Clarke Family
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CLARKE FAMILY MILLERS OF BURGH CASTLE, BRADWELL & GORLESTON 18.2.1780, METFIELD, SUFFOLK Stephen CLARK (b?) m. Barbary SEWELL (b. Cratfield, Suffolk, 23.4.1758) There was a family of Clarks (note – no “e”), at Metfield Suffolk in the l750’s however it has not been possible to confirm that Stephen was the son of Joseph and Susanna CLARK, as I suspect. I have the marriage entry for Barbary SEWELL’s parents, who married in Metfield in l750. It reads: “Marriage 1750 Sewell, Barber. Richard Sewell and Susanah Barber was married April l6th”. As far as I know, Barbery was the first child of Richard & Susanah, arriving eight years after their marriage. They had a son, John SEWELL, bap. in Metfield on 13.2.1767. There may have been other children, but, to date, I have not traced them. I also have a copy of the marriage entry for Stephen and Barbary in the Metfield Parish Register, as follows: “The Year 1779 Stephen Clark of this Parish Single Man and Barbary Sewell of the same, single woman, Married in this Church by Banns this eighteenth Day of February in the Year One Thousand seven Hundred and eighty by me John Banks Curate. This Marriage was solemnized between Us, Stephen Clark (X his mark) and Barbary Sewell (X her mark). In the Presence of Amos Mayhew and William Sewell”. PARENTS TO: Metfield Church, Suffolk Stephen and Barbary CLARK parents to: Stephen CLARK, 8.7.1780 - 7.10.1780, Metfield, Sfk. Joseph CLARK, 16.12.1781 – 14.2.1782, Metfield, Sfk. Stephen CLARK, bap. 1.6.1783, Metfield, Sfk. John CLARK, bap. 28.1.1785, Metfield, Sfk. Richard CLARK, 22.5.1790, Ditchingham, Nfk. Phoebe CLARK, 10.4.1792, Ditchingham, Nfk. William CLARK, 8.9.1794,Beccles, Sfk Mary CLARK, 20.5.1804, Beccles, Sfk. Robert CLARK, 23.3.1806, Beccles, Sfk. Richard CLARK, b. 1790, is my ancestor. The first six children are baptised in the Church of England, however, by the time the last three children are born, the family must have converted to the Non-Conformist Church. Records show that the family attended the Beccles Independent though I am unsure where they actually lived. At some point I believe the family moved to the Great Yarmouth area and, on 22.1.1818, Richard married Mary COBB in Burgh Castle, near Great Yarmouth which was then in Suffolk but is now in Norfolk. I have a copy of their marriage entry in the Burgh Castle Parish Church. It reads: “Richard Clarke (note addition of the “e”) of this Parish, Single Man, and Mary Cobb of this Parish, Single Woman were married in this Church by Banns with Consent of Parents this twenty second Day of January in the Year One thousand eight hundred and eighteen By me A.Smyth Curate This Marriage was solemnized between us Richard Clarke (X his mark) and Mary Cobb (signed). In the Presence of John Clarke ( Richard’s brother) and Ann Cobb (Mary’s sister)”. Richard Clarke became a miller – indeed, he ran the Burgh Castle Mill which was owned, along with property and land, by his father-in-law, William Cobb. Richard and Mary had their first child, Mary Ann, in Burgh Castle in l820, however, by l823 we know they had moved to Norfolk, to farm in Rollesby. Three sons were born there, including our ancestor William, followed by six children in Burgh Castle – only two of whom are known to have survived. About l830 Richard becomes miller at the newly-erected Burgh Castle Mill. As a post mill, it could have been moved from elsewhere so may not have been a new mill. It was blown down in a gale on 29th November l836 and the Suffolk Chronicle recorded that “the roundhouse under the latter was swept away by the storm, and a neighbouring field of turnips covered with flour, in such manner as gave it the appearance of drifted snow”. A new tower mill was erected and Richard Clarke is named as the miller until l864. Burgh Castle Tower Mill c.1837 Photograph courtesy of the late Peter Dolman 22.1.1818, BURGH CASTLE, SUFFOLK Richard CLARK (b. 1790) m. Mary COBB (b. 1799 Belton, Sfk.) PARENTS TO: Mary Ann CLARKE, bap.10.4.1820, Burgh Castle Sfk. Sarah CLARKE, b. l822 William Cobb CLARKE, bap.7.2.1823, Rollesby Nfk. Richard CLARKE, b. 8.7.1824, Rollesby – l4.9.1889 Bradwell Stephen CLARKE, bap. 1.5.1826, Rollesby Nfk. Maria CLARKE, b. 21.6.1827, Rollesby – 11.11.1827, B.Castle John Cobb CLARKE, bap. 2.11.1828, Burgh Castle, Sfk. George CLARKE, bap. 4.1.1832 – 24.5.l832 (7 months) George CLARKE, bap. 17.1.1833 – 5.5.l833 (5 months) Ann CLARKE, bap. l9.12.1834 Charles