Welham Clarke 1765-1848

Notes on Welham Clarke.

Letter from Welham Clarke to the Naval Commissioners.

Honb^le Sirs,
Agreeable to your decision when before your honourable board yesterday I have to state that in July/96 I sailed from the River Thames in the ship Commerce under my command for the Southern Whale Fishery, having arrived round Cape Horn about Jan^y 97 – I procured about 75 tons Sperm Oil in about three months. I was then captured by the Spaniards together with nine other fisherman, being all of us ignorant of the war, and depending upon being informed of such an event took place by a British Ship of War, which was promised us before we sailed. The whole of the crew consisting of upwards of 200 Men have been Prisoners ever since until November/99 when we were liberated by an order from the King of Spain dated 23^rdof March 1799, but which order did not provide us with the means of returning to our native Country, we were indeed told that we were to have three months pay in advance and passports to any port we should think proper to go to, but which was insufficient to enable us to get away. However in the same month 5 Masters and 5 Boys being assisted by their friends found means to depart and proceeded to the Port of Conception in order to cross the continent for Buenos Ayres, a distance of about 1600 miles, but who are not yet arrived. Myself with my Mate remained in Lima until the 24th of December/99 when a merchant knowing our situation very generously advanced us 400 Dollars on our Note to repay it in Cadiz, which with what we have from the governor enabled us to proceed in a ship to Acapulco. From thence we came across the Continent by way of the City of Mexico to Vera Cruz and arrived in England the beginning of this month. I left in Lima two Masters and about 100 Officers and men, 40 had been sent to Talma – 120 miles inland –^[1] about 12 months before, 5 of whom had returned to Lima and 30 had gone voluntarily to settle in Osoruo – a new settlement in latitude 40 – until a peace, feeling themselves deserted by their Country and no hopes of peace, many of whom were Mechanicks, Cooper's, Carpenters, Blacksmiths etc.. The reminder of the Crews have either died or made their escape previous to my departure. I applied to the Viceroy and asked him what I should say to the British government on my arrival in England respecting the men I left behind. He told me he would give Passports to them if they would find any means of getting home and he would allow 4 to go in any other ship at a time, but as the poor men have neither money or friends to enable them to cross the Continent and that Country having little or no communication with Spain, two small ships only having arrived there during the 32 months I was prisoner, there was little probability of their being able to get away unless assisted by the Government of this Country. A few days before I left Lima an order was given to all the Prisoners to provide work for themselves as their allowance would be stopped. I immediately waited on the Viceroy and stated to him the consequences of this order if put into execution. It was then extended 15 days longer before which time expired I left the country, but previous to my departure the Viceroy told me he wouldn't forsake them being a benevolent man and kind to his prisoners altho' I believe the government were doing this to induce our unprotected countrymen to settle there, being extremely valuable by the knowledge of their respective businesses in which they were employed in the City, but the greater part being seamen could find no other employment than making straw-hats and working on the public road from Lima to Callao where 40 had been employed for several months until the excessive heat of the climate compelled them to desist. I have therefore humbly to entreat your Honors to take the above circumstances into your consideration and that you will be pleased to adopt measures for the speedy release of those unfortunate people.

Welham Clarke, July 1800 The following notes on Welham Clarke are taken almost verbatim from the family history written by my grandfather, Alexander South Clarke, in the 1930s. The four log books mentioned by ASC as having been transcribed by him are still in existence, but are not yet ready for publication here. Scans of the original text of the log for the Spy are available here (68 MB). The final two pages of this are notable.

Welham Clarke first attended the village school at Henstead,^[2] and it is not until he was the age of seventeen that we next hear of him as a Midshipman in the Navy. It is probable that he went to another school in the intervening years, possibly Fauconberge School, Beccles, which his half-brother John Clarke attended.

He was first a Midshipman in HMS Diana from the 1st of September 1780 until the 4th of May 1782, then as an apprentice in the same ship under Sir Robert Calder from May 1782 until November 1782, and under Captain Sampson Edwards as Master's Mate^[3] from November 1782 until August 1783. During these three years he saw active service with the fleet in Spanish Waters, taking part in Lord Howe's expedition. On the termination of the Diana's commission, having received excellent certificates from his commanding officers,^[4] he appears to have left the Navy and to have engaged in various voyages to the south seas, Spanish America etc, particulars of which I give in my transcriptions.^[5] He had a very adventurous time in South America during his voyage in the Commerce in The years 1796 to 1800. He was then taken prisoner by the Spanish and lost his ship containing a considerable amount of bullion and valuable oil, and it was not until peace was declared between England and Spain two years afterwards, that he was released and allowed to return home.

