Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Updating
A couple years ago I started a research Blog, which eventually sat idle and was mostly forgotten. Recently, I decided it was time to resume my research efforts but I was unsucessful in recovering my sign-in information. So, this new blog was started. The old one can be viewed at http://JohnClark1740.blogspot.com. UPDATE: This old blog was deleted January 1, 2018 and the information was transferred to this blog under comments for this entry.
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John Clark (1740-1818) born Bedford, Westchester county, NY and died in Cayuga county, NY: I am searching online for information relating to Abel, Jabez, and Jonathan; John's brothers who stayed in Bedford or Poundridge when John and other family members migrated to Saratoga county ca. 1792. All three brothers had children according to the census record. It appears they lived, and had farms, in the area south of Cross River and near the town line between Bedford and Poundridge. An index search for deeds does not reveal information for these three brothers. Very few gravestones have survived from this era (1750-1850) and no leads have been generated from cemetery information. I plan to build a profile of each family and then comb records for possible leads.
ReplyDeleteCurrent work is on Joel W. Clark, son of John Clark (1740-1818). Looking at the deeds in Livingston county, New York, I'm finding Joel living in Livonia by May 1829 after leaving the church in Venice, Cayuga county. He made his first Livonia land purchase in March, 1829; he is "of Venice" at this date. His next purchase in May, 1829; he is "of Livonia". He paid $1250 for two parcels of land along the Conesus/Livonia town line near Turkey Hill where his brothers, Thomas and Henry; and his nephews, Jotham and Peter also settled, or would settle. Joel owns over 100 acres. According to a family letter I own, Joel was preaching nearby in 1830. He was received into the church at South Livonia in 1832. The current church was built in 1833, but they had formed in 1816. He apparently preached there for two years before leaving the Livingston association. He starts selling off his Livonia lands in 1834, completing sales by 1838, and buying land in Dansville in 1840; which he sells in 1845. He must have greatly improved his larger Livonia parcel; selling it at four times the amount he paid. He quite likely built a nice house and barn. His wife, Sarah, had a wealthy father and Joel seems to be quite well for himself with his various occupations.
In 1833, his brother Henry Robert Clark, also a Baptist preacher, buys land (50 acres) about a mile from Joel. He and his wife, Sally, have several chilren. Henry becomes the preacher at South Livonia- apparently after Joel leaves. Within two years Henry becomes incapacitated; his wife apparently leaves him and his children become wards of other family members, including the above mentioned Joel Clark, who adopts Henry's daughter, Harriet. We are able to trace most of Henry's children, but we cannot determine what became of his wife, Sarah. She may have soon died or went to live with one of her children. There is one daughter that we cannot trace, there are no leads at this time.
There seems to be a lot of drama between Henry's family and his nephew, Jotham Clark who is appointed "committee" for Henry and his estate when he is declared a lunatic. I should note that Jotham is only 5 years younger than his uncle, Henry. This situation continues for 10 years until Henry goes to court and gets control of his estate from Jotham; he is declared to be no longer a lunatic and can manage his own lands. Henry will die 13 years later at age 68.