Septimus D. Clarke (1787–1859) was a farmer and leader within the Black community in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

. Clarke was one of thousands of Black refugees who escaped

slavery in the United States The legal institution of human chattel slavery, comprising the enslavement primarily of Africans and African Americans, was prevalent in the United States of America from its founding in 1776 until 1865, predominantly in the South. Sl ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

and migrated to the British colony of Nova Scotia. Little is known of his life before November 1816, by which time he, his wife, and four children had established a farm of about . In 1819, having cleared and planted all the land he had been granted, Clarke petitioned Governor Dalhousie for an additional , as the family required more trees for fuel. Dalhousie appears to have been swayed by the request, suggesting a grant of , although Surveyor General Charles Morris scaled the grant back further to . His was the first successful request for additional land by a Black immigrant, and encouraged others to apply for similar grants. Clarke was active in a number of organizations within the Black community. In 1854 he cofounded the African United Baptist Association of Nova Scotia alongside

Richard Preston Richard Preston (born August 5, 1954) is a writer for ''The New Yorker'' and bestselling author who has written books about infectious disease, bioterrorism, redwoods and other subjects, as well as fiction. Biography Preston was born in Cambri ...

. He also served as secretary and treasurer of the African Friendly Society and as president of the African Abolition Society. He supported reformist politicians who endorsed expanded rights for Black Nova Scotians. Clarke died on 15 January 1859 in

Preston, Nova Scotia Preston is an area in central Nova Scotia, Canada in the Halifax Regional Municipality, located on Trunk 7. Preston includes the subdivisions of East Preston, North Preston, Lake Major, Cherrybrook and Loon Lake. The definition sometimes ext ...

, and his funeral service was held at the African Chapel in Halifax.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Septimus 1787 births 1859 deaths American former slaves Black Nova Scotians Black Refugees from the War of 1812 People from the Halifax Regional Municipality 18th-century African-American people 19th-century African-American people African-American abolitionists Baptist abolitionists Canadian abolitionists Canadian activists Colony of Nova Scotia people