Tracy An historic strain of blood in America CS71 .C6 1908 U [)d] 549 430 t An 3Ira«r?a Klatl^attt — ^-n' ■"IF.ALOGl.-ii; CONNECTICt c.^ ^ I|t0tonr ^trattt of llflflJi m Am? rira from tt|r Wih Wavlh into t^t Nrm Warlh anb 3nfuHpIi nf ti|P Amrnran ■Nation ^ Prngrng of 3lrrrmiat| (Elarkr anb Ijta totfp, Hfrnntts ICattjam, " ©In? ilotl|pr of ^owrnora " j* JntirHttgattono .^.Louise Tracy I^Ew Hav>;n, Connecticut Author of "The Two Martha Goodspeeds"' in New York, Biographical and Genealogical Record — Compiler of Amity Records — Genealogist to Mahir,'3Bistinguished American Families, ' ^^^g^HE power of |*^ heredity, ' / ^ I which, whejptt.4ts secret ■ 1 I ^^ discovered by some A m \j future scientist, may ^^^^^ solve many of the prob^ ^^^^ lems of physical, menta-I and moral man, is fre- quently observed by American gene- alogists who are interested in the psychological aspect of their re- searches. That there will come a scientist who will discover the science of heredity as Harvey did the circulation of the blood ; Newton, the power of gravitation, or Frank- lin the existence of electricity, is more than a probability. Through such discovery may be solved the problems of marriage relations and the development of men and women to the highest plane of life. Genealogy to-day is the social foundation through which this dis- covery may be made. Several emi- nent American genealogists have re- cently noted marked instances of strong strains of blood that have dominated generations. Instances have been observed where strong lines overcome the inter-flow of all incoming strains. The blood of man holds the secret of the ages ; through his veins runs the generations ; he is the reincarnation of thousands that have left their earthly immortality in him. How much of us is the chem- istry of the generations ; how much of us is astrological influence ; hq'w much of us is individual divinity, or human effort, or environment, or opportunity, or chance, is the secret which someone must some time re- veal to mankind. In the meantime,, we are building future generations wholly on adventure, accident, and coincidence, — where we happen to go, whom we happen to meet, and the circumstances. There is no known designed or defined order in the most important and the greatest creation within the power of human- kind. A recent research by Louise Tracy, one of the Connecticut gene- alogists, offers opportunity for study. In tracing a genealogical line out of the Old World into the New World in the early days of the transplanting of the English blood in America, this genealogist follows it through sev- eral illustrious families, and a re- markable chain of governors and po- litical leaders which distinguishes it historically as "the mother of Amer,- ican governors." The record is here made purely as a contribution' to American historical and genea- logical literature. All rights are herewith assigned to the author, from* the original publication in The Jour- nal OF American History. — Enrrop-, M-7 An liifitnrtr Strain of llnnin in Am^rtra X?(X>^|) /^ c (^izt^^ SEAL AND AUTOGRAPH OF GOVERNOR WALTER CLARKE— Photograph from an Original Deed in the possession of the Newport Historical Society and believed to contain the long-sought and much-desired Clarke Coat-of-Arms 3T would seem, that in the American nation of to- day, with its nearly twenty million homes, that the narrative of the lives of a man and his wife would scarcely come within the scope of American history; but, when we look back, three centuries or more, upon this broad land of ours, and picture in our minds, its grand forests, rapid rivers and broad lakes, lying under winter snows or summer sunshine, in a stillness broken only by nature's sounds or the wild whoop of the In- dian, and contrast it with the teem- ing cities, lakes and rivers bearing sailing