CLARKE, Simon Thomas (1936-2019)

[colinp]

From the Daily Telegraph  (haven't retained the print copy) - CLARKE Simon Thomas, died peacefully on 25th September 2019. Beloved husband of Frankie, much loved father of Clarissa, stepfather to Lucinda and Nicholas, and much loved grandfather. Private Funeral followed by a Thanksgiving Service at St Mary the Virgin, Bromfield, on Monday 28th October at 2.30 pm. No black and no flowers but donations to Hunt Staff Benevolent Fund please.

He was a descendant of Sir Simon Clarke (1579-c1642) 1st Baronet (cr 1617 E) of Salford Warwickshire via his youngest son Woodford Clarke (1615-1685), the baronetcy becoming dormant in 1898 on the death of the 11th Baronet

Telegraph obituary here - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2019/10/25/captain-simon-clarke-one-great-huntsmen-20th-century-widely/

EXTRACTS

Captain Simon Clarke, who has died aged 83, was recognised in the postwar years as one of the finest Masters of Foxhounds in a career spanning 32 years in five hunts

Simon Thomas Clarke was born on June 9 l936, the only son of Major CM (Martin) Clarke and his wife Ferelith (née Fuller). Martin Clarke served in the 3rd Hussars, and was killed at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942. His widow settled in Gloucestershire with Simon and his younger sister, Susan.

In 1948 Ferelith married Major Gerald Gundry, one of the most notable personalities of the hunting field who served for 34 years as the Duke of Beaufort’s Joint Master and huntsman of the doghound pack.

The whole family hunted: Simon’s half-brother Robin Gundry became a leading MFH, and Simon’s sister Susan married Willie Poole, a Master and huntsman who contributed an amusing countryside column to The Daily Telegraph.

In 1965 he married Frances (née Boylan), known as “Frankie”, who had a son, Nicholas, and daughter, Lucinda, from her previous marriage. Clarke’s first Foxhound Mastership was that of the South Dorset in 1962

Simon Clarke is survived by his wife, Frankie, and their daughter Clarissa, who is Chief Executive of the Pony Racing Authority, and is married to the National Hunt trainer Henry Daly.

Captain Simon Clarke, born June 9 1936, died September 25 2019 

[Henry W]

An interesting amount of research stemming from this family.  Was he the senior known heir to the baronetcy? I think he might have been, but have had trouble working my way through the family.  I checked in Debrett's 1990 & 2003 hoping that either might list living dynasts of the family even though the title was in dormancy (it does this for some titles, e.g. Baron Gardner), but sadly no luck there.  There is a listing of the family on thepeerage.com which I have worked my way through - for some families dates are not given and the ordering of sons is given as on thepeerage; largely the source was given as BIFR 1976 so anybody with access to that volume may have more information. I also relied on member trees in Ancestry in places (dangerous, I know).  I am hopeful that somebody  may have worked the family before and have more to add/confirm/clarify:

1. Sir Simon CLARKE, 1st Bt (1579-1642)

(I do not list his first 4 sons and their issue; 2 of the sons died young, one was the 2nd Bt, and the final was the ancestor of the 3rd-11th Bts - I do not believe there were other dynasts from this last son)

1.5 Woodchurch CLARKE (1615-85)

1.5.1. Simon CLARKE (d 1733)

1.5.1.1 John CLARKE (b 1711) - emigrated to US (or its predecessors) - presumably this branch cannot be accounted for and so keeps the title in dormancy.

1.5.1.2 Thomas CLARKE (1712-89)

1.5.1.2.1 William CLARKE (1746/7-1839)

1.5.1.2.1.1 Rev Thomas CLARKE (1788-1870)

1.5.1.2.1.1.1 Rev Thomas CLARKE (dates?) presumably no issue

1.5.1.2.1.1.2 Rev William CLARKE (dates?) presumably no issue

1.5.1.2.1.1.3 George CLARKE (dates?) - emigrated to NZ - presumably no issue

1.5.1.2.1.1.4 Rev Charles CLARKE (dates?) presumably no issue, but a member tree on Ancestry seems to disagree.

1.5.1.2.1.1.5 Arthur Francis CLARKE (1836 - died 1870 (thep) or 1874 (ancestry))

1.5.1.2.1.1.5.1 Arthur CLARKE (1858-1920) - unmarried

1.5.1.2.1.1.5.2 Alfred CLARKE (1862-1897 in Malta, probate 1924) - presumably no issue

1.5.1.2.1.1.5.3 Henry Aston CLARKE (1868-1941)

1.5.1.2.1.1.5.4 Francis Granville CLARKE (1870-1936)

1.5.1.2.1.1.5.4.1 Edward Granville Woodchurch CLARKE (1914-2003)

1.5.1.2.1.1.6 Alfred Claudis CLARKE (1838-49)

1.5.1.2.1.1.7 Henry Stephenson CLARKE (1839-1919)

1.5.1.2.1.1.8.1 Henry Hugh Rose CLARKE (1872-1962)

1.5.1.2.1.1.8.1.1 Sir Henry Ashley CLARKE GCMG GCVO (1903-94)

1.5.1.2.1.1.8.1.1 Hugh Maitland CLARKE (1911-88)

1.5.1.2.2 Samuel CLARKE (b 1748)

1.5.1.2.2.1 Thomas CLARKE - presumably no issue

1.5.1.2.2.2 Samuel CLARKE - presumably no issue

1.5.1.2.2.3 William CLARKE (1803-84)

1.5.1.2.2.3.1 Thomas CLARKE (1834-1911)

1.5.1.2.2.3.1.1 William Ruddell CLARKE (1870-1937)

1.5.1.2.2.3.1.2 Thomas Arthur CLARKE (1871-1947)

1.5.1.2.2.3.1.3 Charles Samuel CLARKE (1873 - 1947 or 62)

1.5.1.2.2.3.1.3.1 Roger Simon Woodchurch CLARKE (1903-88)

1.5.1.2.2.3.1.3.2 Charles Martin CLARKE (1905-42)

1.5.1.2.2.3.1.3.2.1 Simon Thomas CLARKE (1936-2019) of whom we treat

1.5.1.2.2.3.1.3.3 Thomas Hughes CLARKE (1905-62)

1.5.1.2.2.3.1.3.3.1 Charles Hugh CLARKE (born 1940)

[colinp]

Thanks very much for this - very helpful to set it out.

[Henry W]

I should point out that there are many more heirs after those that I list. Time and a desire to protect privacy of the living prevent a complete listing!