Bell 30 & 31

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30. John Franklin Clark & 31.Mary Jane Doak {Madison Co. TN}


5/31/1822, John born in Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC, the s/o 60. Jonas Clark and 61. Ann Alexander.
1826, John traveled with his parents to TN.
11/24/1826, Mary born in Madison Co., TN, the d/o 62. William Doak and 63. Jane Wilson. (S) Hist. of TN, P884.
2/24/1827, John named as 1 of 2 sons in a deeded gift of land by his father Jonas.
No.62:(S) 1830 Census. Mary, f:5-10.
No.60:(S) 1840 Census. John, m:15-20.
No.62:(S) 1840 Census. Mary, f:10-15.
10/29/1844, “J F Clark” witnessed the will of John Barnett in Madison Co. (S) Madison Co. Wills, 1821–1854.
8/19/1845, Jonas Clark sold to John Clark, his son, for $500, lots 65, 99, 100 in Jackson, Tenn. (S) Madison Co., DB–10, P106.
2/26/1846, John’s father died.
1846, John’s mother Ann moved in with him, living on the old Goodrich tract (now Claybrook), somewhat to the east of the Clark place which was then in Civil District 14.
6/2/1846, a few weeks after his brother Edwin, John enrolled at Nashville for the Mexican War: Private, Co. D, 1st Inf., TN Volunteers. Three months later, 9/6/1846, after the battle of Camargo, he was discharged on Surgical Certification. (S) Volunteers: Tenneesseans in the War with Mexico by Reid Brock, published 12/1986.
1847, John began a merchandising business in Spring Creek, Madison Co., TN. (S) Hist. of TN, P884.
1/31/1849, John married Mary in Madison Co. TN. (S) Madison Co. Marriage Records. Marriage witnessed by E A Clark, John’s brother. (S) Stemm Family Bible.
3/4/1850, John and Edwin sell their father’s land to Joseph Fogg for $3000. (S) Madison Co. DB13, P582.
10/25/1850, (S) 1850 Census, TN, Madison Co., Distr12. Mary’s brother Thomas is living with the family. John’s father had died and his mother Ann lives with them.
10/25/1850, (S) 1850 Slave Schedule, TN, Madison Co., Distr12. He had 17 slaves: 10 male and 7 female.
1/31/1852, John F. Clark, Madison Co., Tenn. for “love and affection” for his brother, Edwin A. Clark, gave him a 1/3 interest in 717 acres called the Russell Goodrich and Micajah Keith tract, on which John F. Clark lived; as well as 17 slaves, livestock and farming tools. Reg Mar. 17, 1852. (S) Madison Co., DB-15, PP483-4.
1852, John and Edwin started a mercantile business at Cotton Grove.
7/17/1853, John made sworn testimony in his mother’s Rev. War pension application.
12/26/1853, Allen Fuller of Illinois sold to John F. Clark, Madison Co., Tenn. his interest in the estate of the late Wiley Harris as recorded in his will; for $250. Reg Dec. 26, 1853. (S) Madison Co., DB-17, PP53-4.
1858, John made a written recommendation of an overseer for slaves to J W Campbell: “I think he will suit you for that business [overseer] as he is attentive enough, but you will have to bind him not to beat up your negros with unnecessary whip such as a stick or cudgell. He will govern your hands but he is very excitable and by cautioning him I judge he would do right.” (S) Curtis Bray Collection & Historic Madison by Emma Williams, 2nd Ed., Publ. by The Jackson Service League, 1972.
6/13/1859 John’s mother died.
8/27/1860, (S) 1860 Census, TN, Madison Co., Distr13, Cotton Grove. John is a farmer. His real estate is valued at $24,000, and his personal estate at $22,500. He lives next to his brother Edwin.
(S) 1860 Slave Schedule. John owned 20 slaves, all with race given as black.
4/11/1867 John died in Madison Co., TN. Burial in Brown’s Cem. (S) Madison Co., TN, Court Co. Minute B12, 12/1870–10/1873, P4.
6/20/1870, (S) 1870 Census, TN, Madison Co., Distr14, Jackson. Mary is a farmer. Her real estate is valued at $1000, and her personal estate at $300. Susan and Lizzie’s birth dates are reversed.
6/1880, (S) 1880 Census, TN, Madison Co., Distr14, Jackson. Mary is keeping house for Thomas and Harvey who are farming. Susan & Elizabeth also live with her.
6/25/1900, (S) 1900 Census, TN, Madison Co., Distr14, Jackson. n: “Mary D Sr.”. Mary has had 6 children, 5 of which are still alive. She is living with her son John Harvey. Mary L also lives with them.
5/16/1906, Mary died in Madison Co., TN. Burial in Brown’s Cem., Madison Co., TN. (S) Gravestone & (S) Stemm Family Bible.
(S) History of TN, Goodspeed Publishing Co., Nashville, TN, February, 1887. Information is from personal contact with Edwin60ii.
(S) Stemm Family Bible [SFB].

