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 1746 - 1832 (86 years)
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| Name |
Spencer D. Clack |
| Title |
Lieutenant |
| Birth |
28 Mar 1746 |
Loudoun County, Virginia  [1, 2, 3, 4] |
| Gender |
Male |
 Military |
Revolutionary War Patriot [5] |
- CLACK, SPENCER <../search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A022403>
<../search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A022403>
Ancestor #: A022403 <../search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A022403>
Service:
VIRGINIA Rank(s): LIEUTENANT, PATRIOTIC SERVICE
Birth:
3-28-1746 FAIRFAX CO VIRGINIA
Death:
7-9-1832 SEVIERVILLE SEVIER CO TENNESSEE
Service Source:
VA MAG OF HIST & BIO, VOL 11, PP 90,92; ABERCROMBIE & SLATTEN, VA REV PUB CLAIMS, VOL 2, PP 511,512
Service Description:
1) 1ST LIEUTENANT IN CAPT WILLIAM RYAN'S CO
2) FURNISHED SUPPLIES, HENRY CO
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| Death |
9 Jul 1832 |
Sevierville, Sevier County, Tennessee [2, 4] |
| Burial |
Forks of the Little Pigeon Cemetery, Sevierville, Sevier County, Tennessee [2, 3, 4, 6] |
- in the Church in the Forks Baptist Cemetery...
Spencer D. Clack h/o Mary Beavers.
This cemetery was established in 1789 to serve as a final resting place for those who attended a log Baptist Church. The church was destroyed in the Civil War . In 1979 Sevierville honored the dead by establishing a small park preserving a handful of stones including a marker for the grave of Lt. Spencer Clack. No records exist for the other graves in this cemetery, which no longer exist.
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| Person ID |
I32732 |
The Hennessee Family |
| Last Modified |
17 Jan 2015 |
| Father |
Colonel John Clack, b. 9 Jan 1721, Gloucester County, Virginia d. 1786, Brunswick County, Virginia (Age 64 years) |
| Mother |
Mary Kennon, b. 29 Jan 1728, Gloucester County, Virginia d. 0___ 1794, Brunswick County, Virginia (Age 65 years) |
| Marriage |
1743 |
(Gloucester County, Virginia) [7, 8] |
| Family ID |
F12006 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Mary Beavers, b. 12 Jan 1745, Colony of Virginia d. 14 Aug 1840, Sevierville, Sevier County, Tennessee (Age 95 years) |
| Marriage |
2 Nov 1766 |
Loudoun County, Virginia [1, 2, 9] |
| Residence (Family) |
1778 |
Henry County, Virginia [10] |
| Residence (Family) |
1787 |
Sevier County, Tennessee [10] |
| Children |
| | 1. Frances Clack, b. 9 Mar 1783, (Loudon County, Virginia) d. 5 Mar 1855, Knox County, Tennessee (Age 71 years) |
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| Family ID |
F11981 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
30 Apr 2023 |
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| Notes |
- SPENCER and MARY CLACK
The Clack family was very well researched by Tommie Hazelwood Clack (1882-1989). She was a school teacher and a strong believer in evidence! Her research was thorough and accurate, according to all the documents she uncovered relating to the Clack family. She, and JA Sharp, wrote an article on Spencer Clack that was accepted by the Tennessee Historical Society and printed in Echoes, May 1958. I cannot write anything any better nor more complete, so I will transcribe her article here:
"Spencer Clack, Revolutionary soldier, settled in Sevier County, Tennessee, in 1788 or 1789. Little is known of his military service except that he was a lieutenant of a Virginia (Henry County) militia company in 1782/83; Captain Tully Choice was company commander. He was born March 28, 1746.
His obituary gave his birthplace as Loudoun County, Virginia, but this could not be accurate for Loudoun County was not partitioned from Fairfax County until 1757 and no Clack records as early as Spencer's birth were found in either of these counties.
Spencer Clack did, however, live in Loudoun County and witness there in 1770 the will of Thomas Beavers; also Loudoun County was probably where he married Mary Beavers in 1766. He sold his lands in Loudon County in 1777 and moved southward to Henry County about 1778 where he purchased land in the latter county. In 1786 when Franklin County, Virginia, was formed from parts of Henry and Bedford Counties, he became one of the first justices of the new county and in 1787 he sold his Franklin County lands, just before his westward trek to Sevier County, Tennessee.
