Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Zachariah Clarke (2), a son of Zachariah and Eunice Clarke, was born in Stratford in May, 1739, and was in his prime during the Revolu- tionary war. He settled in Zoar District, of Newtown, where he engaged in agriculture, and became quite influential in local affairs. Like many of the old-time residents of this county he was a slaveholder, and at his death he bequeathed a small estate to one of his bondsmen, named Asa. On February 4, I76r, he married Mary Bacon, who was born in Middletown, Conn., July 13, 1737, daughter of Daniel and Hannah Beardsley Bacon. She died in 1800, and his death occurred August 12, 1831, when he was ninety-two years and four months of age. Their children were Andrew, who settled in Newtown; Daniel, born November 10, 17 — , who made his home in Southbury, Conn. ; James, our subject's grandfather; Zachariah, a resident of Newtown; Polly, who married Isaac Beardsley and resided in Tioga county, N. Y. ; Pamelia, wife of David Beardsley, also of Tioga county, N. Y. ; Mehita- bel, born March 21, 1762, who married Philo Sherman, of Newtown; Hannah, born March 10, 1764, who married Elias Beardsley; and Esther^ born June 23, 1766. James Clarke, our subject's grandfather, was born June 13, 1769, in Zoar, and followed farm- ing in that locality, being the owner of a large tract of land. In his manner he was quiet and unassuming, but his sterling qualities of charac- ter gained him the esteem of his fellow citizens, and to such a marked degree that he wielded much influence in the community. He died No- vember I, 1857, and his wife, whose maiden name was Polly Sherman, died March 11, 1848, aged seventy-nine years. She was a daughter of Nathaniel Sherman, of Monroe, who was mar- ried in December, 1754, to Jerusha Thompson, born May 7, 1735, the daughter of Joseph Thompson, of Monroe, this county, and a de- scendant of Governor Welles, one of the early governors of the Colony of Connecticut. James and Polly Clarke had the following named chil- dren: (i) Grandison, born March 16, 1794, married Hannah Hard; (2) Lucius, born August 26, 1795; (3) Everett, born June 29, 1797, was married in Bethel to Ann Barnum; (4) "Eliza, born September 13, 1799, married Levi Ed- 178 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. wards, a merchant and influential politician of Monroe, who died December i8, 1896, leaving one daughter, Hepsey, now the wife of Le Grand G. Beers; (5) Polly, born November 6, 1801, married Abijah Hard, and removed to New York State; (6) John, born November 3, 1803, mar- ried (first) Mary Curtis and (second) Sally French, and became the father of A. F. Clarke; (7) William, our subject's father, is mentioned more fully below; (8) Zachariah, born August 27, 1808, married (first) Sarah Ann Camp and (second) Sarah Ann Gregory; (9) Anna Maria, born January 7, 1811, married Charles C. War- ner; (10) Huldah, born May 20, 181 3, married James B. Beers, of Brooklyn, N. Y. ; and (11) James, Jr., born April 14, 181 5, married Sarah Munson, of Hamden, Conn. The children set- tled mainly in the vicinity of the old homestead, James, Grandison, William and Anna Maria re- maining in Newtown; Everett and Zachariah in Bethel; Eliza, John and Lucius in Monroe. All belonged to the Episcopal Church and were prominent in that organization in their respective localities, those who remained at Newtown being members of St. James Church at Zoar. William Clarke, the father of our subject, was born December 15, 1805, in Zoar, and al- ways resided at the old homestead. While he engaged in farming to some extent, he was a cabinet maker by trade, and his time was chiefly given to that work until his health failed. He was an active, energetic 'man, very ambitious, and possessed decided talent in his line, but his death, which occurred April 27, 1846, at the comparatively early age of forty, cut short a most promising career. On September 18, 1828, he married Miss Nancy Jannette Adams, by whom he had one son, our subject. The history of the Adams family will be given below, and we will now proceed with the account of our sub- ject's life. Robert A. Clark commenced his