230 A Bride To The Past 
     
    
   
   
    
     As we travel east toward the Marchbank home the rod is edged by 
     
     sturdy white birches remaining from a substantial row plante by the Clarks 
     
     in years gone by. George Clark was the first person known 0 have settled 
     
     on the Marehbank property, which is slightly west of Geore’s childhood 
     
     home. 
     
    
   
   
    
     CLARK 
     
    
   
   
    
     George Clark was the son of William and Elizabeth Crosby) Clark 
     
     who bought the sawmill from William Schurman. The dae of George’s 
     
     birth is believed to be March 22, 1819. Conflicting with this, .owever, is the 
     
     date of settlement, given in Meaeham’s Atlas of 1880 as 188. Reportedly 
     
     he died at the age of ninety-two years on Jan. 4, 1910. (:orge married 
     
     Margaret Crosby (Nov., 1819-Jan. 4, 1885) daughter 0 William and 
     
     Jemima (Clark) Crosby. He continued the operation of his faher’s saw and 
     
     grist mills. The census taker in 1861 finds George farming ore hundred and 
     
     fifty acres of land. In 1863 his house is located near the sie 0f the Mar- 
     
     chbank house today. George’s house was probably the me which his 
     
     daughter Helen later lived in, located approximately where he .Vlarchbank 
     
     garage is at present. George also served as Justice of the ‘eaee. He and 
     
     Margaret had seven children. It is a sad note indeed which scmds when one 
     
     realizes that the first four children died as young adults. Tr: events which 
     
     brought about these deaths we may never know. Possibly ttoerculosis had 
     
     harbored in the family, or perhaps the two deaths in the wint‘r of 1880 were 
     
     due to some epidemic. We can guess however, at the sorrow )f the parents, 
     
     whose part was to bravely comfort their loved ones while beiig powerless to 
     
     spare them their sad portion. The family of George and Margtret were: 
     
    
   
   
    
     William Crosby (July 29, 1845-Oct. 27, 1869). 
     
    
   
   
    
     Jemima (Sept. 1846—Dec. 29, 1874) married George Slavcrt 01 February 25, 
     
     1869. George was from Wilmot Valley. (See Stavert). 
     
    
   
   
    
     Albert (Nov. 16, 1847-Feb. 8, 1880). 
     
     Alexander Macl.eod (April 7, 1850—Jan. 28, 1880). 
     
    
   
   
    
     Bessie (Dec. 25, 1854-Dec., 1940) married Harvie D. McEvcn on Sept. 4, 
     
     1882. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Ewen (Feb. 12, 1856—Apri1 8, 1940) married Rosara Marjoie MacGregor 
     
     and continued to operate the sawmill and gristmill. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Margaret Helen (Oct. 11, 1858—17eb. 3, 1931) stayed at home, 
     
    
   
   
    
     George, William Crosby, Albert, Alexander and Helet are buried in 
     
     the United Church Cemetery in Freetown.