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Jeremiah Clarke of Rhode Island, 10th Great Grandfather
January 27, 2013
— 15 Comments
Jeremiah Clarke, my 10th great grandfather, nickname Jeremy Clarke, b. 1605 in East Farleigh, Kent, England, d. Jan 1652 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, buried in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, resided 1638 in Aquidneck and Portsmouth.
Jeremy Clarke president governor
Newport County, Rhode Island, resided 1640 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, immigrated ABOUT 1637 in (Probably) Rhode Island, event in Member of Lincoln’s Inn ?, military Captain, occupation 1647 – 1649 Treasurer of Rhode Island, occupation 1648 Acting Governor of the colony. From the Plantagenet Ancestry book, it’s not clear whether it was Jeremiah Clarke or Thomas that was a member of Lincoln’s Inn. “Jeremy Clarke, baptised East Farleigh, Kent 1 Dec. 1605, emigrated about 1637, resided Newport, Rhode Island, freeman 16 Mar.1640/1, treasurer of Rhode Island; buried Newport 11 mo., [Jan.] 1651/2;married, in England, about 1637 to Frances (Lathaum) Dungan, baptised at Kepston, Co. Bedford, 15 Feb. 1609/10, died September 1677, buried Newport, widow of Thomas Dungan, Gent., of Lincoln’s Inn, Middlesex, and daughter of Lewis Latham, Gent., Sergeant Falconer to King Charles I, by his wife Elizabeth. She married, third, before 18 Jan. 1656 to Rev. William Vaughan, died on or before 2 Sep 1677.” Arms of Jeremy Clarke: Gold on a bend engrailed azure a cinqfoil of the field. Note: maybe the arms for father William.) East Farleigh has a fine medieval bridge over which General Fairfax marched in 1648 to the Battle of Maidstone. Jeremiah may have died 11 Jan 1651. He married Frances LATHAM, married ABOUT 1637 in England.
Jeremiah Clarke (1605 – 1661)
is my 10th great grandfather
Daughter of Jeremiah
Daughter of Sarah Clarke
Son of Sarah
Daughter of John
Son of MARGARET
Son of Benjamin
Son of Paul
Daughter of Valentine
Son of Sarah LaVina
Son of Jason A
Son of Ernest Abner
I am the daughter of Richard Arden
I will visit his grave in Newport in April, and plan to learn as much about him as I can. There has been some work done on his ancestry, which leads back to those tricky Plantagenets who just about married everyone everywhere. Here are notes on his family tree:
In early preparations for his forthcoming Magna Carta Ancestry, Douglas Richardson has also traced the matrilineal line of my second royally-descended immigrant forebear, Acting Gov. Jeremiah Clarke of Rhode Island, to Sancha Blount, daughter of Sir Thomas Blount and Margaret Gresley, and granddaughter of Sir Walter Blount and the famed Sancha de Ayala, sister of a great-great-grandfather of Ferdinand I (1452-1516), generally considered the first king of United Spain, husband of Isabella of Castile and sponsor of Columbus. For more on Sancha, her Spanish ancestry and her immigrant American and presidential descendants, see National Genealogical Society Quarterly 51 (1963): 235-38, my Ancestors of American Presidents, 1st ed. (1995, hereafter AAP), pp. 365-68, and Register 152 (1998): 36-48, the latter a brilliant piece by Nathaniel L. Taylor and Todd A. Farmerie. Sancha Blount, granddaughter of Sancha de Ayala, married Edward Langford, and had a daughter Alice Langford who married John Stradling of Dauntsey and Richard Pole of Isleworth, later Sir Richard Pole, husband also of Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury and niece of Kings Edward IV and Richard III. John and Alice left a daughter, Anne Stradling, who married Sir John Danvers. From the 1895 English Danvers genealogy, plus a recent successor, and the 1878 English Chester of Chicheley genealogy, the line to Clarke is clear. Sir John Danvers and Anne Stradling had a daughter Anne, wife of Thomas Lovett and John Wyke and mother in turn of Elizabeth Lovett, wife of Anthony Cave. Mary Cave, a daughter of these last, married Sir Jerome Weston and was the mother of both Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland, Lord Treasurer under Charles II, and Mary Weston, wife of William Clerke and mother of Acting Gov. Jeremiah Clarke of Rhode Island.
