Do you remember the old Tom Leher line
about Wolfgang A. Mozart? That when Mozart was Leher’s age, Mozart was already
dead? Leher’s point was that Mozart had
accomplished great things in less time than Leher had already lived. Funny
line.
There is another case in point, this
time involving a lesser-known citizen than either Mozart or Leher. She was a
Massachusetts resident named Hannah Davis Clark, born in 1648.
A little historic perspective is in
order. Hannah Davis Clark was born 28 years after the Mayflower completed its most famous voyage to the New World. The
military actions we now call the Indian Wars were not really in full swing yet.
Massachusetts was a growing colony then, but human technology had yet to
perfect central heating and the winters were brutal for the colonists.
Survival was a test of endurance,
skill and luck. Medical practices were chancy, at best. Everything was
organically grown in those days and there was no refrigeration. The most
important resource that was in shortest supply was iron nails. Nails were
removed from previous emplacements and reused whenever possible because the
only source of new ones was somewhere across the Atlantic Ocean.
There were no television shows but
reality was very dramatic.
Into this struggle came Hannah Davis
on November 16, 1648. Born in Reading, she would die in Gloucester. In between
there is a remarkable story.
Hannah Davis was married three times.
She out-lived all three husbands but while they were around, she stayed busy.
According to one online source, Hannah and her husbands produced 28 children,
most of them girls.
A close look at some of the reports
indicates that Hannah and her men actually generated a smaller number of
offspring, perhaps 20 or less. It looks like some of the children credited to
her by some sources were actually grandchildren. One pair of births, for
example, was 40 days apart and another pair was split by only 78 days.
Hannah and her final husband, Joseph
Clark, probably had seven offspring during their marriage. Their final child
was born when Hannah was 47, less than a year before Joseph passed away in
1696.
Joseph Clark fought in the Indian Wars
in 1675, when he was about 25 years old. Then, 21 years later, he joined
Hannah’s other two mates in the checkout line.
It’s a darn good thing Hannah Clark
was so resilient. There is a family connection to Your Loyal Blogger and many,
many good things could not have happened without Hannah’s enduring maternal
instincts, specifically during her third marriage.
Hannah Davis Clark finally rested in
peace at the age of 71 years.
We honor Hannah for her life’s work
and we thank you for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment