John Howard Clark

John Howard Clark (15 January 1830 – 20 May 1878) was editor of The South Australian Register from 1870 to 1877 and was responsible for its Echoes from the Bush column and closely associated with its Geoffry Crabthorn persona.

Early years John was born in Birmingham, son of Francis Clark (1799 – 1853), a silversmith

John was educated at Birmingham and Edgbaston Proprietary School and King's College London, where John Lorenzo Young (later to found the Adelaide Educational Institution) was a fellow student.

Career Clark worked for a time at an iron smelter in Dudley, but after a bout of serious illness, emigrated with his parents to Adelaide, South Australia, arriving on the Fatima in June 1850. After a short period of work as an assayer, he joined his father as accountant in the firm which, with A. Sidney Clark as proprietor in 1853, became Francis Clark and Sons, hardware importers and shipping agents of Blyth Street. John Howard Clark became one of the colony's most sought-after accountants,

Clark was an adept writer and contributed to the Register (one of those who used the nom de plume "Pleeceman X"), and the Telegraph, an evening paper whose editor, Frederick Sinnett, was a close friend.

In October 1865 Clark purchased a share of the Register and Observer from The Hon. Joseph Fisher (1834–1907), the other proprietors being William Kyffin Thomas and Edward William Andrews. He also took Fisher's place as its commercial manager. He was appointed editor in 1870. (The proprietors at the time of his funeral were William Kyffin Thomas, C. Day, J. H. Finlayson and Robert Kyffin Thomas.

The one aspect of his incumbency for which he is best remembered is the weekly "Echoes from the Bush" column, conducted under the pseudonym "Geoffry Crabthorn" with its frequently powerful advocacy and pungent satire. "It is understood that he originated (this column). Whether he did or not I am not in a position to say but that he contributed to it some of the best productions of his mind I know full well. The "Echoes" have been read and appreciated in the other colonies – in fact, at this moment I have a letter from one of the ablest writers in Sydney, who says, what we here are prepared to endorse, that "Geoffry Crabthorn" at his best has no peer in Australia."

Clark was a supporter of the Adelaide Educational Institution and close friend of its founder, John L. Young.

Clark helped found the Adelaide Philosophical Society, and was secretary from its formation in 1853 until 1862. His brother A. Sidney Clark later held that position.

In 1860 he joined the South Australian Volunteer Military Force and rose to the rank of Major in 1866. In 1869 he was obliged to decline further promotion because of ill-health. The Volunteer Force was a militia formed in 1855 for the defence of the colony of South Australia.

Family

Most, if not all, of Clark's children were given the middle name "Howard" and he was himself generally referred to as though "Howard Clark" were his surname.

Clark's seven brothers included Algernon Sidney Clark (1826 – 16 February 1908), M(atthew) Symonds Clark (c. 1839 – 10 July 1920), who married Euphemia Martin on 29 August 1874 (and was father of engineer Edward Vincent Clark), and Henry Septimus Clark (died February 1864). His three sisters included (Caroline) Emily Clark (1824–1911) founder, with Catherine Helen Spence, of the "Boarding-out Society", a scheme for finding homes for destitute children and Susan Mary Clark who on 8 May 1866 married Joseph Crompton (1842–1901), who with her brother Henry, founded Stonyfell winery. He married Lucy Martin (26 August 1839 – 3 May 1863) in the Unitarian Church in Wakefield Street on 15 October 1858. (Lucy was a daughter of Edward Montgomrey Martin and Ann née Thornton.) They lived in Hazelwood Cottage (named after the Birmingham school, ) on Greenhill Road, Knightsbridge.

Lucy gave birth to Francis Howard Clark (22 September 1859 – 17 June 1945), a prizewinning student at Adelaide Educational Institution 1871–1876. He married Edith Mary Smith (1861 – 17 July 1950) on 5 June 1890. Ellen Howard "Nellie" Clark (30 July 1861 – 4 November 1936) married William George Auld, son of William Patrick Auld, on 12 August 1893. Lucy Howard Clark (27 April 1863 – 30 January 1940) married (Anglican) Rev. G(eorge John) Shirreff Bowyear (8 February 1851 – 16 November 1923) on 12 June 1883.

His wife Lucy died 6 days after birth of daughter Lucy. For the following eighteen months his sister Emily lived at the cottage, helping him care for the children. He married again, to Agnes Macnee (ca.1843 – 13 June 1913) on 11 October 1865. She gave birth to Marion Howard Clark (15 September 1866 – 1 May 1867) Jessie Howard Clark (28 July 1868 – 11 August 1942) married Alfred Barham Black on 24 January 1891. Dorrit Black, a noted modernist painter, was a daughter. Arthur Howard Clark (20 December 1869 – 11 June 1947) married Lilly Beviss Cossins on 30 October 1895. He was a manager of the Allandale silver mine at Broken Hill

Alice (19 July 1871 – 28 April 1874 aged 2 years) Rose (14 June 1873 – 7 May 1943) never married Florence (10 March 1875 – 15 November 1952) never married

Last years

He had a residence at Port Willunga where he appears to have spent his last years and where he died on 20 May 1878, aged 48, of consumption (tuberculosis). Initially it was awarded after a special examination, but later judged on the year's work, and later became "The John Howard Clark Prize and Title of John Howard Clark Scholar", and paid in two equal instalments: on completion of the Honours degree and on completion of Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy. It was first won in 1882, by George Murray who was later, as Sir George, to make his mark as Chief Justice and Chancellor of the University. A. E. V. Richardson, founding director of Waite Institute and later Assistant Director of CSIRO won it in 1907.

Howard Terrace, Hazelwood Park, is named for him.