Providence Party
January 25, 2013
— 2 Comments
Space and time are the first two elements of fine festivity. A party, gentle reader, must have room to breathe and become what it wants to be. One can always have impeccable timing if one takes time to consider the elements and the goals. My party in Providence, RI is to celebrate with the living and the dead. I will visit some of my ancestors who lived there in the early 1600’s and discover people who live there now. For me , this is an excellent balance. I like both groups equally.
The city contains historic buildings and museums that will please me a great deal, but I have also perceived some excellent night life and party opportunities downtown. I will visit Plymouth Colony, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Wampanoag village before returning to Providence to party. I will probably need a day to myself in the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, after which I believe I will feel like painting Rhode Island red (a little rooster humor). I love nothing better than historic architecture put to modern artful uses. I am highly attracted to the whole state because it is so tiny and well preserved. It appears to have fabulous taste and a high fun factor, not to mention a history of wealth and power. I am looking forward to discovering what Providence has in store for me.
Providence, the Best Travel Agent
January 21, 2013
— 5 Comments
Providence RI
Making travel plans is a study in availability. As a seasoned professional I like planning trips almost as much as taking them. I can enjoy a spontaneous jaunt as well as the next person, but planning can make the difference between a mediocre and a memorable travel experience. It is good to have purpose, even if it is simply to change the scenery. It is also very smart to have all the essentials covered so you can virtually do whatever strikes your fancy while you are at your destination. I enjoy studying maps more than almost anything, so all kinds of maps inform my decisions. I like the freedom of a car but not the hassle of parking and driving in heavy traffic. Details of transportation and accommodation need to match the budget and the preferences of the traveler. Providence is foresight. Providence involves taking care of the details in advance. When you do your part, the divine Providence takes over and creates magic.
Details contain not only the devil, but also a great deal of delight if handled correctly. There are some basic outlines to create good vacations, but the key is to make the details cater to the taste of the traveler. That is where I excel. I have many years of experience in travel of all kinds. More importantly, I am specific, particular, and discriminating in my personal preferences. I do know what I like, and know how to procure it at the price I want to pay. I also know that many people would be uncomfortable in a museum all day, or in a hot spring all night, so I am happy to travel sometimes alone. This means I am free to linger or to cancel plans on my own whims. I have hit the road with various groups in the past. I believe I have done my penance in that regard, and can travel for my own purposes now. Often groups isolate themselves from the local culture, not intentionally, but because they are involved with each other all the time. It can be a huge turn off to find yourself anywhere with a large tourist group you had not planned to encounter.
Find great value by shopping for exactly what you want instead of seeking the cheapest trip. Using a credit card to pay for travel you can’t afford to take will almost inevitably end in heartache. Buyer’s remorse is debtor’s remorse when your holiday fun is digging a hole in your credit rating and peace of mind. Prepay for the hotel. You can get fabulous discounts for a non refundable prepayment. Better yet, when you take the trip it feels like the lodging is free. It is very liberating.
- Travel off peak. Go when others do not go to that location. The first two weeks of December is always the best for all destinations.
- Study the details of the area, including special events. Tourism boards are just waiting to tell you everything there is to know about their areas
- Consider alternative lodging, like Air BnB, for a more local contact
- Weigh the cost against the time consumed when thinking of doing something cheap that takes up a big chunk of your time on holiday. Your free time should be valuable to you.
- Be particular. If you do not feel excited about the destination, keep studying. Choose a place that perfectly suits your needs and desires.
I am planning a trip to Plymouth Colony and the vicinity in April. I am finding so much to do in a very small area, that the research is really a blast for me. It looks like the right trip to discover Providence, RI. My ancestors are all over the place, and I have never been there. This is my kind of adventure.