No conclusive proof of the parentage of Spencer Clack has been offered, although various attempts to do so have been made by descendants and genealogists. It does seem certain, however, that he descended from Rev. James Clack, English-born rector of Ware Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia, from 1679 to 1723.
Monument located on the lawn at the Sevierville Courthouse; picture taken 2004.
The Spencer Clack home in Sevier County was located on the right bank of Little Pigeon River, immediately below the junction of the East Fork and West Fork of that river. Here in 1808, Spencer obtained an occupant grant from Tennessee for 442 acres; most of this land was on the north bank of the East Fork directly opposite to the town of Sevierville or the Forks-of-Little-Pigeon, as this frontier settlement was known.... Near his home Spencer operated one of Sevierville's first mills, also a cotton gin and woolcarding machine.
Spencer Clack was prominent in the affairs of the Forks-of-Little-Pigeon (Sevierville) Baptist Church from the time of its formation in 1789 until his death. For many years he served as church clerk.
In addition to his church activities he was interested in education and politics. He was an early trustee of Nancy Academy, Sevier County's first school and gave money for its support.
He was one of the five Sevier County delegates to the Knoxville convention of 1796, which drafted and adopted Tennessee's first constitution and he was a signer of that document. He also represented Sevier County in the lower house of the first three Tennessee legislatures, 1796-1802 and in 1801 he served on the legislative committee "to prepare a device and motto" for the Great Seal of Tennessee.
Neither the Spencer Clack Bible nor the Spencer Clack Will have been found; therefore the writers will list only those who were unquestionably children of Spencer and Mary Beavers Clack. Perhaps, in this way, the confusion and error of other Clack descendants and genealogists may be avoided. Good proof exists for the following Clack Children:
1) Martha Clack's marriage to Josiah Rogers occurred in Franklin County, Virginia, in 1786; they apparently came to Sevier County with the Clacks.
2) Rawliegh [Rolly] Clack was first married to Mary Randles in 1791 and after her death he married second to Martha Kerr in 1816; this marriage took place in Sevier County. Sixteen children resulted and about 1820 Rawliegh and family moved down the Tennessee River to Rhea County, where he died in 1842. [note: this is the line from which Tommie Clack descends]
3) Rhoda Clack married James Randles in 1791; they raised a family of twelve on Boyd's Creek in Sevier County. Randles died in 1816, while on a trip to Virginia for salt and was buried somewhere in Washington County, Virginia.
4) Catherine Clack was married in 1794 to Rev. Elijah Rogers, early and well known Baptist minister in East Tennessee; they raised five sons and five daughters at their Sevier County home near the mouth of Little Pigeon, on the French Broad River.
5) Frances Clack was married (1) to Mordecai Gist; after his death she married (2) John Mynatt of Knox County, Tennessee.
6) Mary Clack married William Miller; they left Sevier County at an early date and settled in Meigs County, Tennessee, where she died in 1860.
7) Malvina Clack married Major Beavers; they left Sevier County for Talladega County, Alabama, soon after the War of 1812.
There were doubtless other Clack children but the writers do not believe that Spencer Clack, Jr, John Clack and Nancy Clack were the children of Spenser and Mary Beavers Clack as some published accounts claim....
Spencer Clack's death occurred July 9, 1832 and he was buried in the old Baptist cemetery at Sevierville; the original flat limestone rock with unique carving of Spencer's face and the initials, "S.C." still marks his grave. [note: the original stone is very badly worn and when I visited the gravesite in 2004, there was a large chunk missing from the upper right side and I could only make out the numbers 17. A flat stone had been placed at the grave, and is pictured here].
Mary Beavers Clack died August 14, 1840 and was buried by the side of her husband. At the time of his death a contemporary described Spencer Clack as a 'pious... worthy Christian, kind and affectionate... an excellent neighbor, remarkably even and unruffled in temper.'"
