Sir Robert Clarke, 2nd Baronet (1683 – November 1746) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 1717 to 1722.

Early life

Clarke was the elder son of Sir Samuel Clarke, 1st Baronet of Snailwell and his wife Mary Thompson, daughter of Robert Thompson of Newington Green, Middlesex. In 1719, he succeeded his father as baronet. He was admitted at

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (historically known as "Sussex College" and today referred to informally as "Sidney") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1 ...

on 12 December 1701, aged 18 and was also admitted at

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

in 1701. He married Mary Barnardiston, only daughter of Arthur Barnardiston of Hoxton in around 1712.

Political career

Clarke was returned unopposed as a Whig Member of Parliament (MP) for

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

at a by election on 18 November 1717. He was defeated at the 1722 general election, and never stood again.

Family

Clarke died in November 1746. By his wife he had ten children. He was succeeded in the baronetcy successively by his sons Samuel and Robert. After the death of his last surviving son Arthur, the sixth baronet, the title became extinct.

References

1683 births 1746 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of England British MPs 1715–1722 Members of Gray's Inn Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Clarke baronets {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub