Audley Clarke

Audley Clarke (June 26, 1770 – March 9, 1844) was a prominent banker, financier, and merchant from Newport, Rhode Island, known for his extensive involvement in the transatlantic slave trade as well his significant contributions to the local economy. Between 1790 and 1807, Clarke financed multiple slaving voyages yielding high profits and transporting hundreds of enslaved Africans to the Americas. Clarke also played a crucial role in the establishment of the Bank of Rhode Island, where he served as president for nearly three decades, and contributed land for the Newport Artillery Company’s armory. His legacy reflects both his impact on Newport's economic development and his controversial participation in the slave trade.

Early life and family Audley Clarke, born on June 26, 1770, in Newport, Rhode Island, was the son of Peleg Clarke (1713–1797) and Mary Gardiner. Growing up in Newport, Audley emerged as a prominent merchant and leading citizen of the city.

Before Audley's birth his father Peleg Clarke had played a significant role in Newport's transatlantic slave trade. Acting as both a captain and a ship owner, Peleg conducted at least six voyages between 1773 and 1787, sailing from Rhode Island to the African coast and then to the Americas, where he purchased and transported enslaved Africans. After 1787, he transitioned into solely financing voyages, backing at least seven expeditions until his death in 1796, enslaving over 1,000 Africans in total. These activities established both Peleg and his son Audley as central figures in Newport's slave trade.

On December 8, 1794, Audley Clarke married Mary Gardner, daughter of Caleb Gardner, another prominent Newport slave trader. Gardner, who owned or held shares in more than a dozen slave trade vessels, also captained at least five voyages between 1762 and 1770. Notably, on August 11, 1794, just four months before Audley and Mary's wedding, Peleg Clarke and Caleb Gardner jointly financed a voyage of the slave ship Washington. Between 1804 and 1807, Audley Clarke and Fowler's partnership was particularly active, funding several slave voyages that transported at least 700 enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. The voyages they financed were marked by the inhumane treatment endured by those forcibly captured and transported. In total, the voyages financed by Audley Clarke resulted in the enslavement of more than 900 Africans.

Deceptive practices Following the Slave Trade Act of 1794, many slave traders resorted to elaborate strategies to evade scrutiny from customs officials and abolitionist groups upon the return of slaving vessels. One such intricate scheme was devised by the firm of Peleg and Audley Clarke, detailed to their captain, John Vilett, in 1796. In 1900, the Bank of Rhode Island underwent absorption by the Industrial Trust Company, eventually falling under the ownership of Bank of America. Clarke Street in Newport, named after Audley Clarke, now home to the armory of the Artillery Company of Newport.

Artillery Company of Newport

Beyond his banking career, Audley Clarke was also a substantial landowner in Newport and Jamestown. The armory continues to house the company to this day.

Death Audley Clarke died on March 9, 1844, in Newport, Rhode Island. He is buried in the Common Burying Ground.