Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

years, and Alice Brass, aged 15 years."
The Clarke genealogy states that she was
"undoubtedly" the Alice Pepper, or Pep-
pitt, whom he married after his return to
America, and after his removal from Dor-
chester to Dedham. It is presumed that
the "Constance" after completing her
voyage to Virginia called with passengers
at northern ports, and so Joseph Clarke
returned to Dorchester. The "Genealog-
ical and Personal Memoirs, relating to
the families of the State of Massachusetts"
(Lewis Historical Publishing Com-
pany, 1910) states that Joseph Clarke
"married, in 1640, just prior to sailing for
America, Alice Pepper." Whether he
again returned to England between 1635
and 1640 cannot be traced, but his rec-
ord is clear from the year of his settlement
(1640) in Dedham, Massachusetts,
and his signing of the Dedham Covenant.
He was one of the thirteen original grantees
and founders of the adjoining town
of Medfield, and was admitted a freeman
there, May 15, 1653. His homestead in
Medfield was on the west side of South
street, and an old cellar hole near the
corner of Oak street for many years has
marked the site of his former dwelling.
In 1660 he became selectman and, acquir-
ing substance, became a man of influence
in the town. He served in the Narragansett
campaign in the war against King
Philip. He died January 6, 1684, aged
eighty-seven years, leaving "an abiding
influence for good on his numerous and
honorable posterity," and in his will bequeathed
lands to his sons, on the west
side of Charles river, afterwards Medway,
Massachusetts. Alice (Brass-Pep-
per) Clarke, his widow, died March 17,
1710, and was stated to have then been
eighty-seven years old. Of their nine
children, Nathaniel was the eighth.
Nathaniel Clarke was born October 6,
1658, and died July 11, 1733. He resided
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
173
on the paternal estate in Medfield, and
married Experience, born July, 1679, died
February 3, 1734, daughter of Ephraim
and Mehitable (Plimpton) Hinsdale, of
Deerfield, Massachusetts. Their eldest
child was Nathaniel.
Nathaniel (2) Clark, son of Nathaniel
and Experience (Hinsdale) Clarke, was
born in Medfield, November 5, 1705. On
February 4, 1729, he married Judith Mason,
and they resided in Medway.
Amos Clark, son of Nathaniel (2) and
Judith (Mason) Clark, was born Decem-
ber 6, 1730, and lived part of his life in
Medway, where three of his children are
recorded. He married, February 9, 1757,
Hannah Crage. After 1766 he removed to
Farmington, Connecticut, where presum-
ably their son Salmon was born.
Salmon Clark, son of Amos and Hannah
(Crage) Clark, according to Farm-
ington church records, was baptized in
that place on December 4, 1768, and mar-
ried Achsah Chandler, of an old Colonial
Windsor family. He was appointed a
second lieutenant of the Thirteenth Reg-
iment, United States Infantry, by Presi-
dent John Adams, and approved by the
United States Senate. The commission
was signed by President Adams, April 17,
1799, but was antedated January 10, 1799.
He appears to have resided in New York
State later in life, and family tradition
says that at one time he was warden
in the old Newgate Connecticut State
Prison, and afterwards held a position in
the government arsenal in West Troy,
New York, where it is thought his son,
of same name, was born.
Salmon (2) Clark, son of Salmon (1)
and Achsah (Chandler) Clark, was born
May 11, 1824. When a boy of eight years
he came to Windsor, and there, in man-
hood, followed agricultural accupations,
particularly tobacco growing, until 1849.
In that year the rush to the California