Andrew Clarke (administrator)
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- For other people named Andrew Clarke, see Andrew Clark (disambiguation)
| The Honourable Sir Andrew Clarke GCMG |
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| In office 1873 – 1875 |
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| Preceded by | Major General Sir Harry St. George Ord |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois |
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| In office 1877 – 1880 |
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| Preceded by | Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson |
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| Born | 27 July 1824 Southsea, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 29 March 1902 Bath, Somerset |
| Spouse | Lady Frances Jackson |
| Religion | Christian |
Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke (1824 – 1902) was born on 27 July 1824 in Southsea, Hampshire in England. He died on 29 March 1902 in Bath, Somerset. Clarke was the eldest of the four sons of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Andrew Clarke, the Governor of Western Australia (1793 - 1847).
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[edit] Education
His early years were spent in St. Lucia and Western Australia. Educated at The King's School, Canterbury and Portora Royal School at Enniskillen, Ireland, he entered the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich and obtained his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1844.
[edit] Career
Clarke began his career under his father's supervision, in Western Australia, but transferred to serve as secretary to Sir William Denison, Governor of Tasmania and New South Wales. After fighting in the Maori War in the late 1840s, he returned to Victoria as a Surveyor-General. Clarke was a Colonial Engineer, British soldier and a civil servant before he posted as the Governor of Straits Settlements.
[edit] Governor of Straits Settlements
Sir Andrew Clarke served as the Governor of Straits Settlements from 4 November 1873 until 7 May 1875. He was famous for signing the Treaty of Pangkor in 1874, which established indirect British rule over the Malay States. In that same year, he successfully enforced a check on the abuse of coolies with support of the prominent Chinese leaders and European merchants. Clarke achieved fame through his negotiations in regard to Sungei Ujong in Malaya, sorting out the differences between different leaders in the state. Clarke was blamed for the death of the first British resident in Perak, James Wheeler Woodford Birch, due to his ignorance of the a complain, when Sultan Abdullah of Perak wrote a letter to inform him about Birch's rudeness against the Malay rulers, because that time he was about to retire, and Clarke did not want that problem to destroy his reputation as one of the most successful colonial administrators. Today Singapore's Clarke Quay is named after him.
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| Preceded by Sir Harry Saint George Ord |
Governor of Straits Settlements 1874–1875 |
Succeeded by Major-General Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois |
