NameJoshua CLARKE157,535
Birth23 Nov 1822, Brookfield, Madison Co., New York
Death9 Feb 1895, Verona, Oneida Co., New York
OccupationMinister
ReligionSeventh-Day Baptist
FatherElnathan CLARKE (1799-1845)
MotherMaria S. SPENCER (1801-1879)
Spouses
Birth9 Apr 1813, Plainfield, Otsego Co., New York
FatherAsa LANPHERE (1779-1853)
MotherSusannah SAUNDERS (1784-1863)
Marriage11 Sep 1842
ChildrenElla Francetta (1850-1920)
Notes for Joshua CLARKE
Joshua Clarke 1822-1895  
Categories: Albion, Wisconsin, Minister / Pastor, The Seventh Day Baptist General Conference Yearbook
"The Seventh-day Baptist General Conference Yearbook", 1894-95, p 33.
  Rev. Joshua Clarke died in Verona, Oneida Co., N. Y., Feb. 9, 1895.   He was born Nov. 22, 1822, in the town of Brookfield, N. Y., the eldest child of Elnathan and Maria Spencer Clarke, and spent his boyhood there and in Lincklaen, N. Y.   When sixteen years old he united on baptism with the Seventh-day Baptist Church at Adams Centre, N. Y., and a year later with the Watson Seventh-day Baptist Church, which licensed him to preach when he was only eighteen years of age.   He was married Sept. 11, 1842 to Miss Esther Lanphere, of Plainfield, N. Y., who nearly sixty years shared with him the labors of the gospel ministry.   In the spring following his marriage, he begun his studies in DeRuyter Institute, where he remained two years, preaching, as opportunity offered, in Otselic or Cuyler Hill and elsewhere.   He was ordained to the ministry January 14, 1844 by the church at Otselic.   From this time until his death he served as pastor in our churches as follows: Lincklaen, Three years; Preston, three years, Second Brookfield, eight years; First Hopkinton, six years; Albion, six years; DeRuyter, sixteen years; Rockville, a few months; Albion again, a few months; Andover and Wellsville, about six years; and First and Second Verona, nearly a year.   He was a member of the Board of Managers of the Missionary Society eighteen years, and labored at different times as a general missionary in the Home Field.   In June, 1893, he was again married to Miss Carrie Evans, of Chicago, Ill.
  The Central Association adopted at its last session the following truthful estimate of his character and work: “In the death of this venerable gospel minister, our beloved zion has lost one of its most able and conscientious supporters, thoroughly loyal to the Word of God, a ready and competent defender of the Bible Sabbath truth.”   In him “were combined most happily an earnest, painstaking student of the Bible, a powerful preacher of the Word, and a most successful pastor.”
  
His boyhood was spent in Lincklaen, Chenango Co., New York and Brookfield, Madison Co., New York. In March, 1840 he removed with his parents to Watson, Lewis Co., New York and united with the church there. He began to preach there and remained until June 1842, when he visited his native place. In June, 1843 he entered De Ruyter Institute, remaining there two years. He united with the Seventh Day Baptist Church, in Otselie, Chenango Co., New York, and was ordained there 14 Jan 1844. In June, 1845 he settled as pastor of the Sabbatarian Church uf Lincklaen, NY until the spring of 1847, when he removed to Preston. In 1849 he returned to De Ruyter to renew the study of Greek, but illness prevented close application to his books. In February, 1850 he accepted a call to the Second Sabbatarian Church, of Brookfield, NY and began his pastorate on 1 Mar 1850. He remained eight years. In March, 1858, he became pastor of the First Sabbatarian Church of Hopkinton, RI, and remained there six years. In 1863-4 he accepted a call to the church at Albion, Wis., and served as pastor for six years. on 1 Jan 1870 he became pastor of Sabbatarian Church at De Ruyter, NYm and remained there sixteen years. During the forty-four years of service as a Baptist minister he preached more than 800 funeral sermons and more than 9,000 sermons, an average of four a week. 'Pastor of several churches, among which were the following: Lincklaen, Preston, Brookfield, and Deruyter (all in New York), Albion (Wisconsin), and Ashaway (Rhode Island); President of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference; a manager of the Seventh Day Baptist Missionary Society for eighteen years.

