A Collection of Ephemera Relating to the Clark Family of Amity, CT
- Amity & Woodbridge, CT , 1848
Amity & Woodbridge, CT, 1848. General wear. Letter folds, some separation at folds.. A collection of approximately thirty-eight (38) pieces of ephemera relating to the Clark family of Amity, CT. The the bulk of materials dating from the 1790s to the 1810s. The majority of the collection focuses on the patriarch of the family, Lazarus Clark (1795-1818), following his death the remaining materials relate to his sons, Jeremiah, Andrew and William, or one of his grandsons, Alinzaor (Jeremiah's son).
The collection mostly consists of
Receipts and payment intent - fourteen (14) in number, which were short financial agreements between Lazarus and other gentlemen in which he agreed to pay with "lawful money" the debt he owed. Several make reference to a time frame in which he had to pay back the debt, such as sixty days or one year, at which times there is also reference to paying an interest on the debt. It appears as though once Lazarus would pay of the amount owed, he would either rip off or cut out his name from the note so that the note was no longer valid. There are a few notes of this nature between his sons and/or grandsons and their debtors. Measures 6 1/2" x 3 3/4" (sample).
Itemized Invoices for goods and servic -There are approximately a dozen detailed bills belonging to Lazarus in which individual items itemized out varying in length from a few items to to the majority with full page itemizations (over 40 items) Some examples of the items and amounts purchased are: quart lisbon wine, silk & thread for Patty (Lazarus' daughter), 5 yards linen, and half a pound of sushen tea. There are some indications in the Woodbridge town history that Lazarus' house was a tavern at on.
Woodbridge Citizen Ledger- 42 page booklet bound by thread which appears to be missing its wrappers, if not a page or two. Names of Woodbridge's citizens, listed alphabetically, with some sort of unidentified adjacent checkmarks. It appears that it might have something to do with the town's taxes, as on the back of the book is written "It was voted by the inhabitants of the town of Woodbridge at their meeting in December 18, 1786 and for a period thereafter, rate to be paid the First of April next." There are short notes beside some of the names indicating if the amount was paid, though sometimes these notes state that it was paid by a different individual than the one named. Measures 6 1/4" x 3 1/4".
There several loose papers filled out in a similar manner, one of the smallest of which does say "Amity Bill 1795". On one of these pieces it appears as though the amount owed was divided up between ten men. Their names, amount owed, and the calculations done in order to figure out the amount owed by each individual are recorded. Another item is a letter, dated August 19th, 1805, from David Brown of Derby. The letter concerns a tippet that Mrs. Hotchkiss took and destroyed, and Brown appears to have been writing Lazarus in the hopes that he would help to resolve the matter before Brown would be forced to "putting of it in suit without any further delay." This letter supports, along with the possible tax records that Lazarus held some sort of important position within the town, however the exact position is never specified either within the items in collection, or the research done on Lazarus himself.
The collection also contains a second booklet, with four pages of content including a similar list of names, plus six pages of genealogical records, such as marriage, birth and death dates. The remainder is blank.
The last three pieces of ephemera in the collection are relating to the sale or transfer of land in the area, however only one of which names a Clark within the text. In that document it relates the sale of Dible Farm to a William Clark in 1828. Of the two land agreements not naming a Clark, one is the deed to the piece of property called Green Farms in Fairfield, CT, and the other is a copy of the land deed for a property belonging to a Joseph Syler. There is even a short note on the back of this copy which states "Fees for Searching records & Copy, $ 0=25 [sic]". Measures 12" x 7 3/4" (sample).
One piece has a small note on the back along with these practice signatures which has the appearance of a short diary entry, discussing the day's weather before it ends abruptly.
To view the collection, please click on the following link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2FDfC2yTTX6c2Fyd8. Lazarus Clark was among one of the first settlers of the town of Amity in Connecticut, and he even swore an oath of fidelity to this end in 1784, along with all the other citizens of the town. The town of Amity is no longer in existence today, however it was located in what is now part of Bethany, Orange, and New Haven, with the majority of it located in Woodbridge, CT. In fact the house Lazarus Clark built for his family in 1795, which still stands today, is in Woodbridge, CT. Due to Lazarus' being a part of the founding settlers of the town, he was one of its prominent citizens, and there are indications in the town records that he was a Deacon at the local parish.
Lazarus Clark was born on December 23, 1745, in Milford, CT to David Clark (1713-1800) and Hannah Peck (1716-1815). He married Dennis/Denise Bradley (1753-1802) in 1771. They had seven children: Lazarus Clark Jr. (1773-1806), Dr. Jeremiah C. Clark, Dennis Clark Carrington (1780-1847), Oliver R. Clark (1780-1847), Patty Clark Riggs (1785-?), Andrew Clark (1789-1865), William Clark (1895-1862) and David William Clark (1829-1889). Lazarus and his family were some of the first official settlers of the town of Amity, later Woodbridge, CT. After his first wife died, he married Hannah Baldwin Clark (1747-1823). He died on August 19, 1818 at the age of 72 in Woodbridge, CT.
