William Clark

Notes:

One of his descendants, Elaine Wells, emailed in November 2012 that "I have visited the Dickey-Clark Cemetery in Sabine County Texas. I do not personally have a photo of the headstone for William Clark, but there is a photo on Ancestry.Com which shows the exact date of birth as May 1, 1790. Date of death July 4, 1856. It also showed that William Clark served as a Pvt. in the Mississippi Militia in the war of 1812. I was present at the ceremony when the Historical Marker was dedicated. " In January 2020, Elaine emailed "I have submitted my DNA to Ancestry and it shows my DNA directly related to William Clark. It shows his father was William Barnett Clark, born 09Oct1966 in Orange Co., Virginia, died in 1835 in Amite Co., MS. His wife was Frances Ragsdale. Born 1764 in Lunenburg Co., VA. His father was John James Clark, born 19Fe1741 in Clark's Mountain, Orange Co., VA and died 28Oct1831 in Bedfore, Orange Co., VA. Ancestry shows his wife was Mary Towles, but there was no other information about her. It shows that I have shared DNA with all those listed, except Mary Towles."

When John William Clark of Oklahoma City published his 1971 book, SOME DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM CLARK OF SABINE COUNTY, TEXAS he was conducting research to prove a theory that William Clark born about 1790 in South Carolina was related to or descended from Elijah Clark, father of John Clark, Governor of Georgia 1819-1823. He wrote in the preface to his book that "Several clues have pointed the way to research this angle as follows: Elijah Clark went from South Carolina to Georgia in early days following the Revolutionary War as a General. His son John became Governor of Georgia. John's sons went to Miss., such as Elijah, Gibson, Etc. One of John's grandsons became a political figure in Texas. A William Barnett Clark was granted a Georgia passport by the governor, signed by the Solictor General Elijah Clark to proceed across the western country to Miss. in search of land. Our William names a son William Barnett in later years after he was in Sabine Co., Texas."

The author, also noted that there were three William Clarks in Sabine County, Texas at the same time, "however our William Clark was the only one that remained there until he died."

He listed the following facts about our William Clark in the preface of his book:
a) Born ca 1790 in South Carolina
b) Fought in the War of 1812
c) he was married in Mississippi, Amite County, to Elizabeth Isaacs 16 Mar 1812 and again to Mahala Graham ca 1836 in Sabine County
d) Received a land grant from the Mexican Government in Zavalla's Colony in June 1835
d) has a total of about 21 children by two wives, many of these descendants still living in East Texas
f) the only one of the three William Clarks living in Sabine county before 1850 that remained in that county and died there
g) the only land owned by William Clark south of Hemphill, TX was land bought by William and not granted to him as original owner
h)All paper of William Clark were signed by an "X" and witnessed by someone else
i) William was listed on the census records of Sabine County in 1835 and 1850, and second wife Mahala was listed in 1860, 1870 and 1880. This and the wills indicate he died prior to 1860.

The author also stated that other two William Clark's who were associated with Sabine County were:

---William F Clark (William Fain Clark). This William F. Clark received a land grant from the Mexican Government south of Hemphill on the Sandy Creek. This was later conveyed to Joseph Sullivan, and he evidently moved away since he is not shown in subsequent census records. Obediah S. Smith bought this land later and lived on it for years.


---William Clark Jr., a political leader in the Sabine District, born in either Va, Ga, or N.C. on 14 April 1798, and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a representative from the Sabine and Nacogdoches District who married Martha Wall. They were the parents of Margaret, Francis, Sarah Jane and William, and this family moved from Hemphill to Nacogdoches County prior to 1860. There he ran a hotel and land business, and on the 1870 census of Nacogdoches, he can be found with his daughter, Sara Jane GRIFFITH, the wife of Dr. L. E. GRIFFITH, who one practiced medicine in Hemphill. William Clark Jr died 3 Jun 1871 in Nacogdoches and has a monument erected in his honor in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Nacogdoches.

On page 1 of his book, John Clark writes that "The first record found of him (William) shows him as a private in Captain John Lowry's Company of Militia, Mississippi Territory Regiment of Infantry, commanded by Lieut. Col. George H. Nixon. He served in the war from 19 October 1813 to 28 Feb 1814. he was given travel pay to travel 300 miles from Tom Bigby River or Camp in northeastern Mississippi to Amite County, Miss."

