1. Joseph CLARKE was born 9 Dec 1618 in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England and was christened 16 Dec 1618 in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England. He died 1 Jun 1694 in Newport, Newport Co., Rhode Island.

Joseph was christened 16 Dec 1618 in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England.

BABCOCK AND ALLIED FAMILIES, by de Forest, page 39.
    He sailed from England in or about 1637, and settled in Aquidneck, at Newport, RI, in 1638. Three of his brothers also emigrated, Thomas, John and Carewe, but they left no decendants.
    John it was who brought the family bible with him which eventually, after his death, passed into Joseph's hands.
    Nothing is known about his first marriage. His second wife was one Margaret, who died at Newport in 1694.

  Sources: The Clarke Families of Rhode Island by George Austin Morrison;
Colonial Families of the United States of America, Vol 4; Genealogies of Rhode Island Families, Vol. 1, page 197; Babcock and Allied Families by Louis E. de Forest; Potter-Richardson Memorial; Ancestry of George P. Clarke of Newport, R.I., by G. Andrews Moriarty; C. Merton Babcock; RI Families; Virkus; 160 Allied Families; Founders of Early American Families; NEHGR, v75, p280 & v91, p249; Witter Family History.

  De Forest: Joseph Clarke, the first of the line to emigrate; born 9 Dec. and baptized 16 Dec. 1618 at Westhorpe, Suffolk, England. Sailed from England about 1637 and settled in Rhode Island. He became an inhabitant of the Island of Aquidneck at Newport in 1638. Three of his brothers, Thomas, John and Carewe, also emigrated, but they left no descendants. Nothing is known about his first marriage; his second was to Margaret _____________, who died at Newport in 1694. He died 1 June 1694 at Newport. He was made a freeman 17 March 1641 and was an original member of the first Baptist Church at Newport, founded 1644. He performed many civic duties, and his name appeared on the Royal Charter sent to Rhode Island by King Charles II, Joseph being among those to whom the charter was granted. He was in Westerly in 1668, being named a freeman that year, and was a representative to the General Assemby as deputy in 1668-1670, 1672 and 1690. He returned to live in Newport in his declining years, and he may have died there, although it is said he died in Westerly.
  Memorial: Joseph Clarke of Westhorpe, Suffolk, England; born 9 Dec. 1618; died 1 June 1694 in Newport, RI. Married 1641/2 to first wife, name unknown; married (2) Margaret. He came to Dorchester, MA, about 1639; removed to Newport, RI, and became a freeman in 1641. This would indicate both wives were from Newport or environs.
  C.M. Babcock: Joseph Clarke, born 9 Dec. 1618; died 1 June 1694 at Newport, RI; settled at Newport in 1638 and was a commissioner for Rhode Island from 1655-1659. He had 10 children, including Joseph Jr. and Sarah, who married Thomas Reynolds 11 Oct. 1683.
  RI Families: "Joseph Clarke, baptised the 16 December, 1618, borne, 9" and "Joseph Clarke deceased the 1st of June, A.D. 1694. (Vol. 1, pages 198 and 199. Bible records.) The  Brothers Joseph, Carew, Thomas and John Clarke, sons of Thomas Clarke, were among the early settlers of Newport, RI. Joseph was the only one who left any issue.
  Virkus: Joseph Clarke (1618-1694), from England, 1638, admitted freeman at Newport, R.I., 1639. Married (2) Margaret. [Margaret apparently was the mother of the children recorded here.]
  160 Families: Joseph Clarke, born 9 Dec. 1618, baptized 16 Dec. 1618, died 1 June 1694. Married (1) unknown wife about 1642; (2) Margaret __________, who died in 1694. He was admitted an inhabitant of Portsmouth, R.I., in 1638 and the next year of Newport. [See page 63 for a rundown of his many public offices, along with other information.]
  Founders: Joseph Clarke. Aquidneck, RI, 1638; Westerly 1665, Newport 1680. Died there 1 June 1694. Assistant. Deputy. Baptist.
  NEHGR, v75: Joseph Clarke, born 9 Dec. 1618 and baptized 16 Dec. 1618 at Westhorpe, co. Suffolk, England. Died 1 June 1694. Married (1) _______; (2) Margaret __________, who died in 1694. He emigrated to Rhode Island in 1638 and resided in Newport and Westerly. He was a large landowner, an assistant in 1658 and several later years, and a deputy, 1668-1672 and 1690. He was the only member of the family who left issue in New England, and from him descends the greater part of the Clarke family living in the Narragansett country. Ten children.
   NEHGR, v91: Joseph Clarke was one of the first settlers of Newport, R.I.
   Witter Family: Joseph Clarke, born 9 Dec. 1618 and baptized 16 December, Westhorp, Suffolk, England. Died 1 June 1694, age 76, at Newport, or possibly, Westerly, R.I. Married Margaret Turner, who died in 1694 in Newport. He may have had a first wife. "Brother of John Clarke of the `Witter Incident', who was a founder of Rhode Island. Emigrated by 1638. A founder of the Baptist Church of Newport, 1644. He came to Massachusetts with the Puritans but he was a Baptist but soon moved on to R.I. Member of the General Court, 1640. Freeman, 1655. At Westerly in 1668. Large landowner. Commissioner in 1644 and 1657-1659. Assistant, 1658, 1663, 1678 and 1679. Member of Court of Justice of Peace, 1667. At Newport 16809 until death. A freeman of Boston 1634/5, where he was called Clerke." [Note: Earlier said emigrated by 1638. Must have meant emigrated to Rhode Island by that date.]

Joseph married Margaret TURNER about 1640. Margaret was born 1615 in England. She died 1694 in Newport, Newport Co., Rhode Island.

Babcock and Allied Families, by de Forest, page 39.

  Sources: NEHGR, v75, p280; Virkus; Babcock and Allied Families by Louis
E. de Forest; Potter-Richardson Memorial; 160 Allied Families; Witter Family
History.
  De Forest: Margaret _________, second wife who died at Newport in 1694.
  Memorial and Virkus: Margaret _________, second wife.
  160 Families and NEHGR: Margaret _________, second wife, died in 1694.
  Witter Family: Margaret Turner, died 1694 in Newport, R.I. She had 10 or 11 children. She probably was the daughter of Lawrence Turner and wife Mary, who had 10 children.