John Creemer Clarke

Who was John Creemer Clarke?

John Creemer Clarke was an English merchant and manufacturer and a Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1874 to 1885.

Clarke was the son of Robert Clarke of St Giles in the Wood, Devon and his wife Graciana Creemer, daughter of John Creemer of Exbourne Devon. He was a cloth merchant and manufacturer and chairman of Abingdon Railway Company. He was a J.P. for Abingdon.

At the 1874 general election, Clarke was elected as the Member of Parliament for Abingdon. He was re-elected in 1880 and he held the seat until he retired from Parliament at the 1885 general election.

Clarke was a philanthropist who helped fund the building of Trinity church and the cottage hospital at Abingdon.

Clarke married firstly in 1845 Anna Maria Avis, daughter of John Avis of Minehead Somerset. She died in 1848 and in 1849 he married secondly Elizabeth Joyce, daughter of John Joyce of Timberscombe Somerset.