Any info John Clarke, Wells, Somerset d 1641?

+5 votes
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In 1906 Wm Boardman suggested that a possible father of James Clark (of New Haven) was John Clarke alias Kingman of the Liberty of the Cathedral Church of St Andrews, Wells, Somerset who died 1641. The possible connection was drawn from John Clarke's will (NEHGR 51:115).

I am looking for any additional information on this specific John Clarke of Wells, Somerset who died 1641. There are dozens of entries at Find My Past and similar which are close but NOT this person whose place and approximate date of death are known. Search techniques are producing too many hits to effectively sift.

Does anyone know if this particular John Clarke has been researched and covered in any scholarly articles or histories of the cathedral?

WikiTree profile: James Clark
in Genealogy Help by T Stanton G2G6 Pilot (350k points)
edited by T Stanton
Given that there appear to have been four James Clarks, contemporary to each other, in New England, how do we know which James Clark is references in the will of John Clark?
I'm currently researching to see if it can be proven or disproven which James Clark is named in the will of John Clarke of Wells. As Boardman suggested this could be a connection it is just the starting point for the research. Are the other three all tagged as PGM at this point?

Haven't yet looked for it but is there an accessible Wells Cathedral historian or historical records office which might be able to help with additional information on their 17th century employee? I'm hoping to find something on that end that might give further clue as to which James Clark is his son.
Two of the other three are protected/tracked by either PGM (adjunct) or Massachusetts. The third (the one married to Sarah Harvey) is not protected at all. Probably should be. I've asked Anne B to PGM-Adjunct him.
Does the Will mention that he was employed by the Cathedral ? It says he is a Yeoman.  I would investigate why he changed his name from Kingman.  I notice that the will was proved by his son Samuel Clerke Alias Kingman. Is there any mention in New England of that James Clerke also being alias Kingman ?
What exactly does this mean: "of the Liberty of the Cathedral Church of St Andrews, Wells, Somerset." It appears I may have misinterpreted.

I have so far seen nothing in New England which has alias Kingman connected to James.

" I would investigate why he changed his name from Kingman.  I notice that the will was proved by his son Samuel Clerke Alias Kingman. Is there any mention in New England of that James Clerke also being alias Kingman"

He may have been baptised with that name.  There are very many families in Dorset, ( adjacent to Somerset)  which the registers record baptisms, marriages and burials  as   ___ alias ____ .

I have in my own family a branch from Northamptonshire which for a couple of centuries called themselves Caporn alias Fitzhugh (and just to confuse matters, sometimes they used the lot, sometimes they used Caporn and sometimes Fitzhugh. see also 

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Use_of_Aliases_-_an_Overview  (it's a bit of a bugbear of mine, I still haven't put this family on wikitree because of the difficulty in knowing how to record it in the data boxes.It's odd that no-one else seems to have come across it)

 

Thanks for the link, Helen. It helps to know the various reasons for the use of alias in this period. The landed Richmond alias Webb family has caused no shortage of trouble and merge issues in WikiTree (and elsewhere). I suppose the only way to ascertain what may have been the source of the alias is simply further research into his various locations, if more than one, as well as ancestors if known.

4 Answers

+4 votes
Thanks, Marion. This appears to be another citation from the probate record of John Clark noting a "son James was in New England." Coldham is giving as his citation "EEAC." Anyone know what that would be?
Thanks for the star Cheryl
+6 votes
by Joe Farler G2G6 Pilot (150k points)
edited by Joe Farler
Will also at NEHGR 51:115. https://archive.org/details/newenglandhistorv51wate/page/n239

The will gives the following:

Wife, name unknown

Son John Clarke, deceased

son James Clerke "who is now in New England"

daughter Susan Clerke

daughter Elizabeth wife of Richard Williams

son Samuel Clarke, executor, and inherits all property and goods not named (assumed the eldest son although John is deceased at the time the will is written and James has left for the colonies).

and a few acquaintances and workmen.
+4 votes
Some more "Clarke alias Kingman" people are mentioned in the will of William Clarke alias Kingman 1639 here: http://kingsman.one-name.net/kingman/alias_cook/sourS15.html

The John Clerke alias Kingman ( from the original post ) has an entry here http://kingsman.one-name.net/kingman/alias_cook/indiI84.html  which states that he was administrator of the 1639 will of Elizabeth Roynon, available here, and probably at Ancestry too: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D851747

His own will is not mentioned.
by Joe Farler G2G6 Pilot (150k points)
edited by Joe Farler
+3 votes
See comments box on James Clarke's page I wonder if Strode Clarke has anything to do with Clark's of Street as there is a Strode theatre there
by Heather Brannon G2G6 Mach 2 (23.4k points)

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