Williams - Richards Family Tree » Thomas Clarke (< 1605-1674)

Personal data Thomas Clarke 

• He was born before March 31, 1605 in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England.
• He died on December 2, 1674 in Newport, Rhode Island.
• A child of Thomas Clarke and Rose Kerrich

Household of Thomas Clarke

Notes about Thomas Clarke

[[Category: England, Clark Name Study]]
[[Category: Rhode Island, Clark Name Study]]
[[Category: Founders and Settlers of Rhode Island]]
[[Category: Questionable_Gateway_Ancestors]]
[[Category: Signers of the Portsmouth Compact]]
{{Puritan Great Migration}}
{{Migrating Ancestor
| origin = England
| destination = America
| origin-flag = Flags-8.jpg
| destination-flag = US_Flags.png
}}
== Biography ==
=== Birth ===Thomas Clarke was born sometime before his baptism on 31 Mar 1605 in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England to [[Clarke-44|Thomas Clarke]] and [[Kerrich-88|Rose (Kerrich) Clarke]].George Austin Morrison, ''Clarke Genealogies, The "Clarke" Families of Rhode Island'', pp. 10-11 (New York: Press of the Evening Post, 1902); [https://archive.org/details/fl-1087260-tn-93453/page/10/mode/2up images of pp. 10-11] available ''InternetArchive.org''; according to the source, this is a verbatim transcript of the supposed handwriting of his father, Thomas Clarke, as found in Thomas Clarke's bible, the entry reads: "Thomas Clarke sone of T : Clarke: baptd the : 31 : st March : 1605"Supposedly, the entry can also be found in ''Extracts from the Parish Register of Westhorpe, Suffix, England p. 212''; Parish register transcripts, 1538-1812, Church of England, Parish Church of Westhorpe; Baptisms 1538-1812 Marriages 1539-1800, Family History Library, film #992001, item 23, DGS #7810577; [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/159400?availability=Family%20History%20Library online catalog reference]; entry apparently reads: "1605 Thomas, the sonne of Thomas Clarke, baptised XXXI March" but the source is only viewable on-site at a Family History Center."English Homes of the Ancestors of the Seventh-Day Baptist Clarkes," ''Magazine of New England History'' vol. 1, no. 4, Oct 1891, p. 202 (Newport: R.H. Tilley, 1891); [https://archive.org/details/magazinenewengl01unkngoog/page/n218/mode/2up image of p. 202] at ''InternetArchive.org''.

=== Marriage and Children ===He probably married his wife Jane around 1628-33 in England; they had no children.Clarence Almon Torrey, [[Space:Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700|''Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700'']] (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985); [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21174/327/426880910 image of p. 327] by subscription ''AmericanAncestors''; entry reads: "Clark, Thomas (1605-1674) & Jane __?__ (-1663+); ca 1628/33?, no issue; Newport."

=== Immigration ===It is assumed that Thomas came with his brothers, Joseph and Thomas, as they all started appearing in New England about 1637/8, but there are no sources verifying this.
Thomas was in New England by at least 7 Mar 1637/8 when he signed the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_Compact Portsmouth Compact]. A copy of the original is attached to this profile, with Thomas' name appearing fourth from the bottom. It has been said that four names were erased, Thomas Clarke, (brother of John), John Johnson, William Hall and John Brightman, Esq., but the reason for the erasure is unknown. Howard M Chapin, ''Documentary history of Rhode Island'' 2:19-20 (Providence: Preston and Rounds Co., 1919); [https://archive.org/details/documentaryhisto02chap/page/18/mode/2up images of pp. 19-20] at ''InternetArchive.org''.

