Thomas Clarke (bef. 1605 - 1674)

Born before 31 Mar 1605 in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England

Ancestors

Died 2 Dec 1674 after age 69 in Newport, Rhode Island

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Thomas Clarke migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 68) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Birth

Thomas Clarke was born sometime before his baptism on 31 Mar 1605 in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England to Thomas Clarke and Rose (Kerrich) Clarke.^[1][2][3]

Marriage and Children

He probably married his wife Jane around 1628-33 in England; they had no children.^[4]

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 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.^[5]

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).^[6]

On 16 Mar 1641/2 he was listed on the Court Roll of Freemen.^[7] And again he was listed on the roll of freemen of the town of Newport in 1655.^[8]

On 12 Mar 1649/50 he was listed as present at the General Court of Election.^[9]

An approximate location of Thomas Clarke's land is mentioned next to his brothers' land, John and Joseph.^[10]

Death and Will

Thomas died 2 Dec 1674^[11] at Newport, RI.^[12] (Another transcription of the family bible indicates that Thomas died "in the house of his brother."^[13])

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.^[14] The will was proven 18 Dec 1674.^[15])

Sources

1. ↑ George Austin Morrison, Clarke Genealogies, The "Clarke" Families of Rhode Island, pp. 10-11 (New York: Press of the Evening Post, 1902); 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"
2. ↑ 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; 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.
3. ↑ "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); image of p. 202 at InternetArchive.org.
4. ↑ Clarence Almon Torrey, Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985); image of p. 327 by subscription AmericanAncestors; entry reads: "Clark, Thomas (1605-1674) & Jane __?__ (-1663+); ca 1628/33?, no issue; Newport."
5. ↑ Howard M Chapin, Documentary history of Rhode Island 2:19-20 (Providence: Preston and Rounds Co., 1919); images of pp. 19-20 at InternetArchive.org.
6. ↑ 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); image of p. 91 at InternetArchive.org.
7. ↑ 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); image of p. 110 at InternetArchive.org.
8. ↑ 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); image of p. 301 at InternetArchive.org.
9. ↑ Henry Bull, "Memoirs of Rhode Island," The Rhode Island Historical Magazine, 7 (1886-1887):249 (Newport: The Newport Historical Publishing, Co.); images of p. 249 at InternetArchive.org.
10. ↑ Dorothy Worthington, Rhode Island Land Evidences, Volume 1 (1648-1696), Abstracts, 1:55 (Providence: Rhode Island Historical Society, 1921); images of p. 55 at InternetArchive.org.
11. ↑ John O. Austin, The Journal of William Jefferay, Gentleman (Providence: E. L. Freeman & Sons, 1899); 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."
12. ↑ George Austin Morrison, Clarke Genealogies, The "Clarke" Families of Rhode Island, p. 11 (New York: Press of the Evening Post, 1902); 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."
13. ↑ "Will of Dr. John Clarke," Henry Edward Turner, The Rhode Island Historical Magazine 7 (1886-1887):126 (Newport: The Newport Historical Publishing, Co.); images of p. 126 at InternetArchive.org.
14. ↑ Dorothy Worthington, Rhode Island Land Evidences, Volume 1 (1648-1696), Abstracts, 1:56-57 (Providence: Rhode Island Historical Society, 1921); images of pp. 56-57 at InternetArchive.org.
15. ↑ George Austin Morrison, Clarke Genealogies, The "Clarke" Families of Rhode Island, pp. 14-15 (New York: Press of the Evening Post, 1902); images of pp. 14-15 available InternetArchive.org.

• Moriarty, G. Andrews, Jr. "Genealogical Research in England - Clarke-Cooke (alias Carewe)-Kerrich" The New England Historical & Genealogical 75 (1921):27 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1921); images of p. 278 at InternetArchive.org.