CLARKE, bap. 22.5.1836 – 5.8.l836 (3 months ) Christopher CLARKE, bap. 26.3.1838 – l3.4.l838 (l7 days) In l84l, the census shows Richard (b. 1824) and his brother John (b. 1828) as male servants at the home of their maternal grandparents, William and Sarah Cobb, at Low Farm in Bradwell. Obviously no favouritism here! Meanwhile, in Burgh Castle, Richard and Mary are living at the Mill House, Mill Road. With them, are: their daughters Mary, 20, Sarah, l9, and Ann 6, and sons William, l8, and Stephen l5. In l851, Mary (COBB) inherited Burgh Castle Mill, property and land from her father’s estate. The original Bradwell Mill had also been badly damaged during the gale of l829 and attempts had been made to sell it by auction in l839, l842 and l843, still in its damaged state. I am not sure who bought it, but a year later William is listed in trade directories as the miller there. He is still there in l847, with his new wife Emma and his two sons. However, by l851 his brother Stephen has taken over as “master miller” and William is merely employed there. Both William, his wife and sons, and Stephen and his wife Mary are listed on the l85l as living together at the mill. Stephen is still listed as miller in l864, long after we have lost track of William. By l868 Stephen is no longer miller at Bradwell (though his brother Richard became a farmer there), however he turns up on the l88l Census as corn miller at Gorleston. Bradwell Mill was demolished in the early l900’s. The roundhouse survived until the l950’s. Nothing survives now. Our ancestor, William Cobb CLARKE, was born in Rollesby Norfolk, in l823. It appears his parents were farming there for a while, returning to Burgh Castle around the time William was five. It appears that, in l827, William’s baby sister Maria dies in Rollesby at the age of 5 months. She is buried “back home” in Burgh Castle, and the family do not appear to return to Rollesby. William’s mother Mary was a COBB – and, as it appears Mary had no brothers, the Cobb name would have died out. It therefore seems likely this was the idea behind William carrying the name on, pre-fixing the Clarke. Our first record of William is on the l84l Census for Burgh Castle, when he is eighteen (see above). We next find him on his marriage certificate. William marries Emma BRADSTREET of Charsfield, Suffolk, on June 5th l843. Mary Ann, William’s eldest sister married a James Cattermole at Pakefield on 27 March l843. The couple are to be found on the l88l census farming the old family land at Burgh Castle, so perhaps Mary Ann was given this at some point prior to her mother’s death so that it did not appear in the Will. By l89l they are living at Bradwell, Low Farm – another property previously owned by her grandparents – the Cobbs. Mary Ann Clarke (widow of Richard Clarke, Mary Anne’s brother) was living in a cottage on the farm.The Cattermoles may have moved to Bradwell to take over Low Farm upon the death of Richard who had been farming there. This would mean that, at the time my great-grandfather, Edwin Clarke, moved to County Durham, he would still have had close family living and working in Burgh Castle. Sarah CLARKE, William’s sister married James BALLS (a Somerleyton innkeeper) at the Church of St. Nicholas, Gt. Yarmouth, on October 3lst l842. Sarah described herself to be a “Spinster Gentlewoman”, living in “Row No. 52” Great Yarmouth at the time of her marriage. I gather this was one of the more wealthy Rows – housing the Mayor and a local surgeon! They had five sons and three daughters. James died in l863 and is buried at Burgh Castle. He had been a “Calf and Pig Dealer”. After James’ death, Sarah went into the lodging house business in Great Yarmouth. Stephen CLARKE, William’s brother, married Mary Turner PLANE on 26th March l848 at the Church of St. Nicholas, Parish of Gt. Yarmouth. He became the master miller at Bradwell. They had eight daughters and two sons. Stephen died in l895 at Cobholm Island where he had also been a master miller. Richard CLARKE, William’s younger brother, married Mary NEWMAN in Bradwell in l846. He became a farmer at Belton. They had five daughters and one son. Richard died at Bradwell in l889. Anne CLARKE, William’s youngest sister married James Robert MARJORAM on l3th June l872 at Middlegate Congregational Church, Great Yarmouth. They married shortly after the death of Anne’s mother. James was a carpenter in l872 and a Maltster by l89l when I find them living in Chatham Terrace, Gt Yarmouth.