There has been one creation of a

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

with the surname Clerk () (as distinct from Clark, Clarke and Clerke). It was created in the

Baronetage of Nova Scotia Baronets are hereditary titles awarded by the Crown. The current baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier, existing baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland and Great Britain. To be recognised as a baronet, it is necessary ...

Letters Patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

dated 24 March 1679, for John Clerk of Pennycuik (or Penicuik; see Penicuik House). His father, the merchant John Clerk, had returned from Paris in 1647 with a considerable fortune and purchased the lands of

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; ; ) is a town and former Police burgh, burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian, River North Esk. It lies on the A701 road, A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hil ...

Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...

. The 1st Baronet acquired the lands of Lasswade, Midlothian, in 1700. The second Baronet built Mavisbank House near

Loanhead Loanhead is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, in a commuter belt to the south of Edinburgh, and close to Roslin, Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith. The town was built on coal and oil shale mining, and the paper industries. History Loanhead was a tiny vil ...

between 1723 and 1727. The 3rd Baronet, James, laid out plans for a new town in 1770, inspired by the local plans for a New Town in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

which were by then coming into reality. The rebuilding included a new church, St Mungos, in 1771, reputedly by Sir James himself. The family are said by Anderson (1867) to date from at least 1180 AD when one of them appeared as a witness to a donation to

Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...

William The Lion William the Lion (), sometimes styled William I (; ) and also known by the nickname ; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Alba from 1165 to 1214. His almost 49 ...

. John Scougal is known to have painted at least two portraits of the first baronets. A number of the lineage are buried in Penicuik Old Parish Churchyard, with both a memorial gateway and a mausoleum to their memories.

Clerk of Penicuik (1679)

* Sir John Clerk, 1st Baronet (died 1722) * Sir John Clerk, 2nd Baronet (1676 – 1755) * Sir James Clerk, 3rd Baronet (died 1782) without issue * Sir George Clerk-Maxwell, 4th Baronet (1715 – 1784) succeeded his brother * Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet (died 1798) without issue *

Sir George Clerk, 6th Baronet Sir George Clerk of Pennycuik, 6th Baronet (19 November 1787 – 23 December 1867) was a Scottish politician who served as the Tory MP for Edinburghshire, Stamford and Dover. Early life Clerk was born near Edinburgh on 19 November 178 ...

(born 1787) nephew of the 5th Bt *Sir James Clerk, 7th Baronet (1812 – 1870) * Sir George Douglas Clerk, 8th Baronet (1852 – 1911) *Sir George James Robert Clerk, 9th Baronet (1876 – 1943) *Sir John Dutton Clerk, 10th Baronet (1917 – 2002) *Sir Robert Maxwell Clerk, 11th Baronet (born 1945) Appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Midlothian by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

:The

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

is George Napier Clerk (born 1975)

Clerk of Penicuik (1679)

See also

References

Further reading