The Clark Baronets

ALLAN CLARK, a farmer in Dykebar, Renfrewshire, where he was living in 1710, married, in 1673, Janet Stuart.

His eldest son,

ALLAN CLARK in Dykebar, born in 1677, wedded, in 1700, Agnes, daughter of James Snodgrass in Carriagehill.

His second son,

WILLIAM CLARK in Dykebar, born in 1710, espoused, in 1736, Agnes Bryson, in Yoker, parish of Renfrew.

His fifth son,

JAMES CLARK (1747-1829), of Paisley, married, in 1768, Margaret, eldest child of of Andrew Campbell, and had issue, four sons and seven daughters, of whom,

JAMES (second son), his heir;
John, of Gateside, father of STEWART CLARK MP, grandfather of Edith Lady Dixon; believed to be ancestor of the Lord Clark and his son, Alan Clark MP.

His occupation was thread manufacturer.

James Clark started out in business as a heddle harness, heddle twine and lash twine manufacturer. He started making cotton thread in 1813 and, together with his son James (1782-1865), built a mill at Seedhill, Paisley, Renfrewshire.

This mill was acquired in 1819 by his sons James and John, who formed J & J Clark, thread manufacturers, Paisley, Renfrewshire. Their father continued to run a separate business at Cotton Street and Thread Street, Paisley and died in 1829.

The second son, 

JAMES CLARK (1782-1865), of Chapel House, Paisley (below), married, in 1830, Agnes, daughter and co-heir of James McFarlane, and had issue, an elder son,

JAMES CLARK (1831-1910), of Chapel House, Provost of Paisley 1882-5, who married firstly, in 1858, Jane, daughter of George Smith, of Glasgow, and had issue,

James, CB, KC;

GEORGE SMITH, of whom hereafter;

Robert, shipowner.

Mr Clark wedded secondly, in 1871, Katherine, daughter of Major-General George King, and by her had further issue,

George Fitzgerald King-Clark;

Rudolph John Campbell;

Agnes MacFarlane; Katherine King; Jane Smith; Williamina.

Mr Clark, a partner in J & J Clark, thread manufacturers, was succeeded by his second son,

GEORGE SMITH CLARK DL (1861-1935), shipbuilder and politician, who wedded, in 1881, Frances Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Matier, of Dunlambert, Belfast, and had issue,

GEORGE ERNEST, his successor;

Henry Douglas.

Mr Clark was created a baronet in 1917, designated of Dunlambert, Belfast.

Sir George was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR GEORGE ERNEST CLARK, 2nd Baronet (1882-1950), DL, High Sheriff of County Down, 1940-1, who married, in 1910, Norah Ann, daughter of W G Wilson, and had issue,

GEORGE ANTHONY, his successor;

COLIN DOUGLAS, 4th Baronet;

Peter Aubrey;

Beatrice Norah.

Sir George was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR GEORGE ANTHONY CLARK, 3rd Baronet (1914-91), DL, of Tullygirvan House, near Ballygowan, County Down, MP for Belfast Dock, 1938-45, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1954, who wedded, in 1949, Nancy Catherine, daughter of George Wallis Newport Clark, and had issue an only daughter,

Elizabeth Frances Catherine.

Sir George Clark Bt

Sir George died without male issue, when the baronetcy devolved upon his brother,

SIR COLIN DOUGLAS CLARK, 4th Baronet (1918-95), MC, Major, Royal Engineers, Managing director, G Heyn & Sons, Ulster Steamship Company, etc, who wedded, in 1946, Margaret Coleman, daughter of Major-General Sir Charlton Watson Spinks, and had issue,

JONATHAN GEORGE, his successor;

Sarah Louise; Gillian Margaret Anne.

Sir Colin was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JONATHAN GEORGE CLARK, 5th Baronet (1947-), of Somerset House, Threapwood, Malpas, Cheshire, Captain, Royal Green Jackets, 1966, Managing Director, Paragon Homes, 1992, who married, in 1971, Susan Joy, daughter of Brigadier Thomas Ian Gordon Gray, and has issue,

SIMON GEORGE GRAY;

Polly Caroline; Tessa Louise.

DUNLAMBERT HOUSE, a large Victorian villa near Fortwilliam, Belfast, was built ca 1872 for Sir George's father-in-law, the linen manufacturer Henry Matier (1822-91).

Dunlambert was Italianate in style, of sandstone.

The architect was James Hamilton, of Glasgow.

The house and lodge were swept away in 1955 for Dunlambert Secondary School.

Dunlambert House (Image: PicClick UK)

Dunlambert House was located off Fortwilliam Park (remains of the grand entrances built by George Langry, who owned the estate in the early 1800s, remain).

A picture from the Lawrence Collection provides an indication of the dwellings within the park, including the Clarks' gate lodge and drive (above).

Dunlambert features in J A K Dean's Plight of the Big House in Northern Ireland.

The Chase, Helen's Bay (Image: Simon Brien)

Former residence ~ The Chase, Craigdarragh Road, Helen's Bay, County Down.

First published in July, 2010.