Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Note: Thomas Clark, immigrant ancestor, was born in England, 1599, and first appeared in this country as a settler in July, 1623, when he arrived at Plymouth in the "Anne, " in a company of forty-two adult passengers, besides children. He brought with him considerable property, especially cattle, and had land allotted to him near Eel River, now Chiltonville. There is a general tradition among the descendants of the Pilgrims, and particularly among the descendants of Thomas Clark, that he was the Thomas Clark who was one of the mates of the "Mayflower, " and gave his name to Clark's island, of which he took possession, December 8, 1620. This tradition, however, has never been verified. In 1627 he was the only person of that name in Plymouth Colony. In documents of the period he is called variously a carpenter, yeoman, merchant or gentleman. In 1633 he took the freeman's oath, and in 1637 headed the list of volunteers to act against the Pequot Indians, being then mentioned as of Eel River. In 1640 he is included in the list of fifty-eight "purchasers or old comers" in Plymouth. In 1641-43-44-45-46-47 he was constable and surveyor of highways. In 1643 he was in the list of the men of the colony able to bear arms. In 1651 and 1655 he was representative to the general court, and was at one time employed to audit the accounts of the colony. Between 1655 and 1660 he removed to Boston, where he lived in the vicinity of Scotto's Lane. His son Andrew married Mehitable, daughter of Thomas Scotto, and Thomas Clark gave him a house in that region. When the son Andrew removed to Harwich Thomas Clark appears to have followed him, and the two were among the earliest proprietors of that town. In his latter days he lived with his daughter, Susanna Lothrop, at Barnstable. From 1654 to 1697 he was a deacon of the Plymouth church. He married (first), about 1634, Susan or Susanna, daughter of widow Mary Ring, of Plymouth. All his children were probably of this marriage. He married (second) Mrs. Alice Nichols, daughter of Richard Hallett, in Boston, 1664. He died in Plymouth, March 24, 1697, and was buried on the summit of Burying Hill, where his gravestone is still to be seen. Children (dates of birth conjectural): Andrew, 1635; James, 1637; William, 1639; Susanna, 1641; Nathaniel, 1643; John, 1645 or 1651
[ It looks like the Mayflower mate was his dad, John. ]
He and his second wife, Alice Hallett, signed a pre-nuptial agreement on January 20, 1664.
THOMAS CLARKE was a common name in early New England. Between1623-1680 there were no less than a dozen by that name in the towns ofPlymouth, Boston, Lynn, Reading, Ipswich, Scituate, Chelmsford andCharlestown in Massachusetts, and in Newport, RI and New Haven, CT.The Thomas Clark who heads the family in this Genealogical recordarrived
in Plymouth in July 1625 on the Ann, a ship of 140 tons. He was one ofa company of 42 adults and several children. His gravestone, one ofthe oldest extant on Burial Hill in Plymouth, shows that he was bornabout 1600. Research on this family by Mr. John Insley
Coddington (Amer. Gen., 42:201, 202) has shown that this Thomas Clarkwas undoubtedly the one who was baptized at St. Dunstan's Church, StepneyParish, Co. Middlesex, 8 March 1599/1600, son of John and Mary(Morton) Clark of Ratcliff who were married at St. Dunstan'sFeb-1598/99.
Thomas Clark married first, before July 1631, Susannah Ring, born inEngland, or perhaps in Leyden, Holland, probably between 1605 and1612, daughter of William and Mary (Durrant) Ring. Susannah diedsometime between 1645-46, after her last child was born, and 20 Jan
1664/5, the date when her husband entered into a pre-nuptual agreementwith Mrs. Alice (Hallett) Nichols, daughter of Richard Hallett andwidow of Mordecai Nichols of Boston. Thomas Clark's name was on a listin 1640 of so-called "Old Comers, " which included all those who cameto Plymouth on the first three ships: the Mayflower in 1620, theFortune in 1621, and the Ann in 1623. He was taxed in 1632 for [...], took the freeman's oath in 1633, and in 1643 his name was on the listof those able to bear arms. In 1651 and 1655 he was
elected deputy from Plymouth (F. Baylies, Hist. of New.Plymouth, TT:14, 17). In Plymouth and Boston records he was describedsuccessively as carpenter, yeoman, merchant, and gentleman. In lateryears he was generally addressed as "Mr Thomas Clark" to indicate therespect in which he was held. The following abstracts from PlymouthColony Records throw
some light on his activities through 1655 while he was in Plymouth: in1634 he took on Vlilliam Shuttle as an apprentice for 11 years.
