Clarksons came to the Tidewater before 1700, holding land south of the York River. Later generations moved to the headwaters of that stream at the foot of the Blue Ridge. Although several schemes have been put forth to connect the individuals found in early records to one another, the resulting pedigrees seem based more on supposition than fact.
The name of Clarkson appears in Virginia history as early as 1647, when John Clarkson was named as a churchwarden in York County.1 Such an appointment indicates he must have been a man of some substance. In 1680 John “Clarkeson” appears on a list of residents in St Philip’s Parish in Barbados, charged with 3 acres, no white servants, and 1 Negro.2 There was a lot of movement back and forth from Barbados to Virginia, and many Virginia families had connections to the island.
On 26 October 1699, David Clarkson (along with 51 others) was claimed as a headright by Benjamin Buckley in New Kent County.3 The entry indicates that David had been present in Virginia by 1699. It does not mean that he first arrived on that date or even that it was his first trip to Virginia. If he was the son of John (as is commonly held) he might have been sent back to England for schooling or to attend to some business matters.
In 1702, as a member of a Grand Jury, David added his signature to “A Humble Address” to Queen Anne on her accession, wishing that, “Your majesty may live to enjoy a long and happy reigne.”4 In April 1704 he appears on a rent roll, having patented 200 acres in New Kent.5 The land had been escheated from John Mathews, deceased.6 On 20 October of that year he joined with John Butts in patenting 338 acres for the transport of seven persons: Anne Philips, Sara Dove, John Cockrill, Geo Clough, Thomas Miller, William Williams, and Wm Gamblin.7 The connections with Butts continued. On 1 April 1717 David Clarkson received a patent for an additional 85 acres of new land, adjacent to land of said Clarkson and John Butts, from Governor Alexander Spotswood for a payment of ten shillings.8
David had two children whose names appear in the parish records of St Peter’s. John was christened in February 1710, and Frances died on 27 April of that year.9 In addition to David, the name of Peter Clarkson is found in New Kent. The death of Johanna Clarkson, wife of Peter, is noted on 3 February 1711/12.
There was also a David Junior, whose unnamed daughter was christened 24 February 1715.
According to an undocumented entry in the IGI, an Elizabeth Butts was David Clarkson’s wife. The name is repeated among Julius’ descendants. His daughter who married John McConnell in Bourbon County, Christmas 1804 and moved to Morgan County, Illinois, was named Elizabeth Butts Clarkson. Samuel W. Hughes (above) noted that the name also appeared as Elizabeth Butts Lewis, daughter of Julius’ sister, Susan [Susannah] Clarkson, and John Lewis, and postulated that Elizabeth Butts was Julius’ mother.10 Perhaps this Elizabeth was a granddaughter of the John Butts who was active around 1700.
There is no record of a Clarkson-Butts union, but David Clarkson’s marriage to Elizabeth Jackson is recorded in Saint Peter’s, New Kent, 18 November 1713.11 This was either a second marriage for the elder David or an early marriage for the younger. The confusion grew as did the generations. There appear to have been at least a dozen David Clarksons among these prolific Virginians (not counting several more with various middle names).
Within a few years four more Clarkson men appeared: William, Robert, John and James. In 1716 William Clarkson was charged with two tithables in the parish of “St Maryes White Chappell” in Lancaster County.12
In 1719 Robert Clarkson was claimed as a headright by Gilbert Gibson in New Kent.13
An Elizabeth Clarkson (not otherwise identified) died 6 December 1719, and David died 15 April 1720, followed two days later by another Elizabeth. The next week, “a Negro boy belonging to David Clarkson” died. That winter was a hard one for the Clarksons of New Kent.
In April 1726 the birth of Dick, a boy belonging to Susannah Clarkson was noted, and in June the birth of Frank, a Negro belonging to John Clarkson. In November 1728 Jenny, a Negro belonging to “Ja. Clarkson” was born.14
Possible Connections to New York Clarksons
In 1971 Robert Craine published a study of the Clarksons of New York and their English antecedents in Yorkshire.15 The repetition of familiar names such as David and Matthew among the northerners hints at a connection with the Virginia branch. According to Martha E. Munson (a descendant of Elizabeth Butts Clarkson and John McConnell), the connection is through the Rev David Clarkson.16
Piedmont Clarksons
Notes:
1 Virginia Will Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982), 497.
2 James C. Bradnow, ed., Omitted Chapters from Hotten’s Original Lists of Persons of Quality (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1983), 5.
3 Patent Book 9: 233, cited in Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, v3 1695-1732 (Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1979), 35.
4 Louis des Cognets, Jr, English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981 [1958]), 253.
5 Ibid., 75, 164.
6 Nugent, 85.
7 Patent Book 9: 611. Nugent, 86.
8 Patent Book 9: 317. Nugent, 190. See also des Cognets, 108.
9 Parish Register of Saint Peter’s, New Kent County, Virginia, 1680-1787 (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1988 [1904]), 5.
10 Samuel W. Hughes to Mrs Martha Woodruff Hiden, 6 Mar 1934. George Harrison Sanford King papers, Virginia Historical Society. Mssl K5823 a FA1 sec 1 (Clarkson). See more on the Butts Family of New Kent.
11 Saint Peter’s, 47.
12 Virginia Tax Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1983), 272.
13 Patent Book 10: 437. Nugent, 214.
14 Saint Peter’s, 81.
15 J. Robert T. Craine, edited by Harry W. Hazard, The Ancestry and Posterity of Matthew Clarkson (1664-1702) (n.p.: author, 1971). Additional information is in Jean W. Ashton. “Clarkson, Matthew”, American National Biography Online. Feb. 2001
16 Letter 21 Aug 1921, cited by Mary Alkire on genforum/Clarkson #837, Aug 2002.