An account of his experiences in prison and on parole, is given fully in my transcription of his Journal relating to the voyage of the Commerce, but the following extract from a letter, written by him on his return home, to the Naval Commissioners, dated 23rd of July 1800, will give a little idea of his experiences in South America.

Ipswich Journal

The following incident gives an idea of the successful result of English enterprise at the beginning of this Century. The "Spy" Captain Welham Clarke, formerly from the South Seas, arrived last week from Portsmouth, was laden with several tons of gold and silver belonging to Mr Hurry of Gosport,^[6] being the successful produce of a cargo of British manufacturers which she traded with the inhabitants of South America. The bullion, estimated at £160,000,^[7] in upwards of 10 large casks was deposited in the Gosport Bank, from when it was conveyed to the Bank of England under strong escort.

27th of October 1804. The last of Captain Welham Clarke's voyages was a particularly prosperous one and it will be of interest to quote a notice taken from the Ipswich Journal of 27th of October 1804.

The strong escort, mentioned above, consisted of nine members of the crew armed with cutlasses, and having loaded the casks into wagons Capt. Clarke marched them up the Portsmouth Road to London. He says of the three wagons that took the bullion, one wagon took about five tons and the other two about three tons each. This incident, concluding the voyage, has quite the Elizabethan atmosphere. One can imagine the little procession, the bronzed sailors with their pig-tails swinging and their earings glinting in the sun. What a dazzling advertisement for a life on the ocean wave it must have been for Hodge and his companions, drinking their noontide ale while outside the Inn as the wagons came rumbling through the sleepy village, The cracking of the whips and the cries of the Carters as the steaming horses climb the long slope of the hogs back, and later as night drew on and they entered the dark autumnal forest beyond Guildford, a closing up of the wagons and the cutlass placed handy to come at.

Received of M^r Clarke, half a years assessed taxes due 10^th Oct 1818.

15

Windows

£ 7- 0-0

1

Servant

10-0

1

Cart (Taxed)

2-15-0

1

Riding Horse

2-17-6

1

Mule

1- 1-0

11

Cart Horses

9-12-6

1

Dog

8-0

£24- 4-0

On leaving the sea in 1804, Captain Clarke – true to the best nautical traditions – bought a farm, at Gillingham in Suffolk, where he remained until 1818. An interesting light on the taxation of those times – the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars – is shown by an old script among his accounts, when he paid the following taxes:-

After selling the Gillingham farm he resided at Ipswich with his daughter Susanna until his death on the 13^th of January 1848. He was buried at Henstead in the family vault on the 20^th of January.

Last Will

This is the last will and testament of me Wellham Clarke of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, gentlemen, made this fourteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty three First I nominate and appoint my dear son Robert Wellham Clarke and my dear nephews the Rev. Charles Clarke of Henstead in the said County and Alexander Henry Bartlett of Ipswich aforesaid surgeon and apothecary to be my executives – I give unto my daughter Susanna Elizabeth all that my messuage or tenement in which I now reside in the Hamlet of Wix Ufford in Ipswich

To my said son Robert Welham all those my four tenements near or adjoining to the last mentioned premises now in the several occupation of Thomas Barber, the Widow Tint, Alice and Henry Buckingham I give unto the said Charles Clarke and Alexander Henry Bartlett the sum of one thousand and five hundred pounds upon trust the interest thereon to be paid to my daughter Susanna Elizabeth

I give unto my said son Robert my gold watch and seal with the coat of arms upon it – also my pistols – large telescope – chest of tools – writing desk and Indian War Club and I give unto my daughter all my Bank and Banker's Notes and cash that may be in the house at the time that my decease and all my household effects and all the residue and remainder of my estate unto my son Robert absolutely.

Signed by Welham Clarke in the presence of us Step. A Notcutt and J. Bird. Proved at London 6th of March 1848 by R. W. Clarke, Rev. Charles Clarke and Alexander Henry Bartlett.