Clarke family tree

Origins of the name

The Clarke name probably comes from Clerk. The name is well established throughout the world in countries once part of the British Empire. The name appears to come from the east of England with records showing a Clarke in the 1400s in the Norfolk area. Early traces of the name can be found in Lincolnshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Staffordshire. The name appears in America as early as the 1600s.

Place names

There are many places named after the Clarke name:

Clarke County, Virginia, USA.
Clarke Hill Reservation, USA.
Clarke Mountain, USA.

Famous family

Famous Clarke's include Arthur C Clarke. Samuel Clarke 1675 - 1729 of Norwich, considered to be the greatest Metaphysician in England from 1704 onwards, worked with Newton and in his time was advisor to Queen Caroline.

The name can be found all over the world, in all areas of Commerce and Industry, with the famous Clarke's shoes at the helm.

The name today

The Clarke name is linked to the Wellham family through the descendants of Maria Anne Clarke born 1840 in Drakes Broughton. She married Thomas Playdon born 1834, also of Drakes Broughton. They had a son Albert Theodore Playdon born 1877. He married and had a son Reginald Playdon. Reginald married Florence May (Maisie), They had six children. Thelma, Pat, Anthony (Tony), Maureen, Mary and Carol. Thelma married George Brian Wellham of Yorkshire, they had four children, Sarah, Simon, Nicholas and Nigel. Simon married Diane Bullock and had two sons Jamie and Luke Wellham.