Rev. David Clark

Rev. David Clark was a brother of my g-g-g-grandmother, Phebe (Clark) Carey. He is listed in some places as having a middle name of Ward, but I'm not sure if that is correct.

Like Phebe and many other Clarks, David was a native of the Elizabeth, New Jersey, area who came to Miami county, Ohio, in the early 1800s. Most of these Clarks continued westward into Sangamon county, Illinois, around 1830. Phebe and her family remained in western Ohio, where some of her descendants are still living. Both groups shared the Methodist faith and many of their descendants continue to be active Methodists. Some of Rev. David Clark's Ohio cousins were also Methodist preachers.

Major Ira Winans' research papers included the following notes on Rev. David Clark which he shared with my family:

Resided N.J. 1776-98, Ky. 1798-1804, Cincinnati, Ohio 1805, N.J. 1805-1829 (Somerset Co), 1829-1847 Sangamon Co., Ill.

Mar. 1st, in Ky., in 1801 - Rachel Rutter d. 1804 in Ky. - 2 children¹

Mar. 2nd, in Somerset Co.,N.J. Feb. 1806 - Sarah Winans (dau. of Samuel)
b 10-26-1788 in Somerset Co., N.J. d Dec. 3, 1843 in Sangamon Co., Ill. bur. Logan Co., Ill. 3 boys, 2 girls

In 1807, Richard Winans and Rev. David Clark settled on Section 14, Staunton Township.

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Rev. David Clark married Miss Sally Winans, daughter of Samuel and Sally Winans² in 1806. They emigrated from New Jersey to Miami County in 1809. He had previously been here and purchased land coming from Kentucky in 1804. He was one of the pioneer Methodist ministers in the county. Children were Winans, John, Carman, Sally H and Elizabeth. His father, David Clark, Sr., was a native of Scotland.³ Owned land where Tipp City now stands, sold to Robt Evans in 1830 and moved to Sangamon County, Illinois.

The following biographies of David and his family appeared in History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois. "Centennial Record", John Carroll Power, Edwin A. Wilson and Co., Springfield [1876], pp 200-201, and were transcribed by Cheryl Rothwell, who is a fellow Clark descendant, and has her own David Clark page. I have indented the information for clarity's sake:

CLARK, DAVID, born Aug. 28, 1776, in Essex county, N. J. Came to Kentucky in 1798, and was there married in 1800, to Rachel Rutter. They had two children;¹ one died in infancy, and Mrs. Rachel Clark died in 1804. David Clark moved to Cincinnati, O., in 1805, and made brick for the first brick house built in that city. He returned to Somerset county, N. J., in the same year, and was married there in Feb., 1806, to Sallie Winans, who was born Oct. 15, 1788 in that county. They moved to Miami county, O., in 1809, and from there to Sangamon county, Ill., in 1829, settling on Sugar creek. After two years they moved to Wolf creek. They had six children, one of whom died in infancy. Of the other five -

• Rev. RICHARD W., born June 16, 1808, in Somerset county, N. J., was married in April 1828 to Margaret Clark, a native of Fayette county, KY. They have five children living:
  • SALLIE A., born Jan. 11, 1831, in Sangamon county, was married in 1848 to Ezra Clark. They have six children:
    • Hattie A.,
    • Lodorska J.,
    • Permelia A.,
    • David M.,
    • Irena and
    • Nellie
    and live in Chesnut, Logan county, Ill.
  • DAVID, born Jan. 2, 1834, in Sangamon county, is married, and resides in New Mexico.
  • ELIZA, born Nov. 9, 1841, in McDonough county, was married in Logan county, Ill., to Jonas Shupe, May 13, 1858. He was a native of Ohio. They had one child
    • Mary E., who resides with her uncle, Dr. John Clark.
    Mr. Shupe died Jan. 13, 1865 and Mrs. Shupe was married Feb. 5, 1871 to John R. Ayers. They have one child,
    • Lena, who resides with her parents in Mt. Pulaski.
  • JOHN W., born Nov. 13, 1845, in Logan county, Ill., was married Dec. 28, 1874, in Chesnut, Logan county, Ill., to Emma Sterritt, a niece of Enoch Moore, of Springfield, recently deceased. Dr. John W. Clark is a practicing physician at Milford, Iroquois county, Ill.
  • MARY E., born Oct 16, 1847, was married March 31, 1866 near Mt. Pulaski, to Benjamin Harding. They have four children,
    • May,
    • Eliza,
    • Ellis and
    • Richard,
    who reside with their parents near Mt. Pulaski.
  Rev. Richard W. Clark died Aug. 29, 1854, and his widow died Dec. 21, 1867, both in Logan county, Ill.
• JOHN, born Nov. 25, 1810, in Miami county, O., studied medicine there. Came to Sangamon county with his father, remained one year, returned to Ohio, where he was married, Aug. 29, 1830 in Miami county, O., to Eliza Tremain, who was born May 24, 1810, in New York. They came to Sangamon county, and followed farming until 1842, when he moved to Mt. Pulaski and engaged in the practice of medicine. He was County Commissioner four years for Logan county, and Justice of the Peace seventeen years, during which time he married eighty-four couples. He has, since 1828, been a member of the M. E. church, and a trustee of the same, in Mt. Pulaski, from the time the church was organized at that place. Dr. John Clark and wife reside in Mt. Pulaski.
• CARMAN W., born May 20, 1815, in Miami county O., married March 29, 1838, in Sangamon county, to Harriet Crocker, step-daughter of David Riddle. She was born Aug. 2, 1817, in Lebanon, St. Clair county, Ill. They had seven children:
  • one died in infancy.
  • MARY W., born March 24, 1842, in Sangamon county, was married Oct. 17, 1866 to Alfred C. Wilson. They have four children,
    • Harrie,
    • Harriet H.,
    • Carman R., and
    • Alfred,
    and reside in Mt. Pulaski.
  • JOHN, born April 22, 1848, in Sangamon county, died July 29, 1866.
  • DAVID T., born June 27, 1850, in Sangamon county, was married Jan. 27, 1876, to Lucy Powel. They reside in Mt. Pulaski.
  • RICHARD H., born March 26, 1854 in Sangamon county, was married Dec. 22, 1875, to Mary E. Boggs, They reside in Mt. Pulaski.
  • ALFRED R., born July 31, 1857, in Sangamon county, and
  • MARION, born July 1, 1862, in Logan county, reside with their parents in Mt. Pulaski.
• SALLY H., born Sept. 17, 1817 in Miami county, Ohio, was married Oct. 1834, to John Riddle, in Sangamon county. They have four children, all born in Sangamon county,
  • ELIZA C.,
  • MARY E.,
  • FRANCIS A.⁴ and
  • SALLIE W.,
  and reside near Barclay, Sangamon county.
• ELIZABETH, born Dec. 15, 1830,⁵ in Miami county, Ohio, was married Dec. 1847,⁶ to Alfred Gideon, who was born in Champaign county, Ohio. They have one child,
  • DAVID C., born Nov. 27, 1847,⁷ was married Sept, 1868,⁸ to Sallie Row, a native of Ohio. David C. Gideon is a practicing physician at Watseka, Iroquois county, Ill.

David Clark was a local M. E. Preacher⁹ for about forty years. His wife died Dec. 3, 1843, and he died Jan. 6, 1847, both on the farm near the present town of Barclay, Sangamon county, Ill.

An e-mail posted by Carolyn Stewart on RootsWeb's Logan county, IL, board, 14 Nov 2003, touches on Rev. David Clark and his descendants:

I have had this biography from Beers History of Miami County Ohio 1880 in my possession for some time and thought that I would share it with the list.

D.C. Gideon, physician and surgeon, Troy, Miami Co., Ohio. A short genealogy will be first in order. Alfred L Gideon was born in 1826. Elizabeth Clark Gideon, December 15, 1820; their only child, David C. Gideon, born November 27, 1848.

Jacob Row was born in 1810, and his wife, Sarah Bost, in 1811; they were parents of John, George, Jacob, Mary, Carrie, Lydia and Sarah.

D.C. Gideon and Sarah Row were married in 1868; their sons were born -- Alfred L. June 4, 1868, and Clark McKenzie April 6, 1873.

Dr. Gideon's grandfather, Rev. David Clark married Miss Sally Winans, daughter of Samuel and Sally Winans² in 1806. They emigrated to Miami County from New Jersey in 1809; he had previously been here and purchased land, coming from Kentucky, in 1804; in 1805 he burned and delivered brick for the first brick house built in Cincinnati; he was one of the pioneer Methodist ministers in this county; they were parents of Winans, John, Carman, Sally H. and Elizabeth Clark; his father, David Clark, Sr. was a native of Scotland.³

Rev. David Clark was originally the owner of the land Tippecanoe is now built upon, donated the lot for the Hyattsville M.E. Church; he sold his possessions to Robert Evans in 1830, and emigrated to Sangamon County, Illinois; for forty years he was an ordained minister; D.C. Gideon began the study of medicine in 1875 and graduated at the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio in Feb. 1873; he formed a partnership with his preceptor, Dr. John Clark; during his stay in Danvers, McLean Co., Illinois. Dr. Gideon was editor and proprietor of the Danvers Independent, one of the spiciest local papers in the state; he emigrated East instead of West, March 1, 1880, and settled in Troy, the home of his Ancestry.