=== Civic Life in New England ===On 1 Oct 1638 when he was listed as an inhabitant on the "Island now called Aqueedneck" (Aquidneck Island, AKA Rhode Island).John Russell Bartlett ''Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England'' 1:67 (Providence: A. Crawford Greene and Brother, 1856); [https://archive.org/details/recordsofcolonyo01rhod/page/90/mode/2up image of p. 91] at ''InternetArchive.org''.
On 16 Mar 1641/2 he was listed on the Court Roll of Freemen.John Russell Bartlett ''Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England'' 1:67 (Providence: A. Crawford Greene and Brother, 1856); [https://archive.org/details/recordsofcolonyo01rhod/page/110/mode/2up image of p. 110] at ''InternetArchive.org''. And again he was listed on the roll of freemen of the town of Newport in 1655.John Russell Bartlett ''Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England'' 1:301 (Providence: A. Crawford Greene and Brother, 1856); [https://archive.org/details/recordsofcolonyo01rhod/page/300/mode/2up image of p. 301] at ''InternetArchive.org''.
On 12 Mar 1649/50 he was listed as present at the General Court of Election.Henry Bull, "Memoirs of Rhode Island," ''The Rhode Island Historical Magazine'', 7 (1886-1887):249 (Newport: The Newport Historical Publishing, Co.); [https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandhisto00turn/page/n527/mode/2up images of p. 249] at ''InternetArchive.org''.
An approximate location of Thomas Clarke's land is mentioned next to his brothers' land, John and Joseph.Dorothy Worthington, ''Rhode Island Land Evidences, Volume 1 (1648-1696), Abstracts'', 1:55 (Providence: Rhode Island Historical Society, 1921); [https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandlande00wort/page/54/mode/2up images of p. 55] at ''InternetArchive.org''.

=== Death and Will ===Thomas died 2 Dec 1674John O. Austin, ''[[Space:The Journal of William Jefferay, Gentleman|The Journal of William Jefferay, Gentleman]]'' (Providence: E. L. Freeman & Sons, 1899); [https://archive.org/details/journalofwilliam00aust/page/138/mode/2up image of p. 139] available ''InternetArchive.org''; "1674. Dec. 2, Wednesday. Mr. Thomas Clarke died here. He leaves his estate to the children of his brother Joseph." at Newport, RI.George Austin Morrison, ''Clarke Genealogies, The "Clarke" Families of Rhode Island'', p. 11 (New York: Press of the Evening Post, 1902); [https://archive.org/details/fl-1087260-tn-93453/page/10/mode/2up image of p. 11] available ''InternetArchive.org''; according to the source, as recorded on the "first page of Preface of Alphabet" of the family bible, the entry reads: "2 : of the 10 : month : 1674 Thomas Clarke : sonn of Thomas Clarke of Wastrup departed this life in nuport on rodiland." (Another transcription of the family bible indicates that Thomas died "in the house of his brother.""Will of Dr. John Clarke," Henry Edward Turner, ''The Rhode Island Historical Magazine'' 7 (1886-1887):126 (Newport: The Newport Historical Publishing, Co.); [https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandhisto00turn/page/n267/mode/2up images of p. 126] at ''InternetArchive.org''.)
Thomas wrote a will, dated 28 Jul 1674, Newport, in which he left bequeaths to his brother Joseph, and Joseph's children as he apprently had none of his own.Dorothy Worthington, ''Rhode Island Land Evidences, Volume 1 (1648-1696), Abstracts'', 1:56-57 (Providence: Rhode Island Historical Society, 1921); [https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandlande00wort/page/56/mode/2up images of pp. 56-57] at ''InternetArchive.org''. The will was proven 18 Dec 1674.George Austin Morrison, ''Clarke Genealogies, The "Clarke" Families of Rhode Island'', pp. 14-15 (New York: Press of the Evening Post, 1902); [https://archive.org/details/fl-1087260-tn-93453/page/14/mode/2up images of pp. 14-15] available ''InternetArchive.org''.)

== Sources ==
* Moriarty, G. Andrews, Jr. "Genealogical Research in England - Clarke-Cooke (''alias'' Carewe)-Kerrich" [[Space:NEHGR|''The New England Historical & Genealogical'']] 75 (1921):27 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1921); [https://archive.org/details/newenglandhistor75wate/page/278/mode/2up images of p. 278] at ''InternetArchive.org''.

External link: https://www.WikiTree.com/wiki/Clarke-680

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Timeline Thomas Clarke

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