Family Background:
Jonas Clarke was chosen as Lexington's new Minister after Reverend John Hancock
died.
Reverend Clarke moved in with Mrs. Hancock, John's widow.
It was in the keeping room of that house that Jonas met his wife to be, Lucy
Bowes. Lucy's parents had died and she had come to live with her grandmother,
Mrs. Hancock.
(The John Hancock who became a close friend of Jonas Clarke, and was sleeping at his
house on April 18, 1776, was actually Lucy's first cousin.)
Thirteen children were born to Lucy and Jonas. Two of the thirteen children died
when they were tiny babies (4 months).
All of the others grew up and married.
When the youngest child, Henry, was just nine years old, his mother died.
Home
The Clarkes lived in a mustard-yellow house on the left side of Hancock Street,
about a five minute walk from the Lexington Green.
In those days, you could see the Green from the front windows of the house
because there were no other buildings in the way.
The house has eight rooms.
On the first floor is a keeping room, a kitchen, a bedroom and a study.
Upstairs are two large bedrooms and two small bedrooms under the eves.
Property:
After old Mrs. Hancock died in 1760, Jonas Clarke bought the Hancock property from
Thomas, Reverend John Hancock's son.
On the property was the house, a barn, a small corn house, a hog sty, a chaisehouse.
There was a pump house in which there was a well.
Salary:
Jonas Clarke was paid 80 pounds a year for his services as the town's minister.
In addition to the money, 20 cords of wood were delivered to his home each year.
Jonas Clarke's Interest and Activites
Teacher
During his years at Harvard College, Jonas earned a bit of money by teaching
in Needham during winter vacations.
After he got his degree, Jonas taught 60 students in the Dedham School.
This was before he was married.
Minister:
Jonas studied at Harvard again to become a minister.
The Lexington people liked his sermons so they hired him to replace
John Hancock as pastor of the Church of Christ.
Although Jonas gave long sermons, the people loved to listen to him talk
about how men should act.
He explained to them honestly about the unfairness of the rules the King expected them to follow.
He bravely wrote down his ideas in letters presented to the
Town Meeting and later carried by our representatives to the meetings of the
General Court in Boston.
Farmer:
Jonas Clarke planted vegtables for his family to eat.
He raised chickens, cows and pigs.
He cured bacon and netted wild pigeons.
In the fall, he made apple cider.
When the wrok was too much for him, Jonas hired men to help him.