Sir Gilbert Clarke (c. 1645 – 1701) was an English politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Derbyshire from 1685 to 1695.

Early life and education

Sir Gilbert Clarke was born around 1645, the eldest surviving son of Godfrey Clarke of Somershall Hall, Brampton, and

Chilcote Chilcote is a village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. Until 1897 it was in Derbyshire. The parish had a population of 108 according to the 2001 census, including Stretton-en-le-Field and i ...

, Derbyshire. His mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of Sir Thomas Milward of Eaton Dovedale, Derbyshire. Clarke pursued his education at

University College, Oxford University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a Colleges of the University of Oxf ...

, where he matriculated on 12 July 1661 at the age of 16. In 1667, he continued his studies in law by entering the Inner Temple.

Career

Clarke succeeded his father in 1670 and was knighted on 2 March 1671. He held the position of Sheriff of Derbyshire from 1675 to 1676. In 1685, Clarke was elected as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire, serving alongside Sir John Gell during the reign of

King James II James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685, until he was deposed in the 1688 Glori ...

. He continued his parliamentary career through the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

and into the reign of

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily () * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg (1817–1890) N ...

and

Mary II Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England, List of Scottish monarchs, Scotland, and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. Sh ...

, securing re-election in 1689, 1690, and 1695.

Political stance

Clarke initially exhibited a mixed political alignment, engaging with both

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

and Whig factions. However, by the mid-1690s, he had aligned himself firmly with the Country Tory faction, opposing many of the government's policies. He was particularly noted for his opposition to the Court in several key parliamentary votes, including his stance against fixing the price of

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

in 1696.

Personal life and death

Clarke was married three times. His first marriage, in 1661, was to Jane Byerley, who passed away in 1667; the couple had one daughter who predeceased them. In 1671, he married Barbara Clerke, with whom he had two sons and two daughters. Following Barbara’s death in 1687, Clarke married Frances Legh in 1691; however, they had no children together. In his later years, Clarke’s health began to decline, affecting his ability to attend parliamentary sessions. He was frequently granted leave from his duties due to illness. Clarke died in 1701, leaving his estates to his son, Godfrey Clarke, who later served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire.

References

1701 deaths {{improve categories, date=January 2025 1645 births Members of Parliament for Derbyshire 17th-century English politicians University College, Oxford