Williams - Richards Family Tree » Dr. John Clarke (< 1609-1676)

Personal data Dr. John Clarke 

• Also known as Clark.
• He was born before October 8, 1609 in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England.
• He died on April 20, 1676 in Newport, Newport, Rhode Island.
• A child of Thomas Clarke and Rose Kerrich

Household of Dr. John Clarke

(1) He is married to Elizabeth Harges.

They got married in the year 1637 at Wreslingworth, Bedford County, England.

(2) He is married to Jane Fletcher.

They got married on February 1, 1671 at Newport, Rhode Island.

(3) He is married to Sarah Ewer.

They got married in the year 1673 at Newport, Rhode Island.

Notes about Dr. John Clarke

[[Category: Antinomian Controversy]]
[[Category: Portsmouth, Rhode Island]]
[[Category: Questionable_Gateway_Ancestors]]
[[Category: Baptists]]
[[Category: Baptist_Ministers]]
[[Category: Founders and Settlers of Rhode Island]]
[[Category: England, Clark Name Study]]
[[Category: Head of Line, Clark Name Study]]
[[Category: John Clarke Cemetery, Newport, Rhode Island]]
[[Category: Signers of the Portsmouth Compact]]
{{Puritan Great Migration}}
== Biography ==
{{Migrating Ancestor
| origin = England
| destination = America
| origin-flag = Flags-8.jpg
| destination-flag = US_Flags.png
}}
=== Birth ===John was born sometime before his baptism of 8 Oct 1609 at Westhorpe, Suffolk County, 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 YorkPress 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"John Clarke baptised the 8 October 1609."

=== Marriage ===John's will notes that he had been married three times by the time of the will and that he wanted to be buried by his first two deceased wives, Elizabeth and Jane,"Will of Dr. John Clarke," Henry Edward Turner, ''The Rhode Island Historical Magazine'' 7 (1886-1887):129 (Newport: The Newport Historical Publishing, Co.); [https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandhisto00turn/page/n273/mode/2up images of pp. 129] at ''InternetArchive.org''. and he left bequests to his "dear and loving wife Sarah Carke.""Will of Dr. John Clarke," Henry Edward Turner, ''The Rhode Island Historical Magazine'' 7 (1886-1887):130 (Newport: The Newport Historical Publishing, Co.); [https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandhisto00turn/page/n275/mode/2up images of pp. 130] at ''InternetArchive.org''. MoriarityG. Andrews Moriarty, Jr. "Genealogical Research in England - Clarke-Cooke (''alias'' Carewe)-Kerrich" [[Space:NEHGR|''The New England Historical & Genealogical Register'']] 75 (1921):279 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1921); [https://archive.org/details/newenglandhistor75wate/page/278/mode/2up images of pp. 279] at ''InternetArchive.org''. lists his wives as:# Elizabeth Harris*, "dau. of John, lord of the manor of Wrestlingworth, co. Bedford"; Torrey showed: "1/wf Elizabeth [Harges?/Harris]; ca 1635?, no issue."Clarence Almon Torrey, [[Space:Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700|''Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700'']] 1:322 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985); [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21174/322/426880792 image of p. 322] by subscription ''AmericanAncestors''; "Clarke, John (1609-1676) & 1/wf Elizabeth [Harges?/Harris]; ca 1635?, no issue." (An artcle in ''The Baptist Quarterly'', which seems to have been well-researched but provides no sources, had the following quote, "Next came up a family affair in 1656. His wife Elizabeth was entitled to a legacy from her father, John Hayes, of Wrestlingworth; and he acted in the matter. There is no doubt as to the identity [of John Clarke] in this case.""The English Career of John Clarke,Rhode Island." ''Baptist Quarterly'' 1(8), pp. 369-70; [https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bq/01-8_368.pdf PDF of pp. 369-70] at ''BiblicalStudies.org.uk''.) This legal action was also reported in John Clarke's entry in the ''Dictionary of National Biography''.Leslie Stephen, ed., ''Dictionary of National Biography'' 10:432 (London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1885); [https://archive.org/details/dictionarynatio30stepgoog/page/n446/mode/2up image of p. 432] at ''InternetArchive.org''; "In a paper of attorney signed by him in 1656 to receive a legacy of his wife's father out of the manor of Wreslingworth, he styles himself 'John Clarke, physician of London.'"# Jane Fletcher, m. 1 Feb 1671, widow, who d. 19 Apr 1672; Austin claimed formerly of Westhorpe, Suffolk Co., England (d. 19 April 1672, Newport, RI.) married in Newport, Newport Co., RIJohn Osborne Austin, ''One Hundred and Sixty Allied Families'', (Salem, Massachusetts 1893); [https://archive.org/details/austinj160alliedfam/page/61/mode/2up image of p. 62] at ''InternetArchive.org''.Clarence Almon Torrey, [[Space:Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700|''Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700'']] 1:322 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985); [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21174/322/426880792 image of p. 322] by subscription ''AmericanAncestors''; "Clarke, John (1609-1676) & 2/wf Jane Fletcher (-19 Apr 1672), w Nicholas?; 1 Feb 1671; Newport."# Sarah Davis, who d. about 1692, widow of Nicholas Davis of Barnstable; Austin claimed b. abt. 1609, Westhorpe, England; d. 1691, Newport, RIJohn Osborne Austin, ''One Hundred and Sixty Allied Families'', (Salem, Massachusetts 1893); [https://archive.org/details/austinj160alliedfam/page/61/mode/2up image of p. 62] at ''InternetArchive.org''.Clarence Almon Torrey, [[Space:Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700|''Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700'']] 1:322 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985); [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21174/322/426880792 image of p. 322] by subscription ''AmericanAncestors''; "Clarke, John (1609-1676) & 3/wf Sarah [Davis] (-1692+), w Nicholas; aft 2 Sep 1673; Newport." *The book notes that her name was given incorrectly as 'Harge's in other works, such as Austin's.
It is believed that John had no children, and if he did, they did not live into adulthood.

