Jabez Clark (c. 1718–1765), the son of Nathaniel Clark and Sarah Graves
Sarah Judd (1722–aft. 1770), daughter of Jonathan Judd and Hannah Diggens
Jabez Clark, Sr. was born about 1718 and was baptized in Cromwell (then in Middletown), Middlesex County, Connecticut. (See his parents' entry.) He died on 25 April 1765, age 47, in Middletown.1,2,3 He is buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in East Hampton, Middlesex County, Connecticut.3 He married Sarah Judd on 5 August 1742 in Middletown.1
Sarah, the daughter of Jonathan and Hannah (Diggens) Judd, was born on 26 September 1722 in East Middletown (now Portland), Middlesex County, Connecticut.1,4 She died after 9 April 1770.
Jabez settled on Clark's Hill in Middletown about the time of his marriage.5
Chatham (now East Hampton) separated from Middletown in 1767.
Shortly after 1736 several families settled in what is now East Hampton, but what was then a part of the society of East Middletown. Jabaz was one of the members of the third society (East Middletown) in Middletown who signed a memorial to the Assembly complaining that they lived very far from the third society. They asked that, if they hired a minister for six months, could they be released from half their tax obligation to the third society. This was granted in May 1743.5,6
Jabez is on a 1743 tax list in East Hampton.7
Jabez Clark of Middletown made his will on18 April 1765. He left his wife Sarah one-third of his movable estate and the improvement of one-third of his land during her natural life. He left her the use and improvement of half his house and barn so long as she remained unmarried. He left his eldest son Nathaniel the northwest part of his home lot—about 16 acres and 127 rods—with the house and barn, six and a half acres he bought from Samuel Selton, and a yoke of oxen. He left his second son Jabez 24 and a half acres of land and his interest in a piece of land given by his father to him and his sister Hall for taking care of him and his mother in their old age. He left his third and fourth sons Amos and Abner the rest of his home lot containing 32 acres and also the land he bought from Ebenezer Sears containing 18 acres. He left his four sons his clothing, husbandry tools and utensils. He left his four daughters, Edey, Hannah, Sarah, and Mary, land in the Three Mile Division and his remaining personal and movable property. The bequests to his children were excepted what was given to his wife and excepting her rights. With the consent of his wife, he gave his son Jabez all the wages and profits due him from Captain Seth Doane for his late voyage to Boston and the Carolinas, and they were not to be part of his inventory. Whereas his eldest daughter Edey had been particularly helpful to the family, with the consent of his wife, he gave Edey various articles of household goods, and they were not to be part of his inventory. He named his wife and son Nathaniel his executors. The will was witnessed by John Norton, John Clark, and John Hinckley. It was proved on 2[?] September 1765. Inventory exhibited that day by John Clark and Elisha Cornwell amounted to about 405 pounds and two shillings. An account of the distribution was exhibited on 9 [?] April 1770.8
Children of Jabez Clark and Sarah Judd: Births (except for Ede's) recorded in Middletown as the children of Jabez and Sarah.1
i. Nathaniel Clark was born on 7 August 1743. He died on 13 January 1814, age 70.5 He married first Elizabeth, the daughter of Reverend John and Eunice (Hitchcock) Norton.5,9 She was born in December 1740.9 She died on 17 or 18 May 1770.5,9 He married second Dorothy Hale.5 She died on 11 March 1838, age 87.5
ii. Ede Clark was born on 29 August 1745 in Middletown.5,10 She died on March 1828 in Middle Haddam.10 She married first John Norton.5,10 John, the brother of Ede's brother Nathaniel's wife, was born in 1743 and died on 11 May 1807.9 She married second Moses Cook5 on 11 April 1809.10
iii. Jabez Clark was born on 23 August 1747. He died on 25 December 1837, age 90.3,5 He married first Lydia, the daughter of Abijah Hall.5 Lydia, the daughter of Captain Abijah and Margaret (Dewey) Hall, was born on 1 December 1752 in Chatham.1 He married second Ruth Hinckley on 27 February 1788.5 She died in 1816, age 88 years.3
Jabez and Ruth are buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in East Hampton.3
iv. Sarah Clark was born on 25 March 1752. Sarah Bevins, the relict of Isaac, died on 3 November 1845, age 93.2 She married Isaac Bevin.5 Isaac, the son of William and Sarah (Parke) Bevin, was born on 12 January 1746 in Middletown.1 He died on 25 December 1790 (church record), or less plausibly on 25 December 1791, age 44 (gravestone).2,11
Isaac and Sarah are buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in East Hampton.2
Isaac Bevin of Chatham made his will on 21 December 1790. He mentioned his wife Sarah and his children Isaac, Stephen, Abner, Lydia, Sarah, Lucy, and Mercy Bevin.He named Sarah and John Norton his executors. Inventory, amounting to £198-04-09 was presented on 4 April 179[?] and attested to by John Parmalee, Sarah Jackson, and Amos Clark.8
v. Abner Clark (twin) was born on 12 October 1754.
