Robert Breckinridge Clark

Robert Breckinridge Clark, 

Who was he and where does he fit into the Clark family history?

Stuart Benson Clark>Robert Stuart Clark>Robert Breckinridge Clark and Sarah Jane Gaither his wife.

Robert Breckinridge Clark was one of six children of Matthew Clark and Temperance Glenn*. He was born on April 2, 1824 in Baltimore, Maryland.  He married Sarah Jane Gaither in 1858. "Jane" as she was called, was from Frederick, Maryland and was born on May 23, 1830 to Stewart Gaither and Margaret de la Plaux Schell. Her family has a royal connection, as her paternal grandmother was Elizabeth Stewart#...yes, as in the Royal House of Stewart. 

There were previously no known photographs of Robert Breckinridge Clark, but in my diligent search I unearthed a photograph on Google books from the 1847 class of the College of New Jersey, as it was then known...now Princeton University.  

*More on Matthew, Temperance, and their other children in another post...

#More on the Gaither/Stewart family in another post

Class of 1847: The Centennial Class, College of New Jersey, Princeton, N.J.
 By Princeton University, Class of 1847  

Robert Breckinridge Clark at age 74

Clark, Robert Breckinridge. Born April 2, 1824, in Baltimore, Maryland. Entered Sophomore. Studied law. Practiced for a year or two, then removed to St. Louis, Missouri, and followed merchandising. Made a respectable fortune and lost it. Then accepted the position of superintendent of the office of Recorder of Deeds, in St. Louis. In charge for sixteen years and on account of age, withdrew about 1900. Married, in 1858, Miss Gaither, of Frederick, Maryland. In 1896 had living, three children—two sons, Robert and Stuart, and one daughter, Mrs. Harvey G. Mudd. After leaving the Recorder's office, passed the spring and summer of each year with son and daughter in St. Louis, and the fall and winter with his other son, residing in Meridian, Mississippi. While with the latter, died suddenly of apoplexy, October 18, 1905, in his eighty-second year. Was buried on the following Saturday, at Frederick, Maryland, by the side of his mother.


In the 1850 census below we see Robert is living with his father Matthew (and possibly his uncle or his father's cousin Stephen...still researching this guy) and brothers: Matthew B. and James. James and Matthew owned a business together, they were flour merchants.  Robert is out of college and practicing law, still single and 24 years old.  Notice the last line, a Mary Brooks who is a 15 year old is living with them...the "M" stands for Mulatto.  Hmmmm, I wonder who she was and whose illegitimate child she may have been?

1850 US Census, Baltimore, Maryland

In the 1870 census below, Robert is married to (Sarah) Jane Gaither and they are living in St. Louis, Missouri. He stopped practicing law and became a lumber merchant. Together he and Jane had three children: Robert Stuart, Stuart Gaither, and Margaret de la Plaux Clark.  They also had several domestic servants from Ireland living with them.

1870 US Census, St. Louis, Missouri

Here in the 1880 census he is still a lumber merchant in St. Louis, Missouri. His son Robert Stuart is working as a clerk in a store.

1880 US Census, St. Louis, Missouri

1900 US Census, Frederick, Maryland

In the 1900 Frederick, Maryland Census we see Robert and Jane living as boarders in Sophia Schley's home.  Sophia was Jane's sister and was a widow in 1900, she was married to a politician and was rather wealthy...her occupation is described here as a "Capitalist".  The fact that Robert made and lost a substantial fortune could explain why they left their home in Missouri and went to go live with Sophia.  It could also explain why in this census, Robert has no occupation. Or it could just be that he retired and they traveled to visit relatives in Maryland. Jane died in this year and Robert followed her 5 years later suddenly of "apoplexy" which was the term usually used for a stroke. He was buried in Frederick, Maryland next to his mother, Temperance Glenn.