Robert Bowcher Clarke
Sir Robert Bowcher Clarke (1803–1881) was a Barbadian barrister, Solicitor-General, and Chief Justice of Barbados and St. Lucia.
Early life and career
[edit]Clarke was born in 1803 in Barbados, the son of Robert Bowcher Clarke and his wife Elizabeth (née Waple).[1][2]
Clarke attended Codrington Grammar School[3][4] before studying at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1827.[1][2] That same year, he was called to the Bar of England and Wales at the Inner Temple.[1][2] In 1829, Clarke married Emily Maxwell Spooner.[1][2][5]
Clarke began his legal career in Barbados, serving as Solicitor-General from 1837 to 1842.[1][2] He later became Speaker of the House of Assembly.[1][4]
On 13 December 1841,[4] Clarke was appointed Chief Justice of Barbados,[1][2] a position he held until his retirement in 1874. Between 1850[6] and 1859,[1][2] he also served as Chief Justice of St. Lucia.
Dispute over future of Codrington College
[edit]Clarke's alma mater, Codrington Grammar School, had been founded in 1745 with the profits from the bequest of Christopher Codrington. Codrington had intended the school to be a university modelled on Oxford and Cambridge, unusually for the time, to benefit the Afro-Caribbean population of Barbados.[3]
The school was initially, however, established as a grammar school. In 1830, it was converted to a theological college.[3]
Clarke, a former student, became a central figure in a heated debate about the future of the institution.[3] Clarke opposed the transformation of the school into a theological college and lobbied influential figures, including the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to restore the college to its earlier role.[3]
Awards and honours
[edit]Clarke was knighted in 1840 for his contributions to the emancipation of slaves.[1][2] He also received the Companion of the Order of the Bath (Civil Division) in 1848.[1][2][7]
Death
[edit]Clarke died on 25 January 1874 at his home "Eldridge" in Chislehurst, England[1][2] He was 78.[1][2]
External links
[edit]- Profile for Sir Robert Bowcher Clarke at the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "The Late Sir R. B. Clarke". The Star. 19 May 1881. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Death of Sir Robert Bowcher Clarke". Barbados Agricultural Reporter. 31 May 1881. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Simmons, George (1972). "West Indian Higher Education". Caribbean Quarterly. 18 (3): 52. doi:10.1080/00086495.1972.11829117.
- ^ a b c Schomburgk, R.H. (1848). The History of Barbados. London, England: Longman. pp. 479, 489, 492.
- ^ "Married". The Morning Post. London, England. 13 Nov 1829. p. 4. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Downing Street Appointments". The London Gazette (21106): 1748. 21 June 1850.
- ^ "Appointments". The London Gazette (20850): 655. 28 April 1848. Retrieved 28 January 2025.