Louisa Co. VA to Madisonville, Charlotte Co. VA in 1777. From there, Paulette Clark went alone as a young man to Hat Creek in Campbell County early in 1798 to teach school. He boarded at the home of Major John Irvine, and married the Major's daughter, Mary Ann, in October of that year.

Fifth Generation

All the above marriages appear in Campbell Co. VA records

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Children of Edward Clark and Elizabeth Smith
Lucy Clark
Nancy Clark (ca. 1797-1859) m. Austin Morris
Mary Clark m. 1) ___ Thornton, 2) William Whoberry
Paulett Clark
William Clark
Milly Clark (1896-?) m. Richard Brown
Sally Clark
Isaac Clark (1802-1840) m. 1) Elizabeth Morris, 2) Eliza James
Greif (Grief?) Clark
Elizabeth Clark
Claibourn B. Clark
Edward Clark (1810-1853) m. Elizabeth Carson

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Children of Paulette Clark and Mary Ann Irvine
Matilda Clark (b. & d. 1799)
Mary Ann Tucker Clark (1801-1828) m. Nathaniel Mason
Nancy Paulette Clark (1802-1871) m. Pleasant Clark (1790-1867), son of Paulette's brother John
Irvin Clark (b. 1804, died young)
Christopher Clark (1805-1876) m. Elmira Williams (1815-1898)
John Clark (1807-?) did not marry
Sarah G. Clark (1809-1859) m. Kester Conley
Catherine Frances W. Clark (1812-1861) m. William Booker Smith
Susan Elizabeth Newton Clark (1812-1882) m. John S. Payne
Orthodox Creed Taylor Clark (1814-1900) m. Elizabeth Payne, widow Nowlin
Abraham Irvine Clark (1817-after 1880) m. Zuleika Withers

Sixth Generation

Albert, William, Christopher and Rufus all served in Pickett's Division, 11th VA Infantry. Ashby served in the 56th VA Infantry.

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Children of Christopher Clark and Elmira Williams
Mollie Clark m. Walther Withers
Mittie Clark m. Clay Shearer
Nannie Clark m. William Collins
Viola Clark m. Charles Plunkett
Sally Clark did not marry
John Robert Clark m. Bessie M. Scott
Uta Clark did not marry
Ada Clark m. D.L. Ward
Queen Clark did not marry
Kate Clark did not marry

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Child of Orthodox Creed Taylor Clark and Elizabeth Payne
John Paulette Clark (ca. 1870-?) m. Fannie Yuille

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Children of Abraham Irvin Clark and Zuleika Withers
Alice Irvine Clark (1856-1954)
Cora Clark (ca. 1859-?) m. Carrington Mosby
Withers Paulette Clark (ca. 1864-?) m. Lottie Preston
John Dandridge Clark (ca. 1869-?) did not marry
Mary Ann Tucker Clark (ca. 1875-?) m. John Faulkner

Sources

Virginia Genealogist 19, pp. 287-290 (1975), a transcript of a 16 page personal book that belonged to Catherine Clark Smith. A photocopy of the original is in the Virginia State Library.

Personal communications to Elizabeth Pollard Jerome and Elizabeth Holder from Julia Asher and Marian Asher Fawcett of Campbell Co. VA

Personal communications from Linda Starr, Doug Tucker, Patti Smith Lamb, Heather Olsen, Rand Cardwell, Debbie Briggs and other correspondents - thank you!

Additional Resources

CLARK DNA project