1637 - Headed list of volunteers to act against the Indians
1638 - Was presented to the Court for stopping the highway to EelRiver
1639 - Fined 30shillings for selling a pair of boots and spurs for 158shillings that he bought for 10shillings
1642-47 - Was constable and surveyor of highways
1644 - Had suits with Matthew Fuller and William Powell; won both
1650 - Was a member of the Committee of Plymouth Colony
1652 Was presented for staying and drinking at James Cole's; acquitted
1654 - Was on a committee to raise means to fit out an expeditionordered
by the Lord Protector
1655 - Was presented to the Court for taking 16 pounds for the use of20
pounds for one year; acquitted.
Thomas removed from Plymouth to Boston sometime after 1655 and beforehis second marriage in 1664. In a deposition made by him in Boston, 15Dec 1664, he stated that he was late of Plymouth and then about 59years old, thus understating his age by about four years. In a deedexecuted 6 Oct 1668, Henry Kimball of Boston, blacksmith, conveyed toThomas Clark, sometime of New Plymouth, merchant, for 140 pounds, allhis piece of ground lying near the lesser drawbridge near ShelterCreek in Boston.
In a deed of gift, dated 18 June 1673, Thomas Clark gave to his sonAndrew a house and ground in Boston "that I received from the estateof John Nichols by virtue of a Judgement granted me March 5th 1672..."As late as 14 May 1677 he was called "Thomas Clark of Boston, late ofPlymouth, merchant." Thomas Clark returned to Plymouth about 1678. Heprovided for his children and grandchildren before his death by a deedof gift bearing date 6 June 1693, in which he conveyed to "AndrewClarke and to Mehitabel his wife during their natural lives thedwelling house and land on the westerly side of Satucket River[Harwich] where they live ... upon their decease to become theproperty of Andrew Clarke, Scotto Clarke, and Nathaniel Clarke, equally ... " Thomas Clark, eldest son of Andrew, was excluded byreason of having been the recipient of the lion's share of hisgrandfather's estate (J. Paine, Hist of Harwich. 1937, p. 111). On 30Jan 1694/5, Thomas deeded all his lands, goods and money to his sonWilliam and William's wife Abiah for taking care of him (Plymouth Co
Deeds 2:32).
Thomas Clark died in Plymouth in March 1697/98. His gravestone onBurial Hill reads: "Here lies ye body of Mr. Thomas Clark, aged 98years. Departed this life March 24, 1697."
Source: Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Clark of Plymouth, 1623by Arthur and Katharine Warner Radasch, 1972.
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Death: 24 MAR 1697 in Plymouth, Plymouth, MA U. S. A.
Note:
His gravestone on Burial Hill reads: "Here lies ye body of Mr. ThomasClark, aged 98 years. Departed this life March 24, 1697."
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Burial: Burial Hill, Plymouth, Plymouth, MA U. S. A.
Note:
A huge boulder has been recently placed on this grave, and a metallicplate secured to it reads:
"Here lies buried ye body of Mr. Thomas Clarke, aged 98. Departed thislife March 24, 1697."
Thomas Clarke came to Plymouth from England in the ship Anne 1623. Hemarried Susan Ring of Plymouth, 1634. Their children were Andrew, James, William, Susanna, Nathaniel, and John. From whom descended anumerous posterity.
He married his second wife, Mrs. Alice Hallett Nichols of Boston, in1664. He lived for some years in Boston, and also in Harwich, of whichtown he was one of the original proprietors.
He died in Plymouth, having lived in the reigns of six Britishsovereigns and the Commonwealth.
This Stone is erected to hismembory by his descendants A.D. 1891.
Source: Handbook of Old Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts, ItsHistory, Its Famous Dead and Its Qvaint Epitaphs by Frank H. Perkins
Thomas Clark 
- b.~ 1527 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England
- b.~ 1553 in Fowlmire, Cambridge, England d.21 Sep 1601