William Clarke was my 2nd great-grandfather - and his origins are a bit of a mystery. He was thought to have come from County Monaghan but I not be able to uncover any information about his parents or family.
Nor do I know when exactly he emigrated to Canada. His first appearance in official records is his marriage to my 2nd great-grandmother Margaret Beatty, also from County Monaghan. They were married by the Reverence James Harris in the Presbyterian Church in Toronto, Ontario on the 22nd of March 1836. Witnesses were James and Maria Hughes, an Irish-born carter and his wife who do not appear to be related to my ancestors.
William and Margaret lived in Toronto until 1842 when they purchased Lot 22, Concession 10, Stanley Township, Huron County - and along with Margaret's father and others in the family took up farming.
They had a family of 10 children - and today there are still descendants in Huron County.
William died of heart disease on 9 Nov 1886 and is buried in Bayfield Cemetery: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/238672914/william-clark
A brief notice in the Huron Expositor, 12 Nov 1886 described him as "a quiet and inoffensive man ... respected by all who knew him". https://pubdocs.huroncounty.ca/weblink/DocView.aspx?id=667368&searchid=…
