John Clement was born around 1799 in New Hampshire. He married Lucy Symmes on October 26, 1823, and they had at least three children: John, born on July 1, 1826; Lucy, born around 1829; and Marlin, born around 1836. They lived in Charlestown, Massachusetts, for several years before moving to Exeter, New Hampshire. Clement worked as a soap boiler, and by 1850, he owned $2,500 of real estate. He remained in Exeter for the rest of his life, and he died there of a “kidney complain” in February 1870.