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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of William R. CLARK 

Transcribed by Lyde. Note: this is abstracted data from the original biography. 

[Surnames: BRYANT, CLARK, FITZGERALD, GRIGSBY, MCCUMBER, MILLER, ROYAL, SNELL, STUFFLEBEAM] 

    
William R. Clark of Liverpool Twp. was born in Miami Co., OH on July 15, 1823. His ancestors were Irish and German. His father, Isaac Clark, was a native of IN; but moved to Miami Co., OH at a very early date and was a pioneer of that county. In 1830 he came to Sangamon Co., IL where he bought a quarter section of land. Many of the stones used in the construction of the State Capitol were taken from a quarry on his farm in Sangamon County. He moved to Liverpool Twp., Fulton Co., IL where he purchased 200 acres. He died at age 66. 
    
Mr. Clark's mother was Miss Sarah Royal who was born in OH and died at age 54 years. His parents had 6 children, all of whom grew to maturity: Lydia (Mrs. Snell); Ezekiel F.; Margaret (Mrs. Grigsby); Amy (Mrs. Bryant) and James. Mr. Clark's maternal grandfather, James Royal, was a native of England and came to U.S. and settled in OH and later in Sangamon Co, IL. He died at age 90 years. 
    
Our subject has been married 3 times. First in 1849 to Miss Elcy Fitzgerald, a native of KY who died at age 46 and is buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. To this union were born 4 children: Emry W.; Jessie B.; Orville W. and Lydia. In 1863 Mr. Clark married Miss Sarah E. Grisby - 4 children were born to this marriage: Delta M.; Carrie; Nellie and William M. Mrs. Clark died at age 26 and buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. He again married in 1879 to Miss Huldy McCumber, a native of Fulton Co. To them were born 5 children: Sadie E.; Phoebe; Burleigh W.; Evy P. and a babe unnamed. 

Notes from Barbara:  I believe that William R. Clark's second wife was Elcy STUFFLEBEAM, daughter of William John STUFFLEBEAM & Eliza (Mary Elizabeth) MILLER. Elcy first married either William or Harry Lee FITZGERALD, then William R. CLARK. Cemetery Inscriptions of Fulton Co., IL v. 5, p. 90 lists Elcy's parents and two husbands: William Fitzgerald and William R. Clark. On p. 98 of the same volume, however, there is the burial record of William C. Fitzgerald, son of William and Elcy Stufflebeam Fitzgerald. A note to his record states that his death certificate gives his father's name as Harry Lee Fitzgerald. Also, William R. Clark married Sarah E. GRIGSBY on 19 Jan 1865 in Fulton Co., IL, not in 1863 as this biography has it. Sources are Marriage Index: Illinois, 1851-1900 (CD250) and the IL online marriage index.