Dona Honoria Cummings Clarke: One of the Wealthiest Women in 18th Century St. Augustine 1746-1804

Honoria Cummings Clarke lived in St. Augustine, a colony that exhibited the strong cultural influences of Spain and Britain. Her family was Irish Catholic. She married a successful British businessman. They had six children, all baptized Protestant. After her husband died and Spain took control of the colony Honoria had her children baptized a second time - Catholic. Unlike many widowed women, Honoria had four sons and did not need to remarry. As a single woman she managed the family business, the farm, the many properties, and her sons helped her. Her eldest son, Thomas moved to England where he became "Captain in the troops of the King of England." Her eldest daughter also moved to England and married Don West Hill, a professor of medicine. Her son James moved to Spain and became captain in an Irish regiment in the service of the King of Spain. Her daughter Margarita married Don Antonio Matanza, the Captain of Infantry and Senior Adjutant of the Fort in the colony. The couple moved to Cuba. Her two youngest sons - Charles and George both married women of color. Charles to a free woman of color (part English and part East Indian) and George freed his African "wife" and their child. Both of these men gave their surnames to all of their children and found methods for having their children legally marry European spouses. Honoria's family was both common and uncommon in colonial St. Augustine.