Daniel Clark (Connecticut colonial leader) facts for kids

Daniel Clark (1622-1710) was an important leader in early Connecticut. He served as the fourth Secretary of the Colony of Connecticut, which was like being a chief record-keeper and administrator for the government. He held this job from 1658 to 1664 and again from 1665 to 1667. He also held many other important positions in the colonial government of Connecticut. People often called him the "great grandfather of Governors" because so many of his family members later became governors in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Clark was born in Tarvin, Cheshire, England in 1622. In 1639, he moved to America with his uncle and lived in Windsor, Connecticut. He was a representative in the General Court (which was like the colonial parliament) from 1657 to 1661. He was also a member of the Court of Assistants from 1662 to 1664, in addition to being the Secretary of the Colony.

Daniel Clark was also part of a committee that chose and officially appointed officers for the militia (a local army). He also served on a committee that advised on matters concerning the Native American tribes. In 1662, he was one of 19 people who signed and received the important Connecticut Charter. This document gave the colony more self-governance. In 1664, he became a captain in the Colonial Troops and served during King Philip's War, a major conflict in early New England. He passed away in Windsor on August 10, 1710.

Clark's Family and Legacy

Daniel Clark was the son of Sabbath Clark, who was a church leader in Tarvin, and Elizabeth (Overton) Clark. His mother's family included important figures like Bishop William Overton and Bishop William Barlow.

Daniel Clark first married Mary Newberry. She was the mother of all nine of his children and passed away in 1688. A year later, in 1689, he married Martha (Pitkin) Wolcott. She was a widow with six children, and Daniel became their stepfather. One of her children was Roger Wolcott, who later became the colonial governor of Connecticut from 1750 to 1754.

Daniel Clark's family continued to be important in politics for many generations. His great-grandson, Oliver Wolcott, was a very famous American. Oliver Wolcott signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He also served as the governor of Connecticut from 1796 until his death a year later.

Oliver Wolcott's son, Oliver Wolcott, Jr., also became a governor of Connecticut, serving from 1817 to 1827. Before that, he was the second Secretary of the Treasury for the United States from 1795 to 1800. Many other governors of Connecticut, like Roger Griswold and Clark Bissell, were also descendants of Daniel Clark. Even a governor of Massachusetts, Roger Wolcott, was related to Daniel Clark. This shows how influential Daniel Clark's family became in the history of New England.