96:
437:
of these, spanning the period from 11 March 1788 to 14 February 1790, is thought to have been lost. Clark also had a letterbook, in which many of his letters, both to his family and to other officers, were pasted. These letters were generally written in a more formal style. After his death, Clark's diaries and papers were preserved by his wife's family in Devon. They were auctioned by his great-nephew, Frederick
Adolphus Trevan, at
45:
509:. He did, however, occasionally empathise with the convicts, especially when they were mistreated. Shortly after landing on Norfolk Island, Clark and Robert Kellow came across some convicts, including some women with their children, who had been forced to sleep in the open far from the main townsite, adequate accommodation being lacking:
436:
Spanning a period from 9 March 1787 to 17 June 1792, although with occasional gaps, Clark's diaries are some of the most personal writings still in existence from the early history of the colonisation of
Australia. His original journal is thought to have contained three notebooks, although the second
381:
and keeper of the stores at Sydney Bay, and was later put in charge of the settlement at
Charlotte Field. In April 1791, he was responsible for laying out the settlement at Queensborough. During his time on the island, Clark impregnated a female convict, Mary Branham, with a daughter, Alicia (named
303:
Arriving with the fleet in
January 1788, Clark filled a number of roles in the colony, from guarding convicts to occasionally serving on the Criminal Court, which he heavily disliked. When not on duty, he went fishing and shooting, collecting a number of specimens which he sent back to England. To
511:"on the Road we met a great many of the Convicts both Men and Women Particular the women that have young children Who told me that the have been obliged to Sleep in the woods all night for the could not get into Town, poor Devils how they are Kick about from one place to another"
592:
The exact dates of death of both Clark and his son are uncertain, although 18 and 30 June are considered likely. When Clark's papers were sold, it was advertised that he and his son had died on the same day, although it is likely that this was a fabrication to encourage
504:
Clark often expressed pleasure at the flogging of convicts, although rarely performed the punishment himself. After one incident, in which a particularly troublesome female convict, Elizabeth
Dudgeon, was punished for insulting a guard officer, he noted
553:
Clark's period in the "Dutch service" is only known from a single diary entry, that of 9 July 1787, which noted that he "Saw John
Johnson my old companion in the Dutch Service". It is unclear whether "Dutch service" refers to time spent in the
449:
as three separate volumes, the journal was disbound during the 1920s and compiled into a single volume. However, in 2002, funded by the Nelson Meers
Foundation, the pages were removed from their mounts and rebound into four volumes with soft
350:), particularly compared to some of his companions. At one point, in February 1790, he was asked by the governor to "capture" two Aboriginal tribesmen who he had traded with earlier, but refused for fear their children would starve.
461:, on 13 May 1787. The writing in the diaries is very personal and informal, and was never intended for publication. Clark was extremely homesick, and longed to see his wife and son, writing as early as the second day of the voyage:
881:
582:"some Boat had landed since I had been there last and taken away the greatest part … it is impossible for any body to attempt to raise any Garden stuff here, before it comes to perfection they will steal it."
376:
was forced to anchor off the coast, and land men and stores via smaller boats. The ship was wrecked on an offshore reef shortly afterward, although there were no deaths. On
Norfolk Island, Clark was made
886:
891:
397:. Although the appointment was made in October 1792, he did not join the company until January the following year, possibly due to illness or an extended period of leave. Clark left for the
382:
after Clark's wife), born in July 1791. After a further period on the island, Clark was sent back to Sydney, arriving in
December 1791 accompanied by Branham, and then back to England on
544:
Clark's exact date of birth is unclear. It is known from his diaries that he celebrated his birthday on 30 March, but different sources suggest that he was either born in 1755 or 1762.
278:, on 23 June 1784, with a son, Ralph Stuart Clark, born on 23 August 1785. In order to further his chances for promotion (and thus a higher salary), Clark volunteered to serve in the
517:, preferring to drink only lemonade. He often privately chastised his fellow officers' drinking habits, boasting in his diary that he had only been intoxicated once—at his wedding.