Children of John and Mary:

i. Nicy “Erica” Ann Clark, born 5/7/1850 in Madison Co., TN.
No.30:(S) 1850 Census.
No.30:(S) 1860 Census.
No.31:(S) 1870 Census.

ii. Edwin Jonas Clark, born 3/7/1852 in Madison Co., TN. (S) SFB.
No.30:(S) 1860 Census.
No.31:(S) 1870 Census.
Edwin provided the family history to the publishers of “History of Tennessee”, later published in 1887.
8/6/1878, Edwin died. (S) SFB.

iii. Thomas Doak Clark, born 1/1/1855 in Madison Co., TN. (S) SFB.
No.30:(S) 1860 Census.
No.31:(S) 1870 Census.
No.31:(S) 1880 Census. Thomas is a farmer, his brother Harvey working with him.
1/6/1881, Thomas wrote an entry in the SFB: “Remember me” on the Memoranda page.
[Thomas likely the source of most of the information in the SFB.]
10/18/1901 Thomas died. (S) SFB.

iv. Susan Rebecca Clark (No.15), born 2/14/1857.

v. Mary Elizabeth Clark, born 2/11/1859 in Madison Co., TN. (S) SFB.
No.30:(S) 1860 Census.
No.31:(S) 1870 Census. n: “D”.
No.31:(S) 1880 Census. n: “Elizabeth”.
No.31:(S) 1900 Census. n: “Mary D Jr”. Living with her brother John.
No.15:(S) 1910 Census. n: “Lizzie”. Living with her sister Susan15, she is blind.
9/15/1915, Mary died in Madison Co., TN. Burial in Brown’s Cem., Madison Co., TN. (S) SFB.

vi. John Harvey Clark, born 2/17/1862 in Lexington, Henderson Co., TN. (S) SFB.
No.31:(S) 1870 Census.
No.31:(S) 1880 Census. Harvey is farming with his brother.
12/22/1889 he married Annie P Land, b: 3/1866 in VA. (S) SFB.
No.31:(S) 1900 Census. John owns his farm. Annie has had 3 children, none of which survived. His mother and sister live with him. They have a border – Ellen Brown, age 17.
4/18/1910, (S) 1910 Census, TN, Madison Co., Distr14. They live on Cotton Grove Rd, not far from George Land, probably Annie’s brother. Annie indicates she has not had any children. Harvey owns his farm. He and Annie have a nephew, Fred – born in 1900 in TX, living with them. Fred’s father was born in TN and his mother in LA.
1/19/1920, (S) 1920 Census, TN, Madison Co., Distr14. John is a farmer. Fred is still living with them.
3/23/1934 John died in Madison Co., TN. Burial in Brown’s Cem. (S) Gravestone & (S) SFB.
6/20/1942 Annie provided and affidavit as to the birth of Elizabeth Stemm7.
1945 Annie died. Burial in Brown’s Cem., Madison Co., TN.
Family notes:
• Virginia (No. 3) remembered visiting her Great Uncle Harvey and “Aunt Annie” with her mother when she was little (about 1930). They lived on a farm on a big hill. They had to travel along a dirt road to get there (which she says was slippery when it rained). The house had an open narrow hallway dividing the bedrooms one one side from the rest of the house. They had no electricity. She remembered that they had no children.