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Lieutenant Ralph Clark (30 March 1755 or 1762 – June 1794) was a British officer in the Royal Marines, best known for his diary spanning the early years of British settlement in Australia, including the voyage of the First Fleet. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Clark saw service in the American Revolutionary War before volunteering for the voyage to Australia. Arriving in New South Wales in January 1788, he filled a number of roles in the newly established colony, including serving on picket duty, guarding convicts, and on the Criminal Court. Having been temporarily promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, Clark was sent to Norfolk Island aboard HMS ''Sirius'' in March 1790, which was subsequently wrecked off the island's coast. After a period on the island, he returned to England aboard HMS ''Gorgon'', arriving in June 1792, and was then posted to the West Indies to fight in the French Revolutionary Wars, dying in a battle off the coast of Hispaniola in June 1794. Clark's diaries, although never intended to be published, provide some of the most personal information about the early convict era in Australia, and are currently held by the State Library of New South Wales. ==Biography== Clark was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Ann (née Man) and George Clark.〔Hine, Janet D. (1966). (Clark, Ralph (1762–1794) ) – Australian Dictionary Biography. Retrieved 19 November 2012.〕〔Clark's exact date of birth is unclear. It is known from his diaries that he celebrated his birthday on 30 March, but different sources suggest that he was either born in 1755 or 1762.〕 He enlisted as a second lieutenant in the 27th Company of the Royal Marines on 25 August 1779, having previously been in the "Dutch service".〔Clark's period in the "Dutch service" is only known from a single diary entry, that of 9 July 1787, which noted that he "Saw John Johnson my old companion in the Dutch Service". It is unclear whether "Dutch service" refers to time spent in the Navy of the Dutch Republic, or time spent fighting the Dutch in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, both of which fit the diary's chronology.〕 Clark saw service in the American Revolutionary War, and at the end of his service returned to live in London, although he was assigned to the Portsmouth division of the marines. Having transferred to the 6th Company in 1783, He married Betsy Alicia Trevan, of Efford, Devon, on 23 June 1784, with a son, Ralph Stuart Clark, born on 23 August 1785.〔The name of Clark's son is sometimes transcribed as "Ralph Stewart Clark".〕 In order to further his chances for promotion (and thus a higher salary), Clark volunteered to serve in the New South Wales Marine Corps, which accompanied the First Fleet, which was transporting convicts to a penal colony that was to be established in New South Wales. He was posted to the ''Friendship'', which held mainly female convicts.〔(Journals of the First Fleet: Ralph Clark (1755? - 1794) ) – State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 November 2012.〕 Arriving with the fleet in January 1788, Clark filled a number of roles in the colony, from guarding convicts to occasionally serving on the Criminal Court, which he heavily disliked. When not on duty, he went fishing and shooting, collecting a number of specimens which he sent back to England.〔 To supplement their meagre rations, officers were allowed to keep vegetable gardens, which were tended by convicts. Clark established one such garden on a small island in Port Jackson, which would subsequently be known as Clark Island.〔The garden which Clark established was quite unsuccessful, with most of the produce being quickly stolen. In February 1790, the exasperated Clark noted in his journal that ''"some Boat had landed since I had been there last and taken away the greatest part … it is impossible for any body to attempt to raise any Garden stuff here, before it comes to perfection they will steal it."''〕 To provide some entertainment for the colony, Clark was asked by the governor, Arthur Phillip, to stage a play using convict actors, with ''The Recruiting Officer'' chosen as the play to be performed. He and the convicts' experiences were later the subject of a nove, ''The Playmaker'', by Thomas Keneally, and a play, ''Our Country's Good'', by Timberlake Wertenbaker. Clark was also quite friendly with local Aboriginal tribes (specifically the Eora), particularly compared to some of his companions. At one point, in February 1790, he was asked by the governor to "capture" two Aboriginal tribesmen who he had traded with earlier, but refused for fear their children would starve.〔(The Journal and Letters of Lt. Ralph Clark ) – The University of Sydney. Retrieved 19 November 2012.〕 Following the death of Captain John Shea in February 1789, Clark was promoted to fill his role, and temporarily given the rank of first lieutenant by Major Robert Ross. The following year, he was chosen to sail to Norfolk Island with Ross, departing Sydney aboard HMS ''Sirius'' on 6 March 1790. Owing to the lack of a natural harbour on the island, ''Sirius'' was forced to anchor off the coast, and land men and stores via smaller boats. The ship was wrecked on an offshore reef shortly afterward, although no lives were lost. On Norfolk Island, Clark was made quartermaster general and keeper of the stores at Sydney Bay, and was later put in charge of the settlement at Charlotte Field. In April 1791, he was responsible for laying out the settlement at Queensborough.〔 During his time on the island, Clark impregnated a female convict, Mary Branham, with a daughter, Alicia (named after Clark's wife), born in July 1791. After a further period on the island, Clark was sent back to Sydney, arriving in December 1791 accompanied by Branham, and then back to England on HMS ''Gorgon'', arriving in June 1792. Upon his return, he was posted to the 100th Company, based in Chatham, Kent. Although the appointment was made in October 1792, he did not join the company until January the following year, possibly due to illness or an extended period of leave. Clark left for the West Indies in May 1793, aboard HMS ''Tartar'', bringing his eight-year-old son with him to serve as a midshipman.〔 Clark's wife died early in 1794, whilst giving birth to a stillborn child. Clark himself was killed in action some time in June 1794 off the coast of Hispaniola, while his son died of yellow fever towards the end of the same month.〔〔The exact dates of death of both Clark and his son are uncertain, although 18 and 30 June are considered likely. When Clark's papers were sold, it was advertised that he and his son had died on the same day, although it is likely that this was a fabrication to encourage sale.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ralph Clark」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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