Clark(e) Surname

I descend from three (seemingly) separate Clarke and Clark surname lines in Pennsylvania. The spelling was arbitrary. Some used Clark, some Clarke, and some used both. Or, at least the person who recorded the name in the document spelled the surname these ways. This is ironic, considering the surname means “cleric, clerk, or scholar.” Clark(e) is also a fairly common name, which doesn’t help to simplify the research.¹

These lines are all on my paternal side.

• Line One: An uncle (Walter Clarke) and nephew(Charles) Clarke purchased adjacent land and settled in Beaver County (modern Lawrence) in 1802. They came from Lancaster (modern Dauphin) County, via Northumberland County. Ancestors of interest include:
  • Charles Clark > Jane (Clarke) Sherer > Mary (Sherer) Clark > Robert Sherer Clark > *George Reed Clark.
  • Walter Clark > John Clark > Ann Dale (Clark) Fullerton > William Milton Fullerton > Willis Love Fullerton > *Nina Loring Fullerton. *George and Nina married in 1915 and are my great-grandparents.
• Line Two: David Clark, who was a son-in-law of James McKee, of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, settled in Beaver County, Pennsylvania by 1800. He is often conflated with David Clark, who settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania around 1785 and was a son of the below James Clark of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Ancestors of interest include:
  • David Clark > William Clark > *William McKee Clark > Robert Sherer Clark. *William McKee Clark married first Mary Sherer, the granddaughter of Charles Clark in Line One above.
• Line Three: James Clark married Nancy Reed, and settled in a part of Cumberland County that later became Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He died in Mercersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania in May 1821. He is often mistakenly referred to as Capt. James Clark. Ancestors of interest include:
  • James Clark > Esther (Clark) Smith > Nancy (Smith) Johnston > Nancy (Johnston) Imbrie > *Nancy Smith (Imbrie) Clark. *Nancy Smith (Imbrie) married Robert Sherer Clark, a great-grandson of Charles Clark from Line One above.

DNA Testing Options

Autosomal DNA tests may help to clarify these families. However, the earliest known ancestors were born in the mid-1700s. Autosomal DNA results may not offer any conclusive information due to the number of generations and endogamy. Y-DNA testing would be helpful for these lines.

One direct male descendant from Line Two, David Clark who died in Beaver County, Pennsylvania in 1848, has taken a Big Y-DNA test through Family Tree DNA. His results are RBY113346, and he joined the Clark(e) surname project. Interestingly, of the 470 project members, he is in his own category that states, “Kits in this group match with kits in multiple different groups and need additional testing for proper placement,” though no further testing is available.

The Big Y test results have the greatest number of matches with the surname McLean/McLain and similar variants. Additional testers are needed.

Please contact me if you are a direct male descendant of any of the men listed above.

1. Kimberly Powell, “CLARK – Name Meaning and Origin,” ThoughtCo. (https://www.thoughtco.com/clark-name-meaning-and-origin-1422477 : accessed May 7, 2022.