What's in a Name?
Did you think that the "Stuart Benson Clark" name was the only "naming dynasty" in the family? Think again! Let's explore some others that reach back to 1700's and trickle down to this day.
Let's start with the first Clark to come to America from Scotland:
James Clark and his wife Jean Wilson had a son named
(and some daughters but for the sake of space we'll take the direct ancestors)
I
Matthew Clark - he married - Isabella Brackenridge (they had a son)
I
Matthew Clark - married - Temperence Glenn (they had a son)
I
Robert Breckinridge Clark - married - Sarah Jane Gaither
Now here is where all the naming really starts to go crazy with their children Robert Stuart Clark (Stuart is for Sarah Jane's grandmother's last name which was actually "Stewart"); Stuart Gaither Clark (self-explanatory) and Margaret de la Plaux Clark (de la Plaux being a family name from Sarah Jane's mother's side):
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| Robert Stuart Clark |
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| Stuart Gaither Clark |
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| Margaret de la Plaux Clark |
Let's start with the descendants of Stuart Gaither Clark (pictured above) and his (1st) wife Mildred Ernst:
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| Stuart Gaither Clark, III |
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| Stuart Gaither Clark, IV |
Stuart Gaither Clark, Jr., Stuart and his wife Beulah had a son and named him... Stuart Gaither Clark, III
Stuart Gaither Clark, III and his wife Dona June had a son, and guess what they named him? Stuart Gaither Clark, IV
Stuart Gaither Clark, IV also had a son...and you guessed it, he named him Stuart Gaither Clark, V... So it appears as if that line has us beat with their naming dynasty.
Now let us take a look at good old Margaret de la Plaux Clark...she married Harvey Gilmer Mudd and only had one child, Stuart Mudd...his naming dynasty kept the Stuart and the Margaret names for generations...
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| Margaret de la Plaux Clark Mudd |
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| Harvey Gilmer Mudd |
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| Stuart Mudd & wife Emily |
And last but not least, let's take a look at Robert Stuart Clark and his wife Anne "Nannie" Garnett Emory's naming dynasty:
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| Robert Stuart Clark |
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| Anne "Nannie" G. Emory |
R.S. and Nannie had four children...Theodosia Breckinridge Clark, named for Nannie's mother Theodosia Blakey Garnett and carrying over the Breckinridge name; Stuart Benson Clark (See: SBC Name ); Eleanor Gaither Clark (self explanatory); Breckinridge Tompkins Clark, the Tompkins taken from Sarah Ann Tompkins, her mother's mother.
Starting with Theodosia, she married at age 44, Hubert Hastings Burke and from what I know they had no children.
Next in line is Stuart Benson Clark who married Elisabeth McMichael. They had three children: Anne Glendinning Clark (Glendinning for Elisabeth's mother Elizabeth Butcher Glendinning) and Emory McMichael Clark (for Elisabeth's uncle Emory McMichael but also could have been for Anne Garnett Emory's family...you have a double name whammy there!) who spawned their own naming dynasties, and Stuart Benson Clark, Jr., who named his son Stuart Benson Clark, III, StubClark3 then skipped a generation but kept the family name of Matthew (incidentally and perhaps by accident the middle name of "Tyson" is a family name on the McMichael side of this Clark family), and lastly (for now) we have Stuart Benson Clark, IV, or "Benny".
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| Stuart Benson Clark |
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| Stuart Benson Clark, Jr. |
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| Stuart Benson Clark, III |
Edit: I will also add the rest of Stuart Benson Clark, Jr. and Patricia Rodgers' children and their names in case anyone is interested:
Richard Rodgers Clark, named after Patricia Rodgers father; John Westcott Clark, named for Patricia's mother's family name of Westcott (Jeanne Elise Westcott); Patterson Clark...I am guessing a variation of Patricia...she just might be totally original on that one; Clayton McMichael Clark, named for Elisabeth McMichael's father Clayton Fotteral McMichael and grandfather, Clayton McMichael (also her brother's name).
Moving on to Breckinridge Tompkins Clark who married Alice Taylor. Together they had three children: Robert Stuart Clark (after his father); David Taylor Clark; and Breckinridge Tompkins Clark, Jr. Still searching for his children's children...
Richard Rodgers Clark, named after Patricia Rodgers father; John Westcott Clark, named for Patricia's mother's family name of Westcott (Jeanne Elise Westcott); Patterson Clark...I am guessing a variation of Patricia...she just might be totally original on that one; Clayton McMichael Clark, named for Elisabeth McMichael's father Clayton Fotteral McMichael and grandfather, Clayton McMichael (also her brother's name).
Moving on to Breckinridge Tompkins Clark who married Alice Taylor. Together they had three children: Robert Stuart Clark (after his father); David Taylor Clark; and Breckinridge Tompkins Clark, Jr. Still searching for his children's children...
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| Breckinridge Tompkins Clark |
And lastly, Eleanor Gaither Clark who married Washington Irving Bullard (1st) and had two children: Mary Ann Bullard and Sarah "Sally" Clark Bullard. After Washington's death Eleanor married secondly Dr. Henry Lee Sloan.
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| Eleanor Gaither Clark |
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| Washington Irving Bullard |
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| Mary Ann Bullard |
It seems the Clark family and others typically kept their family names (first and last!) and passed them down from generation to generation. When deciding on names, the current family should throw in an Isabella, a Gaither, or a Breckinridge just to mix it up a little! For other family names to consider, ask for an invitation to the Family Tree, you might come across something really unique yet is still a family name.