Fortuna, Roman Goddess of Abundance
January 17, 2013
— 1 Comment
The Romans had a pantheon similar to the Greeks. Fortuna represents wealth, commercial success, and abundance of all kinds. She is intimate with the infinite source of wealth, and acts as a conduit, bringing it to life on earth. Lakshmi is busy doing the same thing for the Hindu pantheon. In America, unfortunately, the Puritans have directly linked wealth to purity of behavior (as described by them). This narrow view of abundance is a vicious cycle of a bummer drag. They arrived in Plymouth Colony and were greeted by sophisticated and generous souls. Since the hospitable tribes did not read the Bible the Puritan fathers decided it would be fine to totally rip them off for everything they had. Things have gone downhill from that point.
As a priestess of Fortuna, you are required to make friends with money. She is the power behind all propitious events. It is possible to procure her guidance through meditation. You can ask questions with your dominant hand doing the writing, then pass the pen to Fortuna in your non dominant hand and let her answer. The handwriting may be very bad, but let it go. You are the only one who will read and interpret it. If you really wonder about your fate, your fortune, your lot in life, ask. Ask deeply, and you will find the answer. Oracles did some gas inhaling at you will not need in this exercise, but the concept is the same. Ask and you shall receive. Knock and the door will open. Same deal. Don’t allow some Puritan nerd from the past to rob you of your right to know. Be still, know. The truth will set you free….a whole lot freer than Salem during the witch trials, anyhow. Speak to Fortuna. She has something to tell you.
Cat and Mouse with the TPD
January 16, 2013
— 2 Comments
Yesterday I received a call from a lady at the TPD who identified herself as a detective. I told her that I am Nancy Drew and she was dead silent. I asked her if she knew who Nancy is, and she replied in the affirmative. This was the first clue that I had that this lady had called to play cat and mouse, having absolutely no idea that I am a tiger. She said she was investigating a peeping Tom incident from last year and had heard that I know a lot about our ‘hood. This was my second clue.
I have seen the Police Academy movies and think the whole thing looks like a lot of fun. Something happens to them between those heady days of graduation from the academy and grinding out the day-to-day police reports that goes terribly wrong. This detective lady called to find out if I am crazy or not. I let her know, in no uncertain terms, that I am indeed crazy from reporting the same crimes over many years to the TPD, until I am blue in the face. She asked about crimes in my area, I told her a few facts, and then told her what I thought about working conditions for the cops. She had no idea how to be the mouse, so she said she was only calling about the peeping Tom last year and would not be able to investigate the other crimes we discussed. Even Nancy Drew knows there is little point in trying to find out who was peeping last year when we have active full time, already confessed under oath, felonies going on right this minute. I had to hang up when she asked me to call 911 if I see anything. There is such a thing as insulting the intelligence of the public. These guys should have studied Tom and Jerry back at the academy.
The circus still bothers to come to Tucson, but we know a really big show when we see one. The Tucson Gem Show has grown into our most fun and profitable event. We are perfectly willing to give up restaurants and parking and even driving in some places to welcome our precious gemmers back to town for the party of the year. They role into town from all over the world ready to whip out their giant crystals and get busy doing some business. They bring objects of every kind, way beyond the scope of gems or jewelry.
The buyers of all kinds must be here to buy and make contacts for the year. Museum curators, knick knack shop owners, and hippie miners all converge to change the essential nature of our city for the first two weeks each February. I have been officially on restriction from buying anything at the show for years, but it does not really stop me. My birthday falls on Jan. 30, and Valentine’s Day is still on Feb 14. The favorable timing of my birth has resulted in an overstock of gifted gem show stuff. I could easily hold my own gem show, but am currently hoarding all the exotic things I have found. As any queen can tell you, you can only wear so much jewelry at the same time. I should have a museum to display my collection, but then I would truly be on restriction. Like assault weapons, no private citizen can rationalize owning this much jewelry.
I love to see them stream into town in their distinctive costuming, speaking all languages, and laying the bucks on the local merchants. The huge displays of crystals as high as an elephant’s eye crowd into tents and alter the vibration of the desert. Bring it!!! You are the financial savior that primes our pump each year….the economic engine we cannot afford to loose. We love you, gemmers, and wish you a prosperous show this year. Thank you for your exotic and generous presence. If there is any little thing we can do to make you feel more welcome, do not hesitate to ask.
