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The history of the Clarkstown name began with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from the popular family name Clark, and means the son of Clark. The surname also has an occupational origin and was likely derived from the trade or profession of the original bearer. In this case the surname denotes that the bearer was a clerical worker or a clergyman who was employed in religious institutions to write books from old documents. The bearers of this surname were handed high status in the community because of their ability to read and write. One must remember that during the Middle Ages most of the population was quite illiterate by today's standards.
The surname Clarkstown was first found in Yorkshire where it is "a well-known Yorkshire surname, which has spread over the North of England." 1
The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Johannes Clerke and Thomas Clerkson, father and son; Ricardus Clerkson; Wilielmus Klereson; and Alicia Clerkson. 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clarkstown research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1500, 1501, 1504, 1513, 1531, 1567, 1615, 1622, 1649, 1667, 1685, 1686, 1697, 1716, 1721 and 1763 are included under the topic Early Clarkstown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Clarkstown family name include Clarkson, Clarksone, Clerkson and others.
Notables of the family at this time include Agnes Clarkson who in the 'Test' in lowland Scotland refused to acknowledge the King or his church and was hanged for Witchcraft.
David Clarkson (1622-1686), was an ejected minister, son of Robert Clarkson, was born at Bradford...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clarkstown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Clarkstown surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Anne Clarkson who settled in Virginia in 1638 with Jane, her sister; Richard Clarkson arrived in Jamaica in 1685; Charles Clarkson arrived in Fort Cumberland Nova Scotia in 1774..