Deacon Clark Family

Deacon Clark and wife were both members of the first Congregational church, under the pastoral care of Rev.  Gardner Kellogg, and also of the present church of the same denomination, which after the dissolution of the first was duly organized on a more decidedly orthodox platform, in the year 1810. He was generally styled Deacon, though never regularly so constituted, probably because he took an active part in religious matters, and for a time officiated at communion seasons. He died in December, 1835, aged eighty-four years. His wife, Sarah Mussey Clark, died March 18, 1833, aged seventy-four years.  She was a sister of Esquire Mussey, of Corinth, who was father of the late Moses Mussey, of Bradford. Mr. and Mrs. Clark had six sons and three daughters. One of the sons died in childhood. Of those who lived to be men and women the following imperfect account is all that the writer is able at present to give, no individual being left of whom to inquire.

1 Moody Clark, born August 31, 1776; married Susan Richards, March 20, 1797. Mr. Clark was an honest, industrious man, and spent the remnant of his days at Bradford.   He died February 9, 1843, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. Mrs. Clark, his wife, died May 31, 1850, in her seventy-first year. They had seven sons and three daughters.

Charles B. Clark, born November 26, 1798; a teacher of vocal music ; married Augusta Cady, of Bradford, and died at Middletown, Conn.

Orlin, born June 2, 1801; married Orill Cady, sister of Augusta, and died at Killingly, Conn. 

Wealthy, born June 24, 1803 ; married Edwin Fuller, of Vershire, and died at Fairlee, April 30, 1854. Deacon Fuller and wife had three sons and two daughters, namely: Susan, Joseph, Dan, Albert and Hannah Maria. 

Franklin, born June 18, 1805 ; married a Miss Bond, of Corinth.

Cynthia, born March 13, 1808; married Samuel Bern is, of Lyndon, Vt.

Gardner, born August 21, 1812 ; became a preacher of the gospel, of the Methodist order.

Thomas Russell, born April 8, 1816; died September 20, 1856.

Joseph, born November 19, 1819 ; died July 8, 1839.

Thaddeus Fairbanks, born July 5, 1822. 

2 Laban Clark, second son of Deacon Joseph Clark, above mentioned, and brother of Moody, was born July 19, 1778, became a Methodist minister of high esteem; was stationed for a time in the city of New York, and at other times in different places of special importance, and was for several of the last years of his life employed as financial agent of the Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn., where he died in 1868, at about ninety years of age. 

3 Joseph Clark, Jr., born September 6, 1780, was by occupation both a farmer and a mason, or brick layer.  He was also a local preacher of the Methodist order, and a truly Christian man. He remained on the old farm, in a house a few rods South of his father's, and did much in the way of nourishing and  cherishing the Methodist church here in the days of its infantile feebleness. He used to hold meetings with them, in the school house on the Lower Plain, where the members chiefly resided, and lived to see them with a good congregation worshiping in one and then another more commodious meeting-house of their own. He was called away to his final rest February 22, 1849, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. He had been twice married. His first wife, Fanny Aspinwall, died June 2, 1826, at the age of forty-four. His second wife, Susan Bond, of Corinth, died April 7, 1847, at the age of sixty years. Both truly good women. No children. They had adopted a Miss Bond, niece of the second wife. She married Rev. Mr. Fisk, a Methodist minister.

4 Edward Clark, born July 6, 1784 ; removed to the State of New York, married, and spent the remainder of his days there.

5 Hannah Clark, born February 6,1787, was a worthy woman, a member of the same church with her parents, and when quite advanced in years became the second wife of David Morrison, of Fairlee, whose first wife was her sister.

6 Sally Clark, born July 9, 1789, married David Morrison, of Fairlee. They lived near the North end of Fairlee Pond. She was an estimable woman, and died leaving three sons.

7 Samuel Clark, born July 30, 1791. Lived at Bradford a while, then removed to the interior of the State of New York, and died there. No account of his family.  He was twice married.

8 Betsey Clark, born April 10, 1794; when mature in years was still, in person and intellect and lack of speech, but a child of large size, but very quiet; and always treated by the family with distinguished kindness.  She died in the quietude of home.

9 Gardner Kellogg Clark, born February 28, 1796, was a young man of fine personal appearance and good talents. He bad a taste for learning, made strenuous efforts to obtain a liberal education, and graduated at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y. Having in the meanwhile become hopefully pious, he studied for the gospel ministry, and was ordained and installed pastor of a Presbyterian church at Preble, in the State of New York. He was an able and faithful worker, and as such highly esteemed. He married and had a family; but we are unable to give any definite information in regard to his children. He spent some of the last years of his life, we believe, in the service of the American Home Missionary Society : and died at Saratoga, Minnesota, March 19,1870, at the age of seventy-four years and nineteen days.  Biographie Index

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