Clench, Joseph Brant

  • DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE: Daniel J. Brock, “CLENCH, JOSEPH BRANT,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 8, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/clench_joseph_brant_8E.html
  • DCB profile notes:
    • Indian Department official, militia officer, justice of the peace, and office holder; b. c. February 1790, probably in Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.), eldest child of Ralfe Clench and Elizabeth Johnson, granddaughter of Sir William Johnson; m. before June 1816 Esther Serena Joseph Leon, and they had at least five sons and three daughters; d. 22 Feb. 1857 in London, Upper Canada.
    • Early in 1811 Joseph Brant Clench, who lived in Niagara Township, took the oath of allegiance and successfully petitioned for a 200-acre grant as the son of a loyalist. In the tradition of the maternal side of his family, on 25 Oct. 1813 he entered the Indian Department, as a clerk in charge of Indian stores at Fort George (Niagara-on-the-Lake). During the War of 1812 he conducted himself with “bravery” and “zeal” in action on the Niagara frontier, on the Grand River, and at Amherstburg; his “military talent” led to his employment on secret service.
    • As a result of the reorganization begun within the Indian Department in 1844, Clench was placed in charge of the entire Western superintendency, comprising the reservations within the London and Western districts. At the same time he was named visiting superintendent of the Grand River superintendency, while David Thorburn became superintendent. In 1845, by which time Clench had moved to the town of London, he was also appointed agent for conducting the sale of Indian lands in the Western and London districts. Though he diligently sought to safeguard and promote the interests of the Indians, he generally believed that he knew what was best for the various bands under his charge, regardless of their views.
    • At the court of inquisition held in London in August 1855, it was learned that Clench’s wife and two of his sons, Leon and Holcroft, had purchased properties with monies belonging to the Indian Department. During the investigation, which had led to the tarnishing of his good name, Clench himself refused to name his sons and wife as the persons directly responsible for the defalcation. The strain of the disclosure of the embezzlement led to alienation between him and his family and to further deterioration of his health.
  • Son of Proven United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=1562
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