Andrew Clarke

Born: 27/07/1793 Died: 11/02/1847

Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Clarke was born in Donegal, Ireland on the 27th of July 1793. At the age of only 13, he joined the British Army. Five years later, at the age of 18, he became a Captain and was given temporary command of his regiment, and was posted with them to New South Wales.

A few years later, while on leave in England, he met and married a lady called Frances Jackson, nee Lardner, daughter of Philip Lardner. Her first husband was Rev. Edward Martin Jackson, a Chaplain with the East India Co. He had died in 1821 and left her with a daughter called Fanny Mary Jane, who later married George Moore in 1846.

In 1824, Andrew Clarke and Frances Clarke had a son, also called Andrew Clarke. He was also very successful, becoming Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke. The son Andrew Clarke, because of his father’s absence, was brought up by his grandfather (also called Andrew Clarke) with the help of his uncles (Andrew Clarke’s brothers) James Langton Clarke and William Hislop Clarke.

In the year 1837, Lieutenant – Colonel Andrew Clarke became a Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order. Two years later, he was given full command of his regiment and was transferred to the West Indies where he was appointed Governor of St Lucia.

Andrew Clarke was in the running to become Governor of Western Australia, but the appointment went to John Hutt. He expressed his interest of the position of Governor to Frederick Irwin, who went to London to argue his case, and in August 1845, Andrew Clarke became the third Governor of WA.

An economic depression in the colony had resulted in a change in land regulations and it was to be Clarke’s responsibility to implement the change. He took his wife Frances and step-daughter Fanny to Australia on the Cumberland ship and arrived on the 26 of January, 1846 (Australia Day).
 
Unfortunately, before he could establish his governorship, he became seriously ill. After being incapacitated for seven months, Governor-Lieutenant-Colonel-Sir Andrew Clarke died on the 11th of February 1847, approximately one year after becoming Governor. The post of Governor went to Frederick Irwin.