=== 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.
John 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 document creating the town of Portsmouth. A copy of the original is attached to this profile, with John's name appearing second from the top. John Russell Bartlett ''Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England'' 1:52-53 (Providence: A. Crawford Greene and Brother, 1856); [https://archive.org/details/recordsofcolonyo01rhod/page/52/mode/2up image of pp. 52-53] at ''InternetArchive.org''.
It is likely that the signing of the compact took place in Boston as a few days after the signing a warrant was issued in Boston for the arrest of 11 of the 23 men who signed the compact,Nathaniel B. Shurteff, ed. ''Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England'', 1 (1628-1641):223 (Boston: William White, 1853); [archive.org/details/recordsofgoverno01mass/page/222/mode/2up image of p. 223] at ''InternetArchive.org''. and John may have been in Boston a month earlier when a "Mr. John Clarke" was granted a lot at Woollystone.

=== Civic Life in New England ===Refer to the "See also" section in the Sources for popular and scholarly works concerning John Clarke and his impact. There is not enough room in this biography other than to scratch the surface of his contributions. John Clarke was a leading citizen and voice for the new colonies of Providence, and later Newport, of what was to become Rhode Island. His name is found in the earliest documents and historiesJohn Russell Bartlett [https://archive.org/details/recordsofcolonyo01rhod/page/n1/mode/2up ''Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England'' Volume 1, 1636-1663] (Providence: A. Crawford Greene and Brother, 1856) and [https://archive.org/details/recordsofcolonyo02rhod/page/n3/mode/2up Volume 2, 1664-1677] (Providence: A. Crawford Greene and Brother, 1857); images of the books at ''InternetArchive.org'' are filled with his name. as he spent time fulfilling his civic duties within the colonies a well as in England as an agent for the colonies, and on 8 Jul 1663, Charles II of England granted to John Clarke a Royal Charter to Rhode Island.John Russell Bartlett, ''Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England'' 2 (1664-1677):3-21 (Providence: A. Crawford Greene and Brother, 1857); [https://archive.org/details/recordsofcolonyo02rhod/page/n9/mode/2up images of pp. 3-21] 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''.

