Sir Marshal James Clarke | |
|---|---|
| 1st Resident Commissioner in Southern Rhodesia | |
| In office 5 December 1898 – 1 April 1905 | |
| Succeeded by | Richard Chester-Master |
| 2nd Resident Commissioner in Zululand | |
| In office 1893–1898 | |
| Governor | Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson |
| Preceded by | Sir Melmoth Osborn |
| Succeeded by | Charles Saunders |
| 1st Resident Commissioner in Basutoland | |
| In office 18 March 1884 – 18 September 1893 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Succeeded by | Godfrey Yeatman Lagden |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 October 1841 Tipperary, Ireland, United Kingdom |
| Died | 1 April 1909 (aged 67) Enniskerry, Ireland, United Kingdom |
| Spouse |
Annie Stacy Lloyd (m. 1880) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | |
| Awards | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  British Empire |
| Years of service | 1863–1883 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
| Battles/wars | First Boer War |
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Marshal James Clarke KCMG (24 October 1841 – 1 April 1909) was a British colonial administrator and an officer of the Royal Artillery. He was the first Resident Commissioner in Basutoland from 1884 to 1893; Resident Commissioner in Zululand from 1893 to 1898; and, following the botched Jameson Raid, the first Resident Commissioner in Southern Rhodesia from 1898 to 1905.
For his work in Basutoland, Clarke drew praise from the economist John A. Hobson in his treatise Imperialism for his devotion to the education and development of the native people, while Viscount Bryce noted that his approach fostered goodwill amongst native people towards Britain. In Zululand, Clarke granted considerable authority and special judicial functions to the hereditary chiefs; and was commended by Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, Governor of Natal, for his action in the face of potential famine. He recommended to the Imperial Government the return from exile of Dinuzulu, the paramount chief. While in Southern Rhodesia, he was appointed to protect the interests of native people against the overarching ambitions of the British South Africa Company.
He married Annie Stacy Lloyd, daughter of Major General Banastyre Pryce Lloyd in 1880 and had three children. He died suddenly of pneumonia in his home country of Ireland.