Background
Harriet Ludlow Clarke was the fourth daughter of Edward Clarke, a London solicitor.
Harriet Ludlow Clarke was the fourth daughter of Edward Clarke, a London solicitor.
Around 1837 she started trying to earn a living as a wood engraver, which was then unusual for a woman. Attracting the notice of the engraver William Harvey, she executed a large cut from his design for the Penny Magazine in 1838. With Harvey"s support, Clarke earned a good deal of money, which she used to build model labourers" homes at Cheshunt.
Clarke also became a designer and painter on glass, studying at home and abroad to master the techniques, and helped by the leading stained glass painter William Wailes.
About 1851 she executed a window, showing Saint Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar, in Street Martin"s Church, Canterbury, which was being restored by the Honorary Daniel Finch. She executed for the queen a large window in the church of North Marston, to commemorate a bequest to her majesty by Mr.
Neald of an estate in that parish. The Review Robert Moore employed her to execute a large window in the north-west transept of Canterbury Cathedral, representing the history of Thomas a Beckett.
Though she prepared full-sized colour cartoons for this, failing health prevented her from executing her designs on glass: the windows were put up in May 1863 by Mr Hughes of Frith Street, Soho.
From this point onwards ill-health stopped Clarke"s activity as an artist. There is another small memorial window by her in Street Martin"s Church, Canterbury.