Census:
1880 De Ruyter, Madison Co., New York: age 57, clergyman
Notes for Esther (Spouse 1)
"The Sabbath Recorder", Vol 48, No 22, p 249, June 2, 1892.
It is appointed unto man once, only once, to die. Death, so far as being cessation of conscious existence, is only a transition from one mode of existence to another. The integrity of personhood suffers nothing by the change. In all the essential qualities of selfhood by which each individual is distinguished before death will that individual be distinguished through the unending ages after death has done all it has power to do.
This change in mode of existence came to our sister, Esther Lanphere Clarke, on the 21st day of May, 1892. She began her earthly life in the town of Plainfield, Otsego Co., N. Y., April 19, 1813. She was the fourth child born to Asa and Susanna Saunders Lanphere, to whom, besides her, was born three daughters and four sons, all of whom, except Mrs. S. R. Burdick, of Leonardsville, N. Y., have gone to the spirit land before her.
Upon profession of faith in Christ she was baptized into the fellowship of the First Seventh-day Baptist Church of Brookfield, N. Y., by its pastor of precious memory, the Rev. Wm. B. Maxson, D. D. This consecration to the church and its ever living head she made at the early age of thirteen years. She was married to the Rev. Joshua Clarke, Sept. 11, 1842, and in June of the next year they began pastoral service for the churches of Otselic and Truxton, N. Y., holding their membership in the Otselic Church. It was her very commendable practice to unite with her husband in the membership of whatever church he might be serving as pastor. Thus, in the most hearty co-operation, have Brother Clarke and his most helpful wife toiled in the churches. During the time her husband was pursuing his preparatory studies in the DeRuyter Institute, she joined him in supplying the churches of Otselic and Truxton Hill, the latter now known as Cuyler Hill.
In 1843 they held joint membership in the Otselic Church, since that pastorate they have wrought together faithfully and efficiently for the church of Lincklaen, two years; Second Brookfield, three years; DeRuyter, over sixteen years; First Hopkinton, R. I., six years; Albion, Wis., six years; Third Hopkinton, R. I., three years. It was while in this last pastorate that the good health of Sister Clarke began to give way, and in consequence, the pastorate was given up, and rest and recuperation were sought in the quiet and pleasant home of their daughter, Mrs. P. A. Burdick, of Alfred Centre. Her husband having been called to the pastorate of the Seventh-day Baptist Church of Andover, N. Y., she united with him in the membership of that church. It was from this membership that Sister Clarke passed to the broader, grander fellowship of the church universal, on the date given above.
Close upon half a century she has lived and wrought for God and humanity with her husband, who most cheerfully attributes to her faithful co-work the large measure of success which has crowned his ministry.
Early in her Christian experience, and in the face of a prejudice as unfounded as it was deep-seated and wide-spread, against the public service of a woman, she yielded to what she believed a call of God to go forth and proclaim peace and pardon upon repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At this day, when the distinction of sex has become subordinated to that of mental and moral capacity as credential for place in the world of work and as title to consideration and emolument, it is difficult to realize the strength and turbulence of the current of prejudice and popular opprobrium against which woman had to work her way to recognition, as having rights which those boasting themselves the stronger and wiser half of humanity were bound to respect. Well do I remember with what courage of conviction and earnest persistence this sister breasted the opposition of a debased public sentiment against both the propriety and the right of woman to appear as public advocate or opponent of any of the great questions at issue before the bar of public opinion. Only such women as have stood up firm and faithful to their conviction of duty can realize what it has cost to conquer recognition and gain for woman her right to be and so what God has given her the capacity to be and do. I am glad our sister lived to see the decadence, if not the eradication of the popular prejudice against which she had to contend.
To her sterling natural good sense and general balance of mental and moral qualities she gave good culture by a course of study in the Free Will Baptist Seminary at Clinton, N. Y. She has been a successful herald of the gospel message and a most efficient helper of her husband in his ministerial work in most important respects. She did not hesitate to take her husband's place in the regular Sabbath service when he was called away to funerals and other appointments on that day. In all these labors she has been approved and her services have been highly appreciated by those capable of such appreciation.
She was mother, in the most noble and endearing sense, to two sons and two daughters. Only the daughters survive the mother. These are Mrs. Mary C. Green, wife of Dr. C. A. Green, of Windom, Minn., and Mrs. Ella C. Burdick, wife of the celebrated temperance advocate, P. A. Burdick, Esq., of Alfred Centre.
Sadly as husband and daughters will sorrow for their loved one, it will not be as for one lost, but only gone before.


Census:
1880 De Ruyter, Madison Co., New York: age 66
Last Modified 17 Jan 2010Created 17 Jan 2012 using Reunion for Macintosh