The collection mostly consists of
Receipts and payment intent - fourteen (14) in number, which were short financial agreements between Lazarus and other gentlemen in which he agreed to pay with "lawful money" the debt he owed. Several make reference to a time frame in which he had to pay back the debt, such as sixty days or one year, at which times there is also reference to paying an interest on the debt. It appears as though once Lazarus would pay of the amount owed, he would either rip off or cut out his name from the note so that the note was no longer valid. There are a few notes of this nature between his sons and/or grandsons and their debtors. Measures 6 1/2" x 3 3/4" (sample).
Itemized Invoices for goods and servic -There are approximately a dozen detailed bills belonging to Lazarus in which individual items itemized out varying in length from a few items to to the majority with full page itemizations (over 40 items) Some examples of the items and amounts purchased are: quart lisbon wine, silk & thread for Patty (Lazarus' daughter), 5 yards linen, and half a pound of sushen tea. There are some indications in the Woodbridge town history that Lazarus' house was a tavern at on.
Woodbridge Citizen Ledger- 42 page booklet bound by thread which appears to be missing its wrappers, if not a page or two. Names of Woodbridge's citizens, listed alphabetically, with some sort of unidentified adjacent checkmarks. It appears that it might have something to do with the town's taxes, as on the back of the book is written "It was voted by the inhabitants of the town of Woodbridge at their meeting in December 18, 1786 and for a period thereafter, rate to be paid the First of April next." There are short notes beside some of the names indicating if the amount was paid, though sometimes these notes state that it was paid by a different individual than the one named. Measures 6 1/4" x 3 1/4".
There several loose papers filled out in a similar manner, one of the smallest of which does say "Amity Bill 1795". On one of these pieces it appears as though the amount owed was divided up between ten men. Their names, amount owed, and the calculations done in order to figure out the amount owed by each individual are recorded. Another item is a letter, dated August 19th, 1805, from David Brown of Derby. The letter concerns a tippet that Mrs. Hotchkiss took and destroyed, and Brown appears to have been writing Lazarus in the hopes that he would help to resolve the matter before Brown would be forced to "putting of it in suit without any further delay." This letter supports, along with the possible tax records that Lazarus held some sort of important position within the town, however the exact position is never specified either within the items in collection, or the research done on Lazarus himself.
The collection also contains a second booklet, with four pages of content including a similar list of names, plus six pages of genealogical records, such as marriage, birth and death dates. The remainder is blank.
The last three pieces of ephemera in the collection are relating to the sale or transfer of land in the area, however only one of which names a Clark within the text. In that document it relates the sale of Dible Farm to a William Clark in 1828. Of the two land agreements not naming a Clark, one is the deed to the piece of property called Green Farms in Fairfield, CT, and the other is a copy of the land deed for a property belonging to a Joseph Syler. There is even a short note on the back of this copy which states "Fees for Searching records & Copy, $ 0=25 [sic]". Measures 12" x 7 3/4" (sample).
One piece has a small note on the back along with these practice signatures which has the appearance of a short diary entry, discussing the day's weather before it ends abruptly.
To view the collection, please click on the following link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2FDfC2yTTX6c2Fyd8. Lazarus Clark was among one of the first settlers of the town of Amity in Connecticut, and he even swore an oath of fidelity to this end in 1784, along with all the other citizens of the town. The town of Amity is no longer in existence today, however it was located in what is now part of Bethany, Orange, and New Haven, with the majority of it located in Woodbridge, CT. In fact the house Lazarus Clark built for his family in 1795, which still stands today, is in Woodbridge, CT. Due to Lazarus' being a part of the founding settlers of the town, he was one of its prominent citizens, and there are indications in the town records that he was a Deacon at the local parish.
Lazarus Clark was born on December 23, 1745, in Milford, CT to David Clark (1713-1800) and Hannah Peck (1716-1815). He married Dennis/Denise Bradley (1753-1802) in 1771. They had seven children: Lazarus Clark Jr. (1773-1806), Dr. Jeremiah C. Clark, Dennis Clark Carrington (1780-1847), Oliver R. Clark (1780-1847), Patty Clark Riggs (1785-?), Andrew Clark (1789-1865), William Clark (1895-1862) and David William Clark (1829-1889). Lazarus and his family were some of the first official settlers of the town of Amity, later Woodbridge, CT. After his first wife died, he married Hannah Baldwin Clark (1747-1823). He died on August 19, 1818 at the age of 72 in Woodbridge, CT.