Birth
William was the only child of Edward Clarke (son of Gregory Clarke of Bungay) and his wife Abigail. No baptism record has been found, and 1736 is a date described by ASC as approximate. He likely compiled a record for William using old wills.
Marriage
William Clarke was married to Mary, only daughter of William Wake, 7th Baronet (1715–1765), of Courteenhall, Northants, and his wife Sarah née Walker on at St. Pancras Old Church in Camden, Middlesex.At that time, William would have been approximetely 60 years old, and he is described in the register as a widower. However, nothing is known of any previous wife, marriage or children he had. The entry gives William's origin as the parish of Bungay in Suffolk, which accords with other information on him. The same marriage shown in Burkes Peerage , however, says that William is from Broome in Norfolk. There may be little significance to this because these locations are separated by little more than a mile on opposite banks of the Waveney.
A notice in the Stamford Mercury for describes the mother of Mary, 'Lady Wake', as being from Riddlesworth Hall in Norfolk. Mary's father, Sir William Wake, 7th Baronet, had died at Courteenhall thirty years previously. The Wake family also had interests in the brewing industry.
Subsequent information on William and Mary is negligible.
Residence
Writes ASC :From an old rate book dated it appears that William Clarke had a house and malthouse in Bridge Street, Bungay, paying £20 rent for the former and £10 13 shillings and four pence for the latter.
Career
Both William and Mary had connections with the brewing industry. The Kingsbury portrait is captioned 'William Clarke Esqr of Bungay Brewer'. [1] Silvanus Bevan owned Riddlesworth Hall and an interest in the Anchor Brewery in Southwark.Mary's brother, Sir William Wake, 8th Baronet, succeeded Samuel Whitbread as member of Parliament for Bedford, as did Robert Sparrow who financed the Clarke's merchant shipping activities.
Death
A burial is registered at Passenham, Northamptonshire on of an 87 year old William Clarke. This is unlikely to be the same Willliam Clarke as the brewer from Bungay.The burial is recorded on of an 81 year old 'Mary Clark' at St. Pancras, although no headstone with that name appears to have survived (a large part of the churchyard was appropriated for the rail lines to the London terminus ).