916:
896:
580:
The garden which Clark established was quite unsuccessful, with most of the produce being quickly stolen. In
February 1790, the exasperated Clark noted in his journal that
876:
488:. During the colony's early years, little food was produced, and the rations brought from England were soon consumed, leaving the colony in near starvation. Clark wrote
304:
supplement their meagre rations, officers were allowed to keep vegetable gardens, which were tended by convicts. Clark established one such garden on a small island in
861:
486:"I never slept worse, my dear wife, than I did last night, what with the hard cold ground, spiders, ants and every vermin you can think of was crawling over me"
901:
484:, Clark remained distressed by the living conditions experienced by himself and his fellow officers, expressing in a letter to his family in England:
708:
Collection Record Details: First Fleet Collection of journals, correspondence and drawings, ca. 1786-1802, held in the Mitchell and Dixson Libraries
470:"I believe few Marines or Soldiers going out on a foreign Service under Government were ever better, if so well provided for as these Convicts are"
866:
871:
358:
162:
632:
831:
353:
Following the death of Captain John Shea in February 1789, Clark was promoted to fill his role, and temporarily given the rank of
207:
in March 1790, which was subsequently wrecked off the island's coast. After a period on the island, he returned to England aboard
446:
231:
226:
in June 1794. Clark's diaries, although never intended to be published, provide some of the most personal information about the
911:
906:
454:
covers. The diary was also digitised. The journal is written in ink on thin, unruled diary paper, and is 312 pages in length.
309:
20:
468:. Like many of his fellow officers, he was aggrieved at the level of comfort and support offered to the convicts, noting
856:
279:
526:
259:
181:
219:
497:
101:
270:
division of the marines. Having transferred to the 6th Company in 1783, he married Betsy Alicia Trevan, of
809:
559:
555:
476:, Clark was dismayed at the unsuitable conditions, which were far from what had been promised in England:
339:
318:
694:
378:
343:
322:
chosen as the play to be performed. He and the convicts' experiences were later the subject of a novel,
227:
457:
Leaving his wife and son, Clark began the first of his diaries a month before the First Fleet departed
334:
921:
851:
707:
192:
duty, guarding convicts, and on the Criminal Court. Having been temporarily promoted to the rank of
188:
in January 1788, he filled a number of roles in the newly established colony, including serving on
827:
402:
383:
366:
295:
251:
208:
201:
189:
151:
129:
417:
354:
193:
136:
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on 25 August 1779, having previously been in the "Dutch service". Clark saw service in the
823:
814:
329:
291:
185:
665:
478:"if we are obliged to settle here there will not a soul be alive in the course of a year"
389:, arriving in June 1792. Upon his return, he was posted to the 100th Company, based in
362:
313:
305:
197:
845:
819:
390:
324:
255:
158:
111:
507:"she has long been fishing for it, which she has at last got to her heart's content"
620:
425:
287:
438:
312:. To provide some entertainment for the colony, Clark was asked by the governor,
514:
481:
398:
283:
215:
166:
78:
473:
458:
442:
421:
413:
409:
267:
223:
32:
689:
243:
173:
62:
571:
The name of Clark's son is sometimes transcribed as "Ralph Stewart Clark".
677:
247:
177:
66:
44:
372:
on 6 March 1790. Owing to the lack of a natural harbour on the island,
451:
271:
263:
882:
British military personnel killed in the French Revolutionary Wars
275:
157:(30 March 1755 or 1762 – June 1794) was a British officer in the
394:
347:
710:– State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
635:– State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
623:– Australian Dictionary Biography. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
184:
before volunteering for the voyage to Australia. Arriving in
412:. Clark's wife died early in 1794, whilst giving birth to a
441:
in London in May 1914, along with some of the letters of
408:, bringing his eight-year-old son with him to serve as a
668:– The University of Sydney. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
633:
Journals of the First Fleet: Ralph Clark (1755? – 1794)
161:, best known for his diary spanning the early years of
887:
Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War
250:, to Ann (née Man) and George Clark. He enlisted as a
892:
Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
480:. With the site for settlement subsequently moved to
262:, and at the end of his service returned to live in
214:, arriving in June 1792, and was then posted to the
680:– Clark Family History. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
125:
117:
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89:
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30:
513:. Unusually for the time, Clark was effectively a
361:. The following year, he was chosen to sail to
316:, to stage a play using convict actors, with
8:
917:Scottish military personnel killed in action
495:. Supplies finally arrived in June 1790, on
230:in Australia, and are currently held by the
562:, both of which fit the diary's chronology.
