John Lamb Clarke (or Clark) has two gravestones, one in New Jersey's
Rahway Cemetery where his wife, Mary Brown, lies buried and one in
the Church Grounds of the Albany Rural Cemetery.
Born in New Jersey
in 1786, Clarke evidently moved to Albany some time after his 1806
marriage to Mary as census records show him as a resident of the city
by 1810. Clarke evidently maintained strong ties to his native state
as he served as a captain with the New Jersey Militia during the War
of 1812.
He died in Albany at the age of thirty-four and was buried
in the tiny Garretson Station Methodist Episcopal churchyard. His
grave was moved from its original resting place at Garreston Station
(just south of Albany) to the State Street Burying Grounds and was
included in the Common Council's 1866 inventory of graves to be moved
to the Rural Cemetery. His widow Mary returned to New Jersey with
their children. She died in 1869 and was buried at the Rahway
Cemetery. Some years after her death, a small marble stone in honor
of Captain Clarke was placed beside her headstone, though his actual
resting place is in the Church Grounds.
The inscription on his now
weathered and broken headstone reads:
In
memory of John Lamb Clarke
who
departed this life
March
18, 1820
in
the 34th year of his age.
Come
unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you
rest
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