Untitled Document

William Clarke

William Clarke , a retired farmer residing at Orion, was born in the northern part of Ireland , March 10, 1819 . His parents were life-long farmers, and lived and died in their native country. They were John and Margaret (Armor) Clarke. William was the fifth child of the family of nine children, six sons and three daughters, all of whom are married except one.

William passed the years prior to his majority under the parental roof, devoting the latter years of this period to learning the carpenter’s trade, serving an apprenticeship of five years under John Maxwell. After he reached the age of 21 years, he set out for America all alone. He soon made his way to Mercer Co., Ill. , where he located, his brother having come in 1835, five years before he did. He soon went to Rock Island , however, where he followed his trade for nearly two years, when he returned to Swedona, formerly called Berlin , Mercer County , where he was married Aug. 23, 1842 , to Miss Almira Pillsbury. (For her parental history see sketch of Levi Pillsbury.) She was born in Grafton Co., N. H., October 9, 1813 . Shortly after her birth, the family moved to St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., where they lived for some years, when they came West and located in Andover Township , when she was 23 years old, and were consequently very early pioneers in this section of the country. The five children born of her marriage to Mr. Clarke are John P., who married Emma Wilkinson, and is a farmer of Lynn Township, this county: Esther Ann, wife of George Cames, of Orion; Edward P. married Anna Cunningham and lives at Monmouth, where he is a clerk in an agricultural store; Amelia R., is the wife of William Smith, an attorney of Orion; Almira L. resides at home.

About two years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Clarke went to Milan (then called Camden Mills), Rock Island County, where they resided from 1844 to 1861, and where Mr. C. erected the second house in the village. During the time he was in Milan , he was engaged in the wagon-making and blacksmithing business. In 1855 he purchased a farm in Lynn Township , this county, upon which he made fair improvements. He followed agricultural pursuits for two years successfully, when in 1857 he returned to Milan and embarked in the general mercantile business, which he continued to run for four years and was at the same time Postmaster. In 1861 he again returned to his farm and was there engaged, with the exception of two years he lived at Bloomington, Ill., until 1879 when he came to Orion. He then purchased the property he now occupies, and upon which he has made great improvements, chiefly in the erection of an elegant residence. He improved a half section of land in Lynn Township , one-half of which he bequeathed equally to two sons and the remainder, which is well improved, he retained. His lot in the village contained four and one-half acres.

Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. C. has been Elder for many years. Politically, he is a Prohibitionist.

1885 Portrait & Biographical Album of Henry Co., Illinois page 442

Transcribed by Jan Roggy

Illinois Ancestors