Edward Clarke (author)

Edward Clarke (1730–1786) was an English cleric and author.

Life

The son of William Clarke the antiquary (1696–1771), and Anne, daughter of Dr. William Wotton, he was born at Buxted, Sussex, where his father was rector, on 16 March 1730. He was taught by his father's curate, Mr. Grierson, and later by Jeremiah Markland, then living at Uckfield; and he attended Winchester College. He entered St John's College, Cambridge, took his B.A. degree in 1752, was elected as a Fellow in 1753, and proceeded M.A. in 1755. In 1758 Viscount Midleton presented him to the rectory of Peperharow, Surrey.^[1][2]

In 1760 Clarke went with the Earl of Bristol as chaplain to the embassy at Madrid. In 1763 he accompanied James Johnston, the Lieutenant-Governor, to Minorca as chaplain and secretary, and held the same post under succeeding governors. In 1768 he returned to England, and was inducted to the vicarage of Willingdon and Arlington, Sussex. He also succeeded to the rectory of Buxted, his father being allowed to resign in his favour; he gave up the Peperharow living. His health was poor, and he settled down to a literary life, undertaking the education of Thomas Steele, and his brother Robert.^[1]

Clarke died, after gradual decay and paralysis, in November 1786.^[1]

Works

Clarke's first publication was a poem in Greek hexameters, on the death of Frederick, Prince of Wales, in the Luctus Academiæ Cantabrigiensis, 1751. In 1755 he published A Letter to a Friend in Italy, and Verses on reading Montfaucon. He produced Letters concerning the State of Spain … written at Madrid during the years 1760 and 1761, (1763), with details and statistics; and A Defence of the conduct of the Lieutenant-governor of the Island of Minorca, in Reply to a Printed Libel (London, 1767).^[1]

Family

In 1763 Clarke married Anne, daughter of Thomas Grenfield of Guildford, Surrey. He left three sons: the Rev. James Stanier Clarke, Edward Daniel Clarke, and George, of the Royal Navy, who drowned in the River Thames in 1806. His only daughter, Anne, was married to Captain Parkinson, who was with Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar.^[1]

Notes

1.  Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1887). "Clarke, Edward (1730-1786)". Dictionary of National Biography 10. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
2. "Clarke, Edward (CLRK748E)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1887). "Clarke, Edward (1730-1786)". Dictionary of National Biography 10. London: Smith, Elder & Co.