=== Death === His will was written 20 Apr 1676 and proved 17 May 1676.John Osborne Austin, ''[[Space:The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island|The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island]]'' comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690 : with many families carried to the fourth generation (1887) p. 109. [https://archive.org/details/genealogicaldict00aust/page/n109/mode/2up image of p. 46], at ''InternetArchive.org''. In it he set up a trust to be used "for the relief of the poor or bringing up of children unto learning from time to time forever." This trust is generally considered to be the oldest educational trust fund in the United States."Will of Dr. John Clarke," Henry Edward Turner, ''The Rhode Island Historical Magazine'' 7 (1886-1887):128-36 (Newport: The Newport Historical Publishing, Co.); [https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandhisto00turn/page/n271/mode/2up images of pp. 128-36] at ''InternetArchive.org''.

== Sources ==

'''See also:'''* John Clarke Trust records, 1650 – 1976, [https://collections.newporthistory.org/Detail/collections/258 Newport Historical Society,].Asher, Louis Franklin, ''John Clarke (1609-1676) Pioneer in American Medicine, Democratic Ideals, and Champion of Religious Liberty'' (Paris: The Baprist Standard Bearer, Inc.); [https://www.google.com/books/edition/John_Clarke_1609_1676/c-J96Buc3w4C preview available] at ''Google Books''.* Bicknell, Thomas W. ''Story of Dr. John Clarke, the Founder of the First Free Commonwealth of the World on the Basis of Full Liberty in Religious Concernments'' (Providence: Thomas W. Bicknell, 1915); [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/572397-story-of-dr-john-clarke-the-founder-of-the-first-free-commonwealth-of-the-world-on-the-basis-of-full-liberty-in-religious-concernments images of the book] available ''FamilySearch.org''.* Greaves, Richard L., "A Colonial Fifth Monarchist?: John Clarke of Rhode Island" ''Rhode Island History'' 40(2) May 1981 (Providence: Rhode Island Historical Society, May 1981); [http://www.rihs.org/assetts/files/publications/1981_May.pdf PDF of pp. 41-47] at ''The Rhode Island Historical Society''.* Bozeman, Theodore Dwight. “John Clarke and the Complications of Liberty.” Church History 75, no. 1 (2006): 69–93. doi:10.1017/S0009640700088338.* "The English Career of John Clarke, Rhode Island." ''Baptist Quarterly'' 1(8), pp. 369-70; [https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bq/01-8_368.pdf PDF of pp. 369-70] at ''BiblicalStudies.org.uk''.* Sheffield, William P. ''John Clarke, Physician, Philanthropist, Preacher and Patriot'' (Chicago: American Medical Association, 1889); [https://www.google.com/books/edition/John_Clarke_Physician_Philanthropist_Pre/ZAwCAAAAYAAJ images of transcript of oration available ''Google Books''.* Morrison, George Austin Jr., ''The 'Clarke' Families of Rhode Island'' (New York: The Evening Post Job Printing House, 1902); [http://digital.library.yale.edu/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/rebooks/id/101438/rv/compoundobject/cpd/101779 images of the book] available ''InternetArchive.org''.* Bonevich, Jeffrey D. ; [http://bonevich.com/clarke/clarkegen4.html#john ''Genealogy of Joseph Clarke''] - Bonevich Website.* {{FindAGrave|53975601}}; contains unsourced biography, memorial plaques, and a portrait erroneously purporting to be of John Clarke (see Wikipedia article for why it is most likely not John: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_a_Clergyman_(de_Ville)]).

External link: https://www.WikiTree.com/wiki/Clarke-37

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