Harriet (Kennerly) Clark (1788 - 1831)

Born 25 Jul 1788 in Fincastl County, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Wife of John Radford — married 23 Dec 1809 in Fincastle, Botetourt, Virginia, United States

Wife of William Clark — married 28 Nov 1821 in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States

Descendants

Died 25 Dec 1831 at age 43 in Saint Louis Missouri, United States

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Biography

Burial: Bellefontaine Cemetery Saint Louis St. Louis City Missouri, USA

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=62772224

Harriet Kennerly Radford Clark was one of the daughters born to Samuel Kennerly - http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Kennerly&GSiman=1&GScid=1593798&GRid=25166216& and his wife Mary Talbot Hancock born 4 Nov 1759 in Virginia, United States died 1797 in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States

Harriet was united in marriage twice during her life-time: first, on December 23, 1809 in Botetourt, Virginia to Dr. John Radford. Harriet was left a widow in 1817 when her husband was killed by a wild hog while traveling through the Kentucky wilderness (ref. The Two Wives of William Clark March 9, 2011 by Frances Hunter).

And second, on November 28, 1821 in St. Louis, Missouri to General William Clark, whose first wife, Julia Judith Hancock, was Harriet's cousin. Harriet became step-mother to her cousins five young children upon marrying William. Harriet and William were blessed with the birth of three children during their short 10 year marriage:

• Jefferson Kearny Clark - http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=45116288

• Harriet Clark

• Edmund Clark - http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=92120721

Harriet passed away on Christmas Day 1831 at the age of 43, seven years before her husband William. They are interred together, with numerous family members in the Clark Family Burial Lot.

From the book, 'Old Naval Days; Sketches From the Life of Rear Admiral William Radford, U. S. N.' by Sophie Radford Meissner, copyright 1920, by Henry Holt & Company: the author's grandmother was Harriett Kennerly Radford Clark, first cousin of Julia Hancock (Harriett's mother was the sister of Julia's father, Col. George Hancock). Harriett's mother died when Harriett was a child, and she was thereafter raised in the household of her uncle, Col. Hancock, and was devotedly attached to her cousin Julia, one year younger. In 1806, Harriett married John Radford in a double ceremony with Julia's sister Mary and John Caswell Griffin. One year later, Julia married General William Clark (of Lewis and Clark). When Harriett's husband John died in 1817, she moved to St. Louis, where her brother, James Kennerly, was serving as the private secretary to General Clark, who had now become the Territorial Governor of Missouri. In 1819, Gov. and Julia Clark, and Harriett Radford had their portraits painted by Chester Harding (at the time of the writing of this book, these portraits were all in the possession of the author). "Hardly were these portraits completed, however, before Julia was taken ill, and in accordance with the advice of their physician, Governor Clark took his wife and their three boys, Meriwether Lewis, George Rogers and Julius to Fotheringay, the beautiful home built by Colonel Hancock in the mountains of Virginia shortly after Julia's marriage. There for a time Mrs. Clark appeared to rally, so much so indeed that when, the succeeding winter, important matters demanded Governor Clark's presence in St. Louis, he left her with no apprehension of danger. Hardly, however, had he reached his journey's end before a swift messenger came bearing the dread tidings that his wife had been taken from this world. Returning immediately to Fotheringay he there attended a double funeral, Colonel Hancock having survived his daughter but a few days. High on the hillside overlooking the Happy Valley, where flow the head waters of the Roanoke, in a white mausoleum he had himself caused to be excavated from the solid rock, the earthly remains of Col. George Hancock and his daughter Julia were laid." (One year later, Governor Clark married Harriett Radford in St. Louis)

Sources

• WikiTree profile Kennerly-23 created through the import of altic Family Tree.ged on Aug 3, 2011 by Todd Altic. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Todd and others.

• Source: S-2127977101 Repository: #R-2127977102 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. Page: Ancestry Family Trees Note: Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=8544673&pid=2456
• Repository: R-2127977102 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com Note:
• Drumm, Stella M., The Kennerlys of Virginia, Reprint from Missouri Historical Society Collections, Vol VI, No 1, 1928, https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE1667550&from=fhd