William Clark (1839-1905) was born and died in Barre, Vermont. He grew up as a member of the Congregational Church, where his father and grandfather were deacons. He worked as a farmer and florist. Clark was a veteran of the American Civil War, serving as a Private in Company B, 10th Regiment, Vermont Infantry of the Union Army. He married Emma Wheaton in Barre in 1866. Seeking to restore his health that had been impaired by the war, Clark found healing through his study of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. He became a student of Mary Baker Eddy's, completing the Primary class in September 1888. Clark stayed in contact with Eddy, and in July 1894, his family lived in a cottage that Eddy had built near her Pleasant View home in Concord, New Hampshire, where he tended the grounds as a gardener for the summer. The Clarks returned to Barre in August. They joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 29, 1894. Clark helped organize Christian Science in Barre, and spent some time living in Cuba before his death.

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