Abner died on a prison ship during the Revolutionary War.5
vi. Amos Clark (twin) was born on 12 October 1754. He died on 20 March 1843 in Chatham. He married Anna Sears.
vii. Mercy Clark was born on __.5 She was born about 1755, according to her gravestone. She died on 1 October 1838, age 83.3 She married Joel Wood5 on 7 January 1782 in the East Hampton Congregational Church.11 He died on 14 October 1837, age 83.3
Joel Wood had two children baptized in the Church in Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut in 1784 and 1785.12 Joel and Mercy were admitted to full communion in the East Hampton Congregational Church "by letter from Mr. Gold of Cornwall" on 20 August 1786. They were dismissed to "another church" in 1798.11 Joel and his wife were dismissed from the First Congretional Church in East Middletown (now Portland) and recommended to the First Congretional Church in Leyden, Lewis County, New York on 2 May 1819.11
Joel and Mercy are buried in the Constable Cemetery in Constable, Lewis County, New York.3
viii. Timothy Clark was born on 10 February 1759. He died on 10 June 1759 in Middletown.1
ix. Timothy Clark was born on 10 June 1760. He died on 10 November 1761 in Middletown.1
Endnotes:
1. "Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630–1870," online database, AmericanAncestors (2011, https://www.americanancestors.org/DB414/i/12576/211/24352578) > Middletown, images 45, 96–106, 267; Chatham, images 40–41, from original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928.
2. "Connecticut, U.S., Hale Collection of Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices, 1629–1934," database with images, Ancestry (2012, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2900) > CT headstone inscriptions > vol. 13, image 299 (Sarah and husband Isaac); vol. 15, image 295 (Jabez).
3. "Jabez Clark," webpage, Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9017275/jabez-clark), inscription: "Here lies the Body of Mr. Jabez Clark who Died Apr 25, 1765 in the 48 year of his age." "Jabez Clark, Jr." webpage, Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61159916/jabez-clark), inscription: "Died Dec 25 1837"; "Ruth Hinckley Clark," webpage, Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6115717/ruth-clark), inscription: "Wife of Jabez Clark died 1816 age 88 years; "Mary Clark Wood," webpage, Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61362147/mercy-wood); "Joel Wood," webpage, Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61361895/joel-wood).
4. Caroline Judd McDowell, Philip Judd and His Descendants (Grinnell, Iowa: Grinnell Harold Press, 1923), 14–16.
5. History of Middlesex County, Connecticut (New York: J.B. Beers & Co., 1884), 192, 205.
6. Charles J. Hoadley, The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, from October 1735 to October 1743 (Hartford: Case, Lockwood & Brainard), 541.
7. David D. Field, Centennial Address, with Historical Sketches of ... Middletown and its Parishes (Middletown: William B. Casey, 1853), 286.
8. CWP. "Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609–1999," Ancestry (2015: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9049) > Hartford > Probate Packets, Clark, Abiah–Clinton, 1752–1880, images 507–20 (Jabez); > Middlesex > Probate Records, vol. 5–6, 1780–1799, image 287 (Isaac Bevin).
9. Barbara Jean Mathews, The Descendants of Governor Thomas Welles of Connecticut and His Wife Alice Tomes, vol. 2, part A (Wethersfield, CT: Wells Family Association, 2015), 241–3.
10. Laura (McGaffey) Clarenbach and Loretta (Broadwell) Ford, "Joshua Cook (Josiah, Josiah) of Eastham, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 126 (1972): 81–93.
11. "Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630–1920," Ancestry (2013: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3032) > vol. 26 East Hampton, image 76 (Isaac Bevin), image 620 (Mercy and Joel Wood); vol. 91 Portland, image 219.
12. Edward C. Starr, A History of Cornwall, Connecticut (New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co., 1926), 522.
map: U.S. Department of the Interior, USGS TopoView (https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#12/41.5529/-72.5686 : accessed 2 October 2021).
Last revised: 14-Jul-2023