Born in Leicester on December 21st, 1837, and received his professional training at Guy's Hospital, where his career was brilliant. In addition to the Exhibition, he took the Gold Medal in Anatomy and in Physiology at the University of London in 1861, and the Treasurer's Gold Medal in Clinical Surgery and a Prize at Guy's, where he was also Resident Accoucheur. Starting in practice at Leicester, he was in his earlier years Medical Officer to the Workhouse, Infirmary, and Schools. He was then appointed Hon Surgeon to the Infirmary, and held this post till the time of his death, when he was Senior Surgeon. He was also Hon Medical Officer to the Institution for the Blind, and was devoted to his work there and at the infirmary. He was a successful operator, even in difficult cases. A keen advocate of temperance, he was himself a total abstainer for the greater part of his life - in fact, his whole life was one of great asceticism, luxury of any sort being completely foreign to his nature. He was most successful in the treatment of victims of the drug habit, and was for twenty-seven years Medical Officer to Tower House, Leicester. His zeal in keeping abreast of the medical science of his time was remarkable, and he took both parts of the FRCS examination while engaged in his arduous duties, and graduated MD and MS at the comparatively advanced ages of 55 and 59 respectively. Clarke, in addition to his other posts, was at one time Hon Local Secretary to the Poor Law Medical Officers' Association and Hon Medical Officer to the Institution of Trained Nurses, Leicester, as well as Medical Examiner for Government Insurances and Hon Consulting Surgeon to the Leicester and Rutland Lunatic Asylum. He practised latterly at 37 London Road, Leicester. In October, 1900, Clarke was the victim of a curious outrage of a kind not unknown in the profession. He was shot through the sacrum by a former lunatic patient suffering from homicidal tendencies, who had been confined to an asylum under his certificate. Kirby (the man's name) fired four shots from a revolver and wounded him with one of them as he was walking in the street. He lay for some time in a critical condition and the bullet was never extracted; but he recovered sufficiently to give evidence before a magistrate. He died quite unexpectedly during sleep on August 2nd, 1901. He was buried in the Leicester Cemetery on August 6th, the first part of the funeral service being held in the General Infirmary Chapel. He was survived by a large family to whom he was devoted, his eldest son being Dr Astley V Clarke, Physician to the Leicester Infirmary. Clarke's portrait is in the Fellows' Album. Publications: "Treatment of the Habit of Injecting Morphia by Suddenly Discontinuing the Drug." - *Lancet*, 1884, ii, 491. "Case of Perforated Gastric Ulcer." - *Ibid.*, 1897, 806. *A Fortnight in a Home for Inebriate Ladies*, 4to, Leicester, 1880.