General Notes

Note that Thomas was born in Kent the same place as descendant Clarks were born for several hundred years (and probably even today). There was a kingdom of Kent before 800 AD. The earliest King Of Kent was probably Hengest born in 448 in Kent. The last King of Kent was Aethelbert born in 728 in Kent. Kent then became a part of Wessex. The first King of Wessex was Ealhmund born 758. About 100 years later Alfred (one of our most famous ancestors) was the last King of Wessex. His son Edward became King of England as England was now evolving, and Kent became a shire.  In a book borrowed from the University of California Library in Irvine, "Regional Historyof England, The South East from AD 1000" there are vivid discriptions of Kent, it's people, and the events of the time. No Clark (all varieties) could be found in this early history. The names Odo (Bishop of Bayeux), Robert (Count of Mortain), Robert (Count of Eu), William De Warenne, Roger of Montgomery, Richard FitzGilbert, Hugh De Montfort, the De Braose family, the De Clare family, Courtenay, Culpeper (Colepeper) and Ferrers are noted (all of whom are Clark ancestors)   According to one researcher "Thomas Dutton was indicted for the acts that he and others committed (circa 1350). They came with armed power, when King Edward III was out of England, within the verge of the lodgings of Lionel, the King's son, and assaulted the manor of Beaume's, and there slew Michael Poynings and Thomas CLERKE and others, and committed a rape on Margery, wife of Nicholas de Beche, for which the King pardoned him.   According to Bernard Holland in his reference "The Lancaster Shire Hollands" the action was "that Sir Robert de Holland ...assisted Sir Robert Dalton in abducting, with violence, a wealthy widow of both Nicolas de la Beche and Gerard de I'Isle, Margery, from her manor house called Beaume's.. in Berkshire ..who..Dalton wished to marry. In the affray the lady's uncle Michael le Poyning, and another man were killed, and several wounded. ... The arrest of Dalton, Holland and the rest was ordered so they fled to Lancaster Shire with the Lady. They took refuge in the Holland house of mother Maud in Upholland. Maud tried to protect the men. The crime of abduction was common in these times. The abductors were later pardoned.