Klock Connections, Hendrick Klock

Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

Excerpts from the Klock Family Newsletter
Published monthly by Dave Klock: Klock@swmcom.net

February 2003 Newsletter

Hendrick Klock

Hendrick Klock, who was born in 1663 in Germany, came to America about 1704 with his wife and three or four children. Conrad Klock, (Clock) was the son of Hendrick Klock, and was born about 1722. Conrad was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and survived the battle of Oriskany. The battle of Oriskany was one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolution. In the work of Sherman O. Klock, Conrad is described as, " a man of powerful physique who when his ammunition gave out, wielded a hug club over the craniums of several of the enemy." Conrad was a Pvt. in Col. Jacob Klock's Regiment of the New York Militia. Conrad and his sons, Jacob and Joseph were captured in Fairfield during one of the British raids and were taken to Canada. Their they enlisted into the British Army. They were ordered to the Mohawk Valley to fight, instead they deserted the British Army and returned home to the Mohawk Valley. Conrad is listed in the 1790 Census, Montgomery, New York as Comadt Clock. Conrad was on of the first settlers in Fairfield, New York where the town of Clockville took it's-name. (Clockville is much farther west than Fairfield. Fairfield is north of Herkimer. Click here for a map locating Clockville. ajb webmaster)

The Klock-Clock Genealogy says that Conrad married Ann Elizabeth Dygert and they had eight children. According to the book, Conrad went by the "K" spelling of his last name and two of his children, Conrad Jr. and Adam used the "C" spelling for his name. Many of the descendants of Conrad Jr. and Adam have continued to use the "C"spelling.

Helen Laura Clock Williams, who wrote the Klock/Clock Genealogy Book, was a descendant of Johann Hendrick Klock, Jr..who was the son of Hendrick Klock. Johann Hendrick Klock, Jr, was also know as Honorick, Hans, Henry, and Hendrik. Johann Hendrick. He took the oath of Naturalization on January 3, 1715 or 16 as Hans Hendrick Clock. Most of his descendants have continued with the "C" spelling as well. Thus, it is hard to say what spelling Johann, Conrad or even their father. Hendrick really went by, Klock or Clock, I think they probably went by both. I have seen the name changed back and forth on several families throughout the generations on the same line.

The Klock/Clock Genealogy book says that in Germany, Hendrick Klock name was Hendrick "V on" Klock before he came to America. The "V on" on the name is usually given to people of the nobility, Heike Klock Wanke told me in a resent e-mail. Heike was born in Germany where many of her family still lives. I will be profiling Heike in a future issue of Klock Connections. Heike now lives in Oulu, Finland and receives this Newsletter.

I send this newsletter to three Clock's that are related to the Klock family and I also send it to Dana Clock Williams who is the granddaughter of Helen Laura Clock Williams who wrote the Klock/Clock Genealogy. Dana told me she would write an article about her grandmother for this newsletter and send me a better picture. I am looking forward to receiving this article. What better person to tell us about Helen Laura Clock Williams that her own granddaughter. If you know someone you would like me to profile in this newsletter, or if you would like to write an article, let me know. You can contact me at the address and e-mail address is on the front page of this newsletter.

How Common is the Klock Surname?

I knew Klock was an unusual surname, so I wanted to check it out and see just how uncommon it was. Growing up in Evart, a small town in Michigan, I never met or heard of another Klock Family. It was not until I got a computer and starting researching did I find and finally meet other Klock Families. I did a little research on my computer, about the Klock surname and this is what I discovered.

Klock is the 13,028th most common surname in the United States and only 0.001% of the population. According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, the resident population of the United States as of January 15, 2004 at 3:34 p.m. the population was 292,385,268 people. With a birth every 8 seconds and a death every 13 seconds. (computers are amazing sources of intonation ) If the Klock surname is 0.001 of the population, that would mean that there are 29,238 people in the United States with the surname of Klock. If you figure four people per household, that would mean that there are 7,309.5 households in the United States with the last name of Klock. I wonder how many of these Klock's are descendants of Hendrick Klock. If you figure that 10% are descendants, that would mean that there are about 730 households in the United States, by the surname of Klock, that are connected. How many other surnames that are connected or descendants of Hendrick Klock. I could nor want to even venture to guess.

I have contacted maybe 100 or so Klock families. I send this newsletter to 55 families in the US with the last name of Klock. If I figured right, there are over 7, 000 Klock families in the United States, some connected, some not, in want to contact them all, I have a lot of work to do! But that is my dream, my goal, to bring the Klock Family closer together, through this newsletter and the Klock Reunions. To let everyone know about Fort Klock and about the rich heritage we share. Klock may be an unusual or uncommon surname, but it is my last name. It was handed down to me from my father, who got it from his father. Generations of Klocks, traced back to the pioneer and patriot, Hendrick Klock, who left his family and friends in Germany to start a new life, came to a new land, a wild and untamed frontier called America, helped to establish a new nation and handed down to me, my last name.