craft or steamers to and fro, the hum of mills, roar of engine and train, the uncouth automobile horn, in short, all the busy activity of the millions of human beings in- habiting this Western Continent, we can but admit that we owe the change to the men and women who left home and kindred and braved the dangers of the sea and a life in the wilderness, to establish homes for themselves in the New World. Many of them came to escape religious persecution, others to better their fortunes, but one and all had to bat- tle with the trials of settlement in a new country, famine, pestilence and the horrors of Indian warfare. With the building of their homes and church — or even before, as in the case of the "Mayflower" Pil- grims — came their plans for civil government. They builded better than they knew ; probably not one of them imagined, in the faintest degree, Jffratir^a Hatliam Ollark^— iintti^r of ^cu^rnnra PORTRAIT OF LEWIS LATHAM, FALCONER TO CHARLES I— Father of Frances Latham Clarke what the result of their labors would be; or, that the end of three centuries would find it numbered as one of the most important of the nations. Among the early settlers of what we now call Rhode Island, was Jere- miah Clarke, who came from Eng- land, bringing with him his newly- wedded wife and her children by a former husband, William Dungan, of London. Where, or when he was born, or who were his parents, is as yet, so far as the writer has discov- ered, unknown. That his wife be- longed to a family of position in England, is known, and from that, and the fact that he at once took a prominent place among the people with whom he had cast his lot, we in- fer him to have been a man of fine education, and of a family equal to that of his wife. In the "Common Burial Ground" at New- port — Drawing by Charles L. N. Camp ^ ii "Iii»l««'M ii^i III LATHAM MANOR HOUSE— ANCESTRAL HOME IN LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND, OF THE LATHAM BLOOD IN AMERICA COMMON BURIAL GROUND OF NEWPORT— Now called the "Governors' Lot." showing head and foot-stone of Frances (Clarke) Vaughan, "Mother of Governors," in foreground — Drawing by Cliarlcs L. N. Camp, Genealogist, of New Haven. Connecticut Jffranrfs Satlram Qllarke — MatifH at dnuf mora Jeremiah Clarke — Progenitor of an Ancient American Family In 1639, he was chosen "Elder" at Aquidneck, and on April 28th of the same year, he, with eight others, signed the compact at Portsmouth, preparatory to the settlement of a new town at the south end of the island, later called Newport. In 1640, he was appointed constable, and on March loth of the same year, is re- corded as owning sixteen acres of land at Newport. The same year he attended the General Court of Elec- tions, and in 1642 was chosen lieu- tenant of the Newport Militia. March 13, 1644, he was chosen as captain, then the highest military rank in the colony. He served as treasurer for New- port, 1644-1647; and 1647-1649, as treasurer of the colony. In 1648, he was chosen governor's assistant, an office similar to the senator of to- day, and, pending the clearance of certain accusations against Governor William Coddington, he was elected governor, under the title of "Presi- dent," thus attaining to the highest position within the gift of his fellow- men. In 1651, having served his day and generation well, as one of the "Mak- ers of American History," he fell asleep and was laid to rest in the town of which he was one of the founders, the "Friends' Meeting" of January, 1652, thus recording his death and burial : "Jeremiah Clarke, one of the first English planters of Rhode Island, died at Newport, in said island, and was buried in the tomb that stands by the street on the waterside, Newport, upon the day of the eleventh month, 1651," Sixty-three years later, his burial- place is referred to by his