Mercer County PAGenWeb


David Clark


David Clark, the son of William Clark, was born in Washington County PA on 17 October 1788. He was raised on the farm, and moved with his family to Mercer County PA. where his father William purchased 250 acres of land in December 1803.

In December of 1811, David's father William was sick, and he began the process of land distribution to his children. On 18 Dec 1811, David purchased from William 100 acres for 100 cents. This land remained in David's family until the 1890's.

Volunteers were called during the War of 1812, and several members of the Neshannock Presbyterian Church joined the war effort. Captain Matthew Dawson formed a company and James and William Clark were members. Several members entered service elsewhere. There was a David Clark in the Washington County Volunteers, and family history says he served in the war. Since there were five David Clarks in the War of 1812, and records in the National Archives are skimpy in details, no actual proof of David's service was found.

The Bell family were members of the Neshannock Presbyterian Church, and in 1818, the church members erected a new structure for worship. This church was instrumental in distributing books to members, and two Clark books survive today. In this church, on 4 December 1821, David Clark married Margaret Bell. This date was furnished by descendents of the Robert Clark family, the brother of David Clark.

In 1827, David's brother William sold to David 45 acres of the 100 acres deeded to William and James Clark by their father William in 1811. David paid his brother $100 for the land.

David Clark worked his land, and became prominent in his church. During the period 1835 to 1850, David Clark was one of the singing clerks or choir leaders.

David and Margaret had seven children: William Bell b. 26 Aug 1822 became owner of the farm after David's death; Samuel Hazen m. Margaret Jane Bentley and moved to Scotch Grove Iowa, where he became a leader in the Scotch Grove Presbyterian Church; John Calvin moved to Langworthy Iowa, had a family, and died at Andersonville prison during the Civil War. His children became orphans; Robert moved to Scotch Grove and had a large family, descendants of whom are living today; Elizabeth Mary moved to Scotch Grove and married John Gibson; David Newton died before the estate settlement in 1857; and Margaret Jane m. James A. Dawson in the Scotch Grove Church in 1860, and died in Kansas in 1929.

David Clark died on his farm, 31 August 1850, prior to gathering of the crops. He died intestate, and his estate was tied up in the courts until 1857. Margaret, his wife, married 2nd John Bentley, and after the estate settlement in 1857 moved with her daughter Margaret Jane to Scotch Grove Iowa where they joined the Presbyterian Church. Details of the settlement and inventory of David's estate are found in the book "200 Years of Taylors in North America", published by Gateway Press in 1986, and written by David B. Taylor.

Margaret Bell Clark Bentley joined the church in Scotch Grove on 1 November 1859. She died on 29 March 1867, and is buried in the Scotch Grove church cemetery. Her broken stone was repaired sometime in the past, and reads "Our Mother".

Prepared and researched by David B.Taylor

Additional Biographies for...

David's father
William Clark
David's wife
Margaret Bell Clark
David's daughter
Elizabeth Mary Clark



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