Robert Clarke (1877-?)

Robert Clarke is probably the least known of the children of Thomas Plummer Clarke and Frances Stelfox. His early life involved considerable travel around the world and, although he maintained intermittent contact with his family in New Zealand through correspondence, there is little detailed record of his life and family, particularly from the time he decided to leave the Western Australian goldfields to make a new life for himself in mining in the United States.

A summary of his early life has been compiled by Sandra Clarke and appears on this website (Thomas Plummer Clarke and Family).  Sandra's summary includes some information previously described in publications by Vaudine Barnes and the main events in Robert Clarke's early life, covered by Sandra and Vaudine, are reproduced below:

Robert Clarke was born on 28 June/10 July 1877 in Losevo near Moscow, Russia and was baptised at the Anglican Church in Moscow in 1878.

He was 8 years old when the Clarke family arrived in NZ and he spent a few months at Avondale School and then in September 1886 was enrolled at the Onehunga Primary School and remained there till February 1890. He obtained a scholarship to Auckland Grammar School which he attended between 1890 and 1892. After school he did three years bush work then he spent two years studying at the Thames School of Mines.

In 1897, he received his certificate as a battery superintendent and also as an assayer of bullion for the Customs Department. In 1899, he was battery superintendent at the Waitekauri Battery.

Robert Clarke left New Zealand in November 1899 for Western Australia and he never came back. When his brother, William George Clarke, returned from the Boer War he went to join Robert in Western Australia. Unfortunately the two brothers were attracted to with the same young woman, a schoolteacher at the gold-mining town of Burbanks, to the south of Coolgardie. Robert left Western Australia for the USA about the same time as his brother William George married the teacher (Elizabeth Annie Douglas) on 28 December 1905.

Robert was living at Denver Colorado between at least 1920 and 1928. A letter written in 1920 indicates he had a wife (Blanche) and had a daughter (Beverly) by that date. No further information on him has been found. His last known address was: Robert Clarke, Mining Engineer, 911 Foster Building, Denver Colorado, USA.

Although much of Robert Clarke's life still remains a mystery and even basic information, such as when and where he died, remain unknown, there are a few addition facts that can be added to the story of his life.

Records from Western Australia

Robert Clarke (a metallurgist, battery manager and mining engineer) left New Zealand for Western Australia a day or so after the birth, on 12 November 1899, of the twins Marcus and Mercia Clarke to Ivan Clarke and Alice Davenport/Clarke. This date is confirmed in a letter sent by Robert from Denver, Colorado, to Alice Davenport/Clarke, the widowed wife of his brother Ivan Clarke (1866-1909). The letter, sent on 12 July 1920, shortly after the death of his sister Jessie in Florida, contains the statement "I was glad to read your letter, as I had no idea that you had any other children after the twins Marcus and Mercia. They you remember were only a day or so old when I saw them before I left New Zealand, and I can hardly realize that they are grown up know. To hear you speak of marriage in connection with Inez also seems strange, as she was just a little tot when I saw her last in Waihi."

After his discharge from the New Zealand Army in August 1901, William George Clarke came to Western Australia in the early days of the gold-mining industry, looking to join up with his brother Robert. William George's daughter, Joyce Elizabeth Clarke, understood that her father commenced work in the Leonora district on his arrival in Western Australia, and that "he walked to Lawlers carrying a waterbag". By 1904, however, both he and his brother Robert were employed as metallurgists on the King Soloman gold mine near Coolgardie.   The Legislative Assembly Roll for Coolgardie, 1904 includes the entry:

            84 Clarke, Robert, M, King Solomon GM, Metallurgist

            87 Clarke, William Geo., M, King Soloman GM, Metallurgist

A few kilometres to the south of Coolgardie was the small gold-mining town of Burbanks, where one of the teachers at the local school was Elizabeth Annie Douglas, the second of two children born in Dunedin, New Zealand to Annie Marie Cuttle (an immigrant from County Roscommon, Ireland) and William Douglas (an immigrant from County Derry). Elizabeth Annie had been appointed as a teacher to the school in 1899 and she met both William George and Robert Clarke and, at various times, was escorted by each of the brothers.   However, William George was the successful suitor and he married her on the 28 December, 1905 at St. Andrew's Church, Coolgardie (Church of England; Sydney S. Bullen, Minister). It is believed that Robert Clarke departed for the United States at about this time. Nothing is known about the relationship between the brothers after Robert's departure, however it should be noted that William George named his fourth child, and only son, Robert Douglas Clarke; presumably the "Robert" for his brother and the "Douglas" for his mother's maiden name.

Records from the United States

It is known that Robert worked as a mining engineer in the western and central United States, with various records confirming his activities in at least the states of Colorado, California and Utah. On 12 July 1920, Robert Clarke wrote to Alice Clarke, the widow of his deceased brother Ivan. He wrote from his office (or home) at "911 Foster Blg (presumably "Building"), Denver, Colorado, USA", and his office stationery was headed with "Robert Clarke, Mining Engineer", thus confirming his occupation. His letter was written on behalf of his sister Jessie, who had been based in Florida, where she had previously received two letters: one from his niece, Jessie Inez Clarke/Glass, the daughter of his deceased brother Ivan; the other from Alice, his brother Ivan's widow. Jessie Clarke had not been able to answer the letters due to her failing eyesight, and had forwarded them to Robert “about two or three weeks ago” (i.e. before 12 July 1920). He states that he had just opened the letter from Jessie as "I was not in Denver at the time the letters came, as I had gone to California to examine some mines there and was away a month". The latter statement confirms that travel within the western United States was an important and integral part of his occupation.

US Census records for the years 1910, 1920 and 1930 were studied to establish where Robert Clarke was living at those times. No entry was found for 1910, but in 1920, the family were based in Colorado, as indicated below, but clearly Robert was not "in town" at the time of the census, presumably away on a work contract.

Fourteenth Census of the United States, Denver City, 15 January 1920, Sheet 14B.

State Colorado; County Denver, Grant Street

Notes: 1. Father’s “mother tongue” given as English for both Blanche and Beverly; No matching record found for Robert Clarke. 2. Beverly B (perhaps Blanche?) is spelled Beverley in both the original image and the transcribed index.

The information in the US Census for 1920 confirms that his wife's name was Blanche and that his daughter's name was Beverly and she was 2½ years old (i.e. born about Christmas 1917 or early New Year 1918). Robert concludes the letter as follows: "I intend as soon as I am able to come back to New Zealand for a trip, and bring Blanche and my little girl Beverly over to meet all their relatives there. Beverly is now 2½ years old and is a dear little child with big brown eyes and yellow hair. We all send love and sympathy to you all in New Zealand, and hope some day to see you."

The 1930 US Census indicates that the family moved from Denver, Colorado to Salt lake City, Utah at some time between 12 July 1920 and 19 April 1930.

Census of the United States, 19 April 1930

State Utah; Salt Lake City, East 1^st South

Notes: 1. Beverly B Clarke is spelled Beverley in the transcribed index. 2. Blanche is listed as Blenda in the transcribed index.

On about 29 June 2006, Ancestry invited me to examine their latest compilation of the 1930 US Census Records. I did a search as follows:

Beverly Clarke; b 1917; All states; Lived with parents; not married; Parents Robert Clarke and Blanche Clarke.

The search produced a number of matches including:

Beverley B Clarke; Salt Lake City, Utah: Est Birth Year ~1918; dau.

Conclusion

Despite the small increase in data on the life of Robert Clarke there are clearly many issues unresolved. When and where did Robert and Blanche die? Did Beverly marry and have children of her own? Did the family remain in the United States, and if so are there any descendants. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you think you may be a descendant of Thomas Plummer Clarke.