I have never fully accepted the theory that David Clark Sr. was the descendant of Richard Clark¹⁰ since I was never able to prove this through wills or any other reliable means. I have in my possession family records that were compiled by Robert Clark son of David Ward Clark and Hannah Stout. David Ward Clark's parents were John Winans Clark and Ann (Nancy) Isgrig - these records state that J. D. Cox "guessed" that David Clark's father was Jonathan since this family lived in the same locality. These records are handwritten, in fragile condition and were given to me by my grandmother, Sylvia Beatrice (Clark) Estes.

I don't know if the above biography will shed any light on David's ancestry - but hopefully it will inspire a lively discussion, and more research.

Cheryl Rothwell sent us a biography of Dr. David Gideon's grandfather which she found in the Mad River Township biographies section, pages 712-713 of The History of Champaign County Ohio, published 1881 by Beers. The first half of this biography pertains to David's Gideon ancestors, but the second half is about David himself and his Clark family members:

HENRY GIDEON, retired. Henry Gideon lived a number of years in Mad River Township, but for many years has resided in Iowa. He was a native of Loudoun Co., Va.; was born in 1796, and came to this county in 1832, being soon after married to Miss Nancy, daughter of Valentine and Sarah (Conrad) Miller. They lived in Mad River Township, on part of the land owned by his father-in-law. Their children were eleven in number - Jacob, Alfred L., Joseph, Peter, James, Ann, Valentine, Sanford, David. Oliver and Elizabeth. All these were born in Mad River Township. Valentine Miller's descendants are numerous in this county, of which he was an early settler. The father of Henry, Peter Gideon, was a Revolutionary soldier, serving during the entire campaign. His eldest son, George Gideon, came to this township in 1818, and was married to Elizabeth Miller, a sister of the wife of Henry, his brother. George, with his family, emigrated to Clinton, Dewitt Co., Ill. They reared a large family of children - Armstead, George W., John W., Jaeob, Samuel, Kitty, Ann, Sally and Elizabeth. Henry Gideon, with his family, emigrated to Illinois in 1845, settling near Mechanicsburg, Sangamon Co. In 1854, he again emigrated, to Madison Co., Iowa. His son James wedded Kitty Blue, of Sangamon Co. Ann, the eldest, daughter, married Samuel Garvey, and Alfred L. wedded Elizabeth Clark. Henry Gideon is still living, being now 84 years of age. George, his brother, died in May, 1880, having reached the ripe old age of 91 years.

David C., the only child of Alfred L. and Elizabeth Gideon, was born Nov. 27, 1848,⁷ in Sangamon Co., Ill.; he was reared in Logan Co., where his education was completed. He afterward studied medicine with his uncle, Dr. John Clark, who was one of the pioneers of Logan Co., and whose continuous practice in Mt. Pulaski extended over a period of forty-five years. He died in January, 1877, leaving behind the record of a life pure and blameless. David C. graduated with honor at the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati in February, 1873, and engaged in the practice of medicine in Illinois ten years. In March, 1880, he moved with his family to Troy, Ohio. His marriage to Miss Sadie, youngest daughter of Jacob and Sarah Row, was celebrated Sept. 27, 1868,⁸ Dr. John Clark officiating. They have two sons, Alfred L. and Clark McKenzie, both intelligent boys, promising to do credit to their family name. Jacob and Sarah Row were natives of Pickaway Co., Ohio, and were the parents of John, George, Mary, Jacob, Carrie, Lydia and Sarah. They emigrated to Logan Co., Ill., in September, 1865, purchasing a fine farm near Mt. Pulaski. Jacob's death occurred in August, 1871, and his wife's death in February, 1879.

Alfred L. Gideon, Sr., was a soldier during the Mexican war, under the command of Gen. Winfield Scott. He participated in the battles of Cerro Gordo, New Orleans¹¹ and Vera Cruz. His wife, Elizabeth, died Aug. 10, 1875. She was a cultured lady, of sterling social qualities, and a Christian in precept and example, beloved by her neighbors, and noted alike for her hospitality and efforts to advance the educational and moral interests of society. She rests in a lovely spot in the beautiful cemetery near Mt. Pulaski. Her parents; Rev. David Clark, and his wife, Sally Winans, were pioneers of Sangamon Co., emigrating from Miami Co., Ohio, to that county, in 1833. Their children - Winans, John, Carman and Elizabeth are all deceased, leaving many descendants bearing their name. Rev. David Clark and his wife were natives of New Jersey. He was born in 1776.

There was obviously some copying of information between the various county histories and other sources quoted above. The original sources were undoubtedly the memories of some family members who, even at that time, were well along in years.

1850 census. During a quick scan through the 1850 U. S. census records for Logan county, we found entries for the families of David and Sallie's two oldest children within a few pages of each other:

• Richard W. and Margaret
• John and Eliza

Across the line in Sangamon county, the three younger children's families were enumerated:

• Carman and Harriet
• Sally's widower John (Sally died 6 Apr 1849)
• Elizabeth and Alfred