I have an article from the Napa Journal (10/17/1930) which tells of Castmor H. Clark being a pioneer settler/builder, and his son, my GG Grandfather, Charles Theodore Clark being a brickmason, learned the trade under his father in San Fransisco (1856). They moved west from Ohio in 1850. Charles T. was a member of the Vigilante Committee (sic).

Apparently, there is more information about Castmor H. Clark than I'm aware of. Could someone help me find further information about these ancestors of mine, and possibly if they're related to the explorer William Clark?

TIA

Diane Lynch

-- Diane Lynch (delynch@comcast.net), July 10, 2003

Answers

Oh Pleasssse, If you were related to William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, you would absolutely know about it unless someone in your family tree was an illigitimate child and it was kept a secret. But I can help you find out. Clark married Julia Hancock who was 15. That would be considered rape today. They had 5 sons one of which was named after his expedition partner Meriwether Lewis. Julia died at 31 considered middle age in those times. Clark then married Harriet Kennerly Radford in 1821 and they had two children. Clark also was appointed a brigadeer general and Governor of something like the Northwest territory.

One of their descendants also bought Churchill Downs and helped start the Kentucky Derby.

Now why I say you'd know if you were related to the William Clark family is because famous people often keep careful genealogical records so someone doesn't jump in and try to claim some inheritance.

Here is a family tree of the Clark family going all the way back to the 1600s in England.

Ancestor of General George Rogers Clark and explorer William Clark

-3 John C Clark b: Wrotham, Kent, England +Elizabeth Steed -2 William Clark b: Wrotham, Kent, England +Mary Culpepper b: Hollingbourne, Kent, England -1 John 1st Clark b: 1625 d aft 1683 +Mary Bird 0 John Clark, Jr b: abt 1660 Kent, England d: aft 1735 +Elizabeth Lumkin 1 Jonathan Clark b: Albemarle Co, VA +Elizabeth Ann Wilson b: King&Queen Co, VA m: K & Q Co, VA 2 John III, 2nd Clark b: Oct 20, 1724 K & Q Co, VA d: Aug 1799 Mulberry Hill, Louisville, KY +Ann Rogers b: Oct 20, 1734 K & Q Co, VA m: 1749 K & Q Co, VA d: Dec 24, 1798 Mulberry Hill, KY 3 Jonathan Clark b: Aug 01, 1750 Albemarle Co, VA d: 1816 Mulberry Hill, KY +Sarah Hite 4 sons,4 ClarkJ b: Abt 1780 4 daus,2 ClarkJ b: Abt 1780 3 George Rogers Clark b: Nov 19, 1752 Albemarle Co, VA d: Feb 13, 1818 Locust Grove, KY 3 Ann Clark b: Jul 14, 1755 Caroline Co, VA d: 1822 Locust Grove, KY +Owen Gwathmey m: Oct 25, 1773 4 Diana "Missy" Gwathmey +Tom Bullitt 4 George Gwathmey 4 son, 4 more of Owen Gwathmey 4 dau, 4 more of Owen Gwathmey 3 John 3rd Clark b: Sep 15, 1757 Caroline Co, VA d: Oct 17, 1783 Prison ship, LI, NY 3 Richard "Dickie" Clark b: Jul 06, 1760 Caroline Co, VA d: 1784 Little Wabash, 3 Edmund 1762 Clark b: Sep 25, 1762 Caroline Co, VA d: 1817 Louisville, KY 3 Lucy Clark b: Sep 15, 1765 Caroline Co, VA d: Mar 04, 1837 Locust Grove, Louisville, KY +William Croghan b: Abt 1860 4 sons, 5 Croghan 4 dau, 2 Croghan 4 E. Croghan +George 3d Hancock b: Apr 06, 1798 3 Elizabeth Clark b: Feb 11, 1768 Caroline Co, VA d: 1795 +Richard Clough Anderson 4 son of Anderson 4 daus, 3 of Anderson 3 William Clark b: Aug 01, 1770 Caroline Co, VA d: Sep 01, 1838 St Louis, MO +Julia "Judith" Hancock b: Nov 21, 1791 Fincastle, VA m: Jan 05, 1808 Fincastle, VA d: Jun 27, 1820 Fortheringay, VA 4 Meriwether Lewis Clark b: Jan 10, 1809 St Louis, MO d: Oct 28, 1881 Frankfort, KY +Abby Churchill b: Mar 09, 1817 Louisville, KY m: Jan 09, 1834 Louisville, KY d: Jan 14, 1852 St Louis, MO 5 William Hancock Clark b: Dec 25, 1839 St Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 +Camilla Gaylord b: Jan 16, 1848 Elizabeth, NJ m: Aug 22, 1883 New York, NY 5 Samuel Churchill Clark b: Sep 12, 1843 St Louis, MO d: Mar 08, 1862 Elk Horn, Pea Ridge, AR 5 Mary Eliza (di) Clark b: May 31, 1845 St Louis, MO d: May 1847 Spring Grove, KY 5 Meriwether Lewis 2d Clark b: Jan 27, 1846 Louisville, KY d: Aft 1893 +Mary Martin Anderson b: Sep 18, 1852 Louisville, KY m: May 01, 1871 Louisville, KY 6 John Henry Churchill Clark b:Aug 15,1874 Louisville, KY d: Aft 1893 6 Carrie Anderson Clark b: Aug 20, 1876 Louisville, KY d: Aft 1893 6 Marie Barbaroux Clark b: Sep 24, 1877 Louisville, KY d: Aft 1893 5 John O'Fallon 2 Clark b: Jul 07, 1848 St Louis, MO d: Feb 1863 Frankfort, KY 5 George Rogers 2d Clark b: Apr 19, 1850 St Louis, MO d: Greenville, MS 5 Charles Jefferson Clark b: Jan 10, 1852 St Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 +Lena Jacob b: Sep 17, 1853 Louisville, KY m: Jul 05, 1873 Louisville, KY d: Aft 1893 *2nd Wife of Meriwether Lewis Clark: +Julia Davidson b: Jul 08, 1826 New Orleans, LA m: Dec 30, 1865 Louisville, KY d: Aft 1893 4 William Preston Clark b: Oct 05, 1811 St Louis, MO d: May 16, 1840 St Louis, MO 4 Mary Margaret d7 Clark b: Jan 01, 1814 St Louis, MO d: Oct 15, 1821 Middletown, Ky 4 George Rogers Hancock Clark b: May 06, 1816 St Louis, MO d: Sep 29, 1858 St Louis, MO +Eleanor Ann Glasgow m: Mar 30, 1841 St Louis, MO 5 Julia Clark b: Mar 06, 1842 St Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 +Robert Stevenson Voorhis b: Jan 11, 1824 Lebanon, OH m: Nov 28, 1861 St Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 6 Eleanor Glosgow Voorhis b: Dec 04, 1863 St Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 5 Sarah "Sadie" Leonida Clark b: Oct 06, 1843 S.t Louis, MO d: Dec 18, 1864 St Louis, MO 5 John O'Fallon 1 Clark b: Dec 17, 1844 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 +Beatrice Chouteau b: Oct 07, 1847 St. Louis, MO m: Jan 15, 1867 St Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 6 Henry Chouteau d4 Clark b: Jul 15, 1868 St. Louis, MO d: Jul 15, 1872 St Louis, MO 6 Beatrice Chouteau Clark b: Jul 05, 1870 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 6 Carlota Clark b: Jul 27, 1872 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 6 William Glasgow Clark b: Nov 26, 1874 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 6 Clemence Eleanor Clark b: Apr 13, 1877 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 6 John O'Fallon 3 Clark b: May 18, 1880 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 6 Harriet Kennerly Clark b: Jan 25, 1884 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 5 Ellen Glasgow Clark b: Jan 22, 1846 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 +Willis Edward Lauderdale b: May 22, 1837 Livingston Co, NY m: Oct 26, 1865 St Louis, MO 6 Seddie Clark Lauderdale b: Mar 17, 1867 d: Aft 1893 +Wilmot Edward Ellis m: Apr 08, 1890 Philadelphia,PA d: Aft 1893 7 Edward Lauderdale Ellis b: Dec 25, 1892 Presidio, S.F.,CA d: Aft 1893 6 Walter Clark Lauderdale b: Jun 05, 1874 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 4 John Julius d13 Clark b: Jul 06, 1818 St. Louis, MO d: Sep 05, 1831 St. Louis, MO *2nd Wife of William Clark: +Harriet Kennerly b: Jul 25, 1788 Fincastle, VA m: Nov 28, 1821 St. Louis, MO d: Dec 25, 1831 St. Louis, MO 4 Jefferson Kearny Clark b: Feb 29, 1824 St. Louis, MO d: 1902 +Mary Susan Glasgow b: Nov 14, 1828 St. Louis, MO m: May 08, 1849 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 5 Mary Susan Clark b: Feb 23, 1877 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 5 Evelyn Kennerly Clark b: Dec 27, 1882 St. Louis, MO d: Aft 1893 5 Edwina Churchill Clark b:Mar 13, 1893 4 Edmund 2nd (di) Clark b: Sep 09, 1826 St Louis, MO d: Aug 12, 1827 St. Louis, MO 3 Frances "Fanny" Eleanor Clark b: Jan 20, 1773 Caroline Co, VA d: St. Louis, MO +James O'Fallon b: Athlone, IRELAND d: 1793 Louisville, KY 4 John O'Fallon d: Dec 17, 1865 St Louis, MO 4 Benjamin O'Fallon *2nd Husband of Frances "Fanny" Eleanor Clark: +Charles M Thurston 4 children4 Thurston *3rd Husband of Frances "Fanny" Eleanor Clark: +Dennis Fitzhugh 4 child Fitzhugh 2 Benjamin Clark b: Abt 1726 +Elizabeth Lee 3 Jonathan Clark 3 Benjamin Wilson Clark +Frances Ragsdale 4 Elizabeth Clark b: Abt 1789 +Alexander Beard m: Mar 30, 1809 4 Frances Clark b: Abt 1797 +John Y. Eses m: Jan 23, 1817 4 Lucy Clark b: Abt 1802 +William Naylor m: Feb 21, 1822 4 Sophia Clark b: Abt 1807 +Otho Naylor m: Mar 15, 1827 4 Patsy Clark b: Abt 1804 +Alexander Naylor m: Nov 18, 1824 4 Roderick Clark b: Abt 1800 +Elizabeth Naylor m: Aug 20, 1820 4 Benjamin Clark +Elizabeth widow Greer m: VA 4 Joseph Clark b: Abt 1793 +Patsy Greer m: Sep 08, 1813 Barren, Kentucky 4 Jonathan Clark b: Bef 1786 d: Abt Apr 1829 4 William Clark +Nancy Hardy 4 Richard Clark +Ann Richie m: Feb 15, 1819 4 Drewry Clark b: Abt 1800 +wife clarkB Estes *2nd Wife of Drewry Clark: +Elizabeth Beard m: Nov 09, 1826 3 Everard Clark d: Abt Oct 1829 +Lucinda Courts 4 Lucinda Clark +Joseph Rogers Garnett 3 Lucy Clark +John Pool d: Abt Jun 1827 4 John Pool (jr) b: Mar 09, 1809 +Eliza Stuart Wren m: Jan 05, 1831 4 Louisa Yates Pool b: Jan 05, 1831 +husband Miller 4 Elizabeth C. Pool +John Cook m: 1813 4 Mary Lee Pool +John Mason Shirley m: 1824 *2nd Wife of Benjamin Clark: +wife1 Green 3 William Clark +Elizabeth Mitchell 3 Marston Green Clark 2 Elizabeth Clark 2 Ann Clark

-- Harry Murphy (harrymurphy*@bigmailbox.net), July 13, 2003.

I just want to make a correction to a statement that was made in a reply to your question. That being the reference to marrying a 15 (though she was 16) year old girl. In Virginia today it is completely LEGAL to marry a girl of 16 or 15 or 14 with prenatal concent.

-- alex smith (mrknightly1@Hotmail.com), December 06, 2004.