William Clarke* (William 5, Joseph 4, Thomas 3, John 2, John 1), of Jamestown, Charlestown and Richmond, R. I. He was born 27 May, 1673, at Newport, and died 28 February, 1767, at Richmond. He married 5 April, 1700, at Newport, Hannah Knight, daughter of Jonathan and Hannah Knight, born 3 May 1680, and died 1743. The marriage date is recorded both at Newport and Charlestown.
On 18 November, 1701, William Clarke, of Jamestown, sold for £140, to Uncle John Weeden, certain land in Jamestown and Dutch Island. The deed was signed by William Clarke, Hannah Clarke and Hannah Peckham, and was witnessed by Thomas Peckham, Philip Peckham and William Weeden.
By deed, dated 1 September, 1731, recorded 9 September, 1731, he conveyed to son William Clarke “a certain tract or parcel of land at Westerly of 80 acres,” ”it being part of my homestead farm.”
By deed dated 14 March, 1733, he conveyed to his son Jonathan Clarke “72 acres 52 roods” of land “in Westerly,” it being “part of the farm that was Zachariah Allen's in the Great Neck,” recorded 10 November, 1733, at Westerly.
By deed, dated 17 March, 1733, he conveyed to his son Thomas Clarke, 14 acres of land at Westerly, recorded 16 November, 1733, at Westerly.
On 6 March, 1739, Capt. William Clarke was Deputy to General Assembly from Charlestown. By deed, dated 29 August, 1737, he conveyed to his son Robert Clarke, husbandman, 50 acres of the Homestead Farm, recorded 30 August, 1737, at Westerly. By deed, dated 29 August, 1737, he conveyed to his son Elisha Clarke 50 acres, being part of the Homestead Farm, bounded on the South by Robert Clarke's land, recorded 30 August, 1737, at Westerly. By deed, dated 14 March, 1733, he conveyed to his son Jonathan Clarke certain land at Westerly, recorded 28 February, 1758, at Charlestown.
These deeds were all in the nature of land portions to his several sons as they came of age, the lands conveyed lying in Charlestown and Richmond (at that time forming part of Westerly.) He was called “Captain William Clarke,” and was Deputy from Westerly in 1711 and 1730.
He left a will, dated 1769, proved 7 March, 1770, at Richmond, in which he speaks of himself as “yeoman, of Richmond,” and mentions sons William, Jr., Jonathan, Thomas, Robert, Elisha, Caleb, and daughter Judith Potter, wife of Robert Potter. The will is witnessed by Samuel Clarke, Edward Perry and Thomas Potter. Irish, in his History of Richmond, states “William Clarke born 1670 and died at Richmond aged 97 years,,” but this is erroneous. He had issue, all recorded at Charlestown.
*For many years the above William Clarke, born 27 May, 1673, was presumed to be identical with William Clarke (Latham 2, Jeremiah 1), on account of the birth date, but as William Clark (Latham 2, Jeremiah 1) has been traced and identified with that William Clarke, of South Kingstown, who died in 1746, the above assumption of the genealogist's is erroneous. It is true that Austin, in his Rhode Island Dictionary, gives the birth date of William Clarke, of Charlestown and Richmond, recorded his own birth dates, as on 27 May 1673, that of his wife and of his nine children, all at Charlestown, where his eldest son, William Jr., was Town Clerk from 4 September 1738, to September 1757.
