Surname Saturday – CLARKE of Newbury, Massachusetts

Newburyport Custom House
today it is the Maritime Museum

Don’t believe what you see on the internet about Nathaniel Clarke’s parents and ancestors, his origins are completely unknown.  There are several possible candidates for his father, including three different Thomas Clarkes in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

The first record of Nathaniel Clark (born? – 1690) is his marriage to Elizabeth Somersby in Newbury, Massachusetts on 23 November 1663.  The marriage was recorded by Joshua Coffin in a letter stating “Nathaniel Clarke and Elizabeth Somerby were married in the house occupied … by Tristram Coffin, step father of the bride in 1663” [ Nathaniel Clarke and his Descendants, 1902, page 12]

His first land deed was recorded in 1664.  He lived near the Merrimack River, in what is now Newburyport, just about where the corner of Water and Lime Streets are now.  He owned a wharf and a warehouse northeast of the custom house.  He was listed in records as a cordwainer or tanner. [Family History of New Hampshire, by Stearns, Volume 4, pages 1697 -1697) He served many elected positions in Newbury such as constable, tythingman, and selectman in 1682, 1687, and 1688.  He had eleven children with his wife Elizabeth Somerby. He was mentioned as “The Honorable Nathaniel Clarke” in Newbury records.  Nathaniel Clarke’s will included mentions of property valued at 714 pounds, including two dwelling houses and seven lots of land. 

Again, don’t believe the internet that Nathaniel Clark, Sr. died at sea.  The famous Judge Sewall mentioned in his diary on 29 August 1690 “Nathan’ Clarke of Newbury buried this week, died Aug’ 25.” And also mentions seeing Nathaniel at the funeral of Capt. Gerrish at Salem, on 11 August 1687.  His son, Nathaniel Clarke, Jr. is recorded in the Newbury deaths as “d. on board the sh. Six Friends, soon after sail, in the expedit. Against Quebec, 25 Aug. 1690, from an injury, aged 46”.   It is coincidence that the son, Nathaniel, Jr. died at sea on the day of his father’s burial, but not to be confused with his father. 

On board the ship Six Friends was also Nathaniel, Jr.’s future step father, the Rev. John Hale of Beverly, who wrote his will, which was signed and witnessed.  Mr. Hale gave the will to Nathaniel, Jr.’s father-in-law Peter Toppan, who never gave it to the probate court. However, there is a deposition on file at the Salem Court House by Rev. John Hale and his cousin Henry Somerby.  [NEHGS Register, Volume 46, pages 188 – 189].   

I descend from Nathaniel Clarke, Sr.’s son Henry Clarke (1673 – 1749) who owned land in Newbury, but removed to Greenland, New Hampshire.  In deeds and other records he was mentioned as gentleman, lieutenant, and cooper.  He was married first on 7 November 1695 in Newbury to Elizabeth Greenleaf, his second cousin, and second in 1724 to Mary Peirce.  In 1724 his first wife, Elizabeth, eldest son and three daughters all died of throat distemper within the same week. 

 Over the years Henry Clarke was a grantor or grantee on about twenty-five deeds in Essex County before moving to New Hampshire around 1731.  Henry Clarke, Sr., and his sons Enoch and Henry, Jr., signed a petition in 1739 in an attempt to annex Greenland to the province of Massachusetts.

In the third generation I descend from his daughter Mercy Clarke (1714 – 1798) who married Jonathan Longfellow.  They had twelve children, half born in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, and the rest born in Nottingham, New Hampshire.

My CLARKE genealogy:

Generation 1:  Nathaniel Clark, died on 25 August 1690 in Newbury, Massachusetts; married on 23 November 1663 to Elizabeth Somerby, daughter of Henry Somerby and Judith Greenleaf.  She was born 1 November 1646 in Newbury and died 15 March 1716 in Exeter, New Hampshire.  She married second to Rev. John Hale as his third wife. They had eleven children all born and recorded in Newbury:

1.       Nathaniel b. 5 Dec. 1664, died 6 June 1665

2.       Nathaniel b. 13 Mar 1666, died October 1690 at sea, married Elizabeth Toppan

3.       Thomas b. 9 Feb 1668, died 25 Apr. 1722, married Sarah Noyes and Lydia Moodey

4.       John b. 24 Jan 1670 died 25 July 1705, married Elizabeth Woodbridge

5.       Henry (see below)

6.       Daniel b. 16 Dec. 1675, died before 1709

7.       Sarah b. 17 Jan. 1677, died 25 Aug. 1741, married Nicholas Gilman

8.       Josiah b. 7 May 1682, died 29 Apr. 1717, married Sarah Woodwell

9.       Elizabeth b. 15 May 1684, died 24 Jan. 1762, married 1st Rev. Robert Hale, 2nd Col. John Gilman

10.   Judith b. 3 Jan. 1686, died 1763, married Thomas Jenkins

11.   Mary b. 25 Mar. 1689, died before 21 Aug. 1690

Generation 2: Henry Clarke, born 5 July 1673 in Newbury, died 9 June 1749 in Greenland, New Hampshire; married first on 7 November 1695 in Newbury to Elizabeth Greenleaf, the daughter of Stephen Greenleaf and Elizabeth Gerrish.  They were second cousins, both descended from Edmund Greenleaf (1574 – 1671) and Sarah Moore (1588 – 1663) early settlers at Newbury, Massachusetts.  He married second to Mary Pierce.  He had twelve children with Elizabeth, all born in Newbury:

1.       Stephen b. 21 Feb. 1697, died 1724

2.       Henry b. 21 Nov. 1698

3.       Judith b. 15 Aug 1700

4.       Elizabeth b. about 1701, married Daniel Thing

5.       Sarah b. 7 Aug. 1702

6.       Eunice b. 15 Oct. 1704

7.       John b. 20 July 1706, died 25 July 1706

8.       Mary b. 5 Aug. 1707, married Samuel Page

9.       Enoch b. 1 Sept 1709, died 1759, married Hannah, and Mary

10.   Anna b. 20 Feb. 1711

11.   Mercy (see below)

12.   Henry, b. 23 Apr. 1717, married Kezia Brickett, Catherine Bean, and Abigail Francis

Generation 3:  Mercy Clarke, born 26 December 1714 in Nottingham (now Deerfield), New Hampshire, died 1798 in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia; married on 28 October 1731 in Nottingham (now Deerfield) to Jonathan Longfellow, so of Nathan Longfellow and Mary Greene.  He was born 23 May 1714 in Nottingham (now Deerfield), and died 1774 in Machias, Maine.  Twelve children.

Generation 4: Mary Longfellow m. Nathaniel Batchelder

Generation 5: Nathaniel Batchelder m. Mary Perkins

Generation 6: Jonathan Batchelder m. Nancy Thompson

Generation 7: George E. Batchelder m. Abigail M. Locke

Generation 8:  George E. Batchelder m. Mary Katharine Emerson

Generation 9:  Carrie Maud Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

Generation 10:  Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday – CLARKE of Newbury, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 3, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/08/surname-saturday-clarke-of-newbury.html: accessed [access date]).