John Marshall Clemens

John Marshall Clemens was born in Campbell County, Virginia. He was a lawyer and later a justice of the peace in Hannibal. Because it was difficult on the frontier to make a living as a lawyer, John Clemens also ran a dry goods store and invested in property. Despite his best efforts, Clemens had a difficult time financially supporting his family.

“A native of Virginia, John Clemens was licensed to practice law in 1822. He married Jane Lampton in 1823, and moved to Tennessee, where his first child, Orion, was born. In Jamestown, Tenn., he worked as the town circuit court clerk, and had a law practice on the side. During this time, John accumulated the deeds to more than 70,000 acres of land, which he considered the means to an eventual fortune for his family. These dreams never came to fruition, however, and the land was eventually sold off in the 1880s without making the family wealthy.

“In 1835, John moved his family to Florida, Missouri, the site of Sam Clemens' birth, where he ran a dry goods store. Four years later, the Clemens family settled in Hannibal, Mo., John's final residence. In Hannibal, he opened a general store and was a lawyer. As well, he served as justice of the peace and on a circuit court jury. It was while campaigning for the position of circuit court clerk in March 1847 that John contracted pneumonia and died. Sam Clemens was 11 years old at the time. John Clemens was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery outside Hannibal.” [Text quoted from "About Mark Twain"]

Info about children:

http://www.geocities.com/swaisman/parents-sibs.htm#john

Another Tree with good details:

http://www.adairburtons.org/pgv/descendancy.php?pid=I28381

REFN: 2292

Taken from "The Tennessean, Sunday, March 21, 1982" Nashville, TN.

"According to Allison R. Ensor, professor of English at the University of

Tennessee-Knoxville,

Mark Twain's parents, John Marshall Clemens, from Virginia, and Jane

Lampton, from Kentucky, were married in Columbia, Ky, in 1823 and two

years later moved south to Gainesboro, TN where their oldest child,

Orion, was born. John M. Clemens and his wife moved again, about March,

1827 "to the newloy established Fentress County and its county seat of

Jamestown."

There John Clemens, a laywer and (according to Mark Twain) a most opulent

citizen of Fentress County," was appointed one of the county

commissioners who drew up specifications for the courthouse and jail.

He became first circuit court clerk o fthe county, served as attorney

general and acquired between 75,000 and 100,000 acres of Fentress County

land. John Clemens bought the land in 5,000 acre parcels over a period

of 12 years and at a price so low that Ensor says the total cost was no

more than $500.

In addition to that, John Clemens "owned land on both sides of the

courthouse square," Ensor said, andhis own house - "said to have been

'unusual for its style and elegenace' - was located one block north of

the block northeast of the courthouse, at present the site of the

Jamestown post office."

Ensor says a small park containing the spring where the Clemens family

got their water stands across the street from the site of the old Clemns

home, and the streen between is now called Mark Twain Avenue.

The Clemns family also lived for a while in Pall Mall, in Fentress

County, and , Ensor states, John Clemens was postmaster there from 1832

to 1835. Clemens was still in Fentress County in late Apri, 1835, but he

had moved his family to the little town of Florida, Mo, months before his

son Samuel (Mark Twain) was born on Nov. 30, 1835.

As a youth he became a clerk in an iron

manufactory, at Lynchburg, and doubtless studied at night. At all events, he acquired an education, but injured his health in

the mean time, and somewhat later, with his mother and the younger children, removed to Adair County, Kentucky, where

the widow presently married a sweetheart of her girlhood, one Simon Hancock, a good man. In due course, John Clemens

was sent to Columbia, the county-seat, to study law. When the living heirs became of age he administered his father's

estate, receiving as his own share three Negro slaves; also a mahogany sideboard, which remains among the Clemens

effects to this day.

http://www.accsolinc.com/familyroots/family-webs/RobertClements.pdf

===

ID: I0007
Name: John Marshall Clemens Sex: M Birth: 11 AUG 1798 in Campbell Co., VA Death: 24 MAR 1847 in Hannibal, Marion Co., MO Note: As a youth he became a clerk in an iron manufactory, at Lynchhurg, and doubtless studied at night. At all events, he acquired an education, but injured his health in the mean time. John was left fatherless with two younger brothers and two younger sisters when about seven. When he was 11, with his mother and the younger children, he removed to Adair County, Kentucky, where the widow presently married a sweetheart of her girlhood, one Simon Hancock, a good man. In In 1812, John Clemens was sent to Columbia, the county- seat, to study law, and was licensed to practice in Adair Co., KY in 1822. When the living heirs became of age he administered his father's estate, receiving as his own share three negro slaves; also a mahogany sideboard, which remains among the Clemens effects to this day. ... Marshall had always been frail, probably from lifelong malnutrition; a "weak chest" and severe headaches. In desperation to recoup his fortune and provide for his family he daily took handfuls of pills and various medicines. He filed as Whig candidate for Clerk of the Marion County Court. He made a trip to Palmyra horseback in the rain, contracted pneumonia from which he never recovered. He died 24 March, 1847, in the upstairs apartment of House of Pilasters. He was buried in Baptist cemetery, the grave later moved to Mt. Olivet cemetery in Hannibal.

Father: Samuel B. Clemens b: 1776 in Macon, Loudon Co., VA Mother: Pamelia Goggin b: 31 OCT 1775 in Bedford Co., VA

Marriage 1 Jane Casey Lampton b: 18 JUN 1803 in Adair Co., KY ? Married: 6 MAY 1823 in Columbia, Adair Co., KY Children 1. Orion Clemens b: 17 JUL 1825 in Gainsborough, Jackson Co., TN 2. Pamela Ann Clemens b: 13 SEP 1827 in Gainsborough, Jackson Co., TN 3. Pleasants Hannibal Clemens b: 1828 in Gainsborough, Jackson Co., TN 4. Margaret Lampton Clemens b: 31 MAY 1830 in Gainsborough, Jackson Co., TN 5. Benjamin Lampton Clemens b: 8 JUN 1832 in Pall Mall, TN 6. Samuel Langhorne Clemens b: 30 NOV 1835 in Florida, Monroe Co., MO 7. Henry Clemens b: 13 JUN 1838 in Florida, Monroe Co., MO

Sources:

   Title: FSM document

   Title: Clemens

   Author: Charles /Clemens/

   Publication: Worldconnect @ Rootsweb.com, 30 APR 2006

   Note:

   Mark Twain's Family Tree

   Entries: 3706 Updated: 2006-04-30 16:11:02 UTC (Sun) Contact:

   Charles Clemens <eo11@siu.edu>

This is the result of several years of research using the work of

   many authors

   Repository:

Title: Ancestry Family Trees

   Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

   Note:

   This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have remove d or changed information since this source citation was created.

   Page: Ancestry Family Trees

   Note:

   Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=10833735&pid... 

• Reference: GenealogieOnline Family Tree Index - SmartCopy: May 16 2020, 23:41:13 UTC