CLARK, EDWARD, was born Feb. 16, 1790, in the ancient town of Rye, Eng. It was the principal one of the three independent ports, which, together with the Cinque, or five ports, obtained charters granting special privileges from the British Sovereigns, in the consequence of their having fitted out a fleet and conquered the Danish and Scandinavian freebooters, thus breaking up the system of piracy which has for years been devastating the English coasts. The office of the Lord Warden of the Cinque ports, is one of the most ancient in the Kingdome, reaching back to the time of Edward the Confessor, about the year 1050. Edward Clark's grandfathers on both sides were named Clark, but were no relation to each other. They were both sea captains, and his father, Henry Clark, was intended for the sea, but could never overcome the tendency to sea sickness and engaged in other pursuits, chiefly mercantile and milling, to which the subject of this sketch was trained in early life. His brother Philip, having visited America in 1817, Edward sailed with him from London in August, 1818, and landed in October following. They arrived in what became Sangamon county in Nov. 1819, and located on the Sangamon river, about two miles north of the present town of Rochester. For the route traveled, see his brother Philip's name.

Edward Clark was married March 4, 1821, to Sarah Viney. Mr. Clark went to Edwardsville to obtain a license, and when he arrived there, learned that a law had been enacted by the legislature, in session at Vandalia, and approved by Gov. Bond, Jan. 30, 1821, providing for the organization of a new county, to be called Sangamon. The clerk declined to issue a license, and Mr. Clark insisted that as he was ready to marry he did not like to be delayed. The clerk told him that if he was determined to marry, he could go home, have the marriage ceremony solemnized, and after the county was organized, have it done again. The county was organized April 10, 1821, and after that a license was obtained and the marriage again solemnized by the same minister who officiated the first time, Rev. Rivers Cormack, of the M. E. church. They had eight children, all in Sangamon county, namely --

ABRAHAM V., born April 9, 1822. He was never married, but went to California in 1849, and died Dec., 1850 at Sacramento City.

HENRY P., born Nov. 2, 1823. He was married Dec. 15, 1853, to Nancy T. Williams. They have four children, MARY J., SARAH V., EDWARD S., and WILLIAM T., the three eldest in Rochester, and the fourth in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Henry P. Clark lives one and a half miles southeast of Rochester.

MARY JANE, born Feb. 25, 1825, married Feb. 25, 1845, to James Richardson. They had three children. Mrs. R. died Sept. 6, 1857. Mr. Richardson is married again, and resides in Taylorville. Her youngest son, Abraham V. Richardson, lives at the homestead, near Rochester.

REBECCA S., born May 15, 1827, died unmarried, March 18, 1856.

GEORGE W., born Nov. 11, 1829, died Dec. 15, 1855.

EDMUND F. and CHARLES A., twins, born Aug. 27, 1831.

CHARLES A. died Oct. 25, 1852, in Oregon

EDMUND F. married Feb. 19, 1857, to Cassander Lovelace, who was born Sept. 9, 1838, in Shelby county. They have six living children, WILLIAM F., LOUISA J., REASON E., JASPER N., JOHN S. and ALVIN W., and live at the family homestead, two miles west of Rochester.

SARAH A., born Feb. 2, 18335, died Jan. 26, 1856.

Mrs. Sarah Clark died March 26, 1837, and Edward Clark was married Jan. 16, 1838, to Nancy Trotter. They had three children.

BENJAMIN F., born Oct. 15, 1838, enlisted July 25, 1862, in Co. I, 114th Ill. Inf., for three years. At the battle of Guntown, Miss., June 10, 1864, he brought on disease by excessive fatigue, and died March 1, 1865, in military hospital at Memphis, Tenn. His brother Henry P., brought his remains home and they were interred near Rochester.

WILLIAM T., born Nov. 16, 1842, enlisted Sept. 28, 1861, in Co. G, 10th Ill. Cav., for three years, re-enlisted as a veteran, served to the end of the rebellion and was honorably discharged Nov. 1865, at San Antonio, Texas. William T. Clark lives in Oregon.

NANCY ANN, born March 16, 1845, and died Jan. 21, 1856. By looking back at dates it will be seen that four members of the family died form Dec. 15, 1855, to March 18, 1856. Disease, typhoid fever.

Mrs. Nancy Clark died Sept. 26, 1853, and Edward Clark died Jan. 10, 1875, both n the farm two miles west of Rochester, and within five miles of where he settled in 1819.

Wellington as in command of the district where Edward Clark lived when both were young men, and Mr. Clark knew him well. Mr. Clark witnessed the launching of the British ship, Victory, at the Chatham dock yards. It was on board that ship that Admiral Nelson was slain at the battle of Trafalgar, after promulgating the famous order which has become history: "England expects every man to do his duty."

Edward Clark was a man of Precise business habits, better suited to an older community than the one in which he spent the greater part of his long life. He was just in all his dealings and was a model Christian gentleman. He was a man of varied and extensive readings, and had accumulated a miscellaneous library from the standard works of the most distinguished authors in the English language.