Name: Robert CLARK
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Birth: about 1745 Augusta County, Virginia
Death: January 1801 Age: 56
Father: James CLARK
Mother: Elizabeth

Misc. Notes
Robert Clarke's Station [1]

Robert Clarke built a station in 1784 on the Hume Bedford Road just outside-Paris (Ardery 1939:14; Figure IV-5). His descendents continued to modify and occupy the site until the 20th century when the main dwelling burned. Clarke originally hailed from Augusta County, Virginia and was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War. He is reported to have acquired his farm by land grant (Kentuckian--Citizen 1934). However, a grant was not located which could be satisfactorily verified as relating to his land. The only instance of Robert Clark or Clarke listed in the Virginia land grants (Brookes-Smith 1976:36) for Bourbon County tracts is a Robert Clark with 2500 acres on Sandy Creek which was assigned to Robert Craddock. This location refers to the Big Sandy drainage in northeastern Kentucky. The Old Kentucky land grant index lists a Robert Clarke, Jr. who received 2000 acres by Treasury Warrant in Bourbon County on June 28, 1788 (Brookes-Smith 1975:32). The patent was delivered to Robert Clarke, Jr. on March 29, 1798. Its description is as follows:

Beginning on Buckhorn Creek opposite the Big Elk Lick at a Buckeye thence south two hundred and ninety poles to a large Black Oak thence East four hundred and forty-five poles corner at two Beeches thence North four hundred and seventy poles where the [line] crosses the creek at the round bottom, continuing said course two hundred and fifty poles to a corner at two White Oaks thence West four hundred and forty five poles to a corner at two Dogwoods and oak from thence South four hundred and thirty poles to the beginning with its appurtenances.

Perusal of the early land surveys in Bourbon County revealed several large tracts on Buckhorn Creek which specified it as the "North Fork of Kentucky River" and adjacent to the Rockhouse Creek drainage (Bourbon County Survey Book "A", pp. 201, 203). These clues place Buckhorn Creek in the Eastern Mountains of Kentucky. However, later documents clearly indicate that Robert Clarke owned the station land in question. Robert Clarke's will notes that his son Robert received 2/3 of the land lying next to "Brints' Mill" and his son John received 1/3 of the land west of son James' previously deeded share. His wife Agnes received the plantation house (Bourbon County Will Book B, p. 116).

A mill is shown on Houston Creek east of Clark's house site on the 1877 Beers and Lanagan map of Bourbon County (transferred to the topographic map in Figure IV-5). Robert and Agnes Clarke deeded a tract of 99-1/2 acres on Houston Creek (spelled Huston in the deed) to Hugh Brent on June 4, 1800 (Bourbon County Deed Book "E", pp. 434-5). This tract was described as adjoining Patrick Jordan's preemption, and Adam Coons' land. The deed of land to James Clark is for 229-1/2 acres and is dated December, 1796. However, it is to James Clarke from Robert and Nancy Clark (not Agnes who appears in the will). As Agnes appears in all other transactions and no remarriage is recorded for Robert between 1796 and 1800, the name Nancy is probably a diminutive for Agnes. Nor is the tract description sufficiently informative to verify location.

The original station has been described as having consisted of a two-story log blockhouse and two other log buildings connected to one another by a stockade (Kentuckian-Citizen 1944). The log blockhouse later was modified by the addition of a two-story brick structure in front. The other two buildings and the stockade have not survived. According to a family member who is familiar with the house (Mrs. Dorothy Poole 1983: personal communication), the log section had stone foundations and a stone chimney on each end (Figure IV-6). Stairs leading to a second story were along the north wall in the northwest corner. Both floors were divided into two rooms by a north-south partition. These rooms were apparently separated by a wall which formed a porch on the north side, including the stairs. The roof sloped down to the north so that the second story had a very low ceiling along its northern section. The later brick addition attached to the south. The spring is a small but reliable source emanating from beneath a low rock ledge southwest of the home. The small run fed by the spring is called Clark-s Run which also became the farm's name.

Examination of the site (designated 15Bb78 by the office of State Archaeology) revealed the remains of both the earlier log structure and later brick addition. Burned structural debris and dense overgrowth obscured much of the remains. The stone foundations and chimney remains are still visible. Nine shovel probes placed systematically around the log section revealed small amounts of later occupational debris and limestone rock (Table IV-1). Only the chinking mortar provides evidence of a log structure. The back yard in which the probes were placed appears to have been kept relatively free of trash and the major dumping area was, for a portion of at least the later occupation, further away from the house. As the yard does not appear to have ever been plowed, the potential for significant archaeological remains is very high.

A cemetery also exists on the farm although the stones have suffered from weathering. It is located at a considerable distance northeast of the house. Cemetery records at the Kentucky Historical Society indicate that a Lt. Robert Clark, born around 1745 and dead by in January of 1801, is buried on the John Woodford farm on the Winchester Road in Clintonville Precinct. The date at which the cemetery records were compiled is not indicated; however, it was probably in the first half of the twentieth century when several local lay historians were particularly active. A resident named W. Woodford and two J. T. Woodfords are shown along or near Winchester Road on the 1877 Beers and Lanagan map of Bourbon County. Assuming this is the same Robert Clarke, his burial away from his estate is not wholly explicable, particularly since the family maintained a cemetery near the house. A field check of this cemetery revealed no marked stone for Robert Clarke; however, several fieldstones are present which probably date to the late eighteenth-early nineteenth century. A marked stone (without dates) in an early style was located for Nancy Clarke who might have been his wife. An inquiry at the John Woodford farm now called Ashford on Winchester Road did not reveal the presence of a cemetery. It seems much more likely that Robert Clarke was buried on his own property. However, his will was presented in the January Court of 1801 which agrees with his reported death date.


Spouses
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1: Elizabeth Agnes GAY
Father: William GAY
Mother: Margaret HAMILTON
Marriage: 1768
Children: Robert (1780-1857)
John (-1812)
William
Isabella (1778-1836)
Margaret
Elizabeth
Sarah
Mary
James (-1812)
Ann (-1814)


Sources
1. Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859; Harrison County, Kentucky.

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Last Modified: January 18, 2002
Created: August 15, 2002