Sir Thomas Clark FRSE DL (1823–1900) was a Scottish publisher and politician who served as

Lord Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city, ex officio the ...

from 1885 to 1888.

Life

He was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

on 5 September 1823, the son of Margaret Lothian and John Clark, Convenor of Trades and City Baillie in Edinburgh. Thomas attended the Royal High School. From 1846 he was a partner in the family publishing firm of T&T Clark, based at 38 George Street in the centre of Edinburgh. The company specialised in law books. He rose to be proprietor of the company before leaving it to his son in 1886. In 1877 he became a Town Councillor, rising to Bailie in 1883. As many before him, prior to serving as

from 1885 to 1888, he served as Master of the

Merchant Company of Edinburgh The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, previously known as the Merchant Company of Edinburgh is a mercantile company and Guild officially recognised in 1681, but dating back to at least 1260. The Company, or Confraternity, was ...

1883–4. At the height of his success in 1884 he is listed as living at 11 Melville Crescent in Edinburgh's fashionable West End. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in March 1886. His proposers included Sir Arthur Mitchell,

Alexander Crum Brown Alexander Crum Brown FRSE FRS (26 March 1838 – 28 October 1922) was a Scottish organic chemist. Alexander Crum Brown Road in Edinburgh's King's Buildings complex is named after him. Early life and education Crum Brown was born at 4 Belle ...

, Alexander Kinnear, Lord Kinnear. Clark was created a baronet later in the same year. The baronetcy is entitled Baronet of Melville Crescent. He died in

on 24 December 1900. He is buried in

Warriston Cemetery Warriston Cemetery is a cemetery in Edinburgh. It lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly-formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and occupies around of land on a slightly sloping si ...

on the main diagonal path south of the vaults.

Family

In 1851 he married Eliza Maule Davidson, daughter of Rev

George Ramsay Davidson George Ramsay Davidson (1801–1890) was a Scottish minister in the 19th century who was senior minister of the influential Lady Glenorchy's Church and Lady Glenorchy's Free Church. Life He was born in Brechin in 1801 the son of David Da ...

, minister of Lady Glenorchy's Free church in

. They had five children. The eldest son, John Maurice Clark, inherited the baronetcy. Clark's grandson was also Sir Thomas Clark and was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was the 3rd Baronet of Melville Crescent.

Portrait

He was painted by Sir

John Lavery Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was a Northern Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Life and career John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, baptised at St Patrick's Church, Belfast an ...

in 1889 to mark the visit of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

References

1823 births 1900 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Lord Provosts of Edinburgh Publishers (people) from Edinburgh Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Burials at Warriston Cemetery {{UK-baronet-stub