Cedar Research

by Arthur Clark

I am 100% sure of everyone up to and including James and his family. The major problem is establishing the parents of James G. Clark. I have searched several years for anything that would put some light on this effort.

(1) I looked up all families of Clark who were living in time of James birth in Washington County, Virginia year 1824. Several Clark families were there at that time. I found I James (cabinetmaker) and Rebecca in 1850 living in Washington County, but there are no children. Following this James and Rebecca in the 1860 census are still no children. I did find a James G. (blacksmith) and spouse Rebecca and one child Cynthia listed in the 1850 Census for Sullivan County Tennessee. Cynthia was one year of age. This tells me that James and Rebecca move there about 1849. To make this entry sure and to be sure who I am looking at, my G-Grandfather Edward was born in Sullivan County in 1852. We know this from an entry in the 1860 Census for Lee County, Virginia James G. and Rebecca with Cynthia, Edward, and other children. This information and other family records lead me to believe that this James and Rebecca are my GG Grandparents. In the 1860 census we learn about all the members of the family up to that time. However, two more children were born in between the time of 1850 Sullivan County, Tennessee and 1860 Lee County, Virginia. They were Wyndham and Isaac born in Washington County before going to Lee County, Va. My G. Grandfather Edward was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, this shows that James and Rebecca were still in Tennessee until 1852. The rest of the children were born on Pea Vine Ridge farm in Lee County. James died in 1878. This date comes from a stone marker in the Family Cemetery. No death record was found for James but several of his children were listed in Lee County death records. I also have James G. Clark’s will. Will of James G. Clark: From Will Book 3, page 502, Dated 5th Day of August, 1878 Lee County, Virginia, Court House, Jonesville, Virginia.


(2) Going back to Washington County, Virginia, I began a search in the 1850, 1840 and 1830 Census for Washington County, Virginia. I looked at all the Clarks there in those yeas. I found a George W. Clark there who had male children and one matched the birth of my James. They matched the 1840, 1830 and 1820. This was in the family of George Washington Clark. I found this family in the 1850 census and with that put many faces and names for me to work with.. The Family was George Washington Clark and Ann Denny. Why my James was not listed here was because he and Rebecca married and had gone to Sullivan County Tennessee before 1849. The same situation was also true for Rebecca not being listed with her family which was the family of Thomas D Barker and Permelia Newton in 1850 Washington County census.

(3) To continue the family tree search we discovered another Clark family who were from Washington County. This was the family of George Washington Clark and Mary (Polly) Barker, the Aunt to my GG. Grandmother Rebecca Barker who were located in 1850 Warren Co., Mo., 1860 Moniteau Co., Mo., 1870 Miller Co., Mo. ( Mary is not on here because she died in 1868, 1870 Miller Co., Mo. , George Clark died in 1892 in Miller Co., Mo. From this investigation, we discovered that my James G Clark was not old enough to match this family.

(4) To answer the questions where does James G Clark fit into all this?
During this study it was discovered that there was a George Clark Sr listed as residence of Washington County. George Clark who married Jean Hope was a soldier at the Battle of King's Mountain. His name appears on the monument as one of the soldiers of Campbell, who commanded the men of Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia. It has been said by many Washington County researchers that George Clark Sr was the first Clark family to enter Washington County. By studying this George Clark family it was discovered that George and wife made a land will to their three sons.
George Clark and his wife, Jean Hope, were residents of Washington, Co., Virginia in 1793. On October 15,1793 they deeded land to their three sons, William, George Jr and Benjamin. This George and Jean (Hope) Clark are the grandparents of George Clark and Mary (Polly) Barker, who went Warren County Missouri in 1850. My source: Information from Michael Wieneman researcher and 2nd Grand-son from the State of Missouri.

It has been determined that the Y-DNA, I match by a 37 to 37 match to a descendant who comes from the above Benjamin Clark son of George Clark Sr. He is the only living male person from his 3rd Grand-parents David Frank Clark and Eva Norman. With these deductions and not finding any other Clark family that match my James G. this leaves William Clark and Susannah McHenry who were in that will of land to three sons. It appears that their son, George Washington Clark, who married Ann Denny are the parents of my 2nd Great-father James G. Clark.

My judgment as to our family tree should be from myself and up to George Clark Sr and Jean Hope. This should also be Richard’s ending as we know now. I hope you can reconsider and post these people as mentioned above. The Ideal solution may never be known. This is better than a lot of trees that are listed in many family trees.