466:are over of seeing my beloved wife and son"
342:. Clark was also quite friendly with local
897:Norfolk Island penal colony administrators
666:The Journal and Letters of Lt. Ralph Clark
558:, or time spent fighting the Dutch in the
27:
877:Australian theatre managers and producers
690:"CAPTAIN COOK: HIS OLD LETTERS FOR SALE"
420:some time in June 1794 off the coast of
605:
537:
308:, which would subsequently be known as
286:, which was transporting convicts to a
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16:British marine and diarist (1755–1794)
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300:, which held mainly female convicts.
222:, dying in a battle off the coast of
7:
862:18th-century Royal Marines personnel
19:For people with a similar name, see
428:towards the end of the same month.
365:with Ross, departing Sydney aboard
266:, although he was assigned to the
14:
902:Military personnel from Edinburgh
490:"God help us. If some ships dont
447:State Library of New South Wales
232:State Library of New South Wales
94:
43:
163:British settlement in Australia
867:18th-century Scottish diarists
493:arrive, I dont know what will"
290:that was to be established in
165:, including the voyage of the
1:
872:Australian theatre directors
280:New South Wales Marine Corps
527:Journals of the First Fleet
254:in the 27th Company of the
180:, Clark saw service in the
938:
556:Navy of the Dutch Republic
260:American Revolutionary War
182:American Revolutionary War
18:
416:child. Clark himself was
346:tribes (specifically the
220:French Revolutionary Wars
145:
42:
698:. Published 16 May 1914.
621:Clark, Ralph (1762–1794)
463:"Oh my God all my hoppes
424:, while his son died of
282:, which accompanied the
619:Hine, Janet D. (1966).
294:. He was posted to the
912:Royal Marines officers
907:Writers from Edinburgh
560:Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
340:Timberlake Wertenbaker
319:The Recruiting Officer
379:quartermaster general
118:Years of service
60:30 March 1755 or 1762
401:in May 1793, aboard
196:, Clark was sent to
857:18th-century births
445:. Purchased by the
335:Our Country's Good
242:Clark was born in
252:second lieutenant
228:early convict era
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130:Second lieutenant
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472:. On arrival in
418:killed in action
355:first lieutenant
218:to fight in the
194:first lieutenant
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137:First lieutenant
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85:Military service
52:Personal details
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826:. p. 97.
810:Hughes, Robert
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363:Norfolk Island
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314:Arthur Phillip
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802:Bibliography
794:, p. 80
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770:, p. 98
763:
758:, p. 88
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746:, p. 86
739:
734:, p. 82
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722:, p. 78
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498:Lady Juliana
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443:Captain Cook
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426:yellow fever
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310:Clark Island
306:Port Jackson
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288:penal colony
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25:
21:Ralph Clarke
922:First Fleet
852:1794 deaths
792:Hughes 1987
780:Hughes 1987
768:Hughes 1987
756:Hughes 1987
744:Hughes 1987
732:Hughes 1987
720:Hughes 1987
678:Ralph Clark
645:Hughes 1987
515:teetotaller
482:Sydney Cove
399:West Indies
359:Robert Ross
284:First Fleet
216:West Indies
167:First Fleet
155:Ralph Clark
140:(1792–1794)
133:(1779–1792)
79:West Indies
37:Ralph Clark
846:Categories
600:References
474:Botany Bay
459:Portsmouth
422:Hispaniola
410:midshipman
344:Aboriginal
297:Friendship
268:Portsmouth
224:Hispaniola
152:Lieutenant
90:Allegiance
33:Lieutenant
439:Sotheby's
414:stillborn
357:by Major
244:Edinburgh
238:Biography
174:Edinburgh
121:1779–1794
76:June 1794
63:Edinburgh
812:(1987).
521:See also
248:Scotland
178:Scotland
172:Born in
67:Scotland
391:Chatham
200:aboard
830:
452:vellum
405:Tartar
386:Gorgon
374:Sirius
369:Sirius
272:Efford
264:London
211:Gorgon
204:Sirius
190:picket
99:
593:sale.
533:Notes
432:Diary
338:, by
328:, by
276:Devon
828:ISBN
403:HMS
395:Kent
384:HMS
367:HMS
348:Eora
209:HMS
202:HMS
126:Rank
73:Died
57:Born
848::
822::
818:.
692:–
652:^
608:^
501:.
393:,
274:,
246:,
234:.
176:,
169:.
65:,
836:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
