CLARK, HENRY (1821-1905) was born in Berwickshire, educated in the parish school at Polwarth and took to farm work. He was later apprenticed to carpentry and at the age of 22 he went to Edinburgh and worked at that trade.

Having married (1844) Christian, daughter of David Heron (Dunfermline) he sailed in 1848 in the Blundell for Otago, where in partnership with Garvie and later with W. Langlands, he carried on business as builder and contractor. His 10-acre section at Mornington he sold, and on the dissolution of his partnership, bought land at Tokomairiro, and in 1864 960 acres at Glenore. He continued building until about 1884, when he settled on his farm at Clarksville. In the first provincial elections Clark actively canvassed against the enrolment of Maori voters. He was elected M.P.C. for Tokomairiro in 1864 and sat in the Council for that seat till 1870 and for Matau (1871-75). In 1865 he was for a few days in the executive. Clark was a member of the first Bruce county council and chairman to 1897. He was on the Otago education board (1878-98) and chairman three years; a governor of the Otago High Schools (1891-95), and on the council of Otago University (1898-1901). He was a member of the Otago land board, the hospital board and the charitable board, and an elder of the Dean Free Church in Edinburgh and of First Church, Dunedin (Apr 1849). Clark died on 15 Aug 1905.

Chisholm; A. Brown; Cycl. N.Z., iv (p); Hocken, Otago; Otago Daily Times, 16 Aug 1905.

Reference: Volume 1, page 96

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