Gem Show, The Greatest Show on Earth
January 16, 2013
Ghost Tourism
January 13, 2013
— 4 Comments
My Dead Peeps
I have traveled in person only once to visit my dead ancestors and look for local records of their lives. I went to Tulsa, where I was born, and my grandparents are buried, but I can not find their graves. After my cousin went back to Iowa I did more investigation in the town where my father was born, Independence, KS. I drove to the small rural town of Ladore, where many of my ancestors settled when they came from Ohio and New York. I found the grave of one of my 2nd great grandmother while looking for somebody else. It made the hair stand up on my neck even in sweltering humid July in Kansas. I have been all over the world on all kinds of journeys, but this is a whole new way to look at travel…visiting history by combining the ancestors and geography. Kinky, and very cool.
I have accumulated and am trying to geographically arrange data on ancestors around Plymouth Colony, MA and around Jamestown, VA. I will go to both destinations eventually, but have to choose one to be the first. The peeps are mostly very fancy in both places and we know how to find many of the graves, some homes, etc. I am not really into them for the royal blood and fame, I just like them because they survived. It is nothing like visiting living relatives. They are past judgement and are all very low maintenance. They are what you might call spooky. I just learned from a local that Virginia is a vortex for ticks, which makes graves in Massachusetts instantly sound so much more appealing. I am thinking now of flying to tick free, but cold Boston. Someday I will procure the right tick graveyard gear to safely visit my Virginians…like Mary, who is in the private and elite graveyard at Warner Hall with a lot of my other ancestors:
The walled family cemetery of the Warner and Lewis families is located on the Warner Hall property, southeast of Warner Hall. Access to the Graveyard is from the road North of Warner Hall and not from Warner Hall or the Driveway to Warner Hall located West of the Graveyard. The cemetery is the final resting place for many of the Warner and Lewis family members. The family cemetery, is also the resting place for such well known ancestors of George Washington, Robert E. Lee, The Queen Mother of England, and Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth has visited Gloucester where she placed a wreath upon her ancestor’s grave. The cemetery has thirteen graves and plaques in memory of all the family. The cemetery is owned and maintained by the Association for Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (A.P.V.A.). The A.P.V.A. acquired the cemetery at Warner Hall in 1903, since which time the Association’s Gloucester Branch, now known as the Joseph Bryan Branch, has zealously maintained it.
There are thirteen graves in the Warner Hall Grave Yard. they are:1 Mary Warner (believed to be Mary Towneley Warner), 1614 – 16622 Augustine Warner I, 1611 – 16743 Augustine Warner II, 1642 – 16814 Mildred Reade Warner (wife of Augustine Warner II), 16945 Augustine Warner III, 1666 – 16866 Elizabeth Warner Lewis (d/o Augustine Warner II w/o Col John Lewis), 1672 – 17197 Col John Lewis (s/o John & Isabella Lewis h/o Elizabeth Warner), 1669 – 17258 Mary Chiswell Lewis (d/o John & Elizabeth Randolph Chiswell w/o Warner Lewis II, 1748 – 17769 Warner Lewis II (s/o Warner Lewis I & Eleanor Bowles Gooch Lewis & grandson of Col John Lewis & Elizabeth Warner Lewis), 1747 – 179110 Juliana Clayton (d/o Dr. Thomas & Isabella Lewis Clayton), 1731 – 173411 Isabella Lewis Clayton (d/o Col John Lewis & Elizabeth Warner w/o Dr. Thomas Clayton), 1706/7 – 1742 (the dates 1706/7 is exactly what is engraved on her stone)12 (Dr.) Thomas Clayton (h/o Isabella Lewis), 1701 – 173913 Caroline Lewis Barrett (d/o Warner Lewis II), 1783 – 1811
Mary Cant Towneley (1614 – 1662)
is my 11th great grandmother
Son of Mary Cant
Daughter of Colonel Augustine II
Son of Mary
Daughter of Augustine Warner
Daughter of Martha
Son of Mary
Son of Johannes John
Son of Henry
Son of Swain
Daughter of Jerimiah
Son of Minnie M
Son of Ernest Abner
I am the daughter of Richard Arden
Private Graveyard at Warner Hall
Groupies of the Chef
January 9, 2013
— 2 Comments
We have a new favorite restaurant in Tucson. It was recommended to us by a friend, so my neighbor Heidi and I went on reconnaissance. We enjoyed a lovely lunch with gourmet touches and warm service the week before Christmas. I decided to take advantage of a special offer on gift certificates, and purchased three for 2013. I received a 30% discount which always makes me feel smart and happy. Lodge on the Desert is creating a seasonal artisanal menu that suits me perfectly. I am a dedicated groupie of Ryan Clark who tickles my tastebuds exactly the way I like. Dining out is a rare special occasion, so I need to make it count.
