James Clemens, Jr.

James Clemens, Jr. (Danville, Boyle County, Kentucky, October 29, 1791 – St. Louis, Independent City, Missouri, January 12, 1878) was an American businessman, and banker.

Early life

He was the second son of four children of Jeremiah Clemens (Loudoun County, Virginia, September 16, 1763 – Danville, Boyle County], Kentucky, June 8, 1826), and wife (m. ca 1788) Jane Cochran (1764 – April 7, 1821]). They went to Kentucky, then Kentucky County, Virginia, in 1787, where he operated "The Big Black Horse" tavern in Danville. His older brother Thomas Clemens (February 27, 1790 – July 30, 1826) died unmarried and without issue. His younger sisters were Elizabeth Clemens (1802 – living 1878) married with Charles Caldwell, and Isabella Clemens, married in 1833 with Thomas Reed.

Career

He started his career engaged in mercantile business with his uncle James Clemens, Sr. in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, then in Mississippi Territory. He then moved to Missouri, then part of Missouri Territory, in 1816, where he became a successful storekeeper. Later he became active in banking. He did much to help the family of Mark Twain, of whom he was a relative.^[1]

Marriage and children

He married on January 10, 1833 Elizabeth "Eliza" Brown Mullanphy (1812 – 1853) and had twelve children:

• John Mullanphy Clemens (November 11, 1833 – July 30, 1834)
• Elizabeth M(ullanphy) Clemens (January 9, 1835 – January 12, 1835)
• James Biddle Clemens (January 18, 1836 – February 27, 1878), married in May, 1868 Elizabeth von Schrader, without issue
• Richard Graham Clemens (May 11, 1837 – August 22, 1854)
• Bryan Mullanphy Clemens (January 11, 1839 – December 28, 1916), married on March 17, 1864 Mary Ross Warfield (– 1870) and had two children:
  • Eliza Brown Clemens (1865 –) (Couts-Shrader)
  • James Ross Clemens (1866 –)
• Catherine Jane Clemens (September 13, 1840 – August 3, 1900, married firstly on April 16, 1863 Joseph Bryan Cates (– 1877), and married secondly on September 8, 1880 Daniel Marsh Frost
• Helen Isabel Clemens (April 27, [1843 – September 17, 1904), married on April 4, 1866 her cousin James Wolfe Clemens (January 23, 1829 – St. Louis, Independent City, Missouri], August 1, 1873), and had a son:
  • Thomas Breckinridge Clemens
  • Elizabeth Frances Clemens (1867 – 1899), unmarried and without issue
  • Mary Clemens (1870 – 1927), unmarried and without issue
• Emma C. Clemens (April 28, 1846 – July 13, 1847)
• Jeremiah T. Clemens (July 19, 1847 – August 3, 1849)
• Alice Bryan Clemens (St. Louis, Independent City, Missouri, May 12, 1850 – Burzlaff, August 19, 1912, Lady of Burzlaff and Mandelatz, married in Wiesbaden on May 16, 1871 Maximilian Felix Christoph Wilhelm Leopold Reinhold Albert Fürchtegott von Versen
• Frances M. Clemens (St. Louis, [Independent City, Missouri, May 12, 1850 – February 2, 1853)
• Jeremiah William Clemens (January 4, 1852 – April 24, 1894), unmarried and without issue

References