grand- children, in the settlement of the es- tate of their father. Governor Walter Clarke, they giving to Colonel John Cranston, also a grandchild, a cer- tain piece of land on Main Street, "said land being given in considera- tion of its being kept in good condi- tion, and never broke up, but kept in good and decent manner as a memo- riall to our honored grand-father, Jeremiah Clarke, whose body was interred there in Feb., 1651." Suc- ceeding generations of the Cranston family must have ignored the "con- sideration," for the place where he was interred is now covered with buildings. Mr. Tilley, an authority on the early history of Newport, thinks it have been where the "Bos- ton Store" stands on Main, now Thames Street. Were it possible to find the old tomb to-day, it might solve the mys- tery which surrounds the a'ncestry of Jeremiah Clarke, for it must have given the date and place of his birth, and, probably, as so many of the gravestones of the early Newport families did, his coat-of-arms ; but not even a description of the tomb, other than the above, have I found. That his son. Governor Walter Clarke, used a coat-of-arms, we know, for in the settlement of his estate, in 1714, his children, who were daughters, "agree, that our Uncle, Weston Clarke, shall have our father's seal, on zvhich our father's coat-of-arms is engraven." This seal he had prob- ably, as eldest son, inherited from his father. Search for the Coat=of=Arms of Jeremiah Clarke in America For some years, various persons, I among them, had been searching for the Jeremiah Clarke coat-of-arms. Having examined every printed de- scription of the family that I could find, also copies of wills and deed^, and finding nothing but the above, I turned my attention to Clarke grave- stones, A diligent search in differ- ent grave-yards showed no stone — even that of Governor Walter Clarke, in Clifton graveyard in Newport — Lewis La.tHa-m== Kinq Charles. I. Frances LatKam i.WiHiciiTl Dunqan= ix) Jei'emiali Clarl. ' . Jeremiah Clarke fe>ifeU-a CoMimissiortcr Q yeciri MiKister •( rtie FiV»t Beusti'sT Chureli of CeiU SprinOj. Pa.. Barker :ho\os Easton A H OR. Peter ston , l)L) wije CapT James Barker Mewvb«r otTrooii of Horse Wi De^ulJ Coud Martial IfeH AsSi'stakt -^ vjcaw. PeVrBwrker , UntlTavu Barker = I.FTeel«ve91ijs DepwtM 5 S. o) Hoii Edwai-a V- ^<»"-pJ Gov. tjears = (1) Israel ^vnolS BeMcJut Arneld ^ri Marti Barker = ^.Elishfl.5mltK Dcpofu H Ljeuri S-oiStepKen Arjioltl. Walter Clarke, t. AssisTant IGt3-T'(-" ©oveinor lfe76-1.'Sfe: Deputu (s»ver«oi- !l3 l Member of Sir EdmO Countil, I6»6 ^ ==• I. Content Greenmc = X Hannalx Scott e|.o = 3 MrsJreeborii , .Roger Willi = S. Mrs.SaraK Manhewf Gove' <( MCftvs ovi EfUor's Cool OHCll ■ m -Lieot Charles HoUen Frances Holdett EliiabeThHolden Mctru , Depotij from Warwick I7i5-ife =s Uieul. John Holmes ;=:Capt John Rice =V)oh ''■'■'" ' ' Deputy3 years _ '^ _ General rreaSorei' lfeoni4 Hold en tUey were antestovi of Heviru Lipp'itt Govei-vior otR- 1 I'ilS-UTToi.H.iliis Sox ' Charles Warren Li'ppVtt Sovernor i»9S-96. ' Deputy g .years. Joh Depul KQriiarrneHolmes== Joseph (bariiner William GcxrctinersssMani d Maru ©ardiVier Gapt Peleo Clarke vjolin Gardirver CdcsceMt provedl bu deftdL) Deputy fa overnor o{ ft. 1. 115^. Ifst -n's^ == Frawtes SawforcL- I" Tliroufjh their qrand-Jaoahter tlizobel VHarr'ied John Rooerj the^ were The cti oj S annuel Sreei^e Arno\ci. Uieot 6ov ,, *'*o the riemory o\ "he Hon>L« JOHN GAFCDNER. Esc. ite Lieut > over nor oF this Colonv This Tomb is dedicate a «' changed this Life for one" mo re 8'o»''ous Ml the 29"* t)av of January. A.D. 1764-. m 1he 69* Year of hfs Age. Death was to the Community the loss of seful and wovth^ Member: To his Dlscon iTe Wife and numerous OffspriiiQ a. loss parable he was ex lovins 8r indulgent Husband ^ell as a tendti-dnd affecTionAte Pdi-enT