Gavin Brown Clark

Dr Gavin Brown Clark (1846 – 5 July 1930) was the MP for Caithness from 1885 to 1900.

Dr. Gavin Brown Clark
Member of Parliament
In office 24 November 1885 – 25 September 1900
Preceded by	Sir John George Tollemache Sinclair, 3rd baronet
Succeeded by	Robert Leicester Harmsworth
Personal details
Born	1846 Scotland
Died	5 July 1930(1930-07-05) (aged 83–84) Scotland
Political party	Crofters Party

He was educated at the University of Glasgow, the University of Edinburgh and King's College London, graduating in Medicine.[1]

An active campaigner for social reform issues against an official Liberal candidate, he joined the Crofters Party parliamentary group and gave general support to the Liberal Party, while in opposition. He was re-elected as the official Liberal candidate in 1886, 1892 and 1895. Spending the time in opposition he spoke in the Commons in favour of measures to ameliorate poverty. Crofters were hard-bitten in the far north of Scotland by the clearances, unemployment, and low wages. He was the Honorary Secretary of the Transvaal Independence Committee, for which he wrote the pamphlet The Transvaal and Bechuanaland.[2] For the 1900 general election he was replaced as Liberal candidate and defeated.[3] He unsuccessfully stood for the Labour Party in Glasgow Cathcart in the 1918 general election.

References

1. ‘CLARK, Gavin Brown’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007
2. The Transvaal and Bechuanaland, Gavin Brown Clark, in the World Digital Library
3. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Gavin Brown Clark

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir John Sinclair, Bt	Member of Parliament for Caithness 1885–1900	Succeeded by Leicester Harmsworth