About Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet
Lived 1736 – 1798 (aged 61–62). Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet was a writer.
Sir John Clerk of Pennycuik, 5th Baronet FRSE (1736–1798) was a Royal Navy officer. Active in the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, he thereby became a founder fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh upon its formation in 1783.
Life He was born in Midlothian the son of Sir George Clerk-Maxwell (1715–84) and his wife, Dorothea. John became a baronet upon the death of his father in 1784.
He became Director of the Highland Society in 1785.
He died on 24 February 1798 and is buried with his wife, Rosemary Dacre Appleby in Penicuik churchyard. They had no children and the baronetcy passed to his nephew George.
Artistic recognition
A famous portrait of Sir John and Lady Clerk, by Sir Henry Raeburn, is held by the National Gallery of Ireland.
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Important facts
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet?
Royal Navy officer; (1736-1798)
When was Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet born?
Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet was born in 1736 in Midlothian.
When did Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet die?
Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet died on 24 February 1798.
What was Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet's occupation?
Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet was a writer.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet
· DBpedia: Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet. https://biography.guide/sir-john-clerk-5th-baronet/
MLA: "Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sir-john-clerk-5th-baronet/.
Chicago: "Sir John Clerk, 5th Baronet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sir-john-clerk-5th-baronet/.
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