Clarke, Charles Col. 1826 - 1909

CLARKE, CARTWRIGHT

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 1/4/2023 at 11:28:59

Source: Decorah Republican April 22, 1909, P2 C3

A Deferred Item.
The following paragraph was written for last week’s REPUBLICAN; but by an unfortunate error missed connection from the writer to the compositor. It is deemed to be of such general interest as to justify this explanation and insertion this week:--
The sad intelligence was received last week by Mrs. E. Cartwright and family, of this city, of the death of her brother Mr. Charles Clarke, of Elora, Province of Ontario, Canada. Col. Clarke was born in England and came to Ontario in 1844. He soon began an active career as a business man and public citizen that continued for a round half century. Besides an active participation in all local affairs, he served for twenty years as a member of the Ontario provincial assembly—in six of which he was chosen and served as speaker, and then retired for the purpose of serving as clerk of the assembly a position he held from 1892 to 1907. In this position he gained such large familiarity with parliamentary law that, by request, he compiled a “Members’ Manual” which became a recognized authority of procedure in public bodies. After his retirement to private life in 1907—in his 81st year—he wrote and published a volume giving his personal recollections of “Sixty Years in Upper Canada.” He died on the 6th inst., in his 83d year, after only a brief illness. In his earlier life deceased engaged in editorial labor, and during many of his later years he was a frequent and valued contributor to the provincial press. Those who met Col. Clarke during his occasional visits to Decorah can readily understand how his unusual intelligence, genial manner and ready ability as a conversationalist made him an active public citizen who was recognized and honored by a province-wide constituency. He was twice married, and, besides his second wife, five daughters and three sons survive. Mrs. Cartwright is now the last of her father’s family.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows he was born Nov. 28, 1826 and died April 6, 1909. He is buried in the Elora Cemetery in Ontario, Canada.