Harrison Genealogy Repository

Notes

We have documented that Patrick Clarke and his wife Catherine Malone are the parents of Sarah Clarke who married Joseph Hooter. Our ancestor Michael Hooter, 1791-1867 was bapt in Avoyelles Parish, LA. His grandparents are listed as the above two people.

A family of Clarkes than we cannot connect too, and yet they appear to be kin is Daniel Clarke, Sr. of Natchez and his nephew Daniel Clarke, Jr. of New Orleans.

FACTS ABOUT THE DANIEL CLARK(E) FAMILY, OF PENNSYLVANIA, MISSISSIPPI & LOUISIANA: (AND OUR POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP TO THE FAMILY)

DANIEL CLARK, JR was born in County Sligo, Ireland, 1766. He studied at Eton, and afterward joined his uncle, COLONEL DANIEL CLARKE, SR in Mississippi and Louisiana. The uncle has been described by some as "the wealthiest man in America." DANIEL, SR apparently came from the same area of Ireland and settled in the Germantown/Philadelphia area. JR. may have lived in NJ for a period of time. Mr. Clark, Sr. came to America to assist a relative, Col George Groghan, a former Indian Agent who got surrender from Chief Pontiac in 1765. On January 15, 1768, he received grant of 4500 acres in West Florida at Natchez. Nolan Harmon's book, THE FAMOUS CASE OF MYRA CLARKE GAINS says that Daniel, Jr arrived in New Orleans in December 1786 at the age of 20. He was one of two sons in a family of six children. He took pride in his lineage and kin to the old kings of Ireland.

SR. received a land grant of some 5000 acres in the Natchez area. He and his wife JANE HOOPES, lived in the countryside near Natchez. Her tombstone in the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia states that she was the daughter of ADAM & ELIZABETH HOOPES. DANIEL, SR died in the year 1800. She apparently returned to Pennsylvania and died October 26, 1815 .

Some accounts state that the Pennsylvania Clarks were associates of the CARROLL family of Baltimore.

In 1796, Col Clark conveyed to his nephew, DANIEL, JR the whole of his extensive property in Louisiana. While in that state Jr was the U. S. Consul to French New Orleans. Later, after statehood, in 1806, he was U. S. Representative in Washington, D. C. He retired from public life in 1808. Before retiring, JR was involved with men of doubtable character. He was an associate of AARON BURR and U. S. General CLAIBORNE in some never-defined conspiracy.

When JR died, he willed his entire estate to his mother MARY CLARK of Philadelphia. When she died, her will bequeathed to "my granddaughter, MYRA, natural daughter of my son DANIEL CLARK, JR......." This daughter was none other than the fabulous MYRA CLARK GAINS who was featured by author Harnett Kane in his book "NEW ORLEANS WOMAN."

The novel concerned Myra's fifty year effort, before the U. S. Supreme Court, to recover her father's fortune. JR appears to have died about 1813 in New Orleans and he is buried at the St. Louis Cemetery No. 2. The property valued at some $32,000,000 in 1860, had been misappropriated by JR's business partners in New Orleans. Her efforts were not successful.

Our concern with DANIEL CLARK, JR is one of possible kinship with another family of CLARKES, all from Ireland, to Baltimore and finally to Louisiana. Our proven Clark connection is PATRICK CLARK and his wife CATHERINE MILONI, of Avoyelles Parish, LA. Among their children was a daughter SARAH CLARK HOOTER, wife of JOSEPH HOOTER.

When JOSEPH HOOTER died c1809, he left his widow with six minor children. During the probation of Joseph's estate, the court appointed Sarah Clark Hooter's brother, DANIEL CLARK, as a trustee for the under-age children. Mr. Alfred E. Lemmon, handwriting expert with THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, a foundation in that city, offers the opinion that the signature which appears many times in the Hooter Succession Papers is the same as that of DANIEL CLARK, JR of New Orleans.

Our purpose for studying both sets of Clarks is an effort to prove the relationship between DANIEL CLARK, JR & PATRICK CLARK of Avoyelles Parish, and thus identify the parents of the latter.

This narrative is by Harold C. Fisher, 512 King's Row, Yazoo City, Mississippi E-Mail: Dover2@aol.com

Sources: THE CLARK FAMILY, THE LOUISIANA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY, VOL 20, January 1937.

Correspondence from Russell Fisher of Utica, MS to Harold C. Fisher

THE FAMOUS CASE OF MYRA CLARK GAINS, by Nolan B. Harmon, Jr, LSU Press, 1946

SOURCE DATE ON PATRICK CLARK: St. Martin Church records show him as being from Ireland. In the baptism record of his grandson, James Clark, Jr, he is listed as b eing a native of VA. (St. Paul's Church of Avoyelles Parish, LA)

Death Date of Patrick Clark was after 6 Sept 1806 when he served as godfather to his grandson, DANIEL CLARK. James Clark, son of Patrick and father of Daniel was dead.

He is sometimes confused with his brother FRANCIS CLARK. Their names sometimes spelled CLARKE. His wife CATHERINE MALONI is listed as grandmother at baptism records of Hooter grandchildren. She was also alive on 6 Sept 1806 at baptism of grandson DANIEL CLARK. It is assumed that CATHERINE MALONI & RACHEL MALONI, who marr FRANCIS CLARK, are sisters. The Irish spelling is MALONE.

He first appeared in LA when he signed the death certificate of a Maria Donegan or Duncan.

" Patrick CLARK is clearly shown in the Confirmation records of St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans as Patricio CLARC the son of Ferincio and Susana CLARC. In various Catholic Sacramental marriage records of their children, the parents are shown as Terrance CLARK and Susanna COEM (sometimes COUIN, COUVEN) Daniel CLARK was an Irish immigrant, but a merchant of "much wealth". Having received many "British Land Grants" in the tens of thousands of acres along the Gulf South, during occupational periods by the British, later Spanish West Florida, the largest being at St. Catherine's Creek settlement along the Mississippi river, containing 3000 acres. He wrote a "Living Will" recorded in the courthouse of Natchez, MS in Adams County in Deed Book A, beginning at page 152, in which he gave to his "nephew" and later referred to his wife (Jane's) nephew, Daniel CLARK, all of his land holdings in Kentucky on Paint Creek and on Rocky Fork of Paint Creek, actually being northwest of the Ohio River between the Scioto and Little Miami Rivers and gives to his "only sons" Daniel Jr. and Richard CLARK all of his holdings in the Natchez District and all other holdings. He reserved the right to choose a place of residence for he or his surviving widow in any of his homes...and the list is lengthy, but from memory, they included, New Orleans, Philadelphia, New York City, Dublin or London. His nephew, Daniel appointed William DUNBAR his attorney and agent on 29 June 1800." ^[S938]

Notes

of Steeton Castle, Co York. Guy was appointed Judge of the Court of the King's Bench, 29 Sep 1478; built the Steeton Castle in 1470.