Clarke, George (1661 -1736)

George Clarke was the only son of Sir William Clarke, Secretary at War to Charles II, and Dorothy, daughter and coheir of Thomas Hilyard alias Hall, of Hebburn Co Durham. He was educated at the Jermyn Street Academy, privately, and at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he matriculated 15 December 1675, age 15, and took his B.A. in 1679. He was elected a Fellow of All Souls in the following year, taking his M.A. in 1683, his B.C.L. in 1686 and his D.C.L. in 1708. He was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1676. Judge Advocate General 1682 1705, Secretary at War in Ireland 1690 1692, and in England 1693 1702, and joint secretary of the Admiralty 1702 1705, Dr Clarke was elected Member of Parliament for Oxford University in 1685, for Winchester 1702 1705, and for East Looe in 1705, when he was deprived of all his preferments as a result of his voting for the Tory candidate for Speaker. But with the return of his party to power, he was made a Lord of the Admiralty 1710 1714. He sat for Launceston 1711 1713, and for the University of Oxford 1717 1736. A virtuoso in matters of art and architecture, he was a benefactor to the Bodleian Library, All Souls, and Worcester College. He made a gift of books to the Bodleian Library in 1721, but left his library, including important architectural manuscripts to his father's college, Worcester College, Oxford.