Elisha Clark (September 22, 1752—December 12, 1838) was a

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

veteran of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

who was active in government, including serving as the state's first Auditor of Accounts.

Biography

Clark was born in

Norwich, Connecticut Norwich ( ) (also called "The Rose of New England") is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River flows south to Long ...

on September 22, 1752. He served in the Revolution, receiving a pension for service as a

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

under

Seth Warner Seth Warner (May 17, 1743 – December 26, 1784) was an American soldier. He was a Revolutionary War officer from Vermont who rose to rank of Continental colonel and was often given the duties of a brigade commander. He is best known for his l ...

with the

Green Mountain Boys The Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization first established in 1770 in the territory between the British provinces of New York and New Hampshire, known as the New Hampshire Grants and later in 1777 as the Vermont Republic (which late ...

and as

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

under

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Samuel Herrick in the Vermont Militia. He also served as a

commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

and deputy commissary of issues. He settled in

Tinmouth, Vermont Tinmouth is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 553 at the 2020 census. History Tinmouth was established in 1761 in a region that came to be known as the New Hampshire Grants. At the first U.S. census, the t ...

and served in several local offices, including

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

. Clark served as

Rutland County Rutland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,572, making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and most populous municipality is the city of Rutland. H ...

Probate Judge A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as Orphans' Courts o ...

from 1784 to 1803. He was Vermont's first Auditor of Accounts, serving from 1790 to 1797.

Death and burial

Clark died in Tinmouth on December 12, 1838. He was buried in Tinmouth's Noble Family Cemetery.

Family

Clark was married three times. With first wife Mary Stewart he had a daughter named Polly. With second wife Betsey Jewell, the widow of David Spofford, he had two sons—Elisha, Jr. and Harry. His third wife was Edna Mattocks (1767-1847). Their children included: Harry Clark (1786-1846); Edny M. Clark (1794-1816); Albert S. Clark (1802-1864); and Burr R. Clark (1803-1882).

References

1752 births 1838 deaths People of Vermont in the American Revolution Vermont militiamen in the American Revolution Military history of Vermont State Auditors of Vermont Politicians from Norwich, Connecticut People from Tinmouth, Vermont People of pre-statehood Vermont Burials in Vermont American justices of the peace Military personnel from Norwich, Connecticut {{Vermont-politician-stub