White and Toole, in SABINE COUNTY HISTORICAL SKETCHES AND GENEALOGICAL RECORDS wrote of William:

"He served in the War of 1812, from Mississippi, and married Elizabeth Isaacs of Amite County, Mississippi March 16, 1812. They moved to Coahuila, Texas long before the days of the Republic and received a land grant from Lorenzo de Zavala on the waters of the Palo Gacho consisting of one league. His wife died in childbirth in the Run-away-scrape in 1836. According to legend, while William Clark's ox wagon was stuck in the mud at Sandy Creek, and he was trying to extricate it, he met his second wife, Mahala Graham. They were married in 1837, and settled on Big Sandy, and with the children of his first wife there were 21 children." SABINE COUNTY HISTORICAL SKETCHES AND GENEALOGICAL RECORDS

On April 16, 2009, Dr. Gary Clark (drgclarke@msn.com) emailed that "There is a record of probated wills of Edgefield County, Vol. II, p. 98. David Clark and wife Amy willed their plantation to their children: William, Sarah, Edward, David, James and Mary; May 3, 1813. He requested that they all live on the plantation, if possible.

The list of children in this list is limited to six. I would like to know should anyone else determine that David and Amy are William's parents. Another volume on Edgefield County references William purchased property there in April,1783; and David served on a petite jury in 1788."

Land Grant recorded in the General Land Office in Austin as JAV11, Title Jul 2, 1835, Book 22, p. 653. Signed by George Antonio Nixon, Comisionad

Joel Clark emailed, in November 2012, that "Someone posted info about a census in Amite county Mississippi that suggested that this William Clark (my 4th great grandfather) was a Junior. They mentioned 2 separate households and 1 William Clark was married to an Elizabeth. This would lend thought to William Clark's dad being William Clark Senior."

(Research):


Census Listings:

1850 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Sabine District
Enumerated 28 and 29 Apr 1850
135-135
William Clark 61 M Farmer 1000 SC
Mahala Clark 38 F Ky
Nelson Clark 17 M Tx
Mariah Clark 12 F Tx
Andrew Clark 10 M Tx
Harison Clark 9 M Tx
Margaret Clark 7 F Tx
William Clark 4 m Tx
136-136
Powell and Sarah Fullen (born SC and Va, with dtr born in KY)
137-137
Elijah Clark 37 M Farmer 600 Miss
Jane Clark 28 F SC
Louis Clark 11 M Tx
Elias Clark 7 M Tx
Paschal Clark 5 M Tx
John Clark 4 M Tx

William married Elizabeth Isaacs on 16 Mar 1812 in Amite County, Mississippi. Elizabeth (daughter of Elijah Isaacks and Esther Donaho) was born on 9 Aug 1798 in South Carolina; died about 1836 in Coahuila and Texas, Republic of Mexico. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Elijah Clark was born about 1813 in Amite County, Mississippi; died on 10 Nov 1853 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Griffin Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
2. Isaac Clark was born about 1814 in Amite County, Mississippi; and died.
3. James Clark was born about 1815 in Amite County, Mississippi; and died.
4. John Clark was born about 1817 in Amite County, Mississippi; and died.
5. Henry Clark was born on 18 Apr 1819 in Mississippi; and died.
6. Mary Clark was born about 1820 in Amite County, Mississippi; and died.
7. Rachel Clark was born about 1823 in Coahuila and Texas, Republic of Mexico; and died.
8. Rebecca Clark was born about 1826 in Texas; died before 1880.
9. Franklin Joel Clark was born on 11 Dec 1827 in Coahuila and Texas, Republic of Mexico; died on 4 Jun 1900 in Lingleville, Erath County, Texas.
10. Elizabeth Clark was born about 1830 in Coahuila and Texas, Republic of Mexico; died about 1860 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Clark-Dickey Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
11. Amanda Clark was born about 1832 in Coahuila and Texas, Republic of Mexico; and died.
12. William Wilson Clark was born about 1834 in Coahuila and Texas, Republic of Mexico; and died.
13. Frances Clark was born about 1836 in Republic Of Texas; died on 7 Apr 1912 in Lea County, New Mexico.

William married Mahala Louise Graham on 21 Dec 1836 in Coahuila and Texas, Republic of Mexico. Mahala was born on 17 Jan 1811 in Kentucky; died on 30 Jun 1887 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Clark-Dickey Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
John W. Clark and Barbara Yancey Dore also show a son, Anderson, who died at age 12.

1. Mariah Clark was born on 15 Dec 1837 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Weaver Cemetery, Newton County, Texas.
2. Andrew Clark was born on 3 Jul 1839 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 23 Aug 1913 in Yellowpine, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Spring Hill Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas.
3. Harrison Clark was born about 1841 in Sabine County, Texas; died after 1861; was buried in Clark-Dickey Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
4. Margaret Clark was born on 28 Aug 1843 in Sabine County, Texas; died about 1898; was buried in Clark-Dickey Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
5. William Barnett "Barnie" "Bill" Clark was born on 16 Feb 1845 in Sabine County, Texas; died about 1916 in Fairmount Community, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Clark-Clarktown Cemetery, Clarktown Community, Sabine County, Texas.