Mrs. Puryear also did very well with her research into Spenser Clack. From her book, "Hollis Pioneers Kin and Kin to Kin," she quotes from several books and articles, including Tommie H. Clack and JA Sharp. In particular, "Family Chronicles and Kinship Book," by Octavia Zollicoffer Bond, is extensively quoted, as is "Virginia Soldiers of 1776, V-2" by Augusta Fothergill.
In her book, the author writes: "It is probable that the mother of John and Spencer Clack was a Spenser and that their father was a son of Rev. James Clack of Ware Parish, Modern-day monument marks the grave site of Spencer Clack in Sevierville Gloucester Co., Va. Their father appears to be identified with the Capt. Clack of whom Mr. Thomas Jett wrote in 1770 to a correspondent, as then being in New York. (Va. Mag. of Hist. & Biog. Vol. 17) but of whom no more is known. Spenser was an ancient and honorable name in the Old Dominion of Virginia. (see Va. Mag. of Hist. & Biog.. V-2, p-33).
Mary Beavers, born 1745, was a descendant of Chevalier Robert de Beauvilliers, of Amelia and Loudoun Counties, Va. The name was shortened to Beavill and later changed to Beavers when French names became unpopular during the French and Indian Wars... Thomas Beavers, died 1779, married Martha ___. Their son, Capt. James Beavers, Captain of Loudoun County Militia in the American Revolution, married ____. Their daughter, Mary Beavers, married, 1766, Hon. Spencer Clack."
From fellow researcher, G. Ronald Herd, comes a transcription of the obituary of Spencer Clack: Knoxville Register issue of 18 July 1832
"Departed this life at his late home, Sevierville, Tennessee, on Monday evening, July 9, 1832, Spencer Clack, Esq. at the age of 86 years, 3 months and 11 days. He was one of the pioneers of the west, being one of the first settlers on Little Pigeon River. He was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, March 28, 1746.
He early took part in the politics of Tennessee, being a member of the convention that assisted in framing the constitution and for many years afterwards a respected member of the state legislature under the constitution he had aided in framing.
He was a pious and worthy Christian of the Baptist faith and died in full faith, believing that there was an everlasting rest prepared for him. He was kind and affectionate in his family and also an excellent neighbor, remarkably even and unruffled in temper, which made his intercourse with the world quite pleasant. He was benevolent and kind to all especially the poor.
Few men have ever lived so completely fortified by courteous principles amidst the vexation and turmoils of life as did the subject of this sketch. He left an aged partner, besides numerous offspring to lament the vacancy occasioned by his death in Tennessee." [5]
- Spencer Clack and Family
The text contained in this article is from a Web document that was formerly available at the Sevier County Library's Web site. The document is no longer on-line, but it was located in an Internet Archive. The actual source and transcriber were not identified in the document, nor was there any indication of whether the extraction was complete. Some minor, obvious corrections were made to the text because it appeared to have been mechanically converted (OCR).
No copyright infringement is intended by posting the information here for the benefit of researchers.
If you have information to add-to or correct this document, please follow the links on this page to Contact Us.
Spencer Clack (1746-1832) by Miss Tommie Clack, Abilene, Texas; and J. A. Sharp, Sevierville, Tenn.
Spencer Clack, Revolutionary soldier, settled in Sevier County, Tennessee, in 1788 or 1789. Little is known of his military service except that he was a lieutenant of a Virginia (Henry County) militia company in 1782-83; Captain Tully Choice was company commander. He was born, March 28,1746. His obituary gave his birthplace as Loudoun County, Virginia, but this could not be accurate for Loudoun County was not partitioned from Fairfax County until 1757, and no Clack records, as early as Spencer's birth, were found in either of these counties.
Spencer Clack did, however, live in Loudoun County, and witnessed there, in 1770, the will of Thomas Beavers; also, Loudoun County was probably where he married Mary Beavers about 1766. He sold his lands in Loudoun County in 1777 and moved southward to Henry County, Virginia about 1778, when he purchased land in the latter county. In 1786, when Franklin County, Virginia, was formed from parts of Henry and Bedford Counties, he became one of the first justices of the new county, and in 1787 he sold his Franklin County lands, just before his westward trek to Sevier County, Tennessee.
No conclusive proof of the parentage of Spencer Clack has been offered, although various attempts to do so have been made by descendents and genealogists. It does seem certain, however, that he descended from Rev. James Clack, English-born rector of Ware Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia, from 1679 to 1723.
