John Clarke

John Clarke (fl. 1648 – November 1681), also known as John Clark, John Clerk, and John Clerke, was an English politician and Justice of the Peace who sat in the House of Commons from 1653 through 1660, and was a colonel in the Parliamentary army between 1651 and 1659.

Biography Family Clarke was from Kensington, the son of John Clarke of Bocking, Essex. Clarke married Margaret Bourne of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and had a son Samuel who was created baronet in 1698, and a daughter. He was elected MP for Bury St Edmunds for the First Protectorate Parliament in 1654. In 1659, he was elected MP for Bury St Edmunds in the Third Protectorate Parliament. In 1659, he was elected MP for Melcombe Regis and for Dartmouth in a double return and chose to sit for Melcombe Regis until April 1659. In April 1660 he was re-elected MP for Bury St Edmunds for the Convention Parliament when he was involved in a double return. He was allowed to take his seat and then unseated.

In 1647, Clarke took up the accusation against the Eleven Members of the Peace Party in Parliament. He was sent as Lieutenant Colonel Clerke with Admiral Blake to reduce the Scilly Isles in May 1651. He was on the Fleet Committee in December 1653 and became a Commissioner for Irish affairs in January 1654. In February 1654, he was a Commissioner of the Admiralty and was appointed a commissioner for the army on 24 June 1654. After the death of Oliver Cromwell he signed the order for proclaiming Richard Cromwell Protector and was on the Committee of Safety in 1659.

Abasement Clarke was granted a Foot regiment on 16 June 1659 by the Committee of Safety, but was cashiered with Lambert and the other generals by the Council of State. He was mentioned as appointed to the command of Dunkirk in August 1659, but did not go there. He was ordered by the Council of State to depart from London on 13 January 1660, and ordered on 2 February 1660 "not to stay in town".

Clarke was a prisoner in the Gatehouse on 17 December 1660, when he petitioned the King for his release, stating that he "was imprisoned on suspicion of treason, of which he knew nothing, nor had he in the least misdemeaned himself."

Death Clarke died in November 1681 and was buried in St Mary's churchyard, Bury St Edmunds.