education in the district schools near his home, and later at- tended the academy at Newtown village, then conducted by Professor Keeler. He made good use of these opportunities and has always been ■ an extensive reader, keeping well informed on all current events. On leaving school, at the age of eighteen, he entered upon the serious work of earning a livelihood, and for four and one-half years was employed by S. Curtis in a comb fac- tory at Berkshire, Conn. He then settled upon a farm in the town of Monroe, near Stepney, where he remained for six years, and later he taught school for a year. The following year he spent' in Brookfield, and in 1862 he purchased from the heirs of Glover Skidmore about iifty acres of land near Hawleyville, to which he has added as time passed until he now owns a fine farm of 125 acres. He has made many improve- ments on the place, the buildings having been remodeled or rebuilt, and by his judicious man- ageinent of the property he has won substantial rewards in a financial way. General farming has occupied his attention iluring the greater part of his life, although fo.r some years public busi- ness and the charge of numerous estates entrust- ed to him have claimed his almost exclusive at- tention. In politics our subject has always been a Democrat, and his ability and public spirit are recognized by his fellow-citizens, who have fre- quently chosen him to positions of trust and re- sponsibility. In 1868 he represented his town in the General Assembly, his colleague being Hon. Ezra Morgan, father of Hon. D. N. Mor- gan, United States Treasurer. He has held the office of assessor for four terms, and for about ten years has been tax collector, his election to that post for two years past having been unani- mous, both parties uniting upon him as a candi- date. In religious faith he is an Episcopalian, and for many years he has been a leading mem- ber of Trinity Church at Newtown. On December 23, 1856, Mr. Clark married Miss Emeline L. Blackman, daughter of Simeon S. and Lucy Blackman, of Newtown, and of the four children born to this union three are living: (1) Ellen L., born July 2, i860, married Morti- mer B. Terrill, of Sandy Hook, and they have five children — Edna, Helen, Clark, Grace and Herbert. (2) Julia E., born March 27, 1862, married Chester Howard Brush, of Danbury, Conn., who was a postoffice inspector during the Harrison administration, and in March, 1897, was appointed recorder of the General Land Office by President McKinley. (3) William B., born April 30, 1868, died in 1872. (4) Herbert S., born July 19, 1870, is in New York City. Mrs. Emeline L. Blackman Clark is a direct descendant of Rev. Adam Blakeman, who, com- ing from Staffordshire, Engl., with his little flock, founded the settlement of Stratford in 1639. (2) John married Dorothy, daughter of Rev. Henry Smith, of Wethersfield, about 1653. He died in 1662; she died in 1706, after thrice re- marrying. (3) Ebenezer married Patience Wil- coxson (daughter of John Wilcoxson), October 24, 1681. He died in 1715. F"rom this union (4) John, born April 4, 1685, married Abigail Beers (daughter of Joseph), of Fairfield, born April 24, 1692, and died March 27, 1762. They were among the original settlers of Newtown. (5) John, born in Newtown, September 27, 1720, '\'<-a Tlln ;-iiJ.(l M.I 111 I ;■• •. 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'■-' COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 179 died August 26, 1807. He married Margery Glover (daughter of John), who was born about 1725, and died March 29, 1804. (6) John, born in Newtown about 1745, died July 9, 1824. He married Dimah Seeley, who was born about 1750, and died April 10, 1785. (7) Simeon Seeley Blackman (later generations spelled the name Blackman) was born March 16, 1785, and died January 12, 1852. He married, December 21, 1814, Lucy Northrop (daughter of Ezra Nor- throp and Lucina (Uibble), his wife, of Brook- field), who was born February 24, 1791, and died March 25, 1869. (8) Emeline L. Black- man was born December 28, 1831. The family residence of Mr. and Mrs. Clark was the home of Mrs. Clark's parents — the house in which she was born and married.