The Spencer Clack home in Sevier County was located on the right bank of Little Pigeon River, immediately below the junction of the East Fork and West Fork of that river. Here, in 1808, Spencer obtained an occupant grant from Tennessee for 442 acres; most of this land was on the north bank of East Fork directly opposite to the town of Sevierville, or the Forks-of-Little Pigeon, as this frontier settlement was known. The Chandlers and Walkers, Clack descendents, later owned the same place and the old Clack home was located on the same site as the later Chandler-Walker home. Near his home Spencer operated one of Sevierville's first mills, also a cotton gin and wool-carding machine.
Spencer Clack was prominent in the affairs of the Forks-of-Little Pigeon (Sevierville) Baptist Church from the time of its formation in 1789 until his death. For many years he served as church clerk. In addition to his church activities he was interested in education and politics. He was an early trustee of Nancy Academy, Sevier County's first school and gave money for its support. He was one of the five Sevier County delegates to the Knoxville convention of 1796, which drafted and adopted Tennessee's first constitution and he was a signer of that document. He also represented Sevier County in the lower house of the first three Tennessee legislatures, 1796-1802, and in 1801 he served on the legislative committee "to prepare a device and motto" for the Great Seal of Tennessee.
Neither the Spence Clack Bible record nor the Spence Clack will have been found; therefore, the writers will list only those who were unquestionably children of Spencer and Mary Beavers Clack. Perhaps, in this way, the confusion and error of other Clack descendents and genealogists may be avoided. Good proof exists for the following Clack children: Martha, Rawleigh (Rolly) (b. 1772), Rhoda (b. 1776), Catherine (b. 1778), Frances (b. c1783), Mary (b. 1785) and Malvina.
Martha Clack's marriage to Josiah Rogers occurred in Franklin County, Virginia, in 1786; they apparently came to Sevier County with the Clacks. Rawleigh Clack was married (1) to Mary Randles in 1791, and after her death he was married (2) to Martha Kerr in 1816; this marriage took place in Sevier County. Sixteen children resulted and about 1820 Rawleigh and family moved down the Tennessee River to Rhea County, Tennessee, where he died in 1842. Rhoda Clack married James Randles in 1791; they raised a family of twelve on Boyd's Creek in Sevier County. Randles died in 1816, while on a trip to Virginia for salt, and was buried somewhere in Washington County, Virginia. Catherine Clack was married, in 1794, to Rev. Elijah Rogers, early and well known Baptist minister in East Tennessee; they raised five sons and five daughters at their Sevier County home near the mouth of the Little Pigeon, on the French Broad River. Mary Clack married William Miller; they left Sevier County at an early date and settled in Meigs County, Tennessee, where she died in 1860. Frances Clack was married (1) to Mordecai Gist; after his death she married (2) John Mynatt of Knox County, Tennessee. Malvina Clack married Major Beavers; they left Sevier County for Talladega County, Alabama, soon after the War of 1812.
There were doubtless other Clack children, but the writers do not believe that Spencer Clack, Jr. John Clack and Nancy Clack were children of Spencer and Mary Beavers Clack, as some published accounts claim. However, there is a well established tradition that there was a son, Micajah Clack, who was "killed by lighting." And there may have been a daughter named Rebecca Clack, but again we must rely only upon tradition for proof. Also, in 1789, one Sarah Clack (b. c1773) married William Henderson in the "Forks of Little Pigeon," as shown by bounty land papers in the National Archives; they migrated to St. Louis County, Missouri, about 1840. We believe that this Sarah Clack, heretofore unknown to present generations of Clack descendents, was another daughter of Spencer and Mary.
Spencer Clack's death occurred, July 9, 1832 and he was buried in the old Baptist Cemetery at Sevierville; the original flat limestone rock with the unique carving of Spencer's face and the initials, "S.C.", still marks his grave. Mary Beavers Clack died, August 14, 1840, and was buried by the side of her husband. At the time of his death a contemporary described Spencer Clack as a "pious… worthy Christian, kind and affectionate. . .an excellent neighbor, remarkably even and unruffled in temper." [6]
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