and remarkable for his affable and courteous Deportment to all Men. le\/oun§ he devoted himself to the service is Country in which he was advanced, to y rosTs of the greatesl Trust which he aischarged with honour and fidelity ^as earl^/ received nxtb the Baptist Church L Lommynionof which he remained a worthy ber till his Jjealh; His Life .Was eyemplarv^ few men. 1-iacL a more extensive Charity for Christians of every Denomination. l*J/* aH^°^'' ^^h":^ ^'^ Sickness with beconiins nc« and Resignation a glorious. Presaae of his tnappi.ness: And we trust be is now cd rest » MAiV»i<|na of BJils^s w.TK his Red«iemer " the Spirits of just Men mad*. perfecT. ;toric strain of blood in instead of l66i — The name " Gold " hjoMCu Clarke = Hon. Christopher Fowler Sarah Fowler =.C©I . Edward Marhn Gardner Sarah Kate Martin = Rev, Horace L.E. Pratt". Dallas Bachc Pratt" = Maru Gordon Landon Alexonder Baclie Pratt KoiWan'ne Gn'swold Pratt ■—, LycurqusWindiester Constance Sou^hworth Beatrice Gordon Pratt iffaiti Greene (-« Governors l>vj Jeremiah;Clarke (I Walter Clarke ^ John CroMsToM. . Samuel CransTon Colek Carr. Williaw Orceiaelst William Greene 1»" H«wru Lipp'iit M Charles Warreri LJpp N«hemlaK Rice Kvii William Wawtoh. CUarles Collins Vai- John RctnUtn Ro< Jaw Johi JoK* Wai Wili Wilt' Sail" Choi. Wil Hope Gordon Winchester, Kathoirine L^corq*usWind-»ester, *Lm.] AMERICA FROiM LEWIS LATHAM, FALCONER TO KING CHARLE in the Walter Clarke line is more freauentlv used as "Gould" — The reror I \LES I — Chart drawn I •d of tlip annniiitniPuLj William Voii/cihan 011/^1 Latham Stdt. ran Ko-i'u Clarke laiG<( ===- Dr.uiidCcipT.Joh(iGrans1oii AltorueiJ&enercilfor Piov'iitnce •AMtlWiArw'itk lOJf .'55, '56 Latham Clarke, LiG'iS Weston ClarRcbiG^? James Clarke, fc.ifr'^^. SaraUClark Commissioner loss '59, '(>0,6I 43 bcpoTu (CdV — l&iO , , De|»_ol(jGt>vernor.ltti,'73,"JC^."r7.r Moior and Ckitf Capital n of all tha Colohu.from Ifcit ' IMavor. Ifcll-MV _G>ovemor iCltf.'ig.'tO. Membev- of Court M^rTioJ '92.. •o(CovjrrM<»rTiok|.l(.76 einbci- olCouit Murti'ul. It/ft. > ^..r.' 1 It.-yr ^tt '*Oa M AttorneuG'ewerol l«>7nU Assl&TaMt.lTJfc. Frances Clar|• I'T'^j - nsi m? - 17>5 " » ' )»7S - 1877. 1»95 - l»9fe 1732 ' 1733 » „ ^ " l«77 - ItrKg ,. Washi'M<}toi» 1S16-I101 died dbn'ii^ 1*^ +er«i Lieutenant Governors, SanFortL •Ue Bene l« ene l"* * ne Arnold * ler Van Zandt eeMe '^ lG7St , I7t'/ I'l years UT3-|»75. ArnolcL j_ Thiour hcie ISJTO. He. was . destendwd from the Nfobit ScotMsIt Uord Cranston, And carried in Ki* V a ♦Tr©4m of the A«ti«nt Eirla of Crawford Bothwell &TraqadLi»» Having had for his Grandfather Japi CranaTon Clerk CkipUin to K-n^Char/ int First Hi* Great Grandfather was John CraMston of PooI.Esg.^ Th'i3 last WAS son t« James Cranjton fe^,»' \VhieK JaTtT«s wa5 Son to William Lord Cransl R«st )?tt.«ot Em a.. tVi Coor»Ti-«jV FitK«r fif tky Coontr^'j Fm',h L. N. Camp for The Journal of American History — Recent discoverie.s authenticate the date of the death of Jeremiah Clarke '"ranston as assistant to the Governor in Rhode Island seems to be somewhat olDscure in the engravinor Vrnt should be transcri An IfiBtnrii: Strain nf II006 in Am^rtra bearing anything more than an in- scription. Then I determined to look for original papers signed "by Governor Clarke, both as citi- zen and governor. Mr. Tilley, the courteous Curator of the Newport Historical Society, and also Commis- sioner of Records for the State of Rhode Island, kindly allowed me to examine all the papers of which he bad charge, and among them I worked for weeks. Paper after paper was examined, each a fresh disappoint- ment, until, one morning, when hope was almost gone, I was informed, on my arrival at the Historical Society Rooms, that in a bundle of old papers brought in the day before, had been found a deed, given by Governor Walter Clarke, in 