Christmas brunch was pure delight. Now I can return for two more blow out gourmet dining experiences when the season changes. The chef is brilliant, the cuisine local and contemporary. This is my idea of ideal dining, right in the ‘hood. Chef Ryan Clark is a local treasure. I am looking forward to tasting our next meal in his restaurant.
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- grilled romaine
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- Sangria
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- passionfruit chiltepin cocktail
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- Christmas Cheers!
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- Flatbread made veg for me
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- crispy tortillas for garnish
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- duck confit salad
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- chocolate torte
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- chocolate chili gelato
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- too much dessert
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- charming historical lodge
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- outdoor fireplace
A Tale of Two Tucsons
January 8, 2013
— 2 Comments
Coopers Hawk Fledgling
I live in the middle of Tucson like Gabrielle Giffords. She lives somewhere just south of my neighborhood in a much fancier part of town. On the anniversary of her shooting two years ago, today there are ceremonies to ring bells, hang bells, pray, and commemorate. Tucson seems to me less peaceful, less educated, more reactionary, and more dangerous than it was two years ago. The city creates PR about how we have come together as more civil and less crazed, less armed, less scary…as IF!!!!!!
Where I live the cops do not respond for at least an hour and then they do not bother to even report the crimes you report to them. Nobody calls them because nobody wants to wait around for no reason. The gun store close to my house has had an overflowing parking lot for the last month. My next door neighbor who goes to the shooting range with a bunch of cops on Sundays told me their highly armed group is freaking out because there is no ammo in town to be purchased. They know that the government is a threat to their freedom, and want to buy all the ammo they may need to defend themselves against the government when they try to take their arms.
While commemoration is all well and good, there are plenty of mentally ill people roaming the streets where I live with instant access to weapons. Unfortunately, they have no access to or interest in mental health therapies. There are no cracks to slip through because there is virtually no safety net to treat mentally ill Tucsonans. There is a place where they can score prescription drugs, but no therapy. There is no evidence of effective law enforcement. If Gabby stayed in my neighborhood for a few days she would understand how futile law passing is. With all due respect to her point of view, nobody enforces the laws we have now. Why would adding more laws have a positive effect? I notice a frightening negative effect in the ammo buying population, all agitated and wanting more arms. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It bears repeating, gentle reader.
Foxy New Year, Downtown Tucson
January 7, 2013
— 1 Comment
New Year’s Eve
uplight
Fox Theater downtown Tucson
stage
Bob takes a call
before the show
lighting fixture at Fox
I had not been in the Fox Theater since the 1970’s when I used to pay $1 to stay all afternoon and watch Woody Allen movies in air conditioned comfort. Downtown Tucson has had a bit of a slow start and restart to our urban renewal concept known as Rio Nuevo. I seriously thought about moving downtown, but did not think it would ever come around to a desirable state. There are still issues, but I am very pleased with what is happening now. We went to a Paula Poundstone show on New Year’s Eve at the historic theater. It was a great comedy concert, but we really enjoyed the design and the atmosphere of the building. We were able to find a cab to take us home, which has been a problem on outings to downtown in the past. Eventually we will have a tram to take us to the restaurants and entertainment venues that are starting to appear. I have high hopes that ten years from now I will be able to hop on the bus in front of my home, connect to the tram to go enjoy the vibrant downtown Tucson deserves. I certainly hope so.
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