Alured Clarke
Encyclopedia
Field-marshal Sir Alured Clarke KB
(24 November 1744 – 16 September 1832) was an officer of the British army
, lieutenant governor
of the colonial Province of Quebec
, and civil administrator of Lower Canada
. Following his service in Canada
, Clarke served as commander-in-chief
of the British forces in Madras, then Bengal
, then all of India
.
in 1758, Clarke became ensign in the 50th Foot in 1759, and served in Germany under the Marquess of Granby. In 1760 he was promoted lieutenant, and in 1763 he was made captain in the 52nd Foot
, where he served until 1767, when he transferred to the 5th Foot, stationed in Ireland. In 1771, Clarke obtained his majority in the 54th Foot, and promoted, lieutenant-colonel in 1775, serving in America.
In 1782 he became lieutenant-governor of Jamaica
; this led to him being recommended to George III
in 1790 as a suitable person for the lieutenant-governorship of Quebec.
In 1795 he was sent to India with secret instructions to interrupt the voyage at the Cape of Good Hope
where he and his force defeated a Dutch army at Wynberg
. On 16 September he accepted their surrender and spent the next two months on arranging administrative and defence matters before proceeding to India. On arrival in India he became Governor-General of Madras. Then in 1797 he was briefly Governor-General of Bengal
.
In September 1797 he was appointed Governor-General of India
, and from 1798 was commander-in-chief
of the British forces there, a post he retained until 1801. He attained the rank of field-marshal in 1830 when William IV
came to the throne.
. Kitty had a son by Pembroke, and received a pension from him until 1790, but Clarke and Kitty had no children. Kitty died in 1795.
man who became Dean of Exeter
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(24 November 1744 – 16 September 1832) was an officer of the British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of the colonial Province of Quebec
Province of Quebec (1763-1791)
The Province of Quebec was a colony in North America created by Great Britain after the Seven Years' War. Great Britain acquired Canada by the Treaty of Paris when King Louis XV of France and his advisors chose to keep the territory of Guadeloupe for its valuable sugar crops instead of New France...
, and civil administrator of Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
. Following his service in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Clarke served as commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the British forces in Madras, then Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, then all of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Military career
Leaving Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
in 1758, Clarke became ensign in the 50th Foot in 1759, and served in Germany under the Marquess of Granby. In 1760 he was promoted lieutenant, and in 1763 he was made captain in the 52nd Foot
52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 52nd Regiment of Foot was a light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The regiment first saw active service during the American War of Independence, and were posted to India during the Anglo-Mysore Wars...
, where he served until 1767, when he transferred to the 5th Foot, stationed in Ireland. In 1771, Clarke obtained his majority in the 54th Foot, and promoted, lieutenant-colonel in 1775, serving in America.
In 1782 he became lieutenant-governor of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
; this led to him being recommended to George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
in 1790 as a suitable person for the lieutenant-governorship of Quebec.
In 1795 he was sent to India with secret instructions to interrupt the voyage at the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
where he and his force defeated a Dutch army at Wynberg
Wynberg, Cape Town
Wynberg is a southern suburb of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape, South Africa. It is situated between Plumstead and Kenilworth, and is a main transport hub for the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.- Geography :...
. On 16 September he accepted their surrender and spent the next two months on arranging administrative and defence matters before proceeding to India. On arrival in India he became Governor-General of Madras. Then in 1797 he was briefly Governor-General of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
.
In September 1797 he was appointed Governor-General of India
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
, and from 1798 was commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
of the British forces there, a post he retained until 1801. He attained the rank of field-marshal in 1830 when William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
came to the throne.
Family
Clarke married Elizabeth Catherine (Kitty) Hunter in 1770, who eight years earlier had eloped with the married Earl of PembrokeHenry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke
Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke, 7th Earl of Montgomery was the son of the ninth earl of Pembroke, and was named after his father.-Biography:...
. Kitty had a son by Pembroke, and received a pension from him until 1790, but Clarke and Kitty had no children. Kitty died in 1795.
Footnote
There was another notable Alured Clarke (1696–1742), a clergyClergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man who became Dean of Exeter
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
.