William Clarke, Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

WILLIAM¹ CLARKE, HARTFORD FOUNDER was born abt. 1620 in England, and died 22 Jul 1681 in Haddam, CT. He married _________ ________ abt. 1643 in Hartford, CT. She was born in England and died aft. 30 Jun 1680 in prob Haddam, CT (named as wife in husband’s will).

William Clark was in Hartford by 1639, but his origins are unknown. He may have been the brother of Nicholas Clark and John Clark, also of Hartford. Robert Charles Anderson makes this statement in the Great Migration article on Nicholas Clark: “Various secondary sources suggest that Nicholas Clark was brother of John Clark of Cambridge, Hartford and points beyond, and of William Clark of Hartford. Nicholas Clark did come to New England on the same ship with John Clark, and held land in Cambridge near John Clark. On 4 September 1643 Nicholas and William Clark were codefendants in a suit brought by Matthew Allyn. No evidence other than this is seen for these possible relationships.”

William Clark was a servant of Hartford Founder John Crowe. The town of Hartford agreed on 6 December 1642 “that William Clarke shall hafe John Peerse alotments ad to hafe a pees of swamp on the other syd the greate rifer lying nexte unto Edward Elmars”. Some time thereafter he removed to Haddam where he died 22 July 1681. In his will, written 19 August 1681, he names his children and one grandchild, this will being one of the few primary sources of data on his descendants, who otherwise have to be pieced together from various sources.

He died 22 July 1681, his inventory was taken 19 August 1681, and his will was approved 3 September 1681.

Genealogy: none known