1705, bearing a seal, which was probably the one for which I was searching. The seal, I saw at once, bore an heraldic device, which, when examined through a magnifying glass, showed quite plainly, and was evidently made by the seal. With Mr. Tilley's permis- sion, and under his supervision, I had a photograph taken — somewhat en- larged — of the signature and seal, and on my return to New Haven, had another photograph, still more en- larged, taken of the seal. Frances Latham and Her Marriage to Jeremiah Clarke in Britain Frances Latham (spelled Francis on both her head and foot-stone) was baptized in the parish of Kempston, County Bedford, England, February 15, 1609-10, and was the daughter of Lewis Latham, of Estow, County Bedford, England. Lewis Latham was of a Cadet branch of the Lathams of County Lancaster, England, and bore the arms of that family. He was falconer to Richard Berrick, and under-falconer to Charles, Prince of Wales, who, on ascending the throne as Charles I, retained his falconers, and in 1627, promoted Lewis Latham to the office of serjeant-falconer. Latham probably remained in office until his death, in 1655. Among the possessions of Frances Latham, and said to have been brought over to New England by her, was a portrait of the old falconer, thought to have been painted by Sir Peter Lely, which is now owned by one of her descendants, the late Hon- orable William Lukens Elkins, of Philadelphia. According to a tradition in the family (See "Barker Family"), Fran- ces Latham married, first. Lord Wes- ton, then William Dungan, per- fumer, of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields Parish, London, and after his death married Mr. Jeremiah Clarke and came over to New England. After his death, she married the Reverend Mr. Vaughan, pastor of the Baptist Church, in Newport. Mr. George Austin Morrison, junior, in his able work on "The Clarkes of Rhode Island," doubts the first marriage, however, and he gives such good reasons for it that I quote them, verbatim : "Notwithstanding this" (the Bar- ker statement), "the belief is ad- vanced, with great show of reason, that her first husband was not 'Lord Weston, as the Herald's Visitations and Peerages give no one possessing such a title, contemporary with her. There was a Baron Weston, created, 1628, but his genealogy does not show any such alliance. If she mar- ried a Lord Weston, it must have been at an extremely early age, and the fact that she exchanged the title of Lady Weston, to marry William Dungan, the perfumer, is improbable. "The name Weston, however, among her descendants must be explained, and to this end the genealogy of the Clarke familly of Willoughby, County Warwick, is of great interest. This family bear coat armor blazoned as follows : Argent, on a bend ; gules, between three pellets, as many swans of the first; on a sinister canton, azure, a ram's head, salient, of the first, and in chief, two fleur-de-lis, or, crest, a ram's head, couped, proper. Burke's Peerage gives this family." IfranttB ICattjam (Ulntkt — iHnttj^r nf (gnu^rnnrB Mr. Morrison also adds: "A James Clarke of East Farleigh, Gent, left a will, dated July 13, 1614, proved No- vember I, 1614, in which he mentions that his house and orchard lying at ■Court Wood Gate, in the parish of Wynton, is to go, after death of Griffin Roches and wife Jane, to Weston Clarke, and his heirs for- ever." Frances Latham was four or five years old when this will, mention- ing a Weston Clarke was made, which adds weight to Mr. Morrison's telief that the name Weston did not come into the Clarke family through her marriage with a Weston. To quote again from Mr. Morri- son's work : "''Eliza Britton, born Aug. 21, 1798, dau. Elizabeth Clarke,^ Audley,'* Henry,^ Jeremiah,- Jere- miah,^ left, among her effects, a photo of a coat of arms, which was evi-