William Clarke (English politician) facts for kids

Sir William Clarke (died 1666) was an important English politician. He was born around 1623 in London. In 1661, he became the Secretary at War. This job meant he helped manage the army.

Before this, he worked for about twelve years as a secretary for General Monck. General Monck was a very important military leader. Sir William Clarke was the Secretary at War from 1661 until he died in 1666. He died during a war with the Dutch.

When Charles II became king again in 1660, both Monck and Clarke were well-liked by the king. King Charles II made Clarke a knight. He also gave him a large lodge and land in Marylebone Park to use for several years. Sir William Clarke was married to Dorothy Clarke, and they had one son, George Clarke.

Sir William Clarke's Death in War

In 1652, General Monck became a general at sea. This was during the First Anglo-Dutch War. England won this war in 1653. Later, the English government tried to avoid more fights with the Dutch.

However, by 1664, English ships started bothering Dutch ships. England also took over the Dutch colony of New Netherland in North America. This led to the Second Anglo-Dutch War. This war is where Sir William Clarke lost his life.

In 1666, the Dutch formed a strong team against England. France and Denmark joined them. By spring 1666, the Dutch had built many new, powerful ships. They were ready to fight.

The Four Days' Battle

This led to the Four Days' Battle. It was one of the longest naval battles ever. General Monck led a fleet of eighty English ships. Sir William Clarke was with Monck on the ship called Royal Charles.

The battle started on June 1st. On the second day, a cannonball hit Clarke's right leg. It was badly hurt. General Monck said Clarke was very brave. But two days later, Sir William Clarke died from his injuries. He was buried in Harwich.

The Clarke Papers: A Look into History

The Clarke Papers are Sir William's work papers from 1623/24 to 1666. His son, George Clarke, gave these papers to Worcester College, Oxford. These papers are very important. They help historians learn about the English Civil War and the time after it, called the Interregnum.

A historian named Charles Harding Firth first shared these papers with many people. He chose and published some of them in four books called The Clarke Papers. This was between 1891 and 1901. The papers themselves fill 51 bound books, plus many loose documents. In 2005, another historian, Frances Henderson, published new selections from Clarke's writings.