George Johnson Clarke

Who was George Johnson Clarke?

George Johnson Clarke, KC was a New Brunswick lawyer, journalist and politician.

A native of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, George Clarke taught school for a time in Charlotte County before studying law. He was called to the bar in 1885 and set up practice in St. Stephen. He was also editor of the Saint Croix Courier newspaper in St. Stephen. In 1907, he was named King's Counsel.

In 1891, Clarke was an unsuccessful candidate in the Charlotte riding for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons. He served as mayor of St. Stephen from 1898 to 1899 and was Warden of Charlotte County. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for Charlotte County in 1903 and served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1909 to 1914. On January 22, 1914 Clarke was appointed by Premier James K. Flemming to the province's Executive Council as Attorney General and Commissioner of Provincial Hospitals. He served until December 17 of that year when he was appointed Minister of Lands and Mines, a position he held until February 1, 1917.

Highly regarded for his integrity, George Clarke became the 15th Premier in March 1914 when his predecessor, James Kidd Flemming, was forced to resign as a result of a scandal. In addition to his responsibilities as Premier, Clarke also served as the Minister of Lands and Mines during his entire administration.