W5: Harriet Mills Clark(1822-1894)

Harriet Mills Clark

Harriet Mills Clark

Harriet Mills Clark(1822-1894) (W5)

Birth: December 17th, 1822 in Northampton, MA


Father: James Clarke(1780-1848)(W10)

Mother: Anna Frances Warren(1781-1830)(W11)


Married: Married Asa Wright(1818-1883) on October 21st, 1845 in Northampton, MA


Children:


Death: August 25th, 1894 in Northampton, MA

Harriet Mills Clark was born on December 17th, 1822 to James Clarke and Anna Francis Warren in Northampton, MA.  She was the 3rd of 3 children, but there was a 14 year gap between her older brother's birth and her's.  I don't have any information to explain the gap, but feel there would be an interesting story here.  Her mother passed away in 1830. Harriet's mother died fairly early in her life, and the children were apprenticed out.  It is believe Harriet was sent to Fitchburg and worked/learned from a Mrs. Jewett,  She resented the fact that she had been bound out, because there were relatives who could have taken her in.


Harriet expressed her intentions to marry Asa Wright on September 29th, 1845 and married him on October 21st, 1845 in Northampton, MA.  Her father died soon after in 1848. Harriet and Asa's first child, Francis Clark Wright, was born on April 15th, 1849 in Williamsburg, MA and died almost a year later on April 8th, 1850.  The 1850 census shows Asa living with Harriet in Northampton and working as a farmer.


Their second son, David Joy Wright was born on February 9th, 1851 in Northampton, MA. Their youngest child, Charles Black Wright was born on June 27th, 1855 in Northampton, MA and the 1860 census shows the family living together and Asa still working as a farmer. The 1865 Massachusetts census has Asa living with his wife and youngest son.  There is no sign of David Joy.


The family is all together again in 1870.  Asa is still working as a farmer.  His personal estate is worth $5000 and his real estate is $3000.  This 1873 Land ownership map shows where they was living at the time.  I believe the property would have been located at what is now the corner of Laurel St and Grove St. The 1880 census lists Asa living with Harriet, son David and David's wife, Jane Caroline Reed.  He is now a farmer for the Northampton Lunatic Hospital.  There is a possibility that he is living at the farmhouse on hospital property at what is now Village Hill Road and West Street.


By 1880, Asa was still working as a farmer, but living at 19 West St. with Harriet, their son and daughter-in-law.  Asa died on May 11th, 1882 of an epileptic coma in Northampton, MA. Sometime after Asa's death, Harriet moved to 67 West St.  She died on August 25th, 1894 of a Strangulated Hernia.  She is buried in Bridge Street Cemetery.


1873 Land Ownership Map

1873 Land Ownership Map

Harriet Mills Clark, 1890

Harriet Mills Clark, 1890

Important Family Locations on the 1873 Northampton, MA Map

Important Family Locations on the 1873 Northampton, MA Map

Branch

Descendants

Sources