Emily Virginia Clark1

b. 11 June 1850, d. 3 May 1932
FatherPeter Clark2,3,4,5 b. 17 Mar 1805, d. 25 Jun 1880
MotherMargaret Montgomery6,7 b. 27 Feb 1807, d. 19 May 1868
Birth11 Jun 1850 Emily Virginia Clark was born on 11 Jun 1850.1,8,9 
Childhood Emily's childhood was spent on her father's farm in the Glade Spring district of Washington County, Virginia. She was the youngest child in a family of 7 girls and 5 boys (not all of whom survived to adulthood). Emily first appeared on the 1850 census where for unknown reasons she was listed as Catherine, age 2 months. On all later records she appears as Emily V. or Emma. Emily was 17 when her mother died in the spring of 1868.10,11,12,13,5 
Marriage3 May 1898 She married Charles Beattie Clark, son of John Porterfield Clark and Martha A. Ryburn, on 3 May 1898 in Washington County, Virginia. They were second cousins, once removed.6 
4 May 1898 She was 47 and he was 45. 
Cens-190020 Jun 1900 Following their marriage, Emily and Charles lived with her brothers John and Thomas Clark near Glade Spring, Virginia.14 
Cens-19103 May 1910  By 1910 Emily's brothers had both died and Charles and Emily were farming the land on their own. William N. Clark and Charles A. Clark, who were related to both Charles and Emily, were neighbors.15 
Cens-19302 Apr 1930 Following Charles's death in 1917, Emily lived by herself in Glade Spring where she owned her own home, whose reported value in 1930 was $3,000.16 
Death3 May 1932 Emily died on 3 May 1932 in Washington County, Virginia, at age 81.8,7 
Will-Recd11 May 1932 Emily's will was recorded in Washington County court on May 11th, 1932. She left $1,200 to Old Glade Spring Presbyterian Church, to be used to maintain the graves of her family, as well as the church and churchyard in general. She also remembered a wide range of nieces, nephew, and grandneices and grandnephews. Her home in Glade Spring was left to her nephew W.L. Lincoln and niece Laura L. Horne.17 
Burial She was buried at Old Glade Spring Cemetery in Washington County, Virginia.8 

Research Comment:

Emily's name and date of birth present a bit of a puzzle. She first appears as Emily on the 1860 census where she is also listed as 10 years old. In 1870 she is Emma V., 19. But by 1880 it is Emily V., 27. In 1900 it is back to Emma, with a birthdate of June 1850. On the surface this simply appears to be a woman who in 1880 shed a few years off of her age prior to her marriage. However, her death record lists her date of birth as 11 Jun 1853. On the other hand her headstone uses 11 Jun 1850 and this is the date of birth recorded for her in her father's Bible which is most likely the record created closest to her birth. I have also assumed that the 2 month old named Catherine in 1850 is the same as the 10 year old Emily in 1860.

Related Links and Images:

Emily's birthdate as entered in the Bible of her father, Peter Clark18
Emily's childhood home; also where she and Charles lived with Emily's siblings after their marriage. Note the link to the 1821 and 1890 Glade Spring area map page which identifies the Clark home.19
Emily's will
Emily's headstone
Other interments in Old Glade Spring Cemetery
ChartsDescendants of James Clark and Isabella Breckenridge
Last Edited10 Nov 2011

