Matthew Clark

Birth: 1700, Ireland Death: May 10, 1746 Colrain Franklin County Massachusetts, USA

He is the son of Lt. John Clark & Agnes Adams.

Matthew lived in the first range of lots, in the east part of Colrain. On May 6 a party of Indians attacked Major Burke's fort at Falltown and were severely beaten and driven off. On May 10 five of the party, returning by way of Colrain, came upon Matthew, his wife and daughter Jean, then about nineteen. Accounts of this affair differ, but all authorities agree that he and his family were passing between his house and Fort Lucas when they were set upon by the Indians who made their appearance to the east of his house. Matthew hastily mounted his wife and daughter upon a horse and sent them off towards the fort, while he held off the savages with his gun. He was overtaken, shot and scalped about half a mile from the fort. One account says that, being hard–pressed, he hid under a bridge and was discovered by his pursuers, and that the soldiers at the fort heard the firing, sallied out and "returned the fire, killing one of the enemy, which gave them a check, and they brought the wounded into the fort." The women who were severely, though not fatally, inured were attended by Dr. Hugh Bolton of Colrain and Dr. Williams of Deerfield. Their bills can be found in the records of the settlement of Matthew Clark's estate, of which his widow Jennet was appointed administratrix on Dec. 11, 1746. The bill reads, "to attendance upon widow Clark and daughter when wounded by the Indians two pounds, ten shillings owed to Dr. Bolton, and four pounds, eleven shillings to Dr. Williams." Mrs. Clark is said to have carried a bullet from the encounter in her thigh for the rest of her life. Jean, later became the wife of Andrew Smith. Most of the present-day Clarks in the neighborhood are descended. His sons were scouts in the French and Indian War.

Family links:

Spouse:

 Jennet Bothwell Clark (1703 - 1789)

Children:

 Jean Clark Smith (1727 - 1780)*

 John Clark (1728 - 1810)*

 Alexander Clark (1730 - 1823)*

 Agnes Clark Donelson (1732 - 1816)*

 Elizabeth Clark Stewart (1734 - 1785)*

 Margaret Clark Harwood (1740 - 1794)*

 Matthew Clark (1744 - 1813)*

• Calculated relationship

Burial: Unknown

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Created by: Ben Worden Record added: May 20, 2011 Find A Grave Memorial# 70126846