Mary Anne Clarke | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 1803 portrait of Clarke byAdam Buck | |
| Born | Mary Anne Thompson 3 April 1776 London, England |
| Died | 21 June 1852 (aged 76) |
| Occupations | Courtesan Author |
| Known for | Mistress ofFrederick, Duke of York |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Clarke (m. 1792) |
| Children | 4 |
Mary Anne Clarke (bornMary Anne Thompson; 3 April 1776 – 21 June 1852) was the mistress ofPrince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.[1] Their relationship began in 1803, while he wasCommander-in-Chief of the army. Later in 1809, she wrote her memoirs which were published.[2] She was the subject of a portrait byAdam Buck, and a caricature byIsaac Cruikshank; ten days after the latter's publication, the Duke resigned from his post as Commander of theBritish Army. In 1811, she commissioned Irish sculptorLawrence Gahagan to sculpt a marble bust of her; this is now housed in theNational Portrait Gallery, London.
Through her daughter Ellen, who marriedLouis-Mathurin Busson du Maurier, Clarke was a great-great-grandmother of authorDaphne du Maurier, who wrote the novelMary Anne about her life.
Mary Anne Thompson was born on 3 April 1776 inLondon, the daughter of a humble tradesman.[1] Attractive and intelligent, she was married at the age of 16, to a man named Joseph Clarke, who worked as astonemason. However, shortly after the marriage, her husband wentbankrupt, and Mary Anne Clarke left him because of this in February 1802.[1] They had four children:
By 1803, Clarke had been established long enough in the world ofcourtesans to receive the attention ofPrince Frederick, Duke of York, then the commander-in-chief of the army.
Taking her as his mistress, he set her up in a fashionable residence inGloucester Place inMarylebone.[3] However, he failed to supply the funds necessary to support their lavish lifestyle.[1] In 1809, a national scandal arose when Clarke testified before the House of Commons that she had sold army commissions with the Duke of York's knowledge.
The scandal was the subject of much humour and mockery, especially by caricaturists such asIsaac Cruikshank who created multiple graphics making fun of the scandal. Cruikshank combined mockery of the scandal while also satirizing Napoleon, portraying him and his generals reading four of his caricatures of thePrince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany and Mary.[4]
Frederick was forced to resign from his position, though he was later reinstated.
After the Duke of York resigned his post as Commander in Chief of the Army, and before he was later reinstated, he cut all ties to Clarke, paying her a considerable sum to prevent her from publishing letters he had written to her during their relationship.[1] When the scandal forced Clarke to leave London, she took a tenancy ofLoughton Lodge,Loughton, Essex. This house still exists, and ablue plaque to Mary Anne Clarke was unveiled on it in April 2009. There are in fact two blue plaques, one on the front, and a duplicate on the back elevation.
Clarke was prosecuted forlibel in 1813 and imprisoned for nine months. On her release from prison, she went to live inFrance. She died inBoulogne-sur-Mer on 21 June 1852.[1]
Her daughter, Ellen, born of her marriage to Clarke, marriedLouis-Mathurin Busson du Maurier, and was the mother of the caricaturistGeorge du Maurier (1834–96) and the great-grandmother of the novelistDaphne du Maurier (1907–1989), who wrote a book about her,Mary Anne.
Writings by Mary Anne Clarke include the following:
She co-authored with Elizabeth Taylor:
WithGwyllym Lloyd Wardle, Francis Wright, and Daniel Wright:
For Mary Anne Clarke's works[1]fr:Mary Anne Clarke