Citations

  1. [S1546] Peter and Margaret Clark Bible. The Bible includes the names and dates of birth of Peter's children and includes the entry "Emily Virginia Clark born June the 11th 1850."
  2. [S5] Elizabeth Kelly Allison, Early Southwest Virginia Families, p. 70-85.
  3. [S11] "Family notes of Mrs. Lizzie Ryburn."
  4. [S709] Peter Clark will (recorded 1880), Washington Co., Virginia Will Book 20: 334. The will was dated 4 Nov. 1873 with a codicil added 2 March 1878. It was first produced in court on 26 Jul 1880 on the oath of M. Morriss and J.(or I) Benham. On 27 Sept. 1880 it was again introduced and proven on the oath of James A. Clark, the last witness to the codicil. Thomas Clark, one of the executors declined to qualify. John M. Clark, the other executor, took the oath and entered bond in the amount of $1,000 with James P. Clark and Thomas B. Clark his security.
  5. [S1546] Peter and Margaret Clark Bible.
  6. [S8] Hockett and Hunt, 1891-1902 Marriages of Washington Co. VA, p. 19. Charles B. Clark 45 [sgl], s/o Jno P. & Martha A. Clark, farmer AND Emma V. Clark, 45 [sgl], d/o Peter & Margaret Clark, 3 May 1898; minister P.H. Guinn.
  7. [S1680] Thomas & Jane (Fleenor) Colley, Washington County, Virginia Cemetery Annotations, Vol I, p. 203. The authors cite the Washington Co., VA death register.
  8. [S2] Catherine McConnell, High On A Windy Hill, p. 178. Transcription reads: Emily V. Clark, 11 Jun 1850 - 3 May 1932.
  9. [S2169] Donald Helton, compiler, "Washington County Virginia Abstracted Death Records 1912-1939" (manuscript shared by author), p. 78; Emily Virginia (Clark) Clark entry: reports birthdate as 11 Jun 1853 however the year disagrees with bible and cemetery records.
  10. [S367] Peter Clark household, 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., 67th District, p. 107b (stamped), dwelling 616, family 616, viewed online at Ancestry.com, June 2003, image 80 of 289. Recorded data includes: Peter Clark, 45, farmer, owns real estate valued at $1,600; Margaret 43; Eliza 21; Harriet 18; James 16; Susan 12; Amanda 10; John 8; Thomas 5; Catherine 2/12; all b. Virginia.
  11. [S234] Peter Clark household, 1860 U.S. cens, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., Western District, p. 461 (original script), dwelling 697, family 676, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jul 2007, image 99 of 361. Household includes: Peter Clark, 55, farmer, owns real estate valued at $4,000, personal estate of $3,000; Margaret, 54, housekeeper; Eliza, 30, weaver; Harriet, 26, Tea. Conv. School; James, 25, farmer, owns pers. prop. of $700; Susan, 22, spinster; Amanda, 20, spinster; John, 17, farmer; Thomas, 15; Emily, 10; all b. VA.
  12. [S635] Peter Clark household, 1870 U.S. cens, Washington Co., Virginia, pop. sched., Glade Spring township, p. 74 (stamped), dwelling 288, family 293, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jul 2007, image 41 of 49. Household includes: Peter Clark, 65, farmer, owns land valued at $12,000 and pers. prop of $1,600; Eliza, 40, keeping house; Jas P., 35, farmer; Susan J., 30; Amanda, 28; John M., 26, farmer; Thos B., farmer; Emma V., 19; all born Virginia.
  13. [S165] Peter Clark household, 1880 U.S. Census, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., Glade Spring District, ED 94, page 8 (56D stamped), dwelling 65, family 67, viewed online at www.Ancestry.com, April 2003, image 8 of 54. Peter Clark, 75, farmer, b. VA, parents b. Scotland; John M., 40, son, farmer; Thos B. 34, son, farmer; Eliza, 50, dau; Susie, 42, dau; Amanda, 30, dau; Emily V, 27, dau; all b. VA; also one servant.
  14. [S574] John M. Clark household, 1900 U.S. cens., Washington Co., Virginia, pop. sched., Glade Spring District, ED 108, sheet 18A (p. 78 stamped), dwelling 318, family 325, viewed online at Genealogy.com, April 2003, image 35 of 70. John M. Clark, 57, b. June 1842, farmer, sgl; Thomas, 55, b. Dec. 1844, sgl; Emma, sister, 49, b. June 1850, sgl; Charles, brother, 47, b. Feb. 1853, sgl; all b. VA, all parents b. VA.
  15. [S237] Charles B. Clark household, 1910 U.S. cens., Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., Glade Spring District, ED 116, sheet 15B, dwelling 283, family 295, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jul 2003, image 30 of 36. Recorded data includes: Chas B. Clark, 57, first marr, marr 12 yrs, farmer; Emma V., wife, 58, first marr.; both b. VA.
  16. [S639] Emily V. Clark household, 1930 U.S. cens., Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., Gladespring, ED 96-4, sheet 1A (1 stamped), dwelling 7, family 7, viewed online at Ancestry.com, March 2003, image 1 of 14. Emily V. Clark, 79, wid. owns home worth $3,000.
  17. [S960] Emily V. Clark (recorded 1932), Washington Co., Virginia, Will Book 35: 214.
  18. [S1376] Bible images courtesy of Carol Lockas.
  19. [S1376] Photo courtesy of Katherine Clark.