NARRATIVES WRITTEN BY HENRIETTA CLARKE-ZANK Copyright © 1998 by Dennis Zank. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. ___________________________________________________________________ NARRATIVES WRITTEN BY HENRIETTA CLARKE-ZANK GRANDFATHER CLARKE'S FAMILY (Young Clarke) Grandfather Clarke was born in Black Monday Town, Ireland, and went with his parents to London, England at the age of two years. He was named Young Clarke. The name "Young" was his mother's maiden name. He was born in 1818 and died in Cedar Springs, Michigan, August 1, 1894. I was three years and eleven months old. They lived on their farm home; which is only five miles straight south of our home, here in Ensley. GRANDFATHER CLARKE'S PARENTS Grandfather's father was Thomas Clarke, better known as Tom Clarke. He worked for the East-West India Dock Company and lived to a very old age. The India Docks are still on the Thames River, London. Grandfather's mother was Rebecca (Young) Clarke. She lived to an old age and raised a very large family. GRANDFATHER CLARKE'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS Johnathan Clarke was a policeman in London, England. He became melancholy because he had consumption and could not take care of his young family. He took his own life at the age of forty. He cut his throat. William Clarke was a silk and velvet weaver. He came to America and was lost to his family. Anne Clarke was school teacher in London, England. She came to America and married a Methodist Minister. They went to Canada and became lost to the family. Rebecca Clarke married a London policeman. They raised a large family. They lived to a very old age. Rebecca was her mother's namesake. Jane Clarke married her cousin, Adam Clarke he was a minister. The English Government sent them to Australia. She raised a big family of Clarkes. They also became lost to the family. Rachel Clarke was single. She was a silk weaver in London. This is all that is known of her. Our grandfather's family made seven in number but I do not think they are numbered by age because my mother was not certain and did not know their ages. The reason they became lost to each other was because times became bad in Old England and they left and were scattered all over. Some did not write back and mail was months arriving. By that time the address was not the same. GRANDFATHER YOUNG CLARKE AND GRANDMA MARY LUELLA AXTELL-CLARKE Grandfather had a Buy-in-Store (second-hand) in London. They had made a lot of money but as the years went by business declined and times were not good. Grandfather's friends kept writing about the "Land of Milk and Honey" in America. Their first child was a fair haired, little, blue eyed boy named Jonathan. He was born in London. Grandfather thought the new country would be a better place to raise his children. They packed two big chests with their gold, silver, silks, velvets, Bibles, bedding, clothing, and some keep-sakes. They parted with their loved ones at the London docks. They came on "first-class tickets". The boats was four weeks in crossing the Atlantic and the passage was very rough. Jonathan was three years old when they came to America. When the boat was half way across the ocean, their darling little boy took sick and died. He was buried in the ocean. This was a very sad event in their young lives. Grandma took it very hard. They landed in New York City with their trunks, chests, and baggage. Grandfather dressed in his silk high hat and gold cane and Grandma in her silks and velvets. They made a splendid sight for the people in New York dressed in their calico to see. This city was a place very unknown to them. Grandma had to sit on her trunks and fight the cabmen from stealing all her valuable baggage and they did take away one trunk from her. There were no police in that day. Grandfather had gone to get tickets for the train to Chicago. They arrived there and stopped at a Hotel where they stayed for a few weeks. Grandma Clarke was confined here and gave birth to a baby girl. The baby died and the hotel people being Catholic buried it in a Catholic Cemetery in the heart of the city. This was another sad experience for our grandparents. They remained at the Hotel until Grandma could regain her health, the they continued on their journey to Elgin, Illinois, where Grandpa intended to go into business with his wagonmaker friend. It was necessary for them to hire a two seated wagon for the trip. On the way, as the day progressed, the country became sparsely settled and the driver noted their wealth. He would stop often stand up and listen. This caused them much concern so then Grandma also stood up with an iron bar hid by her side. She cupped her hands and called for help. She kept yelling and soon two young men cowboys on horses rode up saying, "we will stay by you all the way to Elgin". Grandma was glad she hda learned to call with her hands in London when she was a young girl. After grandfather paid the man, he told them "take off those silks and satins and wear calico. My intentions were bad". They went to a store and got some cheap clothes and made calico dresses. Grandfather bought the land where Elgin Watch Works is located today. They did not stay here long because the friend had gone back to London and never came back. So they packed up and made the trip back to London because they were home-sick. After arriving in London, they did not find it the city they had left. Many of their family had also gone to America, Canada, Australia, and the United States. Others had died and the times were very bad for those who were still in England. It was not long before they departed for America again. This time they settled in Amsterdam, New York. Our father 's brother, Uncle William Axtell Clarke was born here June 21, 1847. I do not know how long they stayed here, but sometime within ten years they moved to Battle Creek, Michigan. One reason they left Amsterdam was the language of the Holland, people which they could not understand. Therefore, their next move was to Battle Creek, Michigan where the English language was spoken. What grandfather did for a living, there has never been any information along this phase of their travels. They did not use up their savings and always owned their own home. In Battle Creek they purchased the land where the Kellogg Breakfast Food Sanitarium was built. They lived here a few years and it was in this home that our father Adam Clarke was born on February 10, 1859. He could remember the assassination of President Lincoln when they lived in Battle Creek. When the boys grew older, grandfather bought a large farm directly north of Battle Creek. It was on the Wabasacon River, which is east and north of Bedford. This was the nearest town. They occasionally went up to Hastings. It was on this farm that Dad and Uncle Will killed the black bear in a tree. It hurt their cattle dog so bad that if had to be killed. Uncle shot it. He was twelve years older than our dad but they went swimming and hunting and had good times together. On this farm the boys had a great many exciting experiences that they recalled in their later years. There was a nice new big hay and cattle barn, a young team of horses, a new red and green wagon. They ............. the end of this narritive is missing.