Person:Joseph Clarke (7)

"Joseph Clarke …, of Westhorpe, Suffolk Co., England … was born 9 December, 1618, and baptised 16th December at Westhorpe, and died 1 June, 1694, at Newport, R. I. He married twice, the name of his first wife being unknown. His second wife was Margaret -----, who died at Newport 1694. He must have left England about 1637, and settled immediately in Rhode Island, for he was admitted an inhabitant of the island of Aquidneck, at Newport, in 1638. In 1640 he was present at the General Court of Election, and became a freeman on 17 March, 1641. In 1644 he was made one of the original members of the First Baptist Church of Newport, and in 1648 became a member of the General Court of Trials. In 1655 he became a freeman of the colony and acted as a Commissioner in 1655, 57-58-59. He was an Assistant in 1658, 63-64-65, 78, 80, 90. On 8 July, 1663, his name appears In the charter granted to Rhode Island by King Charles II. In 1668 he was made a freeman at Westerly and acted as deputy to the General Assembly 1868-69-70-71-72, 90. On the 18 May, 1669, his name appears in the list of Westerly inhabitants, and in 1677 he was a member of the Court of Justices of the Peace to attend to the matter of injurious and illegal acting of the Connecticut Colony. In 1679 he, with thirty-two others of Westerly, gave the oath of allegiance. In 1680 he, as of Newport, was taxed £1 13s. 3d. On 25 September, 1685, he and his wife Margaret, as of Newport, R. I., sold Francis Brinley of Newport an 1/154 part of Conanicut Island (89 acres), and an 1/154 part of Dutch Island. In 1690 he, with others, was empowered to proportion the taxes to the respective. towns. He appears to have lived some time at Westerly, but to have returned to Newport during the later years of his life. The names of Joseph Clarke's children are learned by the following memorandum, which is appended to record of will of his brother, Thomas Clarke. "The names of the children of Joseph Clarke, of the town of Newport, that are living this 10th day of December, 1674. Joseph Clarke, William Clarke, Mary Clarke, Sarah Clarke, John Clarke, Susanna Clarke, Joshua Clarke, Thomas Clarke, Cary Clarke, Elizabeth Clarke." The surnames of Mary and Susanna are crossed out as if they had already married at date of the entry."^[3]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Moriarty, G. Andrews (George Andrews). Genealogical Research in England - Clarke, Cooke (alias) Carewe, Kerrich. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Oct 1921).

   Joseph (Clarke), b. 9 Dec. and bapt. at Westhorpe 16 Dec. 1618; d. 1 June 1694; m. (1) -----; m. (2) Margaret -----, who d. in 1694. He emigrated to Rhode Island in 1638 and resided in Newport and Westerly. He was a large landowner, an assistant in 1658 and several later years, and a deputy, 1668-1672 and 1690. He was the only member of the family who left issue in New England, and from him descends the greater part of the Clarke family living in the Narragansett country. Ten children.

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Morrison, George Austin. Clarke genealogies--the "Clarke" families of Rhode Island: a compilation of the descendants of: (1) Joseph Clarke of Westerly, (2) Jeremiah Clarke of Newport, (3) John Clarke of Newport, (4) Laurence Clarke of Newport, (5) Abraham Clarke of Bristol, (6) John Clarke of Westerly, (7) Ephraim and Ichabod Clarke of Westerly, (8) Ephraim, Ichabod and Samuel Clarke of Cumberland, (9) Timothy Clarke of Bristol Clarke of Cumberland, (IX) Timothy Clarke of Bristol. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1979)
   7.

   The ancestors of Joseph Clarke, of Westerly, Rhode Island, have been clearly traced to the Parish of Westhorpe, Suffolk County, England, where the name of Clarke is of great antiquity. This surname is derived from the Latin word, "clericus," meaning a priest, or one connected with the service of the church. At first the name was used to designate only those in clerical orders, but as in early times the church was the only source of learning, eventually any person who had been educated by the clergy was called a "clerk", and the designation was finally given to all who were able to read and write. Westhorpe constitutes a manor in the Hundred (or township) of Hartismere, and lies in the center of the northern part of the County of Suffolk. The present village merely consists of a few farm laborers, cottages, and is located one and a half miles west of Finningham Station, on the Great Eastern Railway running north to Norwich, about 88 miles from London.

3. ↑ Morrison, George Austin. Clarke genealogies--the "Clarke" families of Rhode Island: a compilation of the descendants of: (1) Joseph Clarke of Westerly, (2) Jeremiah Clarke of Newport, (3) John Clarke of Newport, (4) Laurence Clarke of Newport, (5) Abraham Clarke of Bristol, (6) John Clarke of Westerly, (7) Ephraim and Ichabod Clarke of Westerly, (8) Ephraim, Ichabod and Samuel Clarke of Cumberland, (9) Timothy Clarke of Bristol Clarke of Cumberland, (IX) Timothy Clarke of Bristol. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1979)
   23-24.